42 U.S.C. § 2051 | Research and development assistance

(a)

Contracts and loans for research activities

The Commission is directed to exercise its powers in such manner as to insure the continued conduct of research and development and training activities in the fields specified below, by private or public institutions or persons, and to assist in the acquisition of an ever-expanding fund of theoretical and practical knowledge in such fields. To this end the Commission is authorized and directed to make arrangements (including contracts, agreements, and loans) for the conduct of research and development activities relating to—

(1)

nuclear processes;

(2)

the theory and production of atomic energy, including processes, materials, and devices related to such production;

(3)

utilization of special nuclear material and radioactive material for medical, biological, agricultural, health, or military purposes;

(4)

utilization of special nuclear material, atomic energy, and radioactive material and processes entailed in the utilization or production of atomic energy or such material for all other purposes, including industrial or commercial uses, the generation of usable energy, and the demonstration of advances in the commercial or industrial application of atomic energy;

(5)

the protection of health and the promotion of safety during research and production activities; and

(6)

the preservation and enhancement of a viable environment by developing more efficient methods to meet the Nation’s energy needs.

(b)

Grants and contributions

The Commission is authorized—

(1)

to make grants and contributions to the cost of construction and operation of reactors and other facilities and other equipment to colleges, universities, hospitals, and eleemosynary or charitable institutions for the conduct of educational and training activities relating to the fields in subsection (a); and

(2)

section 1002 of title 20 to provide grants, loans, cooperative agreements, contracts, and equipment to institutions of higher education (as defined in ) to support courses, studies, training, curricula, and disciplines pertaining to nuclear safety, security, or environmental protection, or any other field that the Commission determines to be critical to the regulatory mission of the Commission.

(c)

Purchase of supplies without advertising

section 6101 of title 41The Commission may (1) make arrangements pursuant to this section, without regard to the provisions of , upon certification by the Commission that such action is necessary in the interest of the common defense and security, or upon a showing by the Commission that advertising is not reasonably practicable; (2) make partial and advance payments under such arrangements; and (3) make available for use in connection therewith such of its equipment and facilities as it may deem desirable.

(d)

Prevention of dissemination of information prohibited; other conditions of agreements

The arrangements made pursuant to this section shall contain such provisions (1) to protect health, (2) to minimize danger to life or property, and (3) to require the reporting and to permit the inspection of work performed thereunder, as the Commission may determine. No such arrangement shall contain any provisions or conditions which prevent the dissemination of scientific or technical information, except to the extent such dissemination is prohibited by law.

Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724 Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1 68 Stat. 927 Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 1015 70 Stat. 1069 Pub. L. 91–560, § 1Dec. 19, 197084 Stat. 1472 Pub. L. 92–84, title II, § 201(a)Aug. 11, 197185 Stat. 307 Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8)Oct. 24, 1992106 Stat. 2944 Pub. L. 109–58, title VI, § 651(c)(1)Aug. 8, 2005119 Stat. 801(, title I, § 31, as added , ; amended , §§ 2, 3, ; , , ; , , ; renumbered title I, , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

section 6101 of title 41 Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c)Jan. 4, 2011124 Stat. 3854In subsec. (c)(1), “” substituted for “section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, as amended” on authority of , , , which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Prior Provisions

section 1803(a) of this titleAug. 1, 1946Aug. 30, 1954Provisions similar to this section were contained in , prior to the general amendment and renumbering of act , by act .

Amendments

Pub. L. 109–582005—Subsec. (b). inserted heading, inserted par. (1) designation before “to make grants”, in introductory provisions substituted “authorized—” for “further authorized”, and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 92–841971—Subsec. (a)(6). added par. (6).

Pub. L. 91–5601970—Subsec. (a)(4). inserted commercial uses as an additional purpose and substituted “demonstration of advances in the commercial or industrial application of atomic energy” for “demonstration of the practical value of utilization or production facilities for industrial or commercial purposes”.

Aug. 6, 19561956—Subsec. (a). Act , § 2, inserted “and training” after “development” in first sentence.

Aug. 6, 1956Subsecs. (b) to (d). Act , § 3, added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Pa.; Feasibility of Epidemiological Research on Health Effects of Low-Level Radiation; Report to Congress

Pub. L. 96–295, title III, § 308(a)June 30, 198094 Stat. 792 Pub. L. 95–601, § 5(d)Nov. 6, 197892 Stat. 2949March 28, 1979section 5(d) of Pub. L. 95–601, , , provided that in the conduct of the study required by , , , on options for Federal epidemiological research on the health effects of low-level ionizing radiation, set out below, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, evaluate the feasibility of epidemiological research on the health effects of low-level ionizing radiation exposure to licensee, contractor, and subcontractor employees as a result of the accident of , at unit two of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station in Pennsylvania, the efforts to stabilize such facility or reduce or prevent radioactive unplanned offsite releases in excess of allowable limits for normal operation established by the Commission, or efforts to decontaminate, decommission, or repair such facility, with the report required by such to include the results of this evaluation.

Study on Health Effects of Low-Level Radiation; Report to Congress

Pub. L. 95–601, § 5Nov. 6, 197892 Stat. 2949 Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b)Oct. 17, 197993 Stat. 695 Pub. L. 96–295, title III, § 308(b)June 30, 198094 Stat. 792Nov. 6, 1978Apr. 1, 1979Sept. 30, 1980, , , as amended by , , ; , , , provided that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, conduct preliminary planning and design studies for epidemiological research on the health effects of low-level ionizing radiation, within thirty days after , the Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency submit to the Congress a memorandum of understanding to delineate their responsibilities in the conduct of the planning studies, on or before , the Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency submit a report to the Congress containing an assessment of the capabilities and research needs of such agencies in the area of health effects of low-level ionizing radiation, and on or before , the Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, submit a report to the Congress which includes a study of options for Federal epidemiological research on the health effects of low-level ionizing radiation with evaluations of the feasibility of such options.