(a) Bridging the sciences

(1) In general

From amounts to be appropriated under section 282a(b) of this title, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of NIH, (in this subsection referred to as the “Secretary”) in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Secretary of Energy, and other agency heads when necessary, may allocate funds for the national research institutes and national centers to make grants for the purpose of improving the public health through demonstration projects for biomedical research at the interface between the biological, behavioral, and social sciences and the physical, chemical, mathematical, and computational sciences.

(2) Goals, priorities, and methods; interagency collaboration

The Secretary shall establish goals, priorities, and methods of evaluation for research under paragraph (1), and shall provide for interagency collaboration with respect to such research. In developing such goals, priorities, and methods, the Secretary shall ensure that—

(A) the research reflects the vision of innovation and higher risk with long-term payoffs; and

(B) the research includes a wide spectrum of projects, funded at various levels, with varying timeframes.

(3) Peer review

A grant may be made under paragraph (1) only if the application for the grant has undergone technical and scientific peer review under section 289a of this title and has been reviewed by the advisory council under section 282(k) of this title or has been reviewed by an advisory council composed of representatives from appropriate scientific disciplines who can fully evaluate the applicant.

(b) High-risk, high-reward research

(1) In general

From amounts to be appropriated under section 282a(b) of this title, the Secretary, acting through the Director of NIH, may allocate funds for the national research institutes and national centers to make awards of grants or contracts or to engage in other transactions for demonstration projects for high-impact, cutting-edge research that fosters scientific creativity and increases fundamental biological understanding leading to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders. The head of a national research institute or national center may conduct or support such high-impact, cutting-edge research (with funds allocated under the preceding sentence or otherwise available for such purpose) if the institute or center gives notice to the Director of NIH beforehand and submits a report to the Director of NIH on an annual basis on the activities of the institute or center relating to such research.

(2) Special consideration

In carrying out the program under paragraph (1), the Director of NIH shall give special consideration to coordinating activities with national research institutes whose budgets are substantial relative to a majority of the other institutes.

(3) Administration of program

Activities relating to research described in paragraph (1) shall be designed by the Director of NIH or the head of a national research institute or national center, as applicable, to enable such research to be carried out with maximum flexibility and speed.

(4) Public-private partnerships

In providing for research described in paragraph (1), the Director of NIH or the head of a national research institute or national center, as applicable, shall seek to facilitate partnerships between public and private entities and shall coordinate when appropriate with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.

(5) Peer review

A grant for research described in paragraph (1) may be made only if the application for the grant has undergone technical and scientific peer review under section 289a of this title and has been reviewed by the advisory council under section 282(k) of this title.

Not later than the end of fiscal year 2009, the Secretary, acting through the Director of NIH, shall conduct an evaluation of the activities under this section and submit a report to the Congress on the results of such evaluation.

(d) Definitions

For purposes of this section, the terms “Director of NIH”, “national research institute”, and “national center” have the meanings given such terms in section 281 of this title.