Technology transfer centers at Florida College System institutions.

(1) Each Florida College System institution may establish a technology transfer center for the purpose of providing institutional support to local business and industry and governmental agencies in the application of new research in technology. The primary responsibilities of such centers may include: identifying technology research developed by universities, research institutions, businesses, industries, the United States Armed Forces, and other state or federal governmental agencies; determining and demonstrating the application of technologies; training workers to integrate advanced equipment and production processes; and determining for business and industry the feasibility and efficiency of accommodating advanced technologies.

(2) The Florida College System institution board of trustees shall set such policies to regulate the activities of the technology transfer center as it may consider necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section and to administer the programs of the center in a manner which assures efficiency and effectiveness, producing the maximum benefit for the educational programs and maximum service to the state. To this end, materials that relate to methods of manufacture or production, potential trade secrets, potentially patentable material, actual trade secrets, business transactions, or proprietary information received, generated, ascertained, or discovered during the course of activities conducted within the Florida College System institutions shall be confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1), except that a Florida College System institution shall make available upon request the title and description of a project, the name of the investigator, and the amount and source of funding provided for such project.

(3) A technology transfer center created under the provisions of this section shall be under the supervision of the board of trustees of that Florida College System institution, which is authorized to appoint a director; to employ full-time and part-time staff, research personnel, and professional services; to employ on a part-time basis personnel of the Florida College System institution; and to employ temporary employees whose salaries are paid entirely from the permanent technology transfer fund or from that fund in combination with other nonstate sources, with such positions being exempt from the requirements of the Florida Statutes relating to salaries, except that no such appointment shall be made for a total period of longer than 1 year.

(4) The board of trustees of the Florida College System institution in which a technology transfer center is created, or its designee, may negotiate, enter into, and execute contracts; solicit and accept grants and donations; and fix and collect fees, other payments, and donations that may accrue by reason thereof for technology transfer activities. The board of trustees or its designee may negotiate, enter into, and execute contracts on a cost-reimbursement basis and may provide temporary financing of such costs prior to reimbursement from moneys on deposit in the technology transfer fund, except as may be prohibited elsewhere by law.

(5) A technology transfer center shall be financed from the Academic Improvement Program or from moneys of a Florida College System institution which are on deposit or received for use in the activities conducted in the center. Such moneys shall be deposited by the Florida College System institution in a permanent technology transfer fund in a depository or depositories approved for the deposit of state funds and shall be accounted for and disbursed subject to audit by the Auditor General.

(6) The fund balance in any existing research trust fund of a Florida College System institution at the time a technology transfer center is created shall be transferred to a permanent technology transfer fund established for the Florida College System institution, and thereafter the fund balance of the technology transfer fund at the end of any fiscal period may be used during any succeeding period pursuant to this section.

(7) Moneys deposited in the permanent technology transfer fund of a Florida College System institution shall be disbursed in accordance with the terms of the contract, grant, or donation under which they are received. Moneys received for overhead or indirect costs and other moneys not required for the payment of direct costs shall be applied to the cost of operating the technology transfer center.

(8) All purchases of a technology transfer center shall be made in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Florida College System institution.

(9) The Florida College System institution board of trustees may authorize the construction, alteration, or remodeling of buildings when the funds used are derived entirely from the technology transfer fund of a Florida College System institution or from that fund in combination with other nonstate sources, provided that such construction, alteration, or remodeling is for use exclusively by the center. It also may authorize the acquisition of real property when the cost is entirely from said funds. Title to all real property shall vest in the board of trustees.

(10) The State Board of Education may award grants to Florida College System institutions, or consortia of public and private colleges and universities and other public and private entities, for the purpose of supporting the objectives of this section. Grants awarded pursuant to this subsection shall be in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education. Such rules shall include the following provisions:

(a) The number of centers established with state funds provided expressly for the purpose of technology transfer shall be limited, but shall be geographically located to maximize public access to center resources and services.

(b) Grants to centers funded with state revenues appropriated specifically for technology transfer activities shall be reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education using proposal solicitation, evaluation, and selection procedures established by the state board in consultation with the Department of Commerce. Such procedures may include designation of specific areas or applications of technology as priorities for the receipt of funding.

(c) Priority for the receipt of state funds appropriated specifically for the purpose of technology transfer shall be given to grant proposals developed jointly by Florida College System institutions and public and private colleges and universities.

(11) Each technology transfer center established under the provisions of this section shall establish a technology transfer center advisory committee. Each committee shall include representatives of a university or universities conducting research in the area of specialty of the center. Other members shall be determined by the Florida College System institution board of trustees.