The Foundation shall have the authority, within the limits of available appropriations, to do all things necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including, but without being limited thereto, the authority—
(a)
to prescribe such rules and regulations as it deems necessary governing the manner of its operations and its organization and personnel;
(b)
to make such expenditures as may be necessary for administering the provisions of this chapter;
(c)
section 6101 of title 41 to enter into contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, for the carrying on, by organizations or individuals in the United States and foreign countries, including other government agencies of the United States and of foreign countries, of such scientific or engineering activities as the Foundation deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and, at the request of the Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense, specific scientific or engineering activities in connection with matters relating to international cooperation or national security, and, when deemed appropriate by the Foundation, such contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof may be entered into without legal consideration, without performance or other bonds, and without regard to ;
(d)
to make advance, progress, and other payments which relate to scientific or engineering activities without regard to the provisions of section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31;
(e)
to acquire by purchase, lease, loan, gift, or condemnation, and to hold and dispose of by grant, sale, lease, or loan, real and personal property of all kinds necessary for, or resulting from, the exercise of authority granted by this chapter;
(f)
to receive and use funds donated by others, if such funds are donated without restriction other than that they be used in furtherance of one or more of the general purposes of the Foundation, except that funds may be donated for specific prize competitions for “basic research” as defined in the Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A–11;
(g)
section 501 of title 44 to publish or arrange for the publication of scientific and engineering information so as to further the full dissemination of information of scientific or engineering value consistent with the national interest, without regard to the provisions of ;
(h)
section 5703 of title 5 to accept and utilize the services of voluntary and uncompensated personnel and to provide transportation and subsistence as authorized by for persons serving without compensation;
(i)
to prescribe, with the approval of the Comptroller General of the United States, the extent to which vouchers for funds expended under contracts for scientific or engineering research shall be subject to itemization or substantiation prior to payment, without regard to the limitations of other laws relating to the expenditure of public funds and accounting therefor;
(j)
to arrange with and reimburse the heads of other Federal agencies for the performance of any activity which the Foundation is authorized to conduct;
(k)
11 See References in Text note below. during the 5-year period beginning on , to indemnify grantees, contractors, and subcontractors associated with the Ocean Drilling Program under the provisions of section 2354 of title 10 with all approvals and certifications required by such indemnification made by the Director; and
(l)
to provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information within the United States concerning the Foundation’s activities and the results of those activities.
Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b)96 Stat. 1067In subsec. (d), “section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31” substituted for “section 3648 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C., sec. 529)” on authority of , , , the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.
Pub. L. 110–692007—Subsec. (f). inserted before semicolon at end “, except that funds may be donated for specific prize competitions for ‘basic research’ as defined in the Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A–11”.
Pub. L. 90–407, § 9(a)1968—Subsec. (c). , substituted “scientific activities” for “basic scientific research activities” and “scientific research activities”, “international cooperation or national security” for “national defense”, and inserted “Secretary of State” after “at the request of the”.
The Director of the Foundation may revise the regulations under part 689 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to research misconduct) to ensure that the findings and conclusions of any article authored by a principal investigator, using the results of research conducted under a Foundation grant, that is published in a peer-reviewed publication, made publicly available, or incorporated in an application for a research grant or grant extension from the Foundation, does not contain any falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism.
“(b)
Interagency Communication .—
Upon a finding that research misconduct has occurred, the Foundation shall, in addition to any possible final action under section 689.3 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, notify other Federal science agencies of the finding.”