Sec. 102.251.  RULES FOR GRANT AWARD PROCEDURE.  (a)  The oversight committee shall issue rules regarding the procedure for awarding grants to an applicant under this chapter.  The rules must include the following procedures:
(1)  a research and prevention programs committee shall score grant applications and make recommendations to the program integration committee, established under Section 102.264, and the oversight committee regarding the award of cancer research and prevention grants, including a prioritized list that:
(A)  ranks the grant applications in the order the committee determines applications should be funded; and
(B)  includes information explaining how each grant application on the list meets the research and prevention programs committee's standards for recommendation;
(2)  the program integration committee shall submit to the oversight committee a list of grant applications the program integration committee by majority vote approved for recommendation that:
(A)  includes documentation on the factors the program integration committee considered in making the grant recommendations;
(B)  is substantially based on the list submitted by the research and prevention programs committee under Subdivision (1); and
(C)  to the extent possible, gives priority to proposals that:
(i)  could lead to immediate or long-term medical and scientific breakthroughs in the area of cancer prevention or cures for cancer;
(ii)  strengthen and enhance fundamental science in cancer research;
(iii)  ensure a comprehensive coordinated approach to cancer research;
(iv)  are interdisciplinary or interinstitutional;
(v)  address federal or other major research sponsors' priorities in emerging scientific or technology fields in the area of cancer prevention or cures for cancer;
(vi)  are matched with funds available by a private or nonprofit entity and institution or institutions of higher education;
(vii)  are collaborative between any combination of private and nonprofit entities, public or private agencies or institutions in this state, and public or private institutions outside this state;
(viii)  have a demonstrable economic development benefit to this state;
(ix)  enhance research superiority at institutions of higher education in this state by creating new research superiority, attracting existing research superiority from institutions not located in this state and other research entities, or enhancing existing research superiority by attracting from outside this state additional researchers and resources;
(x)  expedite innovation and product development, attract, create, or expand private sector entities that will drive a substantial increase in high-quality jobs, and increase higher education applied science or technology research capabilities; and
(xi)  address the goals of the Texas Cancer Plan; and
(3)  the institute's chief compliance officer shall compare each grant application submitted to the institute to a list of donors from any nonprofit organization established to provide support to the institute compiled from information made available under Section 102.262(c) before the application is submitted to a research and prevention programs committee for review and again before any grant is awarded to the applicant.
(b)  A member of a research and prevention programs committee may not attempt to use the committee member's official position to influence a decision to approve or award a grant or contract to the committee member's employer.
(c)  The chief executive officer shall submit a written affidavit for each grant application recommendation included on the list submitted to the oversight committee under Subsection (a)(2).  The affidavit must contain all relevant information on:
(1)  the peer review process for the grant application;
(2)  the application's peer review score assigned by the research and prevention programs committee; and
(3)  if applicable, the intellectual property and other due diligence reviews of the application.
(d)  A member of the program integration committee may not discuss a grant applicant recommendation with a member of the oversight committee unless the chief executive officer and the program integration committee have fulfilled the requirements of Subsections (a)(2) and (c), as applicable.
(e)  The institute may not award a grant to an applicant who has made a gift or grant to the institute or a nonprofit organization established to provide support to the institute.
Amended by: 
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 266 (H.B. 14), Sec. 4., eff. November 6, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 368 (H.B. 1358), Sec. 11, eff. June 19, 2009.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1150 (S.B. 149), Sec. 22, eff. June 14, 2013.