(a) The Secretary, with the advice of the Board, shall make grants to, and enter into appropriate contracts with, public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education and individual scientists for the purpose of supporting biomedical scientific publications of a nonprofit nature and to procure the compilation, writing, editing, and publication of reviews, abstracts, indices, handbooks, bibliographies, and related matter pertaining to scientific works and scientific developments.

(b) Grants under subsection (a) in support of any single periodical publication may not be made for more than three years, except in those cases in which the Secretary determines that further support is necessary to carry out the purposes of subsection (a).