The Secretary of Commerce shall establish and administer through the National Ocean Service the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program. Under the program, the Secretary shall award graduate education scholarships in marine biology, oceanography, or maritime archaeology, including the curation, preservation, and display of maritime artifacts, to be known as “Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships”.

The purpose of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is to recognize outstanding scholarship in marine biology, oceanography, or maritime archaeology, particularly by women and members of minority groups, and encourage independent graduate level research in such fields of study.

Each Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship award—

(1) shall be used to support a candidate’s graduate studies in marine biology, oceanography, or maritime archaeology at a sponsoring institution; and

(2) shall be made available to individual candidates in accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary.

The amount of each Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship shall be provided directly to each recipient selected by the Secretary upon receipt of certification that the recipient will adhere to a specific and detailed plan of study and research approved by the sponsoring institution.

The Secretary shall make 1 percent of the amount appropriated each fiscal year to carry out the National Marine Sanctuaries Act [16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.] available for Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships.

Repayment of the award shall be made to the Secretary in the case of fraud or noncompliance.

(Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title II, § 210], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2762, 2762A–79.)