Sec. SSS-1. 5 MRSA c. 383, sub-c. V-A is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER V-A
RESEARCH
§13103. Maine Biomedical Research Program
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Biennium" means that period of time encompassed by the state budget fiscal biennium.
B. "Eligible institution" means any Maine-based nonprofit institution that:
(1) Performs competitive biomedical research, as evidenced by publication in recognized peer review journals; and
(2) Receives or expends funds to perform biomedical research from federal agencies or private foundations.
C. "Fund" means the Maine Biomedical Research Fund established in subsection 3.
D. "Program" means the Maine Biomedical Research Program established in subsection 2.
2. Program established. The Maine Biomedical Research Program is established to disburse program funds from the Maine Biomedical Research Fund to eligible institutions pursuant to this section. The department shall administer the program. The department shall:
A. Develop and modify detailed program guidelines consistent with this section in consultation as needed with members of the biomedical community;
B. Review and if necessary verify applications for funds from eligible institutions;
C. Determine whether the institution is an eligible institution;
D. Verify that the proposed use of program funds is consistent with subsection 4;
E. Determine the allocation that each eligible institution will receive in a given biennium;
F. Advertise the availability of funds each biennium; and
G. Submit each biennium a summary report to the Governor and the Legislature that compiles information reported to the department as required by subsection 8 by all the institutions that receive program funding.
3. Fund established. The Maine Biomedical Research Fund is established as an Other Special Revenue fund for the purposes specified in this section. Funds appropriated for this purpose may be transferred on a one-time basis to the Other Special Revenue fund in fiscal year 2000-01. Any unexpended balance in the fund may not lapse, but must be carried forward for the benefit of the fund.
4. Use of funds. Program funds are intended to support biomedical research in this State, with priority given to research and research technologies with the potential to affect diseases, biomedical mechanisms or conditions that are either caused by or related to tobacco use, such as, but not limited to, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, emphysema and stroke.
An eligible institution receiving program funds under this section may use those funds for any of the following purposes:
A. Project funding;
B. Facilities funding, including debt service;
C. Equipment used in research, including debt service; or
D. Ancillary support.
An eligible institution that receives funds under this section may charge overhead expenses consistent with federal research granting criteria. The institution may utilize up to 2% of the program funds it receives to evaluate the impact of the research it is conducting. An institution is not obligated to expend program funds during the period in which those funds are received, but may carry over funding for up to 5 years.
5. Application procedure. In order to receive program funds, an eligible institution must submit to the program:
A. A preliminary plan describing how the institution would utilize program funds and what research and economic benefits it anticipates as a result of this funding;
B. Citations of articles from peer review journals published within the previous 2 years that show the institution is engaged in competitive biomedical research;
C. Copies of the institution's Internal Revenue Service form 990, showing the amount of funding from outside sources;
D. A breakdown and explanation of all funding from federal agencies and private foundations for biomedical research, listing each specific source of funding and its use; and
E. A statement signed by the institution's chief executive officer asserting that all the submitted materials are accurate.
6. Allocation of funds to eligible institutions. The department shall allocate funds from the fund to eligible institutions biennially, based on a formula to be developed by rule of the department. The formula must be designed both to provide an ongoing incentive to leverage outside funding and to make it easier for smaller institutions to grow.
A. The formula must link the amount of the program funds to be received by an eligible institution to the total amount of funding that the institution has received or expended to perform biomedical research from federal agencies and private foundations during the previous 2 years. In general, an institution receiving more funding from federal agencies and private foundations will receive more program funds under the formula.
B. The formula must be weighted to provide smaller eligible institutions with a proportionally larger share of program funds.
C. The formula must guarantee a certain minimum allocation to any eligible institution, regardless of size, that applies for program funds and has attracted a minimum of $1,000,000 over the previous 2 years from federal or foundation sources to perform biomedical research or is involved as a participating institution that has attracted a minimum of $1,000,000 in biomedical research grant funding over the previous 2 years from federal or foundation sources either directly to that institution or in combination with other in-state or out-of-state institutions. That minimum must be expressed as a percentage of the total pool of funds to be allocated from the fund.
7. Final plan. Once funding decisions are made according to the formula established pursuant to subsection 6, each eligible institution shall revise its preliminary plan into a final plan that reflects the actual amount of funding allocated. A final plan must describe how the institution would utilize the allocated program funds and what research and economic benefits it anticipates as a result of this funding. An institution must submit a final plan to the department prior to disbursement of funding.
8. Accounting, evaluation and reporting requirements. Each institution receiving funding shall:
A. Maintain an accurate accounting of the use of all program funds as required by state procedures and program guidelines;
B. Undertake an ongoing process to evaluate the impact of the research undertaken with program funds. At a minimum, the evaluation process must be designed to provide the following:
(1) An assessment of the direct and indirect economic impact of the funded research; and
(2) An assessment of the contribution of the funded research to scientific advancement and the institution's competitive position; and
C. Each biennium, submit a report to the department. The report must include:
(1) An accounting of the use of all program funds received in the previous 2 years, prepared by a certified public accountant;
(2) A summary of the status of any ongoing research;
(3) A summary of the results of any completed research;
(4) Evaluation data and assessment; and
(5) Information required to be submitted under a comprehensive research and development evaluation pursuant to section 13122-J.
9. Rulemaking. The department shall adopt major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A to implement this section.
Sec. SSS-2. Appropriation. The following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this Part.
2000-01
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Biomedical Research Fund
All Other $10,000,000
Provides for the appropriation of funds to support biomedical research in Maine.
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