appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, except that in no case shall employees other than the Executive Director be compensated at a rate to exceed the maximum rate for employees in grade GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5;

procure temporary and intermittent services of experts and consultants as are necessary to the extent authorized by section 3109 of title 5, but at rates not to exceed the rate specified at the time of such service for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of such title;

prescribe such regulations as it considers necessary governing the manner in which its functions shall be carried out;

solicit and receive money and other property donated, bequeathed, or devised, without condition or restriction other than it be used for the purposes of the Center, and to use, sell, or otherwise dispose of such property for the purpose of carrying out its functions;

accept and utilize the services of voluntary and noncompensated personnel and reimburse them for travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5;

enter into contracts, grants, or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and such contracts or modifications thereof may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of the members of the Board, be entered into without performance or other bonds, and without regard to section 6101 of title 41;

make expenditures for official reception and representation expenses as well as expenditures for meals, entertainment and refreshments in connection with official training sessions or other authorized programs or activities;

apply for, receive and use for the purposes of the Center grants or other assistance from Federal sources;

establish, receive and use for the purposes of the Center fees or other charges for goods or services provided in fulfilling the Center’s purposes to persons not enumerated in section 1104(b) of this title;

invest, as specified in section 1105(b) of this title, moneys authorized to be received under this section; and

make other necessary expenditures.