§ 4.1-01-20.1 — Bioscience innovation grant program - Continuing appropriation

North Dakota § 4.1-01-20.1

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota
• Title 4.1: Agriculture
• Ch. 4.1-01: Agriculture Commissioner

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1. The commissioner shall collaborate with a local association having bioscience
experience to develop and administer a bioscience innovation grant program through
the bioscience innovation grant fund. The commissioner shall collaborate with the
department of commerce when awarding bioscience innovation grants to coordinate
the management of the commissioner's bioscience innovation grant program and the
department of commerce's biotechnology grant program.
2. The commissioner shall collaborate with the committee established under subsection 5
to adopt rules and criteria necessary to administer the bioscience innovation grant
program. The rules must include criteria for program eligibility, including requiring a
bioscience business that receives funding through the program match up to
fifty percent of the amount of the grant received.
3. The bioscience innovation grant fund is a special fund created in the state treasury.
Moneys in the fund are appropriated on a continuing basis to the commissioner to
award grants to:
a. Support biotechnology innovation and commercialization in areas including crop
genetics, biofuels, biomaterials, biosensors, and biotechnology in relation to food,
nutrition, animals, humans, equipment, medical and health products and services,
medical diagnostics, medical therapeutics, and farm-based pharmaceuticals;
b. Promote the creation of bioscience jobs in the state to be filled by graduates from
institutions under the control of the state board of higher education;
c. Encourage the development of new bioscience technologies and bioscience
startup companies in the state;
d. Leverage the agriculture industry in the state to support the development of
bioscience technologies impacting livestock operations and crop production;
e. Promote bioscience research and development at institutions under the control of
the state board of higher education; and
f. Encourage coordination and collaboration among other entities and programs in
the state to promote bioscience innovation goals.
4. A bioscience business operating in the state is eligible to receive a grant under the
program if the business:
a. Employs at least two employees;

b. Has documented annual sales of less than two million five hundred thousand
dollars; and
c. Is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, or
limited liability partnership registered in the state.
5. The bioscience innovation program shall award grant funding through a committee
consisting of:
a. One representative from the department of agriculture appointed by the
agriculture commissioner;
b. One representative from the bioscience association of North Dakota appointed by
the board of the bioscience association of North Dakota; and
c. One representative from the department of commerce appointed by the
commissioner of the department of commerce.
6. Grant funds awarded under this section may not be used for capital improvements,
academic programming or curriculum, or workforce training.