49 U.S.C. § 20108 — Research, development, testing, and training

(a) General. The Secretary of Transportation must carry out, as necessary, research, development, testing, evaluation, and training for every area of railroad safety. (b) Contracts. To carry out this part, the Secretary can make contracts for, and carry out, research, development, testing, evaluation, and training — especially in railroad safety areas found to need prompt attention. (c) Amounts From Non-Government Sources for Training Safety Employees. The Secretary can request, accept, and spend money from non-federal sources to cover expenses for training safety employees of private industry, and state, local, or other public authorities — except state rail safety inspectors training under section 20105. (d) Facilities. The Secretary can build, alter, and repair buildings, and make other public improvements, to carry out necessary railroad research, safety, and training activities at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado. (e) Offsetting Collections. The Secretary can collect fees or rent from facility users to offset appropriated money for the cost of providing facilities or research, development, testing, training, or other services, including long-term upkeep of the on-site physical plant. (f) Revolving Fund. Money appropriated for subsection (d), plus all fees and rent collected under subsection (e), go into a revolving fund that stays available until spent. The Secretary can use those fees and rent for operating, maintaining, repairing, or improving the Transportation Technology Center. (g) Leases and Contracts. Despite section 1302 of title 40, the Secretary can lease the Center to others, or make contracts, for up to 20 years, on terms the Secretary decides best serve the government's interests, for operating, maintaining, repairing, and improving the Transportation Technology Center. (h) Property and Casualty Loss Insurance. The Secretary can let its lessees and contractors buy property and casualty loss insurance for their assets and activities at the Center, to reduce their own risk from operating a facility there. (i) Energy Projects. Despite section 1341 of title 31, the Secretary can enter contracts or agreements — including ones with contingent liability for buying electric power — for up to 20 years, to let the Center's land be used for projects producing energy from renewable sources. (j) Rail Research and Development Center of Excellence. (1) Center of excellence. The Secretary must award grants to set up and run a center of excellence that advances research and development improving the safety, efficiency, and reliability of passenger and freight rail transportation. (2) Eligibility. A higher-education institution (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965) or a group of nonprofit higher-education institutions can get a grant from the center. (3) Selection criteria. In awarding a grant, the Secretary must: (A) favor applicants with a strong record in rail research, education, and workforce development; (B) consider how much the applicant would involve public and private passenger and freight rail operators; and (C) consider the regional and national impact of the applicant's proposal. (4) Use of funds. Grant money must go to basic and applied research, evaluation, education, workforce development, and training tied to the safety, project delivery, efficiency, reliability, resiliency, and sustainability of urban commuter, intercity high-speed, and freight rail — covering things like rolling stock, advanced positive train control, human factors, rail infrastructure, shared corridors, grade-crossing safety, inspection technology, remote sensing, rail systems maintenance, network resiliency, operational reliability, energy efficiency, and other advanced technologies. (5) Federal share. The federal government pays 50 percent of the cost of setting up and running the center and its related research activities.