Part J appropriates funds to support the expansion of the Department of Education's partnership with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA). Through the partnership, the Department of Education will use NASA materials and technology for professional development, curriculum development and teacher and student internships.

Part K establishes the Maine Technology Institute as a private nonprofit corporation with a public purpose. The institute is governed by a board of 9 private sector members appointed by the Governor; the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development; the Chancellor of the University of Maine System; the President of the Maine Science and Technology Foundation, who serves as a nonvoting member; the Director of the State Planning Office, who serves as a nonvoting member; and the Maine Technology Institute Director, who serves as a nonvoting member. The position of Maine Technology Institute Director at the Department of Economic and Community Development is appointed by the Governor and approved by a majority of the board to serve as president of the institute.

The purpose of the institute is to encourage, promote, stimulate and support research and development activity leading to the commercialization of new products and services in the State's technology-intensive industrial sectors to create new jobs for Maine people. The institute will disburse funds through grants, direct investments and loans to private companies, targeted technology incubators and nonprofit research laboratories. The institute will work directly with and provide staffing to targeted technologies to stimulate and manage the research and development grant process through technology- specific boards consisting of private sector representatives, scientists and others. Each targeted technology board will establish goals and objectives for its sector, establish research and development priorities, help companies network with each other and advise them on funding opportunities and the availability of other support services, prepare criteria by which to evaluate proposals, solicit and receive competitive funding proposals, arrange for peer reviews and screen proposals and select those to be forwarded to the institute's board for final evaluation.

The general corporate powers and duties of the institute as a nonprofit corporation with a public purpose include the right to hire staff and establish salaries, to sue and be sued, to enter into contracts and to incur debt.