at least 1 representative of the Coast Guard;

at least 1 representative of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

at least 1 representative of the Environmental Protection Agency;

at least 1 representative of the Department of the Interior;

at least 1 representative of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement;

at least 1 representative of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management;

at least 1 representative of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;

at least 1 representative of the Department of Energy;

at least 1 representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;

at least 1 representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

at least 1 representative of the Navy;

at least 1 representative of the Corps of Engineers;

at least 1 representative of the United States Arctic Research Commission; and

at least 1 representative of each of such other Federal agencies as the President considers to be appropriate.

coordinate a comprehensive program of oil pollution research, technology development, and demonstration among the Federal agencies, in cooperation and coordination with industry, 4-year institutions of higher education and research institutions, States, Indian tribes, and other countries, as appropriate; and

foster cost-effective research mechanisms, including the joint funding of research and the development of public-private partnerships for the purpose of expanding research.

development of improved designs for vessels and facilities, and improved operational practices;

research, development, and demonstration of improved technologies to measure the ullage of a vessel tank, prevent discharges from tank vents, prevent discharges during lightering and bunkering operations, contain discharges on the deck of a vessel, prevent discharges through the use of vacuums in tanks, and otherwise contain discharges of oil from vessels and facilities;

research, development, and demonstration of new or improved systems of mechanical, chemical, biological, and other methods (including the use of dispersants, solvents, and bioremediation) for the recovery, removal, and disposal of oil, including evaluation of the environmental effects of the use of such systems;

research and training, in consultation with the National Response Team, to improve industry’s and Government’s ability to quickly and effectively remove an oil discharge, including the long-term use, as appropriate, of the National Spill Control School in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Center for Marine Training and Safety in Galveston, Texas;

research to improve information systems for decisionmaking, including the use of data from coastal mapping, baseline data, and other data related to the environmental effects of oil discharges, and cleanup technologies;

development of technologies and methods to protect public health and safety from oil discharges, including the population directly exposed to an oil discharge;

development of technologies, methods, and standards for protecting removal personnel, including training, adequate supervision, protective equipment, maximum exposure limits, and decontamination procedures;

research and development of methods to restore and rehabilitate natural resources damaged by oil discharges;

research to evaluate the relative effectiveness and environmental impacts of bio­remediation technologies; and

the demonstration of a satellite-based, dependent surveillance vessel traffic system in Narragansett Bay to evaluate the utility of such system in reducing the risk of oil discharges from vessel collisions and groundings in confined waters.

the evaluation and testing of technologies developed independently of the research and development program established under paragraph (1);

the establishment, where appropriate, of standards and testing protocols traceable to national standards to measure the performance of oil pollution prevention or mitigation technologies; and

the use, where appropriate, of controlled field testing to evaluate real-world application of oil discharge prevention or mitigation technologies.

Research conducted under this paragraph by, or through, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall be directed and coordinated by the National Wetland Research Center.

contingency plan evaluation and amendment;

removal and strike team training;

tank vessel personnel training; and

those geographic areas where there is a significant likelihood of a major oil discharge.

Consistent with the research plan in subsection (d), the Interagency Committee shall coordinate a program of competitive grants to universities or other research institutions, or groups of universities or research institutions, for the purposes of conducting a coordinated research program related to the regional aspects of oil pollution, such as prevention, removal, mitigation, and the effects of discharged oil on regional environments. For the purposes of this paragraph, a region means a Coast Guard district as set out in part 3 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations (2010).

The Interagency Committee shall coordinate the publication by the agencies represented on the Interagency Committee of a solicitation for grants under this subsection. The application shall be in such form and contain such information as may be required in the published solicitation. The applications shall be reviewed by the Interagency Committee, which shall make recommendations to the appropriate granting agency represented on the Interagency Committee for awarding the grant. The granting agency shall award the grants recommended by the Interagency Committee unless the agency decides not to award the grant due to budgetary or other compelling considerations and publishes its reasons for such a determination in the Federal Register. No grants may be made by any agency from any funds authorized for this paragraph unless such grant award has first been recommended by the Interagency Committee.

Any university or other research institution, or group of universities or research institutions, may apply for a grant for the regional research program established by this paragraph. The applicant must be located in the region, or in a State a part of which is in the region, for which the project is proposed as part of the regional research program. With respect to a group application, the entity or entities which will carry out the substantial portion of the proposed research must be located in the region, or in a State a part of which is in the region, for which the project is proposed as part of the regional research program.

Grants provided under this paragraph shall be for a period up to 3 years, subject to annual review by the granting agency, and provide not more than 80 percent of the costs of the research activities carried out in connection with the grant.

No funds made available to carry out this subsection may be used for the acquisition of real property (including buildings) or construction of any building.

Nothing in this paragraph is intended to alter or abridge the authority under existing law of any Federal agency to make grants, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements, using funds other than those authorized in this Act for the purposes of carrying out this paragraph.