---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1902"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1902"
heading: "Research program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1902"
units:
  - "Chapter 31 — Marine Mineral Resources Research"
---

# §1902. Research program

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/30/1901.md?p=8) shall establish and carry out a program of [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1) on [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6).
- (b) **Program goal—** The goal of the program shall be to—
  - (1) promote [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1), identification, assessment, and exploration of [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6) in an environmentally responsible manner;
  - (2) assist in developing domestic technologies required for efficient and environmentally sound development of [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6);
  - (3) coordinate and promote the use of technologies developed with Federal assistance, and the use of available Federal assets, for [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1), identification, assessment, exploration, and development of [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6); and
  - (4) encourage academia and industry to conduct basic and applied [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1), on a joint basis, through [grants](/usc/30/1901.md?p=4), [cooperative agreements](/usc/30/1901.md?p=2), or [contracts](/usc/30/1901.md?p=1) with the Federal Government.
- (c) **Responsibilities of Secretary—** In carrying out the program, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1901.md?p=8) shall—
  - (1) promote and coordinate partnerships between industry, government, and academia to [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1), identify, assess, and explore [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6) in an environmentally sound manner;
  - (2) undertake programs to develop the basic information necessary to the long-term national interest in [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6) (including seabed mapping) and to ensure that data and information are accessible and widely disseminated as needed and appropriate;
  - (3) identify, and promote cooperation among agency programs that are developing, technologies developed by other Federal programs that may hold promise for facilitating undersea applications related to [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6), including technologies related to vessels and other platforms, underwater vehicles, survey and mapping systems, remote power sources, data collection and transmission systems, and various seabed [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1) systems; and
  - (4) foster communication and coordination between Federal and State agencies, universities, and private entities concerning marine mineral [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1) on seabeds of the continental shelf, ocean basins, and arctic and cold water areas.

  In carrying out these responsibilities, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1901.md?p=8) shall ensure the participation of non-Federal users of technologies and data related to [marine mineral resources](/usc/30/1901.md?p=6) in planning and priority setting.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–631, title II, § 202, as added Pub. L. 104–325, § 2(3), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3995.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Methane Hydrate Research and Development

Pub. L. 106–193, May 2, 2000, 114 Stat. 234, known as the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000, which was set out as a note under this section, was amended and transferred to chapter 32 (§ 2001 et seq.) of this title by Pub. L. 109–58, title IX, § 968, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 894.