Transportation centers

§ 5317. Transportation centers (a) Grants for Regional Transportation Centers.—(1) The Secretary of Transportation shall make grants to nonprofit institutions of higher learning to establish and operate regional transportation centers in each of the 10 United States Government regions that comprise the Standard Federal Regional Boundary System. (2) A nonprofit institution of higher learning interested in receiving a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary in the way and containing the information the Secretary prescribes. The Secretary shall select each recipient on the basis of the following: (A) the regional transportation center is located in a State that is representative of the needs of the Government region for improved transportation and facilities. (B) the demonstrated research and extension resources available to the recipient to carry out this subsection. (C) the capability of the recipient to provide leadership in making national and regional contributions to the solution of immediate and long-range transportation problems. (D) the recipient has an established transportation program encompassing several modes of transportation. (E) the recipient has a demonstrated commitment of at least $200,000 in regularly budgeted institutional amounts each year to support ongoing transportation research programs. (F) the recipient has a demonstrated ability to disseminate results of transportation research and educational programs 108 STAT. 816through a statewide or regionwide continuing educational program. (G) the projects the recipient proposes to carry out under the grant. (3)(A) At each regional transportation center, the following shall be carried out: (i) infrastructure research on transportation. (ii) research and training on transportation safety and the transportation of passengers and property and the interpretation, publication, and dissemination of the results of the research. (B) Each transportation center— (i) should carry out research on more than one mode of transportation; and (ii) should consider the proportion of amounts for this subsection from amounts available to carry out urban mass transportation projects under this chapter and from the Highway Trust Fund. (C) At one of the transportation centers, research may be carried out on the testing of new bus models. (4) Before making a grant under this subsection, the Secretary may require the recipient to make an agreement with the Secretary to ensure that the recipient will maintain total expenditures from all other sources to establish and operate a regional transportation center and related research activities at a level at least equal to the average level of those expenditures in its 2 fiscal years prior to April 2, 1987. (5) A grant under this subsection is for 50 percent of the cost of establishing and operating the regional transportation center and related research activities the recipient carries out. (b) Grants for University Transportation Centers.—(1) To accelerate the involvement and participation of minority individuals and women in transportation-related professions, particularly in the science, technology, and engineering disciplines, the Secretary shall make grants to Morgan State University to establish a national center for transportation management, research, and development. The center shall give special attention to designing, developing, and carrying out research, training, and technology transfer activities to increase the number of highly skilled minority individuals and women entering the transportation workforce. (2) The Secretary shall make grants to the New Jersey Institute of Technology to establish and operate a center for transportation and industrial productivity. The center shall conduct research and development activities that focus on ways to increase surface transportation capacity, reduce congestion, and reduce costs for transportation system users and providers through the use of transportation management systems. (3) The Secretary shall make a grant to Monmouth College, West Long Branch, New Jersey, to modify and rebuild Building Number 500 at Monmouth College. Before making the grant, the Secretary shall receive assurances from Monmouth College that the building will be known and designated as the James and Marlene Howard Transportation Information Center and that transportation-related instruction and research in computer science, electronic engineering, mathematics, and software engineering conducted at the building will be coordinated with the Center for 108 STAT. 817Transportation and Industrial Productivity at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. (4) The Secretary shall make grants to the University of Arkansas to establish a national rural transportation center. The center shall conduct research, training, and technology transfer activities in the development, management, and operation of intermodal transportation systems in rural areas. (5) (A) The Secretary shall make grants to the University of Idaho to establish a National Center for Advanced Transportation Technology. The Center shall be established and operated in partnership with private industry and shall conduct industry-driven research and development activities that focus on transportation-related manufacturing and engineering processes, materials, and equipment. (B) The Secretary shall make grants to the University of Idaho to plan, design, and construct a building in which to conduct the research and development activities of the Center. (C) Amounts authorized by section 5338(e)(2) of this title may be obligated in the same way as amounts apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23 (except that the Government share of the cost of the activities conducted under this paragraph is 80 percent and the amounts remain available until expended) and are not subject to an obligational limitation. (D) A grant made under this paragraph is not subject to the requirements of this section (except this paragraph). (c) Program Coordination.—The Secretary shall provide for coordinating research, education, training, and technology transfer activities that grant recipients carry out under this section, the dissemination of the results of the research, and the establishment and operation of a clearinghouse between the centers and the transportation industry. At least annually, the Secretary shall review and evaluate programs the grant recipients carry out. The Secretary may use not more than one percent of amounts made available from Government sources to carry out this section to carry out this subsection. (d) Obligation Ceiling.—Amounts authorized to carry out this section (except subsection (b)(3)) are subject to obligational limitations established under section 1002 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (Public Law 102–240, 105 Stat. 1916). (e) Amounts Available for Technology Transfer Activities.—At least 5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this section in a fiscal year are available to carry out technology transfer activities. (f) Allocation Among Government Regions.—The Secretary shall allocate amounts available to carry out this section equitably among the Government regions.