---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 1862n–4"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "1862n–4"
heading: "Major research equipment and facilities construction plan"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/1862n-4"
units:
  - "Chapter 16 — National Science Foundation"
---

# §1862n–4. Major research equipment and facilities construction plan

- (a) **Prioritization of proposed major research equipment and facilities construction—**
  - (1) **Development of priorities—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) shall—
    - (A) develop a list indicating by number the relative priority for funding under the major research equipment and facilities [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) account that the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) assigns to each [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) the Board has approved for inclusion in a future budget request; and
    - (B) submit the list described in [subparagraph (A)](#a-1-A) to the Board for approval.
  - (2) **Criteria—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) shall include in the criteria for developing the list under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) the readiness of plans for [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) and operation, including confidence in the estimates of the full [life-cycle](/usc/42/17061.md?p=14) cost (as defined in section 2 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1998 ([42 U.S.C. 1862k](/usc/42/1862k.md) note)) and the proposed schedule of completion.
  - (3) **Updates—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) shall update the list prepared under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) each time the Board approves a new [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) that would receive funding under the major research equipment and facilities [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) account and periodically submit any updated list to the Board for approval.
- (b) **Project management—** No national research facility [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) funded under the major research equipment and facilities [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) account shall be managed by an individual whose appointment to the Foundation is temporary.
- (c) **Board approval of major research equipment and facilities projects—** The Board shall explicitly approve any [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to be funded out of the major research equipment and facilities [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) account before any funds may be obligated from such account for such [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–368, § 14, Dec. 19, 2002, 116 Stat. 3056; Pub. L. 114–329, title II, § 204(c), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 3000.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 2 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1998, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is section 2 of Pub. L. 105–207, July 29, 1998, 112 Stat. 869, which is set out as a note under section 1862k of this title.

### Codification

Section is comprised of section 14 of Pub. L. 107–368. As originally enacted, subsec. (b)(1), (2) of section 14 of Pub. L. 107–368 amended section 1862l of this title, and subsec. (b)(3) of section 14 of Pub. L. 107–368 amended provisions set out as a note under section 1862k of this title. Subsec. (c) of section 14 of Pub. L. 107–368 was redesignated subsec. (b) by section 204(c)(3) of Pub. L. 114–329 without reference to the original amendments made by subsec. (b) of section 14 of Pub. L. 107–368.

Section was enacted as part of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002, and not as part of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 which comprises this chapter.

### Amendments

2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–329, § 204(c)(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) related to prioritization of proposed major research equipment and facilities construction and annual reports.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–329, § 204(c)(3), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b). Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) had been omitted from this section, see Codification note above.

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 114–329, § 204(c)(3), (4), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c) and amended it generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) related to Board approval of major research equipment and facilities projects. Former subsec. (c) redesignated (b).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 114–329, § 204(c)(2), struck out subsec. (e) which related to National Academy of Sciences study on major research equipment and facilities construction.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definitions

For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–368, set out as a note under section 1862n of this title.