12 2 STA T . 2 04 0 PUBLIC LA W 110 – 24 6—J U NE 1 8, 2008 (f)AUTHORIZA TIO N O F A P PROPRIATION S.—Ther e isaut h o ri z e d to b ea p propriated to c arr y out this sectio n$50 0 , 000. SEC.7528 . D E MON S TRA T I ON P RO J ECT A U T H ORIT YF OR TEMPORARY POSITIONS. N ot w ithstandin g section 47 0 3 (d)( 1 )oftit l e5, U nited S tates C ode, the a m endment to the personnel management demonstration pro j ect established in the D epartment of Agriculture ( 6 7 F ed. R eg. 70776 ( 2 002)), shall become effecti v e upon the date of enactment of this Act and shall remain in effect unless modified by law. SEC. 752 9 .A G RICU L TURAL AND RURAL TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. (a) I N GE NERA L .—The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec - retary of Transportation, shall ma k e competitive grants to institu- tions of higher education to carry out agricultural and rural transportation research and education activities. (b) A C TI V ITIES.—Research and education grants made under this section shall be used to address rural transportation and logis- tics needs of agricultural producers and related rural businesses, including— (1) the transportation of biofuels
and (2) the e x port of agricultural products. (c) SELECTION CRITERIA.— (1) IN G ENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants under this section on the basis of the transportation research, edu- cation, and outreach expertise of the applicant, as determined by the Secretary. (2) P RIORIT Y .—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to institutions of higher education for use in coordinating research and education activities with other institutions of higher education with similar agricultural and rural transportation research and education programs. (d) DIVERSIFICATION OF RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall award grants under this section in areas that are regionally diverse and broadly representative of the diversity of agricultural production and related transportation needs in the rural areas of the United States. (e) M ATCHING FUN D SRE Q UIRE M ENT.—The Secretary shall re q uire each recipient of a grant under this section to provide, from non-Federal sources, in cash or in kind, 50 percent of the cost of carrying out activities under the grant. (f) GRANT REVIE W .—A grant shall be awarded under this section on a competitive, peer- and merit-reviewed basis in accordance with section 103(a) of the Agricultural Research, E xtension, and Education Reform Act of 1 9 9 8 (7 U.S.C. 7613(a)). (g) NO DUPLICATION.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that activities funded under this section do not duplicate the efforts of the University Transportation Centers described in sections 5505 and 5506 of title 49, United States Code. (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012. 7USC5938.Ef f ectiv e da te.
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