12 2 STA T .347 4 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 31 5— AU G .14 , 200 8‘ ‘ (1)INGE NE RAL.—TheS e cr e ta r ys ha l l esta b l i sha M i no rity Ser v in g Instit u tion D igital an dW ireless Technology Op por - tunity P rogra m that a w ards grants , cooperative agreements, and contracts to eligible institutions to enable the eligible institutions in ac q uiring, and augmenting the institutions ’ use o f , digital and wireless networ k ing technologies to improve the quality and delivery of educational services at eligible institutions. ‘‘( 2 ) AP PL IC A T I O NAN D RE V IE W PROCED U RE S .— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this subsection, an eligible institution shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Such application, at a minimum, shall include a description of how the funds will be used, including a description of any digital and wireless networking technology to be acquired, and a description of how the institution will ensure that digital and wireless networking technology will be made accessible to, and employed by, students, faculty, and administrators. The Secretary, consistent with subparagraph ( C ) and in consultation with the advisory council established under subparagraph ( B ), shall establish procedures to review such applications. The Secretary shall publish the application requirements and review criteria in the F ederal R egister, along with a statement describing the availability of funds. ‘‘(B) ADVISOR Y COUNCIL.—The Secretary shall establish an advisory council to advise the Secretary on the best approaches to encourage ma x imum participation by eligible institutions in the program established under paragraph (1), and on the procedures to review applications submitted to the program. In selecting the members of the advisory council, the Secretary shall consult with representatives of appropriate organi z ations, including representatives of eligible institutions, to ensure that the membership of the advisory council includes representatives of minority businesses and eligible institution communities. The Sec- retary shall also consult with experts in digital and wireless networking technology to ensure that such expertise is represented on the advisory council. ‘‘(C) REVIEW PANELS.— E ach application submitted under this subsection by an eligible institution shall be reviewed by a panel of individuals selected by the Secretary to j udge the quality and merit of the proposal, including the extent to which the eligible institution can effectively and successfully utilize the proposed grant, cooperative agreement, or contract to carry out the program described in paragraph (1). The Secretary shall ensure that the review panels include representatives of minority serving institutions and others who are knowledgeable about eligible institutions and technology issues. The Secretary shall ensure that no individual assigned under this sub- section to review any application has a conflict of interest with regard to that application. The Secretary shall take into consideration the recommendations of the review panel Fed e ralR e gist er ,pub li c ati on. Re q uire m ents. C riteria. P rocedures. G rants. Contracts.
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