Awards and authorities

(a) In general The Director may carry out the activities described in section 5— (1) by awarding or entering into grants, cooperative agreements, fellowships, scholarships, or infrastructure awards under subsection (b); or (2) by exercising, for purposes of this Act, any of the authorities provided to the Foundation under the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.) for the purposes of that Act. (b) Awards (1) In general From amounts made available for the Directorate and on a competitive basis, the Director shall make awards described in subsection (a)(1) for polar research and development, education and workforce development, infrastructure, and logistical support that carry out the activities described in section 5 by advancing polar research and development, education and workforce development, infrastructure, and logistical investments that are aligned with the focus areas identified under section 8. (2) Recipients Recipients of awards under this subsection may include, as determined appropriate by the Director— (A) institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)); (B) research institutions; (C) nonprofit organizations; (D) private sector entities; (E) Indian Tribes; (F) consortia; and (G) other entities that the Director determines further the purposes of this Act. (3) Metrics The Director may— (A) set metrics, including goals and deadlines, for awards made under this subsection; and (B) use such metrics to determine whether an award recipient shall be eligible for continued or additional funding.