---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 16535"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "16535"
heading: "Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/16535"
units:
  - "Chapter 149 — National Energy Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter XVII — Protecting America’s Competitive Edge Through Energy"
---

# §16535. Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/16531.md?p=4) shall establish distributed, multidisciplinary institutes (referred to in this section as “Institutes”) centered at [National Laboratories](/usc/42/16531.md?p=3) to apply fundamental science and engineering discoveries to technological innovations relating to—
  - (1) the missions of the [Department](/usc/42/16531.md?p=1); and
  - (2) the global competitiveness of the United States.
- (b) **Topical areas—** The Institutes shall support scientific and engineering research and education activities on critical [emerging technologies](/usc/42/16131.md?p=4) determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/16531.md?p=4) to be essential to global competitiveness, including activities relating to—
  - (1) sustainable energy technologies;
  - (2) multiscale materials and processes;
  - (3) micro- and nano-engineering;
  - (4) computational and information engineering; and
  - (5) genomics and proteomics.
- (c) **Partnerships—** In carrying out this section, the [Secretary](/usc/42/16531.md?p=4) shall establish partnerships between the Institutes and—
  - (1) institutions of higher education—
    - (A) to train undergraduate and graduate science and engineering students;
    - (B) to develop innovative undergraduate and graduate educational curricula; and
    - (C) to conduct research within the topical areas described in [subsection (b)](#b); and
  - (2) private industry to develop innovative technologies within the topical areas described in [subsection (b)](#b).
- (d) **Grants—**
  - (1) **In general—** For each fiscal year, the [Secretary](/usc/42/16531.md?p=4) may select not more than 3 Institutes to receive a grant under this section.
  - (2) **Merit-based selection—** The selection of Institutes under [paragraph (1)](#d-1) shall be—
    - (A) merit-based; and
    - (B) made through an open, competitive selection process.
  - (3) **Term—** An Institute shall receive a grant under this section for not more than 3 fiscal years.
- (e) **Review—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/16531.md?p=4) shall offer to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the Academy shall, by not later than 3 years after August 9, 2007—
  - (1) review the performance of the Institutes under this section; and
  - (2) submit to Congress and the [Secretary](/usc/42/16531.md?p=4) a report describing the results of the review.
- (f) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to provide grants to each Institute selected under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–69, title V, § 5008, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 618.)