---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17912"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "17912"
heading: "Research and development programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17912"
units:
  - "Chapter 156 — Health Information Technology"
  - "Subchapter II — Testing of Health Information Technology"
---

# §17912. Research and development programs

- (a) **Health Care Information Enterprise Integration Research Centers—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in consultation with the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Science Foundation and other appropriate Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), shall establish a program of assistance to institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof which may include [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) entities and Federal Government laboratories) to establish multidisciplinary Centers for Health Care Information Enterprise Integration.
  - (2) **Review; competition—** Grants shall be awarded under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
  - (3) **Purpose—** The purposes of the Centers described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) shall be—
    - (A) to [generate](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=8) innovative approaches to health care information enterprise integration by conducting cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research on the systems challenges to health care delivery; and
    - (B) the development and use of health information technologies and other complementary fields.
  - (4) **Research areas—** Research areas may include—
    - (A) interfaces between human information and communications technology systems;
    - (B) voice-recognition systems;
    - (C) software that improves interoperability and connectivity among health information systems;
    - (D) software dependability in systems critical to health care delivery;
    - (E) measurement of the impact of information technologies on the quality and productivity of health care;
    - (F) health information enterprise management;
    - (G) health information technology security and integrity; and
    - (H) relevant health information technology to reduce medical errors.
  - (5) **Applications—** An [institution of higher education](/usc/42/11851.md?p=7) (or a [consortium](/usc/42/17061.md?p=4) thereof) seeking funding under this subsection shall submit an application to the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) may require. The application shall include, at a minimum, a description of—
    - (A) the research [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) that will be undertaken by the Center established pursuant to assistance under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) and the respective contributions of the participating entities;
    - (B) how the Center will promote active collaboration among scientists and engineers from different disciplines, such as information technology, biologic sciences, management, social sciences, and other appropriate disciplines;
    - (C) technology transfer activities to demonstrate and diffuse the research results, technologies, and knowledge; and
    - (D) how the Center will contribute to the education and training of researchers and other professionals in fields relevant to health information enterprise integration.
- (b) **National information technology research and development program—** The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program established by [section 5511 of title 15](/usc/15/5511.md) shall include Federal research and development programs related to health information technology.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–5, div. A, title XIII, § 13202, Feb. 17, 2009, 123 Stat. 245; Pub. L. 114–329, title I, § 105(s), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2985.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2017—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–329 substituted “Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program” for “National High-Performance Computing Program”.