(c) To support, and encourage support of, research centers of generic expertise in mineral technology;

(d) To assist the States in carrying on the work of competent and qualified mining and mineral resources research institutes; and

(e) To provide support for graduate and postdoctoral students in mining and mineral resources disciplines including mining engineering, extractive metallurgy, geology, reclamation, engineering, economics, chemistry, physics, biology, ecology, and others.

§ 652.3 Authority.

The authority for this program is the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Program Act of 1984 and the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.

(a) 30 U.S.C. 1221 authorizes the Secretary to make grants to assist States on a matching basis in carrying on the work of competent and qualified mining and mineral resources research institutes.

(b) 30 U.S.C. 1222 authorizes the Secretary to make grants to the institutes for specific research and demonstration projects, and for research into any aspects of mining and mineral resources problems related to the mission of the Department of the Interior deemed desirable and not otherwise under study.

(c) 30 U.S.C. 1229 authorizes the Secretary to appoint an Advisory Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research jointly chaired by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior responsible for minerals and mining and a committee member elected by the Committee from among those members who are not Federal employees.

§ 652.4 Administration.

Responsibility for administration of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Program is assigned

As used in this part, the term

Act means the State Mining and Mineral Resources Research Program Act of 1984 and subsequent amendments.

Advisory Committee means the Advisory Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research appointed by the Secretary pursuant to 30 U.S.C. 1229.

Allotment grant means funds made available to a mineral institute for the support of mineral-related research and education on a matching (formula) basis in a particular fiscal year pursuant to 30 U.S.C. 1221 and under the regulations contained herein.

Bureau means the Bureau of Mines. Call for proposals means a letter from the Director to eligible mineral institutes and generic mineral technology centers requesting proposals for allotment or research grants, and specifying the format and date for receipt at the Office and other conditions. Separate Calls for proposals are issued annually for allotment and research grants. Applications for funds may be submitted only in response to a Call for Proposals. Director means Bureau of Mines.

Director of the

Generic mineral technology center means a cooperative mineral resources research effort in a specific area of broad applicability across the minerals industry headquartered in one institute with participation by one or more affiliate mineral institutes as authorized under 30 U.S.C. 1222.

Grant agreement means the legal document that sets forth the rules for the administration of the grant, including the responsibilities and privileges of the recipient, the amount of the award, reports required, and applicable rules and regulations.

Mineral institute means a competent and qualified mining and mineral resources research institute, department, or component of a college or university that conducts mineral resources research, which is determined

to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of the Act, and which is designated by the Secretary as a State Mining and Mineral Resources Institute.

Mineral resources research means research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments of a basic or practical nature relating to mineral exploration, extraction, processing, development, production, mining and technology, supply and demand, conservation and best use of available supplies, and the mineral-related aspects of other disciplines; and the training of mineral engineers and scientists through such activity; and the planning and coordination of such cooperative activity with other mineral institutes and those other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of mining and mineral resources problems.

Office means Office of Mineral Institutes.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or his authorized representative.

§ 652.6 Eligibility.

Only institutions of higher learning (post-secondary institutions having graduate research programs) designated by the Secretary, after consultation with, and upon the advice of the Advisory Committee, as a State Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute are eligible to receive funds under this program. Only one institution may be designated per State. To qualify as a mineral institute, institutions must meet all the following criteria as determined by the Advisory Committee:

(a) Be either a public college or university or, in a State not having an eligible public college or university, a private college or university in that State.

(b) Be recommended by the Governor of the State, as eligible, in the absence of contrary act by the legislature of the State.

(c) Have in existence a substantial program of graduate instruction and research in mining or mineral extraction or closely related fields which has a demonstrated history of achievement.

(d) Evidence institutional commitment to the purposes of the Act.

(e) Exhibit significant industrial cooperation in activities within the scope of the Act.

(f) Have in existence an engineering program in mining or minerals extraction that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or show evidence of equivalent institutional capability.

(g) Employ at least six full-time permanent faculty members in the department or component of the institution conducting instruction and research in mining and mineral extraction.

(h) Meet such other criteria as the Advisory Committee shall deem necessary or desirable.

§ 652.7

Responsibilities of institutions designated as mineral institutes.

(a) Each institution designated as mineral institute has the duty of planning and conducting mineral resources research. To carry out its responsibility, it shall appoint a mineral institute director from its faculty or staff, who is professionally qualified in minerals research and education.

(b) Mineral institute directors shall be responsible for preparation of allotment grant proposals; for the technical administration of allotment grant agreements; for periodic reporting to the Bureau of Mines; for the preparation and transmission to the Bureau of Mines of an annual institute status report; for providing such coordination as may be necessary between various departments, units, and individuals at that institution to achieve a focused minerals program of value to the mineral institute's State and region; for the coordination between and among the minerals programs of the several mineral institutes; for responding to requests for information regarding the minerals program at that institution from the Bureau of Mines, the Advisory Committee, and the public; and for the selection and transmission of the best research proposals from that institution for inclusion in the generic mineral technology center program.

§ 652.8 Applications for allotment grants.

Applications for annual allotment grants shall be submitted in response to an annual call for proposals issued by the Bureau of Mines to mineral institutes. To receive a new allotment grant, a mineral institute must have submitted all reports due and shall not have been found by the Secretary to have improperly diminished, lost, or misapplied funds previously received. Such funds shall be replaced by the State concerned and until so replaced no subsequent grant shall be allotted or paid to the institute of that State. Each allotment grant application shall be responsive to 30 U.S.C. 1221(b) and as a minimum shall consist of the following elements in duplicate:

(a) A completed Standard Form 424. (b) A plan to provide for the training of individuals as mineral engineers and scientists under a curriculum appropriate to the field of mineral resources and mineral engineering and related fields.

(c) A budget to support that plan.

(d) Assurance that Federal funds will supplement and, to the extent practicable, increase the level of funds that would otherwise have been available for the purposes of the Act, and in no case supplant such funds.

(e) Such other information as is requested in the Call for Proposals. The Secretary shall deny or reduce funds to mineral institutes where proposals or portions thereof are not complementary to the mission of the Department or the goals of this program. § 652.9 Generic mineral technology centers.

All research supported under this program, except for that funded through allotment grants, is funded through established generic mineral technology centers (generic centers). Each generic center provides a focus for mineral research in a specific area of broad applicability across the minerals industry. Each generic center has the following characteristics:

(a) It is headquartered in one mineral institute with participation by one or more affiliate institutions.

(b) A generic center director supervises the operation of the center in

cluding the coordination of related projects; makes arrangements for an annual seminar; provides for operation of a reference center; makes recommendations to the Bureau of Mines on budget revisions, equipment purchases, and other grant modifications; and provides technical leadership for the center.

(c) A reference center serves as a centralized repository of literature concerning the generic research area and also is a repository of all periodic and final reports, dissertations, and contributions to the technical literature resulting from generic center research.

(d) An annual seminar provides opportunity for students and principal investigators to exchange ideas and present their latest research in the generic area.

(e) A Research Council, consisting of experts in the generic research area from industry, government and, where possible, academia, attends the annual seminars, receives periodic reports, evaluates research proposals, and provides recommendations to the Bureau of Mines on the program of the center.

(f) New proposals for research, submitted through generic center and mineral institute directors, are evaluated on a competitive basis, in writing, and through Council discussion.

re

§ 652.10 Application for research grants. Proposals may be submitted to the Bureau of Mines in any of the generic mineral technology areas through mineral institute and generic mineral technology center directors in sponse to an annual call for proposals which describes the format of the proposals. Proposals shall address the requirements of 30 U.S.C. 1222 (b) through (d) as detailed in the call for proposals. No portion of any research grant shall be applied to the acquisition by purchase or lease of any land or interests therein or the rental, purchase, construction, preservation or repair of any building.

institutes and with such other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of the mining and mineral resource problems involved. Mineral institutes may utilize their funds to pay for projects at other institutions under the following limitations:

(a) The mineral institute director (for allotment grants) or the generic mineral technology center director (for research grants) for the institution awarded the funds by the Bureau, or the designated representative of the above, shall administer, conduct and supervise all funded programs.

(b) All proposals to fund noninstitute activities shall be specifically set forth in the grant proposal applications required under § 652.8 and § 652.10 and must be explicitly approved by the Bureau of Mines.

(c) All subgrants and subcontracts, service agreements, and interdivisional work authorizations shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as the grant.

(d) Copies of all agreements for funding of programs conducted by noninstitute organizations, universities, or individuals shall be made available to the Bureau of Mines upon request.

§ 652.12 Governing provisions for grants.

Performance under all grants shall be in accord with the terms and conditions set forth in OMB Circulars A110 (General Administration), A-21 (Cost Principles), A-88 (Indirect Cost Rates and Audit), and all other applicable laws and regulations. Copies of the OMB circulars are available from Publications Services, 725 17th Street NW., Room 2200, Washington, DC 20503. All uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments under this program, with such exceptions as the Secretary may make in the public interest, are to be made promptly available to the public. Patentable inventions shall be governed by the provisions of Pub. L. 96-517.

[54 FR 38378, Sept. 18, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 35300, Aug. 29, 1990]

§ 652.13 Reports.

The following reports are required from program participants: