AVIATION RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.

SEC. 9205. AVIATION RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In General.—Section 312 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1353) is amended by adding the following new subsection: “(g) Research Grant Program.— “(1) General authority.—The Administrator may make grants to colleges, universities, and nonprofit research organizations to conduct aviation research into areas deemed by the Administrator to be required for the long-term growth of civil aviation. “(2) Applications.—A university, college, or nonprofit organization interested in receiving a grant under this subsection may submit to the Administrator an application for such grant. Such application shall be in such form and contain such information as the Administrator may require. “(3) Selection.—The Administrator shall establish a solicitation, review, and evaluation process that ensures (A) the funding under this subsection of proposals having adequate merit 104 STAT. 1388–374and relevancy to the mission of the Federal Aviation Administration, (B) an equitable geographical distribution of grant funds under this subsection, and (C) the inclusion of historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions for funding consideration under this subsection. “(4) Records.—Each person awarded a grant under this subsection shall maintain such records as the Administrator may require as being necessary to facilitate an effective audit and evaluation of the use of grant funds. “(5) Reports.—The Administrator shall make an annual report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the research grant program conducted under this subsection.”. (b) Conforming Amendment.—That portion of the table of contents contained in the first section of such Act which appears under the heading; “Sec. 312. Development planning.” is amended by adding at the end the following: “(g) Research grant program.”,