--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 284n" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "284n" heading: "Certain demonstration projects" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/284n" units: - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service" - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes" - "Part B — General Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes" --- # §284n. Certain demonstration projects - (a) **Bridging the sciences—** - (1) **In general—** From amounts to be appropriated under [section 282a(b) of this title](/usc/42/282a.md?p=b), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH, (in this subsection referred to as the “[Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)”) in consultation with the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Science Foundation, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Energy, and other [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) heads when necessary, may allocate funds for the national research institutes and national centers to make grants for the purpose of improving the public health through demonstration [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) for biomedical research at the interface between the biological, behavioral, and social sciences and the physical, chemical, mathematical, and computational sciences. - (2) **Goals, priorities, and methods; interagency collaboration—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish goals, priorities, and methods of evaluation for research under [paragraph (1)](#a-1), and shall provide for interagency collaboration with respect to such research. In developing such goals, priorities, and methods, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall ensure that— - (A) the research reflects the vision of innovation and higher risk with long-term payoffs; and - (B) the research includes a wide spectrum of [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2), funded at various levels, with varying timeframes. - (3) **Peer review—** A grant may be made under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) only if the application for the grant has undergone technical and scientific peer review under [section 289a of this title](/usc/42/289a.md) and has been reviewed by the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) under [section 282(k) of this title](/usc/42/282.md?p=k) or has been reviewed by an [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) composed of representatives from appropriate scientific disciplines who can fully evaluate the applicant. - (b) **High-risk, high-reward research—** - (1) **In general—** From amounts to be appropriated under [section 282a(b) of this title](/usc/42/282a.md?p=b), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH, may allocate funds for the national research institutes and national centers to make awards of grants or contracts or to engage in other transactions for demonstration [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) for high-impact, cutting-edge research that fosters scientific creativity and increases fundamental biological understanding leading to the prevention, diagnosis, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of diseases and disorders. The head of a national research institute or national center may conduct or support such high-impact, cutting-edge research (with funds allocated under the preceding sentence or otherwise available for such purpose) if the institute or center gives notice to the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH beforehand and submits a report to the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH on an annual basis on the activities of the institute or center relating to such research. - (2) **Special consideration—** In carrying out the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH shall give special consideration to coordinating activities with national research institutes whose budgets are substantial relative to a majority of the other institutes. - (3) **Administration of program—** Activities relating to research described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall be designed by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH or the head of a national research institute or national center, as applicable, to enable such research to be carried out with maximum flexibility and speed. - (4) **Public-private partnerships—** In providing for research described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH or the head of a national research institute or national center, as applicable, shall seek to facilitate partnerships between public and private entities and shall coordinate when appropriate with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. - (5) **Peer review—** A grant for research described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) may be made only if the application for the grant has undergone technical and scientific peer review under [section 289a of this title](/usc/42/289a.md) and has been reviewed by the [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1) under [section 282(k) of this title](/usc/42/282.md?p=k). - (c) **Report to Congress—** Not later than the end of fiscal year 2009, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH, shall conduct an evaluation of the activities under this section and submit a report to the Congress on the results of such evaluation. - (d) **Definitions—** For purposes of this section, the terms “[Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH”, “national research institute”, and “national center” have the meanings given such terms in [section 281 of this title](/usc/42/281.md). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 109–482, title I, § 105, Jan. 15, 2007, 120 Stat. 3694.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Codification Section was enacted as part of the National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 2006, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter. ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Effective Date Section applicable only with respect to amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2007 or subsequent fiscal years, see section 109 of Pub. L. 109–482, set out as an Effective Date of 2007 Amendment note under section 281 of this title.