REGIONAL CENTERS.

SEC. 1663. REGIONAL CENTERS. (a) Establishment.— (1) Required.— Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Board shall establish not less than two nor more than six Regional Centers to carry out the activities specified in this section and such other activities as the Board shall from time to time specify. (2) Exception.— A Regional Center may not be established or operated in a fiscal year unless at least $5,000,000 has been appropriated for that fiscal year to carry out this subtitle. (b) Method of Establishment.— (1) Regional basis.— Each Regional Center established under this section shall be located at a host institution. The Regional Centers shall be established in different States to reflect the different regional climatic conditions and rural economic stresses in the United States. (2) Competition.— An organization that desires to be selected as a host institution for a Regional Center shall submit an application to the Board. The Board shall determine the location of the Regional Centers based on a competitive review of the contents of such applications and shall consider the ability of the applicant to carry out the activities specified in this section. (c) Matching of Funds.— (1) Assurances of applicants.— Each institution submitting an application for a Regional Center under this section shall provide assurances— (A) that adequate funds or in-kind support (including office space, equipment and staff support) shall be provided to match the amount of funds used for administrative costs that are provided by the Federal Government under this subtitle; (B) that the institution is qualified to carry out the activities required of a Regional Center; and (C) concerning such other matters as the Board determines to be appropriate. (2) Consortium.— The matching funds required under paragraph (1) may be provided by a consortia that may include the host institution and other public or private entities existing within various regions of the United States, including State and local governments, entities created by State and local governments, charitable organizations, public and private universities and other institutions of higher education, cooperatives, and economic development organizations. (d) Director.— Each Regional Center shall be headed by a full-time Regional Director who shall— (1) be selected by the Board; and 104 STAT. 3766 (2) have a scientific or engineering background or have experience in the development of new products or processes in the public or private sector. (e) Activities.— Each Regional Center shall— (1) encourage interaction among the private and Federal laboratories, National Science Foundation centers, Department of Agriculture research programs, other Federal resources, State and local regional economic development programs, universities, colleges, the private sector, and the financial community, for the purpose of evaluating and commercializing new nonfood, nonfeed uses of agricultural commodities; (2) identify broad areas where commercialization of new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes can contribute to economic growth in rural areas of the United States, through the development of new nonfood, nonfeed uses for agricultural commodities by private companies and businesses; (3) provide technical assistance and related business and financial counseling for small domestic businesses to commercialize new nonfood, nonfeed uses of agricultural commodities; (4) identify new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes that are worthy of financial assistance; (5) make use of existing programs in scientific, engineering, technical, and management education that will support the accelerated commercialization of new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes using agricultural commodities; (6) advise the Board on the viability of specific applications submitted for financial assistance and on the type of assistance, if any, to be provided; (7) coordinate their activities with the Small Business Development Centers; and (8) coordinate their activities with the Center. (f) Review of Proposals for Assistance.— (1) Submission to regional center.— If a Regional Center is established that includes the area in which a person applying for assistance under this subtitle is located, that person shall submit the application to the Regional Center for review. (2) Review.— The Directors of the Regional Centers shall work in consultation with the Advisory Council appointed under section 1661(c) to obtain peer review and evaluation of applications submitted to the Regional Centers. (3) Role of advisory council.— The Advisory Council shall review applications submitted to the Regional Centers. The Advisory Council shall, by majority vote, make a nonbinding recommendation on each proposal to the appropriate Regional Director. (4) Recommendation.— The Regional Director, after consideration of the Advisory Council’s recommendation and based on the comments of the reviewers, shall make and submit a recommendation to the Board along with the recommendation of the Advisory Council. A recommendation submitted by a Regional Director or the Advisory Council shall not be binding on the Board.