Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/2901

 120 STAT. 2870

PUBLIC LAW 109–417—DEC. 19, 2006 ongoing basis, and submit upon request to the Secretary, all data related to or resulting from countermeasure and product advanced research and development carried out pursuant to this section. ‘‘(C) ADVANCE PAYMENTS; ADVERTISING.—The Secretary may waive the requirements of section 3324(a) of title 31, United States Code, or section 3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (41 U.S.C. 5) upon the determination by the Secretary that such waiver is necessary to obtain countermeasures or products under this section. ‘‘(D) MILESTONE-BASED PAYMENTS ALLOWED.—In awarding contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, and in entering into other transactions, under this section, the Secretary may use milestone-based awards and payments. ‘‘(E) FOREIGN NATIONALS ELIGIBLE.—The Secretary may under this section award contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements to, and may enter into other transactions with, highly qualified foreign national persons outside the United States, alone or in collaboration with American participants, when such transactions may inure to the benefit of the American people. ‘‘(F) ESTABLISHMENT OF RESEARCH CENTERS.—The Secretary may assess the feasibility and appropriateness of establishing, through contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction, an arrangement with an existing research center in order to achieve the goals of this section. If such an agreement is not feasible and appropriate, the Secretary may establish one or more federallyfunded research and development centers, or universityaffiliated research centers, in accordance with section 303(c)(3) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 253(c)(3)). ‘‘(6) AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS.—In carrying out the functions under this section, the Secretary may give priority to the advanced research and development of qualified countermeasures and qualified pandemic or epidemic products that are likely to be safe and effective with respect to children, pregnant women, elderly, and other at-risk individuals. ‘‘(7) PERSONNEL AUTHORITIES.— ‘‘(A) SPECIALLY QUALIFIED SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In addition to any other personnel authorities, the Secretary may— ‘‘(I) without regard to those provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, appoint highly qualified individuals to scientific or professional positions in BARDA, such as program managers, to carry out this section; and ‘‘(II) compensate them in the same manner and subject to the same terms and conditions in which individuals appointed under section 9903 of such title are compensated, without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.

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