§17216. Organization and administration of programs
(a) Coordination
In carrying out this part, the Secretary shall coordinate activities, and effectively manage cross-cutting research priorities across programs of the Department and other relevant Federal agencies, including the National Laboratories and the National Marine Energy Centers.
(b) Collaboration
(1) In general
In carrying out this part, the Secretary shall collaborate with industry, National Laboratories, other relevant Federal agencies, institutions of higher education, including Minority Serving Institutions, National Marine Energy Centers, Tribal entities, including Alaska Native Corporations, and international bodies with relevant scientific and technical expertise.
(2) Participation
To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall encourage research projects that promote collaboration between entities specified in paragraph (1) and include entities not historically associated with National Marine Energy Centers, such as Minority Serving Institutions.
(3) International collaboration
The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate Federal and multilateral agencies (including the United States Agency for International Development) shall support collaborative efforts with international partners to promote the research, development, and demonstration of water power technologies used to develop hydropower, pump storage, and marine energy resources.
(c) Dissemination of results and public availability
The Secretary shall-
(1) publish the results of projects supported under this part through Department websites, reports, databases, training materials, and industry conferences, including information discovered after the completion of such projects, withholding any industrial proprietary information; and
(2) share results of such projects with the public except to the extent that the information is protected from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5.
(d) Award frequency
The Secretary shall solicit applications for awards under this part no less frequently than once per fiscal year.
(e) Education and outreach
In carrying out the activities described in this part, the Secretary shall support education and outreach activities to disseminate information and promote public understanding of water power technologies and the water power workforce, including activities at the National Marine Energy Centers.
(f) Technical assistance and workforce development
In carrying out this part, the Secretary may also conduct, for purposes of supporting technical, non-hardware, and information-based advances in water power systems development and operations-
(1) technical assistance and analysis activities with eligible entities, including activities that support expanding access to advanced water power technologies for rural, Tribal, and low-income communities; and
(2) workforce development and training activities, including to support the dissemination of standards and best practices for enabling water power production.
(g) Strategic plan
In carrying out the activities described in this part, the Secretary shall-
(1) not later than one year after December 27, 2020, draft a plan, considering input from relevant stakeholders such as industry and academia, to implement the programs described in this part and update the plan on an annual basis; and
(2) the plan 1 shall address near-term (up to 2 years), mid-term (up to 7 years), and long-term (up to 15 years) challenges to the advancement of water power systems.
(h) Report to Congress
Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, and at least once every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall provide, and make available to the public and the relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress, a report on the findings of research conducted and activities carried out pursuant to this part, including the most current strategic plan under subsection (g) and the progress made in implementing such plan.
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