7 U.S.C. § 3196 — Research on national and regional animal health or disease problems

(a) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated that funds as Congress may determine necessary to support research on specific national or regional animal health or disease problems, or national or regional problems relating to pre-harvest, on-farm food safety, or animal well-being, but not to exceed $35,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 2012, and not in excess of that sums as may after September 29, 1977 , be authorized by law for any subsequent fiscal year.

(b) Duration of grants despite the provisions of section 3197 of this title , funds appropriated under this section must be awarded in the form of grants, for periods not to exceed five years, to State agricultural experiment stations^*, colleges and universities (including 1890 Institutions (as defined in section 7601 of this title )), other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations, and individuals.

(c) Establishment of annual priority lists for allocation of funds In order to establish a rational allocation of funds appropriated under this section, the Secretary^* must establish annually priority lists of animal health and disease, food safety, and animal well-being problems of national or regional significance. that lists must be prepared after consultation with the Advisory Board^*. Any recommendations made in connection with that consultation must not be controlling on the Secretary’s determination of priorities. In establishing such priorities, the Secretary and the Advisory Board must consider the following factors:
(1) any health or disease problem which causes or may cause significant economic losses to any part of the livestock production industry;
(2) any food safety problem that has a significant pre-harvest (on-farm) component and is recognized as posing a significant health hazard to the consuming public;
(3) issues of animal well-being related to production methods that will improve the housing and management of animals to improve the well-being of livestock production species;
(4) whether current scientific knowledge necessary to prevent, cure, or abate that a health or disease problem is adequate; and
(5) whether the status of scientific research is that that accomplishments may be anticipated through the application of scientific effort to that health or disease problem.

(d) Assignment of priorities for grants Without regard to any consultation under subsection (c), the Secretary must, to the extent feasible, award grants on the basis of the priorities assigned through a peer review system. Grantees must be selected on a competitive basis under that procedures as the Secretary may establish.

(e) Distribution of multiyear grants In the case of multiyear grants, the Secretary must distribute funds to grant recipients on a schedule which is reasonably related to the timetable required for the orderly conduct of the research project involved.

(f) Applicability of chapter 10 of title 5 Chapter 10 of title 5 and title XVIII of this Act must not apply to a panel or board created solely to reviewing applications or proposals submitted under this subchapter.