DOE must apply the standards in this section to the disposition of program income from projects financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.

Unless program regulations or the terms and conditions of the award provide otherwise, recipients, without any further accounting to DOE, may retain program income earned:

From license fees and royalties for copyrighted material, patents, patent applications, trademarks, and inventions produced under an award.

After the end of the project period.

Unless program regulations or the terms and conditions of the award provide otherwise, costs incident to the generation of program income for which there is some obligation to the Government may be deducted from gross income to determine program income, provided these costs have not been charged to the award.

Other than any program income excluded pursuant to paragraph (b) and (c) of this section, program income earned during the project period must be retained by the recipient and used in one or more of the following ways, as specified in program regulations or the terms and conditions of the award:

Added to funds committed to the project by DOE and recipient and used to further eligible project or program objectives.

Used to finance the non-Federal share of the project or program.

Deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the Federal share of costs is based.

If the program regulation or terms and conditions of an award authorize the disposition of program income as described in paragraph (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this section, and stipulate a limit on the amounts that may be used in those ways, program income in excess of the stipulated limits must be used in accordance with paragraph (d)(3) of this section.

In the event that the program regulation or terms and conditions of the award do not specify how program income is to be used, paragraph (d)(3) of this section applies automatically to all projects or programs except research. For awards that support basic or applied research, paragraph (d)(1) of this section applies automatically unless the terms and conditions specify another alternative or the recipient is subject to special award conditions, as indicated in § 600.304.

Proceeds from the sale of property that is acquired, rather than fabricated, under an award are not program income and must be handled in accordance with the requirements of §§ 600.320 through 600.325 of this part.