; and (ii) preserves, enhances, or mimics natural hydrology to protect or restore water quality. (B) Inclusions The term innovative stormwater control infrastructure includes— (i) methods that promote absorption, uptake, percolation, evapotranspiration, and filtration by soil and plant life; and (ii) the preservation or restoration of— (I) natural topography, including hills, plains, ravines, and shorelines; (II) interconnected networks of natural land that protect essential ecological functions critical for water quality; (III) ecological function, including forests, grasslands, and deserts; (IV) bodies of water, including lakes, flood plains, headwaters, and wetlands; and (V) native soil characteristics of composition, structure, and transmissivity. (7) State The term State means— (A) each of the several States of the United States; (B) the District of Columbia; (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; (D) Guam; (E) American Samoa; (F) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; (G) the Federated States of Micronesia; (H) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; (I) the Republic of Palau; and (J) the United States Virgin Islands. 4. Centers of Excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure (a) Establishment of centers (1) In general The Administrator shall provide grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to establish and maintain not less than 3, and not more than 5, centers of excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure, to be located in various regions throughout the United States. (2) General operation Each center shall— (A) conduct research on innovative stormwater control infrastructure that is relevant to the geographical region in which the center is located, including stormwater and sewer overflow reduction, other approaches to water resource enhancement, and other environmental, economic, and social benefits