Bill Text: NJ S4110 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology to establish matching grant program for public research universities that receive certain federal research grants; appropriates $5 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S4110 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S4110-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology to establish matching grant program for public research universities that receive certain federal research grants; appropriates $5 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a matching grant program for public research universities that receive certain federal research grants, supplementing P.L.1985, c.102 (C.52:9X-1 et seq.), and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology shall establish a matching grant program for public research universities that receive federal research grant awards that meet the criteria of the commission, including the criteria set forth in subsection b. of this section. Awards under the matching grant program shall be distributed to public research universities for federal research projects that align with priority industries, as determined by the commission, and that have a direct or potential connection to economic development in the State.
b. A public research university shall be eligible to apply to the commission for matching grant funds in accordance with application guidelines and procedures to be established by the commission, provided however that the federal research grant award for which the university is seeking funds shall require a financial match or provide higher consideration to proposals that have a financial match in place. The commission shall establish an application form and procedure for public research universities to apply for matching grant funds. In establishing the application form and procedure, the commission shall evaluate applications based on criteria including, but not limited to:
(1) the likelihood that the federal research grant award proposal submitted as part of the public research university's application will have a direct or potential connection to economic development in the State;
(2) alignment of the federal research grant award proposal with priority industries, which are to be determined by the commission and announced as part of the commission's notice of funding availability for the matching grant program;
(3) the likelihood that the federal research grant award proposal will enhance research and innovation capacity in the State, including opportunities for student involvement; and
(4) an equitable distribution of funding among the public research universities.
c. The commission shall select the proposals that will receive a matching grant from among the applications submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section. Funds awarded under the matching grant program may be used as a match for federal research grant award proposals that require a financial match or provide higher consideration to proposals that have a financial match in place.
d. As used in this section, "public research university" means a public research university as defined in section 3 of P.L.1994, c.48 (C.18A:3B-3).
2. The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology shall annually prepare and submit to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report that, at a minimum, details each of the recipients of matching grants under section 1 of this act and that describes the effectiveness of the grant program in assisting with the promotion of economic development in the State.
3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology the sum of $5,000,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology to establish a matching grant program for public research universities that meet certain criteria. Awards under the matching grant program would be distributed to public research universities for federal research projects that align with priority industries, as determined by the commission.
Under the bill, a public research university would be eligible to apply to the commission for matching grant funds in accordance with application guidelines and procedures to be established by the commission. The commission would establish an application form and procedure for public research universities to apply for matching grant funds. In establishing the application form and procedure, the commission is required to evaluate applications based on certain minimum criteria laid out in the bill. Funds awarded under the matching grant program may be used as a match for federal research proposals that require a financial match receive or that provide higher consideration to proposals in which a financial match is in place.
The bill requires the commission to annually prepare and submit to the Governor and to the Legislature a report that, at a minimum, details each of the recipients of matching grants and that describes the effectiveness of the grant program in assisting with the promotion of economic development in the State.
Finally, the bill appropriates $5 million to effectuate the provisions of the bill.
