The Commission is directed to exercise its powers in such manner as to insure the continued conduct of research and development and training activities in the fields specified below, by private or public institutions or persons, and to assist in the acquisition of an ever-expanding fund of theoretical and practical knowledge in such fields. To this end the Commission is authorized and directed to make arrangements (including contracts, agreements, and loans) for the conduct of research and development activities relating to—

(1) nuclear processes;

(2) the theory and production of atomic energy, including processes, materials, and devices related to such production;

(3) utilization of special nuclear material and radioactive material for medical, biological, agricultural, health, or military purposes;

(4) utilization of special nuclear material, atomic energy, and radioactive material and processes entailed in the utilization or production of atomic energy or such material for all other purposes, including industrial or commercial uses, the generation of usable energy, and the demonstration of advances in the commercial or industrial application of atomic energy;

(5) the protection of health and the promotion of safety during research and production activities; and

(6) the preservation and enhancement of a viable environment by developing more efficient methods to meet the Nation’s energy needs.

The Commission is authorized—

(1) to make grants and contributions to the cost of construction and operation of reactors and other facilities and other equipment to colleges, universities, hospitals, and eleemosynary or charitable institutions for the conduct of educational and training activities relating to the fields in subsection (a); and

(2) to provide grants, loans, cooperative agreements, contracts, and equipment to institutions of higher education (as defined in section 1002 of title 20) to support courses, studies, training, curricula, and disciplines pertaining to nuclear safety, security, or environmental protection, or any other field that the Commission determines to be critical to the regulatory mission of the Commission.

The Commission may (1) make arrangements pursuant to this section, without regard to the provisions of section 6101 of title 41, upon certification by the Commission that such action is necessary in the interest of the common defense and security, or upon a showing by the Commission that advertising is not reasonably practicable; (2) make partial and advance payments under such arrangements; and (3) make available for use in connection therewith such of its equipment and facilities as it may deem desirable.

The arrangements made pursuant to this section shall contain such provisions (1) to protect health, (2) to minimize danger to life or property, and (3) to require the reporting and to permit the inspection of work performed thereunder, as the Commission may determine. No such arrangement shall contain any provisions or conditions which prevent the dissemination of scientific or technical information, except to the extent such dissemination is prohibited by law.

(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 31, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 927; amended Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 1015, §§ 2, 3, 70 Stat. 1069; Pub. L. 91–560, § 1, Dec. 19, 1970, 84 Stat. 1472; Pub. L. 92–84, title II, § 201(a), Aug. 11, 1971, 85 Stat. 307; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2944; Pub. L. 109–58, title VI, § 651(c)(1), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 801.)