---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 285b–4"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "285b–4"
heading: "National research and demonstration centers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/285b-4"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part C — Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
  - "Subpart 2 — national heart, lung, and blood institute"
---

# §285b–4. National research and demonstration centers

- (a) **Heart, blood vessel, lung, blood diseases, and blood resources; utilization of centers for prevention programs—**
  - (1) The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute may provide, in accordance with [subsection (c)](#c), for the development of—
    - (A) ten centers for basic and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) into, training in, and demonstration of, advanced diagnostic, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) and rehabilitation methods (including methods of providing emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)) for heart and blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i) diseases;
    - (B) ten centers for basic and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) into, training in, and demonstration of, advanced diagnostic, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) and rehabilitation methods (including methods of providing emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)) for lung diseases (including bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other lung diseases of children);
    - (C) ten centers for basic and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) into, training in, and demonstration of, advanced diagnostic, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) methods (including methods of providing emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)) for blood diseases and research into blood, in the use of blood products and in the management of blood resources; and
    - (D) three centers for basic and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) into, training in, and demonstration of, advanced diagnostic, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) (including genetic studies, intrauterine environment studies, postnatal studies, heart arrhythmias, and acquired heart disease and preventive cardiology) for cardiovascular diseases in children.
  - (2) The centers developed under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) shall, in addition to being utilized for research, training, and demonstrations, be utilized for the following prevention [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for cardiovascular, pulmonary, and blood diseases:
    - (A) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to develop improved methods of detecting individuals with a high risk of developing cardiovascular, pulmonary, and blood diseases.
    - (B) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to develop improved methods of intervention against those factors which cause individuals to have a high risk of developing such diseases.
    - (C) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to develop health professions and allied health professions personnel highly skilled in the prevention of such diseases.
    - (D) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to develop improved methods of providing emergency medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for persons with such diseases.
    - (E) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) of continuing education for health and allied health professionals in the diagnosis, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of such diseases and the maintenance of health to reduce the incidence of such diseases and information [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for the public respecting the prevention and early diagnosis and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of such diseases and the maintenance of health.
  - (3) The research, training, and demonstration activities carried out through any such center may relate to any one or more of the diseases referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
- (b) **Sickle cell anemia—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall provide, in accordance with [subsection (c)](#c), for the development of ten centers for basic and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) into the diagnosis, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and control of sickle cell anemia.
- (c) **Cooperative agreements and grants for establishing and supporting; uses for Federal payments; period of support, additional periods—**
  - (1) The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute may enter into cooperative agreements with and make grants to public or private [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, or strengthening, and providing basic operating support for centers for basic and [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) into, training in, and demonstration of the management of blood resources and advanced diagnostic, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) methods for heart, blood [vessel](/usc/42/201.md?p=i), lung, or blood diseases.
  - (2) A cooperative agreement or grant under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) shall be entered into in accordance with policies established by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH and after consultation with the Institute’s [advisory council](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=1).
  - (3) Federal payments made under a cooperative agreement or grant under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) may be used for—
    - (A) [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) (notwithstanding any limitation under [section 289e of this title](/usc/42/289e.md));
    - (B) staffing and other basic operating costs, including such patient care costs as are required for research;
    - (C) training, including training for allied health professionals; and
    - (D) demonstration purposes.

    As used in this subsection, the term “[construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7)” does not include the acquisition of land, and the term “training” does not include research training for which Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Awards may be provided under [section 288 of this title](/usc/42/288.md).

  - (4) Support of a center under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) may be for a period of not to exceed five years. Such period may be extended by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) for additional periods of not more than five years each if the operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate technical and scientific peer review group established by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) and if such group has recommended to the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) that such period should be extended.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 422, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 839; amended Pub. L. 100–607, title I, § 128, Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3055; Pub. L. 103–43, title V, § 502, June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 158; Pub. L. 107–206, title I, § 804(c), Aug. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 874.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002—Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 107–206 substituted “Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards” for “National Research Service Awards” in concluding provisions.

1993—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 103–43 added subpar. (D).

1988—Subsec. (a)(1)(A), (B). Pub. L. 100–607 inserted “and rehabilitation” after “prevention, and treatment”.