(a) Authority of Secretary

To carry out the policy of this subchapter, the Secretary (in consultation with the Agency for International Development and subject to such coordination with other Federal officials, Departments, and agencies as the President may direct) may—

(1) expand the operational coordination of the Department of Agriculture with institutions and other persons throughout the world performing agricultural and related research, extension, and teaching activities by—

(A) exchanging research materials and results with the institutions or persons;

(B) conducting with the institutions or persons joint or coordinated research, extension, and teaching activities that address problems of significance to food and agriculture in the United States; and

(C) giving priority to those institutions with existing memoranda of understanding, agreements, or other formal ties to United States institutions, or Federal or State agencies;

(2) enter into cooperative arrangements with Departments and Ministries of Agriculture in other nations to conduct research, extension, and teaching activities in support of the development of a viable and sustainable global agricultural system, including efforts to establish a global system for plant genetic resources conservation;

(3) enter into agreements with land-grant colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities, the Agency for International Development, and international organizations (such as the United Nations, the World Bank, regional development banks, international agricultural research centers), or other organizations, institutions, or individuals with comparable goals, to promote and support—

(A) the development of a viable and sustainable global agricultural system;

(B) antihunger and improved international nutrition efforts; and

(C) increased quantity, quality, and availability of food;

(4) further develop within the Department highly qualified and experienced science and education experts who specialize in international programs, to be available to carry out the activities described in this section;

(5) work with transitional and more advanced countries in food, agricultural, and related research, development, teaching, and extension (including providing technical assistance, training, and advice to persons from the countries engaged in the activities and the stationing of scientists and other specialists at national and international institutions in the countries);

(6) expand collaboration and coordination with the Agency for International Development regarding food and agricultural research, extension, and teaching programs in developing countries;

(7) assist colleges and universities in strengthening their capabilities for food, agricultural, and related research, extension, and teaching programs relevant to agricultural development activities in other countries through—

(A) the provision of support to State universities, land-grant colleges and universities, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities to do collaborative research with other countries on issues relevant to United States agricultural competitiveness;

(B) the provision of support for cooperative extension education in global agriculture and to promote the application of new technology developed in foreign countries to United States agriculture; and

(C) the provision of support for the internationalization of resident instruction programs of the universities and colleges described in subparagraph (A);

(8) continue, in cooperation with the Secretary of State, a program, coordinated through the International Arid Land Consortium, to enhance collaboration and cooperation between institutions possessing research, extension, and teaching capabilities applied to the development, management, and reclamation of arid lands;

(9) make competitive grants for collaborative projects that—

(A) involve Federal scientists or scientists from land-grant colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities, or other colleges and universities with scientists at international agricultural research centers in other nations, including the international agricultural research centers of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research;

(B) focus on developing and using new technologies and programs for—

(i) increasing the production of food and fiber, while safeguarding the environment worldwide and enhancing the global competitiveness of United States agriculture; or

(ii) training scientists;

(C) are mutually beneficial to the United States and other countries; and

(D) encourage private sector involvement and the leveraging of private sector funds;

(10) establish a program, to be coordinated by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Foreign Agricultural Service, to place interns from United States colleges and universities at Foreign Agricultural Service field offices overseas; and

(11) establish a program for the purpose of providing fellowships to United States or foreign students to study at foreign agricultural colleges and universities working under agreements provided for under paragraph (3).

(b) Enhancing linkages

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The Secretary shall draw upon and enhance the resources of the land-grant colleges and universities, and other colleges and universities, for developing linkages among these institutions, the Federal Government, international research centers, and counterpart research, extension, and teaching agencies and institutions in both the developed and less-developed countries to serve the purposes of agriculture and the economy of the United States and to make a substantial contribution to the cause of improved food and agricultural progress throughout the world.

(c) Provision of specialized or technical services

The Secretary may provide specialized or technical services, on an advance of funds or a reimbursable basis, to United States colleges and universities and other nongovernmental organizations carrying out international food, agricultural, and related research, extension, and teaching development projects and activities. All funds received in payment for furnishing such specialized or technical services shall be deposited to the credit of the appropriation from which the cost of providing such services has been paid or is to be charged.

(d) Reports

The Secretary shall provide biennial reports to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate on efforts of the Federal Government—

(1) to coordinate international agricultural research within the Federal Government; and

(2) to more effectively link the activities of domestic and international agricultural researchers, particularly researchers of the Agricultural Research Service.

(e) Certain binational projects

(1) Full payment of funds

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the full amount of any funds appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out cooperative projects under the arrangement entered into between the Secretary and the Government of Israel to support the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (referred to in this subsection as the “BARD Fund”) shall be paid directly to the Fund.

(2) Activities

Activities under the BARD Fund to promote and support agricultural research and development that are of mutual benefit to the United States and Israel shall—

(A) accelerate the demonstration, development, and application of agricultural solutions resulting from or relating to BARD Fund programs, including BARD Fund-sponsored research and innovations in drip irrigation, pesticides, aquaculture, livestock, poultry, disease control, and farm equipment; and

(B) encourage research carried out by governmental, nongovernmental, and private entities, including through collaboration with colleges and universities, research institutions, and the private sector.