SECTION 23.1-3131. Virginia Research Investment Fund  

A. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting revolving fund to be known as the Virginia Research Investment Fund. The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys appropriated by the General Assembly for the Fund, and from any other sources public or private, shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest and other income earned on the Fund shall be credited to the Fund. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest and other income thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund.

B. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the General Assembly may specifically designate that certain moneys appropriated to the Fund be invested, reinvested, and managed by the Board of Trustees as provided in § 51.1-124.38 . The State Treasurer shall not be held liable for losses suffered by the Virginia Retirement System on investments made under the authority of this subsection.

2. No more than $4 million of moneys so invested, net of any administrative fee assessed pursuant to subsection E of § 51.1-124.38 , may be awarded through grants or loans in a fiscal year for any purpose permitted by this article. At the direction of the Committee, the State Comptroller may annually request a disbursement of $4 million from the moneys invested by the Board of Trustees, to be held with other moneys in the Fund not subject to such investment. At the end of each fiscal year, if less than $4 million of such annual allocation is awarded as grants or loans in a calendar year, the Comptroller shall return the remainder of the annual $4 million allocation to the Board of Trustees for reinvestment pursuant to § 51.1-124.38 .

3. Any loans awarded pursuant to this article shall be paid by the Comptroller from the $4 million annual allocation set forth in subdivision 2. The recipient of a loan shall repay the loan pursuant to the terms set forth by the Committee. At the end of each fiscal year, the Comptroller shall return any repayments received from loan recipients to the Board of Trustees for reinvestment pursuant to § 51.1-124.38 .

C. 1. Moneys in the Fund shall be used primarily for grants and loans to (i) foster innovative and collaborative research, development, and commercialization efforts in the Commonwealth in projects and programs with a high potential for economic development and job creation opportunities; (ii) position the Commonwealth as a national leader in science-based and technology-based research, development, and commercialization; (iii) attract and effectively recruit and retain eminent researchers to enhance research superiority at public institutions of higher education; and (iv) encourage cooperation and collaboration among public institutions of higher education, and with the private sector, in areas and with activities that foster economic development and job creation in the Commonwealth.

2. Grants and loans from the Fund for innovative research, development, and commercialization efforts, projects, and programs shall (i) be awarded in areas of focus identified in the Roadmap and shall include the biosciences, personalized medicine, cybersecurity, data analytics, and other areas designated in the general appropriation act; (ii) be awarded solely to public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth or collaborations between the public institutions of higher education and private entities; and (iii) require a match of funds at least equal to the amount awarded.

3. Moneys in the Fund may be used to pay administrative fees assessed by the Board of Trustees for its services in investing Fund moneys pursuant to § 51.1-124.38 .

D. The disbursement of grants and loans, and the payment of administrative costs and service fees, from the Fund shall be made by the State Comptroller at the written request of the Committee.

2016, c. 51.1-124.38 , § 23-305; 2017, cc. 51.1-124.38 , 51.1-124.38 , 51.1-124.38 .