652 



"(A) any Institution of higher education as a 

 sea grant college; and 



"(B) any association or other alliance of two 

 or more persons (other than individuals) as a 

 sea grant regional consortium. 

 "(2) No institution of higher education may be 

 designated as a sea grant college unless the Secre- 

 tary finds that such institution — 



"(A) Is maintaining a balanced program of 

 research, education, training, and advisory serv- 

 ices in fields related to ocean and coastal re- 

 sources and has received financial assistance 

 imder section 205 of this title or under section 

 204(c) of the National Sea Grant College and 

 Program Act of 1966; 



"(B) win act In accordance with such guide- 

 lines as are prescribed under subsection (b) (2) ; 

 and 



"(C) meets such other qualifications as the 

 Secretary deems necessary or appropriate. 

 The designation of any institution as a sea grant 

 college under the authority of such Act of 1966 

 shall, if such designation is in effect on the day 

 before the date of the enactment of the Sea Grant 

 Program Improvement Act of 1976, be considered 

 to be a designation made under paragraph (1) so 

 long as such institution complies with subpara- 

 graphs (B) and (C). 



"(3) No association or other alliance of two or 

 more persons may be designated as a sea grant 

 regional consortium unless the Secretary finds that 

 such association or alliance — 



"(A) is established for the purpose of sharing 

 expertise, research, educational facilities, or 

 training facilities, and other cajiabilities in order 

 to facilitate research, education, training, and 

 advisory services, in any field related to ocean 

 and coastal resources; 



"(B) will encourage and follow a regional ap- 

 proach to solving problems or meeting needs 

 relating to ocean and coastal resources, in co- 

 operation with appropriate sea grant colleges, 

 sea grant programs, and other persons in the 

 region; 



"(C) will act in accordance with such guide- 

 lines as are prescribed under subsection (b) (2) ; 

 and 



"(D) meets such other qualifications as the 

 Secretary deems necessary or appropriate. 

 "(b) Regulations. — The Secretary shall by regu- 

 lation prescribe — 



"(1) the qualifications required to be met 

 under paragraphs (2) (C) and (3) (D) of sub- 

 section (a) ; and 



"(2) guidelines relating to the activities and 

 responsibilities of sea grant colleges and sea 

 grant regional consortia. 



"(c) Suspension or Termination of Designa- 

 tion. — The Secretary may, for cause and after an 

 opportunity for hearing, suspend or terminate any 

 designation under subsection (a) . 



"Sec 208. Sea Grant Fellowships. 



"(a) In General. — The Secretary shall support 

 a sea grant fellowship program to provide educa- 



tional and training assistance to qualified indi- 

 viduals at the undergraduate and graduate levels 

 of education in fields related to ocean and coastal 

 resources. Such fellowships shall be awarded pur- 

 suant to guidelines established by the Secretary. 

 Sea grant fellowships may only be awarded by sea 

 grant colleges, sea grant regional consortia, insti- 

 tutions of higher education, and professional asso- 

 ciations and institutes. 



"(b) Limitation on Total Fellowship Grants. — 

 The total amount which may be provided for 

 grants under the sea grant fellowship program dur- 

 ing any fiscal year shall not exceed an amount 

 equal to 5 percent of the total funds appropriated 

 for such year pursuant to section 212. 



"Sec. 209. Sea Grant Review Panel. 



"(a) Establishment. — ^There shall be established 

 an independent committee to be known as the sea 

 grant review panel. The panel shall, on the 60th 

 day after the date of the enactment of the Sea 

 Grant Program Improvement Act of 1976, super- 

 sede the sea grant advisory panel in existence be- 

 fore such date of enactment. 



"(b) Duties. — The panel shall take such steps as 

 may be necessary to review, and shall advise the 

 Secretary, the Administrator, and the Director with 

 respect to — 



"(1) applications or proposals for, and per- 

 formance under, grants and contracts awarded 



under sections 205 and 206; 

 "(2) the sea grant fellowship program; 

 "(3) the designation and operation of sea grant 



colleges and sea grant regional consortia, and the 



operation of sea grant programs ; 

 "(4) the formulation and application of the 



planning guidelines and priorities under section 



204 (a) and (c) (1) ; and 

 "(5) such other matters as the Secretary refers 



to the panel for review and advice. 

 The Secretary shall make available to the panel 

 such information, personnel, and administrative 

 services and assistance as it may reasonably require 

 to carry out its duties. 



"(c) Membership, Terms, and Powers. — (1) The 

 panel shall consist of 15 voting members who shall 

 be appointed by the Secretary. The Director shall 

 serve as a nonvoting member of the panel. Not less 

 than five of the voting members of the panel shall 

 be individuals who, by reason of knowledge, experi- 

 ence, or training, are especially qualified in one or 

 more of the disciplines and fields included in ma- 

 rine science. The other voting members shall be 

 individuals who, by reason of knowledge, experience 

 or training, are especially qualified in, or represent- 

 ative of, education, extension services. State gov- 

 ernment, industry, economics, planning, or any 

 other activity which is appropriate to, and im- 

 portant for, any effort to enhance the understand- 

 ing, assessment, development, utilization, or con- 

 servation of ocean and coastal resources. No in- 

 dividual is eligible to be a voting member of the 

 panel if the individual is (A) the director of a sea 

 grant college, sea grant regional consortium, or 



