---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 40303"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "40303"
heading: "National space grant college and fellowship program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/40303"
units:
  - "Subtitle IV — Aeronautics and Space Research and Education"
  - "Chapter 403 — National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program"
---

# §40303. National space grant college and fellowship program

- (a) **Establishment.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall establish and maintain, within the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1), a program to be known as the national [space grant college](/usc/51/40302.md?p=6) and fellowship program. The national [space grant college](/usc/51/40302.md?p=6) and fellowship program shall consist of the financial assistance and other activities provided for in this chapter. The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall establish long-range planning guidelines and priorities, and adequately evaluate the program.
- (b) **Functions.—** Within the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1), the program shall—
  - (1) apply the long-range planning guidelines and the priorities established by the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) under [subsection (a)](#a);
  - (2) advise the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) with respect to the expertise and capabilities which are available through the national [space grant college](/usc/51/40302.md?p=6) and fellowship program, and make such expertise available to the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) as directed by the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2);
  - (3) evaluate activities conducted under grants and contracts awarded pursuant to sections [40304](/usc/51/40304.md) and [40305](/usc/51/40305.md) of this title to ensure that the purposes set forth in [section 40301 of this title](/usc/51/40301.md) are implemented;
  - (4) encourage other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to use and take advantage of the expertise and capabilities which are available through the national [space grant college](/usc/51/40302.md?p=6) and fellowship program, on a cooperative or other basis;
  - (5) encourage cooperation and coordination with other Federal programs concerned with the development of [space resources](/usc/51/40302.md?p=9) and fields related to space;
  - (6) advise the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) on the designation of recipients supported by the national [space grant college](/usc/51/40302.md?p=6) and fellowship program and, in appropriate cases, on the termination or suspension of any such designation; and
  - (7) encourage the formation and growth of space grant and fellowship programs.
- (c) **General Authorities.—** To carry out the provisions of this chapter, the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) may—
  - (1) accept conditional or unconditional gifts or donations of services, money, or property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible;
  - (2) accept and use funds from other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to pay for fellowships, grants, contracts, and other transactions; and
  - (3) issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary and appropriate.
- (d) **Program Administration Costs.—** In carrying out the provisions of this chapter, the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2)—
  - (1) shall maximize appropriated funds for grants and contracts made under [section 40304](/usc/51/40304.md) in each fiscal year; and
  - (2) in each fiscal year, the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall limit its program [administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) costs to no more than 5 percent of funds appropriated for this program for that fiscal year.
- (e) **Reports.—** For any fiscal year in which the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) cannot meet the [administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) cost target under [subsection (d)(2)](#d-2), if the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) is unable to limit program costs under [subsection (b)](#b), the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report, including—
  - (1) a description of why the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) did not meet the cost target under [subsection (d)](#d); and
  - (2) the measures the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) will take in the next fiscal year to meet the cost target under [subsection (d)](#d) without drawing upon other Federal funding.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3383; Pub. L. 114–329, title III, § 302(b), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 3003.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 40303 | 42 U.S.C. 2486c. | Pub. L. 100–147, title II, § 205, Oct. 30, 1987, 101 Stat. 871. |

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2017—Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 114–329 added subsecs. (d) and (e).