49 U.S.C. § 44511 — Aviation research grants

Page 1270 TITLE 49—TRANSPORTATION [§ 44510 HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 44509 .......... 49 App.:2205(b)(1). Sept. 3, 1982, Pub. L. 97–248, § 506(b)(1), 96 Stat. 678; re- stated Dec. 30, 1987, Pub. L. 100–223, § 105(b)(1), 101 Stat. 1490. [§ 44510. Repealed. Pub. L. 118–63, title IV, § 401(a), May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1148] Section, Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1181, related to airway science curriculum grants. § 44511. Aviation research grants (a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may make grants to institutions of higher education and nonprofit research organizations to conduct aviation research in areas the Administrator considers necessary for the long-term growth of civil aviation. (b) APPLICATIONS.—An institution of higher education or nonprofit research organization in- terested in receiving a grant under this section may submit an application to the Adminis- trator. The application must be in the form and contain the information the Administrator re- quires. (c) SOLICITATION, REVIEW, AND EVALUATION PROCESS.—The Administrator shall establish a solicitation, review, and evaluation process that ensures— (1) providing grants under this section for proposals having adequate merit and rel- evancy to the mission of the Administration; (2) a fair geographical distribution of grants under this section; and (3) the inclusion of historically black insti- tutions of higher education and other minor- ity nonprofit research organizations for grant consideration under this section. (d) RECORDS.—Each person receiving a grant under this section shall maintain records that the Administrator requires as being necessary to facilitate an effective audit and evaluation of the use of money provided under the grant. (e) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall submit an annual report to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans- portation of the Senate on carrying out this sec- tion. (f) AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PRO- GRAM.— (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Trans- portation shall maintain an airport coopera- tive research program to— (A) identify problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and can be solved through applied research but that are not being adequately addressed by existing Fed- eral research programs; and (B) fund research to address those prob- lems. (2) GOVERNANCE.—The Secretary of Trans- portation shall appoint an independent gov- erning board for the research program estab- lished under this subsection. The governing board shall be appointed from candidates nom- inated by national associations representing public airport operating agencies, airport ex- ecutives, State aviation officials, and the scheduled airlines, and shall include represent- atives of appropriate Federal agencies. Section 1013 of title 5 shall not apply to the governing board. (3) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into an arrange- ment with the National Academy of Sciences to provide staff support to the governing board established under paragraph (2) and to carry out projects proposed by the governing board that the Secretary considers appropriate. (4) REPORT.—Not later than September 30, 2012, the Secretary shall transmit to the Con- gress a report on the program. (Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1181; Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(74), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3396; Pub. L. 108–176, title VII, § 712, Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2586; Pub. L. 112–95, title IX, § 906, Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 139; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(314), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4340.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 44511 .......... 49 App.:1353(g). Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, § 312(g); added Nov. 5, 1990, Pub. L. 101–508, § 9205(a), 104 Stat. 1388–373. In this section, the words ‘‘institutions of higher edu- cation’’ and ‘‘institution of higher education’’ are sub- stituted for ‘‘colleges, universities’’, ‘‘university, col- lege’’, and ‘‘colleges and universities’’ for consistency in the revised title. In subsection (c), the words ‘‘providing grants’’ are substituted for ‘‘the funding’’, the word ‘‘grants’’ is substituted for ‘‘grant funds’’, and the words ‘‘grant consideration’’ are substituted for ‘‘funding consider- ation’’, for consistency in the revised title. In subsection (d), the words ‘‘money provided under the grant’’ are substituted for ‘‘grant funds’’ for con- sistency. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted ‘‘Sec- tion 1013 of title 5’’ for ‘‘Section 14 of the Federal Advi- sory Committee Act’’. 2012—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 112–95, § 906(1), substituted ‘‘maintain an’’ for ‘‘establish a 4-year pilot’’ in intro- ductory provisions. Subsec. (f)(4). Pub. L. 112–95, § 906(2), substituted ‘‘Not later than September 30, 2012,’’ for ‘‘Not later than 6 months after the expiration of the program under this subsection,’’ and ‘‘program’’ for ‘‘program, including recommendations as to the need for establishing a per- manent airport cooperative research program’’. 2003—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 108–176 added subsec. (f). 1996—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–287 substituted ‘‘Com- mittee on Science’’ for ‘‘Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Committee on Science of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- Page 1271 TITLE 49—TRANSPORTATION § 44513 nology of House of Representatives by House Resolu- tion No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2003 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 108–176 applicable only to fis- cal years beginning after Sept. 30, 2003, except as other- wise specifically provided, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–176, set out as a note under section 106 of this title. § 44512. Catastrophic failure prevention research grants (a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may make grants to institutions of higher education and nonprofit research organizations— (1) to conduct aviation research related to the development of technologies and methods to assess the risk of, and prevent, defects, fail- ures, and malfunctions of products, parts, processes, and articles manufactured for use in aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and ap- pliances that could result in a catastrophic failure of an aircraft; and (2) to establish centers of excellence for con- tinuing the research. (b) SOLICITATION, APPLICATION, REVIEW, AND EVALUATION PROCESS.—The Administrator shall establish a solicitation, application, review, and evaluation process that ensures providing grants under this section for proposals having adequate merit and relevancy to the research described in subsection (a) of this section. (Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1182.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 44512 .......... 49 App.:1353(h). Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, § 312(h); added Nov. 5, 1990, Pub. L. 101–508, § 9208(b), 104 Stat. 1388–376. In this section, the words ‘‘institutions of higher edu- cation’’ are substituted for ‘‘colleges, universities’’ for consistency in the revised title. In subsection (b), the words ‘‘providing grants’’ are substituted for ‘‘the funding’’ for consistency in the re- vised title. § 44513. Regional centers of air transportation excellence (a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may make grants to institutions of higher education to establish and operate regional centers of air transportation excellence. The locations shall be distributed in a geographically fair way. (b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—(1) The responsibilities of each center established under this section shall include— (A) conducting research on— (i) airspace and airport planning and de- sign; (ii) airport capacity enhancement tech- niques; (iii) human performance in the air trans- portation environment; (iv) aviation safety and security; (v) the supply of trained air transportation personnel, including pilots and mechanics; and (vi) other aviation issues related to devel- oping and maintaining a safe and efficient air transportation system; and (B) interpreting, publishing, and dissemi- nating the results of the research. (2) In conducting research described in para- graph (1)(A) of this subsection, each center may make contracts with nonprofit research organi- zations and other appropriate persons. (c) APPLICATIONS.—An institution of higher education interested in receiving a grant under this section may submit an application to the Administrator. The application must be in the form and contain the information that the Ad- ministrator requires by regulation. (d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Administrator shall select recipients of grants under this sec- tion on the basis of the following criteria: (1) the extent to which the needs of the State in which the applicant is located are representative of the needs of the region for improved air transportation services and fa- cilities. (2) the demonstrated research and extension resources available to the applicant to carry out this section. (3) the ability of the applicant to provide leadership in making national and regional contributions to the solution of both long- range and immediate air transportation prob- lems. (4) the extent to which the applicant has an established air transportation program. (5) the demonstrated ability of the applicant to disseminate results of air transportation re- search and educational programs through a statewide or regionwide continuing education program. (6) the projects the applicant proposes to carry out under the grant. (e) EXPENDITURE AGREEMENTS.—A grant may be made under this section in a fiscal year only if the recipient makes an agreement with the Administrator that the Administrator requires to ensure that the recipient will maintain its total expenditures from all other sources for es- tablishing and operating the center and related research activities at a level at least equal to the average level of those expenditures in the 2 fiscal years of the recipient occurring imme- diately before November 5, 1990. (f) GOVERNMENT’S SHARE OF COSTS.—The United States Government’s share of estab- lishing and operating a center and all related re- search activities that grant recipients carry out shall not exceed 50 percent of the costs, except that the Administrator may increase such share to a maximum of 75 percent of the costs for a fiscal year if the Administrator determines that a center would be unable to carry out the au- thorized activities described in this section without additional funds. (g) ALLOCATING AMOUNTS.—The Administrator shall allocate amounts made available to carry out this section in a geographically fair way. (h) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall transmit annually to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep- resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate at