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, receive, and spend money from sources other than the United States Government for expenses incurred in training safety employees of private industry, state and local authorities, or other public authorities — except state rail safety inspectors participating in 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 amounts 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 to carry out subsection (d), plus all fees and rent collected under subsection (e), must be credited to a revolving fund and stay available until spent. The Secretary can use these fees and rents to operate, maintain, repair, or improve the Transportation Technology Center.

(g) Leases and Contracts. Despite section 1302 of title 40, the Secretary can lease to others or enter into contracts for up to 20 years, for the consideration and under the terms and conditions the Secretary decides are in the best interests of the United States, for operating, maintaining, repairing, and improving the Transportation Technology Center.

(h) Property and Casualty Loss Insurance. The Secretary can allow its lessees and contractors to buy property and casualty loss insurance for the Administration's assets and activities at the Transportation Technology Center, to reduce the lessee's or contractor's risk connected with operating a facility.

(i) Energy Projects. Despite section 1341 of title 31, the Secretary can enter into contracts or agreements, or commit to obligations connected with third-party contracts or agreements, including contingent liability for buying electric power under those contracts or agreements, for up to 20 years, to allow the land at the Transportation Technology Center to 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 establish and maintain a center of excellence that advances research and development improving the safety, efficiency, and reliability of passenger and freight rail transportation.
(2) Eligibility. An institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) or a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education can receive a grant from the center established under paragraph (1).
(3) Selection criteria. In awarding a grant under this subsection, the Secretary must: (A) give preference to applicants with strong past performance in rail research, education, and workforce development activities; (B) consider the extent to which the applicant would involve public- and private-sector passenger and freight railroad operators; and (C) consider the regional and national impacts of the applicant's proposal.
(4) Use of funds. Grant funds awarded under this subsection must be used for basic and applied research, evaluation, education, workforce development, and training related to safety, project delivery, efficiency, reliability, resiliency, and sustainability of urban commuter, intercity high-speed, and freight rail transportation, including advances in 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 share of a grant awarded under this subsection is 50 percent of the cost of establishing and operating the center of excellence and related research activities carried out by the grant recipient.