U.S. Code > Title 41 Public Contracts > CHAPTER 4—PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES (§§ 201_to_205—281_to_291) > SUBCHAPTER IV—PROCUREMENT PROVISIONS (§§ 251—266a) > § 266. Merit-based award of grants for research and development

§ 266. Merit-based award of grants for research and development

(a) Policy
It is the policy of Congress that an executive agency should not be required by legislation to award a new grant for research, development, test, or evaluation to a non-Federal Government entity. It is further the policy of Congress that any program, project, or technology identified in legislation be awarded through merit-based selection procedures.
(b) Rule of construction
A provision of law may not be construed as requiring a new grant to be awarded to a specified non-Federal Government entity unless that provision of law—
(1) specifically refers to this subsection;
(2) specifically identifies the particular non-Federal Government entity involved; and
(3) specifically states that the award to that entity is required by such provision of law in contravention of the policy set forth in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) New grant defined
For purposes of this section, a grant is a new grant unless the work provided for in the grant is a continuation of the work performed by the specified entity under a preceding grant.
(d) Inapplicability to certain grants
This section shall not apply with respect to any grant that calls upon the National Academy of Sciences to investigate, examine, or experiment upon any subject of science or art of significance to an executive agency and to report on such matters to Congress or any agency of the Federal Government.