PUBLIC LAW 105-244—OCT. 7, 1998 112 STAT. 1791 the Secretary shall, in awarding such grants, promote an equitable geographic distribution among eligible public and private institutions of higher education. "(2)DURATION AND AMOUNT. — "(A) DURATION. —The Secretary shall award a grant under this subpart for a period of 3 years. "(B) AMOUNT.— The Secretary shall award a grant to an academic department, program or unit of an institution of higher education under this subpart for a fiscal year in an amount that is not less than $100,000 and not greater than $750,000. "(3) REALLOTMENT. — Whenever the Secretary determines that an academic department, program or unit of an institution of higher education is unable to use all of the amounts available to the department, program or unit under this subpart, the Secretary shall, on such dates during each fiscal year as the Secretary may fix, reallot the amounts not needed to academic departments, programs and units of institutions which can use the grants authorized by this subpart. "(c) PREFERENCE TO CONTINUING GRANT RECIPIENTS.— "(1) IN GENERAL.— The Secretary shall make new grant awards under this subpart only to the extent that each previous grant recipient under this subpart has received continued funding in accordance with subsection (b)(2)(A). "(2) RATABLE REDUCTION. —TO the extent that appropriations under this subpart are insufidcient to comply with paragraph (1), available funds shall be distributed by ratably reducing the amounts required to be awarded under subsection (b)(2)(A). •«EC. 712. INSTITUTIONAL ELIGIBILITY. "(a) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. —Any academic department, program or unit of an institution of higher education that ofiTers a program of postbaccalaureate study leading to a graduate degree in an area of national need (as designated under subsection (b)) may apply for a grant under this subpart. No department, program or unit shall be eligible for a grant unless the program of postbaccalaureate study has been in existence for at least 4 years at the time of application for assistance under this subpart. "(b) DESIGNATION OF AREAS OF NATIONAL NEED.— After consultation with appropriate Federal and nonprofit agencies and organizations, the Secretary shall designate areas of national need. In making such designations, the Secretary shall take into account the extent to which the interest in the area is compelling, the extent to which other Federal programs support postbaccalaureate study in the area concerned, and an assessment of how the program could achieve the most significant impact with available resources. <*SEC. 713. CRITERIA FOR APPLICATIONS. "(a) SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary shall make grants to academic departments, programs and units of institutions of higher education on the basis of applications submitted in accordance with subsection (b). Applications shall be ranked on program quality by review panels of nationally recognized scholars and evaluated on the quality and effectiveness of the academic program and the achievement and promise of the students to be served. To the extent possible (consistent with other provisions of this 20 USC 1135a. 20 USC 1135b.
�
