42 U.S.C. § 16353 — Merit review of proposals

(a) Funds authorized under this Act or its amendments may be awarded only after the Department or someone acting for it has impartially reviewed the proposals’ scientific and technical merit. (b) A competitive award must use a competition open to all qualified entities in one or more of these categories: higher-education institutions; National Laboratories; nonprofit or for-profit private entities; State^* or local governments; or consortia of entities in those categories. (c) Congress states that, as far as practicable, Department research, development, demonstration, and commercial-application activities should be awarded competitively.