20 U.S.C. § 9520
Competitive awards
Activities carried out under this Act through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, at a minimum, shall be awarded on a competitive basis and, when practicable, through a process of peer review.
( Pub. L. 107–279, title I, § 120 , Nov. 5, 2002 , 116 Stat. 1953 .)