#aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cjhd ,,an ,,act ,to invest in innovation through research and development1 and to improve the competitiveness of the ,united ,states4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,american ,innovation and ,competitiveness ,act4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents of this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4,sec4 #b4 ,definitions4,,title ,i--,maximizing basic research,sec4 #aja4 ,reaffirmation of merit-based peer review4,sec4 #ajb4 ,transparency and accountability4,sec4 #ajc4 ,e,p,s,co,r reaffirmation and update4,sec4 #ajd4 ,cybersecurity research4,sec4 #aje4 ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,update4,sec4 #ajf4 ,physical sciences coordination4,sec4 #ajg4 ,laboratory program improvements4,sec4 #ajh4 ,standard ,reference ,data ,act update4,sec4 #aji4 ,,nsf mid-scale project investments4,sec4 #aaj4 ,oversight of ,,nsf major multi-user research facility projects4,sec4 #aaa4 ,personnel oversight4,sec4 #aab4 ,management of the ,u4,s4 ,antarctic ,program4,sec4 #aac4 ,,nist campus security4,sec4 #aad4 ,coordination of sustainable chemistry research and development4,sec4 #aae4 ,misrepresentation of research results4,sec4 #aaf4 ,research reproducibility and replication4,sec4 #aag4 ,brain ,research through ,advancing ,innovative ,neurotechnologies ,initiative4,,title ,,ii--,administrative and regulatory burden reduction,sec4 #bja4 ,interagency working group on research regulation4,sec4 #bjb4 ,scientific and technical collaboration4,sec4 #bjc4 ,,nist grants and cooperative agreements update4,sec4 #bjd4 ,repeal of certain obsolete reports4,sec4 #bje4 ,repeal of certain provisions4,sec4 #bjf4 ,grant subrecipient transparency and oversight4,sec4 #bjg4 ,micro-purchase threshold for procurement solicitations by research institutions4,sec4 #bjh4 ,coordination of international science and technology partnerships4,,title ,,iii--,science1 technology1 engineering1 and math education,sec4 #cja4 ,robert ,noyce ,teacher ,scholarship ,program update4,sec4 #cjb4 ,space grants4,sec4 #cjc4 ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel4,sec4 #cjd4 ,committee on ,,stem ,education4,sec4 #cje4 ,programs to expand ,,stem opportunities4,sec4 #cjf4 ,,nist education and outreach4,sec4 #cjg4 ,presidential awards for excellence in ,,stem mentoring4,sec4 #cjh4 ,working group on inclusion in ,,stem fields4,sec4 #cji4 ,improving undergraduate ,,stem experiences4,sec4 #caj4 ,computer science education research4,sec4 #caa4 ,informal ,,stem education4,sec4 #cab4 ,developing ,,stem apprenticeships4,sec4 #cac4 ,,nsf report on broadening participation4,sec4 #cad4 ,,noaa science education programs4,sec4 #cae4 ,hispanic-serving institutions undergraduate program update4,,title ,,iv--,leveraging the private sector,sec4 #dja4 ,prize competition authority update4,sec4 #djb4 ,crowdsourcing and citizen science4,sec4 #djc4 ,,nist director functions update4,sec4 #djd4 ,,nist ,visiting ,committee on ,advanced ,technology update4,,title ,v--,manufacturing,sec4 #eja4 ,hollings manufacturing extension partnership improvements4,,title ,,vi--,innovation and technology transfer,sec4 #fja4 ,innovation corps4,sec4 #fjb4 ,translational research grants4,sec4 #fjc4 ,optics and photonics technology innovations4,sec4 #fjd4 ,united ,states chief technology officer4,sec4 #fje4 ,national research council study on technology for emergency notifications on campuses4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act1 unless expressly provided otherwise3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of ,congress ,the term appropriate committees of ,congress means the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,federal science agency ,the term ,federal science agency has the meaning given the term in section #ajc of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffbc74 7#c7 ,foundation ,the term ,foundation means the ,national ,science ,foundation4 7#d7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a774 7#e7 ,,nist ,the term ,,nist means the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology4 7#f7 ,,stem ,the term ,,stem has the meaning given the term in section #b of the ,american ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffba note74 7#g7 ,,stem education ,the term ,,stem education has the meaning given the term in section #b of the ,,stem ,education ,act of #bjae 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffba note74 ,i ,maximizing basic research #aja4 ,reaffirmation of merit-based peer review 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 sustained1 predictable ,federal funding of basic research is essential to ,united ,states leadership in science and technology2 7#b7 the ,foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria are appropriate for evaluating grant proposals1 as concluded by the #bjaa ,national ,science ,board ,task ,force on ,merit ,review2 7#c7 evaluating proposals on the basis of the ,foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria should be used to assure that the ,foundation's activities are in the national interest as these reviews can affirm that-- 7,a7 the proposals funded by the ,foundation are of high quality and advance scientific knowledge2 and 7,b7 the ,foundation's grants address societal needs through basic research findings or through related activities2 and 7#d7 as evidenced by the ,foundation's contributions to scientific advancement1 economic growth1 human health1 and national security1 its peer review and merit review processes have identified and funded scientifically and societally relevant basic research and should be preserved4 7b7 ,merit review criteria ,the ,foundation shall maintain the intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria1 among other specific criteria as appropriate1 as the basis for evaluating grant proposals in the merit review process4 7c7 ,updates ,if after the date of enactment of this ,act a change is made to the merit-review process1 the ,director shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of ,congress not later than #cj days after the date of the change4 #ajb4 ,transparency and accountability 7a7 ,findings 7#a7 building the understanding of and confidence in investments in basic research is essential to public support for sustained1 predictable ,federal funding2 7#b7 the ,foundation has improved transparency and accountability of the outcomes made through the merit review process1 but additional transparency into individual grants is valuable in communicating and assuring the public value of federally funded research2 and 7#c7 the ,foundation should commit to transparency and accountability and to clear1 consistent public communication regarding the national interest for each ,foundation-awarded grant and cooperative agreement4 7b7 ,guidance 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall issue and periodically update1 as appropriate1 policy guidance for both ,foundation staff and other ,foundation merit review process participants on the importance of transparency and accountability to the outcomes made through the merit review process4 7#b7 ,requirements ,the guidance under paragraph 7#a7 shall require that each public notice of a ,foundation-funded research project justify the expenditure of ,federal funds by-- 7,a7 describing how the project-- 7i7 reflects the statutory mission of the ,foundation1 as established in the ,national ,science ,foundation ,act of #aiej 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfa et seq472 and 7ii7 addresses the ,foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria2 and 7,b7 clearly identifying the research goals of the project in a manner that can be easily understood by both technical and non-technical audiences4 7c7 ,broader impacts review criterion update ,section #ebf7;a7 of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp-#ad7;a77 is amended to read as follows3 7a7 ,goals ,the ,foundation shall apply a broader impacts review criterion to identify and demonstrate project support of the following goals3 7#a7 ,increasing the economic competitiveness of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,advancing of the health and welfare of the ,american public4 7#c7 ,supporting the national defense of the ,united ,states4 7#d7 ,enhancing partnerships between academia and industry in the ,united ,states4 7#e7 ,developing an ,american ,,stem workforce that is globally competitive through improved pre-kindergarten through grade #ab ,,stem education and teacher development1 and improved undergraduate ,,stem education and instruction4 7#f7 ,improving public scientific literacy and engagement with science and technology in the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,expanding participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups in ,,stem4 4 #ajc4 ,e,p,s,co,r reaffirmation and update 7a7 ,findings ,section #eag7;a7 of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp-#i7;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 by striking ,the ,national and inserting the ,national2 and 7,b7 by striking education1 and inserting education2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking with #bg ,states and all that follows through the semicolon at the end and inserting with #bh ,states and jurisdictions1 taken together1 receiving only about #ab percent of all ,national ,science ,foundation research funding22 7#c7 by striking paragraph 7#c7 and inserting the following3 7#c7 each of the ,states described in paragraph 7#b7 receives only a fraction of #a percent of the ,foundation's research dollars each year2 2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 first established at the ,national ,science ,foundation in #aigi1 the ,experimental ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research 7referred to in this section as ,e,p,s,co,r7 assists ,states and jurisdictions historically underserved by ,federal research and development funding in strengthening their research and innovation capabilities2 7#e7 the ,e,p,s,co,r structure requires each participating ,state to develop a science and technology plan suited to ,state and local research1 education1 and economic interests and objectives2 7#f7 ,e,p,s,co,r has been credited with advancing the research competitiveness of participating ,states1 improving awareness of science1 promoting policies that link scientific investment and economic growth1 and encouraging partnerships between government1 industry1 and academia2 7#g7 ,e,p,s,co,r proposals are evaluated through a rigorous and competitive merit-review process to ensure that awarded research and development efforts meet high scientific standards2 and 7#h7 according to the ,national ,academy of ,sciences1 ,e,p,s,co,r has strengthened the national research infrastructure and enhanced the educational opportunities needed to develop the science and engineering workforce4 4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress 7#a7 ,in general ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7,a7 since maintaining the ,nation's scientific and economic leadership requires the participation of talented individuals nationwide1 ,e,p,s,co,r investments into ,state research and education capacities are in the ,federal interest and should be sustained2 and 7,b7 ,e,p,s,co,r should maintain its experimental component by supporting innovative methods for improving research capacity and competitiveness4 7#b7 ,definition of ,e,p,s,co,r ,in this subsection1 the term ,e,p,s,co,r has the meaning given the term in section #ejb of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp note74 7c7 ,award structure updates ,section #eag of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp-#i7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7g7 ,award structure updates ,in implementing the mandate to maximize the impact of ,federal ,e,p,s,co,r support on building competitive research infrastructure1 and based on the inputs and recommendations of previous ,e,p,s,co,r reviews1 the head of each ,federal agency administering an ,e,p,s,co,r program shall-- 7#a7 consider modifications to ,e,p,s,co,r proposal solicitation1 award type1 and project evaluation-- 7,a7 to more closely align with current agency priorities and initiatives2 7,b7 to focus ,e,p,s,co,r funding on achieving critical scientific1 infrastructure1 and educational needs of that agency2 7,c7 to encourage collaboration between ,e,p,s,co,r-eligible institutions and researchers1 including with institutions and researchers in other ,states and jurisdictions2 7,d7 to improve communication between ,state and ,federal agency proposal reviewers2 and 7,e7 to continue to reduce administrative burdens associated with ,e,p,s,co,r2 7#b7 consider modifications to ,e,p,s,co,r award structures-- 7,a7 to emphasize long-term investments in building research capacity1 potentially through the use of larger1 renewable funding opportunities2 and 7,b7 to allow the agency1 ,states1 and jurisdictions to experiment with new research and development funding models2 and 7#c7 consider modifications to the mechanisms used to monitor and evaluate ,e,p,s,co,r awards-- 7,a7 to increase collaboration between ,e,p,s,co,r-funded researchers and agency staff1 including by providing opportunities for mentoring young researchers and for the use of ,federal facilities2 7,b7 to identify and disseminate best practices2 and 7,c7 to harmonize metrics across participating ,federal agencies1 as appropriate4 4 7d7 ,reports 7#a7 ,congressional reports ,section #eag of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp-#i71 as amended1 is further amended-- 7,a7 by striking subsection 7c72 7,b7 by redesignating subsections 7d7 through 7g7 as subsections 7c7 through 7f71 respectively2 7,c7 in subsection 7c71 as redesignated-- 7i7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,experimental ,programs to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research and inserting ,e,p,s,co,r2 and 7ii7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7,i7 in subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,e71 by striking ,e,p,s,co,r and ,federal ,e,p,s,co,r-like programs and inserting each ,e,p,s,co,r2 7,,ii7 in subparagraph 7,d71 by striking ,e,p,s,co,r and other ,federal ,e,p,s,co,r-like programs and inserting each ,e,p,s,co,r2 7,,iii7 in subparagraph 7,e71 by striking ,e,p,s,co,r or ,federal ,e,p,s,co,r-like programs and inserting each ,e,p,s,co,r2 and 7,,iv7 in subparagraph 7,g71 by striking ,e,p,s,co,r programs and inserting each ,e,p,s,co,r2 and 7,d7 by amending subsection 7d71 as redesignated1 to read as follows3 7d7 ,federal agency reports ,each ,federal agency that administers an ,e,p,s,co,r shall submit to ,congress1 as part of its ,federal budget submission-- 7#a7 a description of the program strategy and objectives2 7#b7 a description of the awards made in the previous fiscal year1 including-- 7,a7 the total amount made available1 by ,state1 under ,e,p,s,co,r2 7,b7 the total amount of agency funding made available to all institutions and entities within each ,e,p,s,co,r ,state2 7,c7 the efforts and accomplishments to more fully integrate the ,e,p,s,co,r ,states in major agency activities and initiatives2 7,d7 the percentage of ,e,p,s,co,r reviewers from ,e,p,s,co,r ,states2 and 7,e7 the number of programs or large collaborator awards involving a partnership of organizations and institutions from ,e,p,s,co,r and non-,e,p,s,co,r ,states2 and 7#c7 an analysis of the gains in academic research quality and competitiveness1 and in science and technology human resource development1 achieved by the program over the last #e fiscal years4 2 and 7,e7 in subsection 7e77#a71 as redesignated1 by striking ,experimental ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research or a program similar to the ,experimental ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research and inserting ,e,p,s,co,r4 7#b7 ,results of award structure plan ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,e,p,s,co,r ,interagency ,coordinating ,committee shall brief the appropriate committees of ,congress on the updates made to the award structure under #eag7;f7 of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp-#i7;f771 as amended by this subsection4 7e7 ,definition of ,e,p,s,co,r 7#a7 ,in general ,section #ejb of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp note7 is amended by amending paragraph 7#b7 to read as follows3 7#b7 ,e,p,s,co,r ,the term ,e,p,s,co,r means-- 7,a7 the ,established ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research established by the ,foundation2 or 7,b7 a program similar to the ,established ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research at another ,federal agency4 4 7#b7 ,technical and conforming amendments ,section #aac of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #aihh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfb;g7 is amended-- 7,a7 in the heading1 by striking ,experimental and inserting ,established2 7,b7 in subsection 7a71 by striking an ,experimental ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research and inserting a program to stimulate competitive research 7known as the ,established ,program to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research72 and 7,c7 in subsection 7b71 by striking the program and inserting the ,program4 #ajd4 ,cybersecurity research 7a7 ,foundation cybersecurity research ,section #d7;a77#a7 of the ,cyber ,security ,research and ,development ,act1 as amended 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gdjc7;a77#a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,o71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,p71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7,q7 security of election-dedicated voting system software and hardware2 and 7,r7 role of the human factor in cybersecurity and the interplay of computers and humans and the physical world4 4 7b7 ,,nist cybersecurity priorities 7#a7 ,critical infrastructure awareness ,the ,director of ,,nist shall continue to raise public awareness of the voluntary1 industry-led cybersecurity standards and best practices for critical infrastructure developed under section #b7;c77#ae7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;c77#ae774 7#b7 ,quantum computing ,under section #b7;b7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;b77 and section #bj of that ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#c71 the ,director of ,,nist shall-- 7,a7 research information systems for future cybersecurity needs2 and 7,b7 coordinate with relevant stakeholders to develop a process-- 7i7 to research and identify or1 if necessary1 develop cryptography standards and guidelines for future cybersecurity needs1 including quantum-resistant cryptography standards2 and 7ii7 to provide recommendations to ,congress1 ,federal agencies1 and industry consistent with the ,national ,technology ,transfer and ,advancement ,act of #aiie 7,public ,law #ajd-aac2 #aaj ,stat4 #gge71 for a secure and smooth transition to the standards under clause 7i74 7#c7 ,federal information systems research and development ,section #bj7;d77#c7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#c7;d77#c77 is amended to read as follows3 7#c7 conduct research and analysis-- 7,a7 to determine the nature and extent of information security vulnerabilities and techniques for providing cost-effective information security2 7,b7 to review and determine prevalent information security challenges and deficiencies identified by agencies or the ,institute1 including any challenges or deficiencies described in any of the annual reports under section #ceec or #ceed of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 and in any of the reports and the independent evaluations under section #ceee of that title1 that may undermine the effectiveness of agency information security programs and practices2 and 7,c7 to evaluate the effectiveness and sufficiency of1 and challenges to1 ,federal agencies' implementation of standards and guidelines developed under this section and policies and standards promulgated under section #aacca of title #dj1 ,united ,states ,code2 4 7#d7 ,voting ,section #b7;c7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;c77 is amended-- 7,a7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#af7 through 7#bc7 as paragraphs 7#ag7 through 7#bd71 respectively2 and 7,b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#ae7 the following3 7#af7 perform research to support the development of voluntary1 consensus-based1 industry-led standards and recommendations on the security of computers1 computer networks1 and computer data storage used in election systems to ensure voters can vote securely and privately4 4 #aje4 ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,update 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,modernization ,act of #bjaf4 7b7 ,findings ,section #b of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeja7 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#e71 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology1 including high-performance computing12 and 7#b7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology1 including high-performance computing2 7c7 ,purposes ,section #c of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eejb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking expanding ,federal support for research1 development1 and application of high-performance computing and inserting supporting ,federal research1 development1 and application of networking and information technology2 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking high-performance computing both places it appears and inserting networking and information technology2 7,c7 by striking subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,d72 7,d7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,b7 the following3 7,c7 stimulate research on and promote more rapid development of high-end computing systems software and applications software2 2 7,e7 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,e7 through 7,h7 as subparagraphs 7,d7 through 7,g71 respectively2 7,f7 in subparagraph 7,d71 as redesignated1 by inserting high-end after the development of2 7,g7 in subparagraphs 7,e7 and 7,f71 as redesignated1 by striking high-performance computing each place it appears and inserting networking and information technology2 and 7,h7 in subparagraph 7,g71 as redesignated1 by striking high-performance and inserting high-end2 and 7#c7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 by striking high-performance computing and and inserting networking and information technology and2 and 7,b7 by striking high-performance computing network and inserting networking and information technology4 7d7 ,definitions ,section #d of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eejc7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#e72 7#b7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 7#d71 7#f71 and 7#g7 as paragraphs 7#b71 7#c71 7#e71 7#h71 and 7#i71 respectively2 7#c7 by inserting before paragraph 7#b71 as redesignated1 the following3 7#a7 cyber-physical systems means physical or engineered systems whose networking and information technology functions and physical elements are deeply integrated and are actively connected to the physical world through sensors1 actuators1 or other means to enable safe and effective1 real-time performance in safety-critical and other applications2 2 7#d7 in paragraph 7#c71 as redesignated1 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology2 7#e7 by inserting after paragraph 7#c71 as redesignated1 the following3 7#d7 high-end computing means the most advanced and capable computing systems1 including their hardware1 storage1 networking and software1 encompassing both massive computational capability and large-scale data analytics to solve computational problems of national importance that are beyond the capability of small- to medium-scale systems1 including computing formerly known as high-performance computing2 2 7#f7 by inserting after paragraph 7#e71 as redesignated1 the following3 7#f7 networking and information technology means high-end computing1 communications1 and information technologies1 high-capacity and high-speed networks1 special purpose and experimental systems1 high-end computing systems software and applications software1 and the management of large data sets2 7#g7 participating agency means an agency described in section #aja7;a77#c77;,c72 2 and 7#g7 in paragraph 7#h71 as redesignated1 by striking ,national ,high-,performance ,computing ,program and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,program4 7e7 ,title ,i heading ,the heading of title ,i of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeaa et seq47 is amended by striking ,high-,performance ,computing and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology4 7f7 ,networking and information technology research and development program ,section #aja of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeaa7 is amended-- 7#a7 in the section heading1 by striking ,national ,high-,performance ,computing ,program and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,program2 7#b7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in the subsection heading1 by striking ,national ,high-,performance ,computing ,program and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking ,national ,high-,performance ,computing ,program and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,program2 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking high-performance computing1 including networking and inserting networking and information technology2 7iii7 in subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,g71 by striking high-performance each place it appears and inserting high-end2 7iv7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by striking high-performance computing and networking and inserting high-end computing1 distributed1 and networking2 7v7 by amending subparagraph 7,d7 to read as follows3 7,d7 provide for efforts to increase software security and reliability2 2 7vi7 in subparagraph 7,h7-- 7,i7 by inserting support and guidance after provide2 and 7,,ii7 by striking and after the semicolon2 7vii7 in subparagraph 7,i7-- 7,i7 by striking improving the security and inserting improving the security1 reliability1 and resilience2 and 7,,ii7 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7viii7 by adding at the end the following3 7,j7 provide for increased understanding of the scientific principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods available for the design1 development1 and operation of cyber-physical systems that are characterized by high reliability1 safety1 and security2 7,k7 provide for research and development on human-computer interactions1 visualization1 and big data2 7,l7 provide for research and development on the enhancement of cybersecurity1 including the human facets of cyber threats and secure cyber systems2 7,m7 provide for the understanding of the science1 engineering1 policy1 and privacy protection related to networking and information technology2 7,n7 provide for the transition of high-end computing hardware1 system software1 development tools1 and applications into development and operations2 and 7,o7 foster public-private collaboration among government1 industry research laboratories1 academia1 and nonprofit organizations to maximize research and development efforts and the benefits of networking and information technology1 including high-end computing4 2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 by amending subparagraph 7,a7 to read as follows3 7,a7 establish the goals and priorities for ,federal networking and information technology research1 development1 education1 and other activities2 2 7ii7 by amending subparagraph 7,c7 to read as follows3 7,c7 provide for interagency coordination of ,federal networking and information technology research1 development1 education1 and other activities undertaken pursuant to the ,program-- 7i7 among the participating agencies2 and 7ii7 to the extent practicable1 with other ,federal agencies not described in paragraph 7#c77;,c71 other ,federal and private research laboratories1 industry1 research entities1 institutions of higher education1 relevant nonprofit organizations1 and international partners of the ,united ,states2 2 7iii7 by amending subparagraph 7,e7 to read as follows3 7,e7 encourage and monitor the efforts of the agencies participating in the ,program to allocate the level of resources and management attention necessary to ensure that the strategic plans under subsection 7e7 are developed and executed effectively and that the objectives of the ,program are met2 and 2 and 7iv7 in subparagraph 7,f71 by striking high-performance and inserting high-end2 and 7,d7 in paragraph 7#c7-- 7i7 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,b71 7,c71 7,d71 and 7,e7 as subparagraphs 7,c71 7,d71 7,e71 and 7,g71 respectively2 7ii7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,a7 the following3 7,b7 provide a detailed description of the nature and scope of research infrastructure designated as such under the ,program2 2 7iii7 in subparagraph 7,c71 as redesignated-- 7,i7 by amending clause 7i7 to read as follows3 7i7 the ,department of ,justice2 2 7,,ii7 by redesignating clauses 7vii7 through 7xi7 as clauses 7viii7 through 7xii71 respectively2 7,,iii7 by inserting after clause 7vi7 the following3 7vii7 the ,department of ,homeland ,security2 2 and 7,,iv7 by amending clause 7viii71 as redesignated1 to read as follows3 7viii7 the ,national ,archives and ,records ,administration2 2 7iv7 in subparagraph 7,d71 as redesignated-- 7,i7 by striking is submitted1 and inserting is submitted1 the levels for the previous fiscal year12 and 7,,ii7 by striking each ,program ,component ,area2 and inserting each ,program ,component ,area and research area supported in accordance with section #ajb22 7v7 by amending subparagraph 7,e71 as redesignated1 to read as follows3 7,e7 describe the levels of ,federal funding for each participating agency1 and for each ,program ,component ,area1 for the fiscal year during which such report is submitted1 the levels for the previous fiscal year1 and the levels proposed for the fiscal year with respect to which the budget submission applies2 2 and 7vi7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,e71 as redesignated1 the following3 7,f7 include a description of how the objectives for each ,program ,component ,area1 and the objectives for activities that involve multiple ,program ,component ,areas1 relate to the objectives of the ,program identified in the strategic plans required under subsection 7e72 and 2 7#c7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 by striking high-performance computing both places it appears and inserting networking and information technology2 and 7ii7 after the first sentence1 by inserting the following3 ,each chair of the advisory committee shall meet the qualifications of committee membership and may be a member of the ,president's ,council of ,advisors on ,science and ,technology42 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a77;,d71 by striking high-performance computing1 networking technology1 and related software and inserting networking and information technology2 and 7,c7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 in the second sentence1 by striking #b and inserting #c2 7ii7 by striking ,committee on ,science and ,technology and inserting ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology2 and 7iii7 by striking ,the first report shall be due within #a year after the date of enactment of the ,america ,,competes ,act42 7#d7 in subsection 7c77#a77;,a71 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology2 and 7#e7 by adding at the end the following3 7d7 ,periodic reviews ,the heads of the participating agencies1 working through the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council and the ,program1 shall-- 7#a7 periodically assess and update1 as appropriate1 the structure of the ,program1 including the ,program ,component ,areas and associated contents1 scope1 and funding levels1 taking into consideration any relevant recommendations of the advisory committee established under subsection 7b72 and 7#b7 ensure that such agency's implementation of the ,program includes foundational1 large-scale1 long-term1 and interdisciplinary information technology research and development activities1 including activities described in section #ajb4 7e7 ,strategic plans 7#a7 ,in general ,the heads of the participating agencies1 working through the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council and the ,program1 shall develop and implement strategic plans to guide-- 7,a7 emerging activities of ,federal networking and information technology research and development2 and 7,b7 the activities described in subsection 7a77#a74 7#b7 ,updates ,the heads of the participating agencies shall update the strategic plans as appropriate4 7#c7 ,contents ,each strategic plan shall-- 7,a7 specify near-term and long-term objectives for the portions of the ,program relevant to the strategic plan1 the anticipated schedule for achieving the near-term and long-term objectives1 and the metrics to be used for assessing progress toward the near-term and long-term objectives2 7,b7 specify how the near-term and long-term objectives complement research and development areas in which academia and the private sector are actively engaged2 7,c7 describe how the heads of the participating agencies will support mechanisms for foundational1 large-scale1 long-term1 and interdisciplinary information technology research and development and for ,grand ,challenges1 including through collaborations-- 7i7 across ,federal agencies2 7ii7 across ,program ,component ,areas2 and 7iii7 with industry1 ,federal and private research laboratories1 research entities1 institutions of higher education1 relevant nonprofit organizations1 and international partners of the ,united ,states2 7,d7 describe how the heads of the participating agencies will foster the rapid transfer of research and development results into new technologies and applications in the national interest1 including through cooperation and collaborations with networking and information technology research1 development1 and technology transition initiatives supported by the ,states2 and 7,e7 describe how the portions of the ,program relevant to the strategic plan will address long-term challenges for which solutions require foundational1 large-scale1 long-term1 and interdisciplinary information technology research and development4 7#d7 ,private sector efforts ,in developing1 implementing1 and updating strategic plans1 the heads of the participating agencies1 working through the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council and the ,program1 shall coordinate with industry1 academia1 and other interested stakeholders to ensure1 to the extent practicable1 that the ,federal networking and information technology research and development activities carried out under this section do not duplicate the efforts of the private sector4 7#e7 ,recommendations ,in developing and updating strategic plans1 the heads of the participating agencies shall solicit recommendations and advice from-- 7,a7 the advisory committee under subsection 7b72 7,b7 the ,committee on ,science and relevant subcommittees of the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council2 and 7,c7 a wide range of stakeholders1 including industry1 academia1 ,national ,laboratories1 and other relevant organizations and institutions4 7f7 ,reports ,the heads of the participating agencies1 working through the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council and the ,program1 shall submit to the advisory committee1 the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate1 and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 the strategic plans developed under subsection 7e77#a72 and 7#b7 each update under subsection 7e77#b74 4 7g7 ,national ,research and ,education ,network ,section #ajb of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeab7 is repealed4 7h7 ,next generation ,internet ,section #ajc of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeac7 is repealed4 7i7 ,grand challenges in areas of national importance ,title ,i of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeaa et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #ajb4 ,grand challenges in areas of national importance 7a7 ,in general ,the ,program shall encourage the participating agencies to support foundational1 large-scale1 long-term1 interdisciplinary1 and interagency information technology research and development activities in networking and information technology directed toward agency mission areas that have the potential for significant contributions to national economic competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits4 ,such activities1 ranging from basic research to the demonstration of technical solutions1 shall be designed to advance the development of fundamental discoveries4 ,the advisory committee established under section #aja7;b7 shall make recommendations to the ,program for candidate research and development areas for support under this section4 7b7 ,characteristics 7#a7 ,in general ,research and development activities under this section shall-- 7,a7 include projects selected on the basis of applications for support through a competitive1 merit-based process2 7,b7 to the extent practicable1 involve collaborations among researchers in institutions of higher education and industry1 and may involve nonprofit research institutions and ,federal laboratories1 as appropriate2 7,c7 to the extent practicable1 leverage ,federal investments through collaboration with related ,state and private sector initiatives2 and 7,d7 include a plan for fostering the transfer of research discoveries and the results of technology demonstration activities1 including from institutions of higher education and ,federal laboratories1 to industry for commercial development4 7#b7 ,cost-sharing ,in selecting applications for support1 the agencies may give special consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-,federal sources4 4 7j7 ,national ,science ,foundation activities ,section #bja of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eeba7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 by striking 7a7 ,general ,responsibilities4--2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by inserting high-end after ,national ,science ,foundation shall provide2 and 7ii7 by striking high-performance computing and all that follows through networking2 and inserting networking and information technology2 and2 7,c7 by striking paragraphs 7#b7 through 7#d72 and 7,d7 by inserting after paragraph 7#a7 the following3 7#b7 the ,national ,science ,foundation shall use its existing programs1 in collaboration with other agencies1 as appropriate1 to improve the teaching and learning of networking and information technology at all levels of education and to increase participation in networking and information technology fields1 including by individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a and #ahhe;b74 2 and 7#b7 by striking subsection 7b74 7k7 ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration activities ,section #bjb of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebb7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking 7a7 ,general ,responsibilities4--2 7#b7 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology2 and 7#c7 by striking subsection 7b74 7l7 ,department of ,energy activities ,section #bjc of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebc7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking 7a7 ,general ,responsibilities4--2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking high-performance computing and networking and inserting networking and information technology2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by striking high-performance and inserting high-end2 and 7#d7 by striking subsection 7b74 7m7 ,department of ,commerce activities ,section #bjd of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebd7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a77#a7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking high-performance computing systems and networks and inserting networking and information technology systems and capabilities2 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking interoperability of high-performance computing systems in networks and for common user interfaces to systems and inserting interoperability and usability of networking and information technology systems2 and 7,c7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology2 7#b7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 in the heading1 by striking ,high-,performance ,computing and ,network and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology2 7,b7 by striking ,pursuant to the ,computer ,security ,act of #aihg 7,public ,law #ajj-bce2 #aja ,stat4 #agbd71 the and inserting ,the2 and 7,c7 by striking sensitive information in ,federal computer systems and inserting ,federal agency information and information systems2 and 7#c7 by striking subsections 7c7 and 7d74 7n7 ,environmental ,protection ,agency activities ,section #bje of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebe7 is repealed4 7o7 ,role of the ,department of ,education ,section #bjf of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebf7 is repealed4 7p7 ,miscellaneous provisions ,section #bjg of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebg7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a77#b71 by striking paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#e7 of section #bcae7;a7 of title #aj and inserting section #ceeb7;b77#f77;,a77i7 of title #dd2 and 7#b7 in subsection 7b71 by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology4 7q7 ,repeal ,section #bjh of the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eebh7 is repealed4 7r7 ,national ,science ,foundation research ,section #d7;b77#e77,k7 of the ,cyber ,security ,research and ,development ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gdjc7;b77#e77,k77 is amended by striking high-performance computing and inserting networking and information technology4 7s7 ,national ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,program ,section #acbjb7;b7 of the ,america ,recovery and ,reinvestment ,act of #bjji 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agiab7;b77 is amended by striking ,national ,high-,performance ,computing ,program and inserting ,networking and ,information ,technology ,research and ,development ,program4 7t7 ,federal cybersecurity research and development ,section #bja7;a77#d7 of the ,cybersecurity ,enhancement ,act of #bjad 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gdca7;a77#d77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking clauses 7i7 through 7x7 and inserting clauses 7i7 through 7xi72 and 7#b7 by striking under clause 7xi7 and inserting under clause 7xii74 7u7 ,additional repeal ,section #d of the ,department of ,energy ,high-,end ,computing ,revitalization ,act of #bjjd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #eedc7 is repealed4 #ajf4 ,physical sciences coordination 7a7 ,high-energy physics 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,physical ,science ,subcommittee of the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council 7referred to in this section as ,subcommittee7 shall continue to coordinate ,federal efforts related to high-energy physics research to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of ,united ,states investment in high-energy physics4 7#b7 ,purposes ,the purposes of the ,subcommittee include-- 7,a7 to advise and assist the ,committee on ,science and the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council on ,united ,states policies1 procedures1 and plans in the physical sciences1 including high-energy physics2 and 7,b7 to identify emerging opportunities1 stimulate international cooperation1 and foster the development of the physical sciences in the ,united ,states1 including-- 7i7 in high-energy physics research1 including related underground science and engineering research2 7ii7 in physical infrastructure and facilities2 7iii7 in information and analysis2 and 7iv7 in coordination activities4 7#c7 ,responsibilities ,in regard to coordinating ,federal efforts related to high-energy physics research1 the ,subcommittee shall1 taking into account the findings and recommendations of relevant advisory committees-- 7,a7 provide recommendations on planning for construction and stewardship of large facilities participating in high-energy physics2 7,b7 provide recommendations on research coordination and collaboration among the programs and activities of ,federal agencies related to underground science1 neutrino research1 dark energy1 and dark matter research2 7,c7 establish goals and priorities for high-energy physics1 related underground science1 and research and development that will strengthen ,united ,states competitiveness in high-energy physics2 7,d7 propose methods for engagement with international1 ,federal1 and ,state agencies and ,federal laboratories not represented on the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council to identify and reduce regulatory1 logistical1 and fiscal barriers that inhibit ,united ,states leadership in high-energy physics and related underground science2 and 7,e7 develop1 and update as necessary1 a strategic plan to guide ,federal programs and activities in support of high-energy physics research1 including-- 7i7 the efforts taken in support of paragraph 7#b7 since the last strategic plan2 7ii7 an evaluation of the current research needs for maintaining ,united ,states leadership in high-energy physics2 and 7iii7 an identification of future priorities in the area of high-energy physics4 7b7 ,radiation biology 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,subcommittee shall continue to coordinate ,federal efforts related to radiation biology research to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of ,united ,states investment in radiation biology4 7#b7 ,responsibilities for radiation biology ,in regard to coordinating ,federal efforts related to radiation biology research1 the ,subcommittee shall-- 7,a7 advise and assist the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council on policies and initiatives in radiation biology1 including enhancing scientific knowledge of the effects of low dose radiation on biological systems to improve radiation risk management methods2 7,b7 identify opportunities to stimulate international cooperation and leverage research and knowledge from sources outside of the ,united ,states2 7,c7 ensure coordination between the ,department of ,energy ,office of ,science1 ,foundation1 ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 ,national ,institutes of ,health1 ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 ,department of ,defense1 ,nuclear ,regulatory ,commission1 and ,department of ,homeland ,security2 7,d7 identify ongoing scientific challenges for understanding the long-term effects of ionizing radiation on biological systems2 and 7,e7 formulate overall scientific goals for the future of low-dose radiation research in the ,united ,states4 7c7 ,fusion energy sciences 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,subcommittee shall continue to coordinate ,federal efforts related to fusion energy research to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of ,united ,states investment in fusion energy sciences4 7#b7 ,responsibilities for fusion energy sciences ,in regard to coordinating ,federal efforts related to fusion energy sciences1 the ,subcommittee shall-- 7,a7 advise and assist the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council on policies and initiatives in fusion energy sciences1 including enhancing scientific knowledge of fusion energy science1 plasma physics1 and related materials sciences2 7,b7 identify opportunities to stimulate international cooperation and leverage research and knowledge from sources outside of the ,united ,states1 including the ,,iter project2 7,c7 ensure coordination between the ,department of ,energy ,office of ,science1 ,national ,nuclear ,security ,administration1 ,advanced ,research ,projects ,agency-,energy1 ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 ,foundation1 and ,department of ,defense regarding fusion energy sciences and plasma physics2 and 7,d7 formulate overall scientific goals for the future of fusion energy sciences and plasma physics4 #ajg4 ,laboratory program improvements 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director of ,,nist1 acting through the ,associate ,director for ,laboratory ,programs1 shall develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan for laboratory programs that expands-- 7#a7 interactions with academia1 international researchers1 and industry2 and 7#b7 commercial and industrial applications4 7b7 ,optimizing commercial and industrial applications ,in accordance with the purpose under section #a7;b77#c7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bga7;b77#c771 the comprehensive strategic plan shall-- 7#a7 include performance metrics for the dissemination of fundamental research results1 measurements1 and standards research results to industry1 including manufacturing1 and other interested parties2 7#b7 document any positive benefits of research on the competitiveness of the interested parties described in paragraph 7#a72 7#c7 clarify the current approach to the technology transfer activities of ,,nist2 and 7#d7 consider recommendations from the ,national ,academy of ,sciences4 #ajh4 ,standard ,reference ,data ,act update ,section #b of the ,standard ,reference ,data ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;a7 is amended to read as follows3 #b4 ,definitions ,for the purposes of this ,act3 7#a7 ,standard reference data ,the term standard reference data means data that is-- 7,a7 either-- 7i7 quantitative information related to a measurable physical1 or chemical1 or biological property of a substance or system of substances of known composition and structure2 7ii7 measurable characteristics of a physical artifact or artifacts2 7iii7 engineering properties or performance characteristics of a system2 or 7iv7 #a or more digital data objects that serve-- 7,i7 to calibrate or characterize the performance of a detection or measurement system2 or 7,,ii7 to interpolate or extrapolate1 or both1 data described in subparagraph 7,a7 through 7,c72 and 7,b7 that is critically evaluated as to its reliability under section #c of this ,act4 7#b7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,commerce4 4 #aji4 ,,nsf mid-scale project investments 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the ,foundation funds major research facilities1 infrastructure1 and instrumentation that provide unique capabilities at the frontiers of science and engineering4 7#b7 ,modern and effective research facilities1 infrastructure1 and instrumentation are critical to maintaining ,united ,states leadership in science and engineering4 7#c7 ,the costs of some proposed research instrumentation1 equipment1 and upgrades to major research facilities fall between programs currently funded by the ,foundation1 creating a gap between the established parameters of the ,major ,research ,instrumentation and ,major ,research ,equipment and ,facilities ,construction programs1 including projects that have been identified as cost-effective additions of high priority to the advancement of scientific understanding4 7#d7 ,the #bjaj ,astronomy and ,astrophysics ,decadal ,survey recommended a mid-scale innovations program4 7b7 ,mid-scale projects 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,foundation shall evaluate the existing and future needs1 across all disciplines supported by the ,foundation1 for mid-scale projects4 7#b7 ,strategy ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall develop a strategy to address the needs identified in paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,briefing ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,foundation shall provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of ,congress on the evaluation under paragraph 7#a7 and the strategy under paragraph 7#b74 7#d7 ,definition of mid-scale projects ,in this subsection1 the term mid-scale projects means research instrumentation1 equipment1 and upgrades to major research facilities or other research infrastructure investments that exceed the maximum award funded by the major research instrumentation program and are below the minimum award funded by the major research equipment and facilities construction program as described in section #ejg of the ,,america ,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7,public ,law #aaa-ceh2 #abd ,stat4 #djjh74 #aaj4 ,oversight of ,,nsf major multi-user research facility projects 7a7 ,facilities oversight 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall strengthen oversight and accountability over the full life-cycle of each major multi-user research facility project1 including planning1 development1 procurement1 construction1 operations1 and support1 and shut-down of the facility1 in order to maximize research investment4 7#b7 ,requirements ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,director shall-- 7,a7 prioritize the scientific outcomes of a major multi-user research facility project and the internal management and financial oversight of the major multi-user research facility project2 7,b7 clarify the roles and responsibilities of all organizations1 including offices1 panels1 committees1 and directorates1 involved in supporting a major multi-user research facility project1 including the role of the ,major ,research ,equipment and ,facilities ,construction ,panel2 7,c7 establish policies and procedures for the planning1 management1 and oversight of a major multi-user research facility project at each phase of the life-cycle of the major multi-user research facility project2 7,d7 ensure that policies for estimating and managing costs and schedules are consistent with the best practices described in the ,government ,accountability ,office ,cost ,estimating and ,assessment ,guide1 the ,government ,accountability ,office ,schedule ,assessment ,guide1 and the ,office of ,management and ,budget ,uniform ,guidance 7#b ,c4,f4,r4 ,part #bjj72 7,e7 establish the appropriate project management and financial management expertise required for ,foundation staff to oversee each major multi-user research facility project effectively1 including by improving project management training and certification2 7,f7 coordinate the sharing of the best management practices and lessons learned from each major multi-user research facility project2 7,g7 continue to maintain a ,large ,facilities ,office to support the research directorates in the development1 implementation1 and oversight of each major multi-user research facility project1 including by-- 7i7 serving as the ,foundation's primary resource for all policy or process issues related to the development1 implementation1 and oversight of a major multi-user research facility project2 7ii7 serving as a ,foundation-wide resource on project management1 including providing expert assistance on nonscientific and nontechnical aspects of project planning1 budgeting1 implementation1 management1 and oversight2 7iii7 coordinating and collaborating with research directorates to share best management practices and lessons learned from prior major multi-user research facility projects2 and 7iv7 assessing each major multi-user research facility project for cost and schedule risk2 and 7,h7 appoint a senior agency official whose responsibility is oversight of the development1 construction1 and operations of major multi-user research facilities across the ,foundation4 7b7 ,facilities full life-cycle costs 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to subsection 7c77#a71 the ,director of the ,foundation shall require that any pre-award analysis of a major multi-user research facility project includes the development and consideration of the full life-cycle cost 7as defined in section #b of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #aiih 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbk note77 in accordance with section #ad of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #bjjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbn-#d74 7#b7 ,implementation ,based on the pre-award analysis described in paragraph 7#a71 the ,director of the ,foundation shall include projected operational costs within the ,foundation's out-years as part of the ,president's annual budget submission to ,congress under section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7c7 ,cost oversight 7#a7 ,pre-award analysis 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation and the ,national ,science ,board may not approve or execute any agreement to start construction on any proposed major multi-user research facility project unless-- 7i7 an external analysis of the proposed budget has been conducted to ensure the proposal is complete and reasonable2 7ii7 the analysis under clause 7i7 follows the ,government ,accountability ,office ,cost ,estimating and ,assessment ,guide2 7iii7 except as provided under subparagraph 7,c71 an analysis of the accounting systems has been conducted2 7iv7 an independent cost estimate of the construction of the project has been conducted using the same detailed technical information as the project proposal estimate to determine whether the estimate is well-supported and realistic2 and 7v7 the ,foundation and the ,national ,science ,board have considered the analyses under clauses 7i7 and 7iii7 and the independent cost estimate under clause 7iv7 and resolved any major issues identified therein4 7,b7 ,audits ,an external analysis under subparagraph 7,a77i7 may include an audit4 7,c7 ,exception ,the ,director of the ,foundation1 at the ,director's discretion1 may waive the requirement under subparagraph 7,a77iii7 if a similar analysis of the accounting systems was conducted in the prior years4 7#b7 ,construction oversight ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall require for each major multi-user research facility project-- 7,a7 periodic external reviews on project management and performance2 7,b7 adequate internal controls1 policies1 and procedures1 and reliable accounting systems in preparation for the incurred cost audits under subparagraph 7,d72 7,c7 annual incurred cost submissions of financial expenditures2 and 7,d7 an incurred cost audit of the major multi-user research facility project in accordance with ,government ,accountability ,office ,government ,auditing ,standards-- 7i7 at least once during construction at a time determined based on risk analysis and length of the award1 except that the length of time between audits may not exceed #c years2 and 7ii7 at the completion of the construction phase4 7#c7 ,operations cost analysis ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall require an independent cost analysis of the operational proposal for each major multi-user research facility project4 7d7 ,contingency 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall strengthen internal controls to improve oversight of contingency on a major multi-user research facility project4 7#b7 ,requirements ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,director of the ,foundation shall-- 7,a7 only include contingency amounts in an award in accordance with section #bjj4dcc of title #b1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7relating to contingency provisions71 or any successor regulation2 7,b7 retain control over funds budgeted for contingency1 except that the ,director may disburse budgeted contingency funds incrementally to the awardee to ensure project stability and continuity2 7,c7 track contingency use2 and 7,d7 ensure that contingency amounts allocated to the performance baseline are reasonable and allowable4 7e7 ,use of fees 7#a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7,a7 the use of taxpayer-funded award fees should be transparent and explicable2 and 7,b7 the ,foundation should implement an award fee policy that ensures more transparency and accountability in the funding of necessary and appropriate expenses directly related to the construction and operation of major multi-user research facilities4 7#b7 ,reporting and recordkeeping ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall establish guidelines for awardees regarding inappropriate expenditures associated with all fee types used in cooperative agreements1 including for alcoholic beverages1 lobbying1 meals or entertainment for non-business purposes1 non-business travel1 and any other purpose the ,director determines is inappropriate4 7f7 ,oversight implementation progress ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall-- 7#a7 not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and periodically thereafter until the completion date1 provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of ,congress on the response to or progress made toward implementation of-- 7,a7 this section2 7,b7 all of the issues and recommendations identified in cooperative agreement audit reports and memoranda issued by the ,inspector ,general of the ,foundation in the last #e years2 and 7,c7 all of the issues and recommendations identified by a panel of the ,national ,academy of ,public ,administration in the ,december #bjae report entitled ,national ,science ,foundation3 ,use of ,cooperative ,agreements to ,support ,large ,scale ,investment in ,research2 and 7#b7 not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 notify the appropriate committees of ,congress when the ,foundation has implemented the recommendations identified in a panel of the ,national ,academy of ,public ,administration report issued ,december #bjae4 7g7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of ,congress ,the term appropriate committees of ,congress means the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,major multi-user research facility project ,the term major multi-user research facility project means a science and engineering facility project that-- 7,a7 exceeds the lesser of-- 7i7 #aj percent of a ,directorate's annual budget2 or 7ii7 #ajj1jjj1jjj in total project costs2 or 7,b7 is funded by the major research equipment and facilities construction account1 or any successor account4 #aaa4 ,personnel oversight 7a7 ,conflicts of interest ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall update the policy and procedure of the ,foundation relating to conflicts of interest to improve documentation and management of any known conflict of interest of an individual on temporary assignment at the ,foundation1 including an individual on assignment under the ,intergovernmental ,personnel ,act of #aigj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dgja et seq474 7b7 ,justifications ,the ,deputy ,director of the ,foundation shall submit annually to the appropriate committees of ,congress written justification for each rotator employed under the ,intergovernmental ,personnel ,act of #aigj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dgja et seq471 or other rotator employed1 by the ,foundation that year that is paid at a rate that exceeds the maximum rate of pay for the ,senior ,executive ,service1 including1 if applicable1 the level of adjustment for the certified ,senior ,executive ,service ,performance ,appraisal ,system4 7c7 ,report ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,foundation shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report on the ,foundation's efforts to control costs associated with employing rotators1 including the results of and participation in the ,foundation's cost-sharing pilot program and the ,foundation's progress in responding to the findings and implementing the recommendations of the ,office of ,inspector ,general of the ,foundation related to the employment of rotators4 #aab4 ,management of the ,u4,s4 ,antarctic ,program 7a7 ,review 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall continue to review the efforts by the ,foundation to sustain and strengthen scientific efforts in the face of logistical challenges for the ,united ,states ,antarctic ,program4 7#b7 ,issues to be examined ,in conducting the review1 the ,director shall examine1 at a minimum1 the following3 7,a7 ,implementation by the ,foundation of issues and recommendations identified by-- 7i7 the ,inspector ,general of the ,national ,science ,foundation in audit reports and memoranda on the ,united ,states ,antarctic ,program in the last #d years2 7ii7 the ,u4,s4 ,antarctic ,program ,blue ,ribbon ,panel report1 ,more and ,better ,science in ,antarctica through ,increased ,logistical ,effectiveness1 issued ,july #bc1 #bjab2 and 7iii7 the ,national ,research ,council report1 ,future ,science ,opportunities in ,antarctica and the ,southern ,ocean1 issued ,september #bjaa4 7,b7 ,efforts by the ,foundation to track its progress in addressing the issues and recommendations under subparagraph 7,a74 7,c7 ,efforts by the ,foundation to address other opportunities and challenges1 including efforts on scientific research1 coordination with other ,federal agencies and international partners1 logistics and transportation1 health and safety of participants1 oversight and financial management of awardees and contractors1 and resources and policy challenges4 7b7 ,briefing ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall brief the appropriate committees of ,congress on the ongoing review1 including findings and any recommendations4 #aac4 ,,nist campus security 7a7 ,supervisory authority ,the ,department of ,commerce ,office of ,security shall directly manage the law enforcement and site security programs of ,,nist through an assigned ,director of ,security for ,,nist without increasing the number of full-time equivalent employees of the ,department of ,commerce1 including ,,nist4 7b7 ,reports ,the ,director of ,security for ,,nist shall provide an activities and security report on a quarterly basis for the first year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and on an annual basis thereafter1 to the ,under ,secretary for ,standards and ,technology and the appropriate committees of ,congress4 #aad4 ,coordination of sustainable chemistry research and development 7a7 ,importance of sustainable chemistry ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the science of chemistry is vital to improving the quality of human life and plays an important role in addressing critical global challenges1 including water quality1 energy1 health care1 and agriculture2 7#b7 sustainable chemistry can reduce risks to human health and the environment1 reduce waste1 improve pollution prevention1 promote safe and efficient manufacturing1 and promote efficient use of resources in developing new materials1 processes1 and technologies that support viable long-term solutions to a significant number of challenges2 7#c7 sustainable chemistry can stimulate innovation1 encourage new and creative approaches to problems1 create jobs1 and save money2 and 7#d7 a coordinated effort on sustainable chemistry will allow for a greater return on research investment in this area4 7b7 ,sustainable chemistry basic research ,subject to the availability of appropriated funds1 the ,director of the ,foundation may continue to carry out the ,sustainable ,chemistry ,basic ,research program authorized under section #eji of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbp-#c74 #aae4 ,misrepresentation of research results 7a7 ,prohibition ,the ,director of the ,foundation may revise the regulations under part #fhi of title #de1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7relating to research misconduct7 to ensure that the findings and conclusions of any article authored by a principal investigator1 using the results of research conducted under a ,foundation grant1 that is published in a peer-reviewed publication1 made publicly available1 or incorporated in an application for a research grant or grant extension from the ,foundation1 does not contain any falsification1 fabrication1 or plagiarism4 7b7 ,interagency communication ,upon a finding that research misconduct has occurred1 the ,foundation shall1 in addition to any possible final action under section #fhi4c of title #de1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 notify other ,federal science agencies of the finding4 #aaf4 ,research reproducibility and replication 7a7 ,sense of congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the gold standard of good science is the ability of a researcher or research laboratory to reproduce a published research finding1 including methods2 7#b7 there is growing concern that some published research findings cannot be reproduced or replicated1 which can negatively affect the public's trust in science2 7#c7 there are a complex set of factors affecting reproducibility and replication2 and 7#d7 the increasing interdisciplinary nature and complexity of scientific research may be a contributing factor to issues with research reproducibility and replication4 7b7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #de days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,foundation shall enter into an agreement with the ,national ,research ,council-- 7,a7 to assess research and data reproducibility and replicability issues in interdisciplinary research2 7,b7 to make recommendations for improving rigor and transparency in scientific research2 and 7,c7 to submit to the ,director of the ,foundation a report on the assessment1 including its findings and recommendations1 not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,submission to ,congress ,not later than #fj days after the date the ,director of the ,foundation receives the report under paragraph 7#a77;,c71 the ,director shall submit the report to the appropriate committees of ,congress1 including a response from the ,director of the ,foundation and the ,chair of the ,national ,science ,board as to whether they agree with each of the findings and recommendations in the report4 #aag4 ,brain ,research through ,advancing ,innovative ,neurotechnologies ,initiative 7a7 ,in general ,the ,foundation shall support research activities related to the interagency ,brain ,research through ,advancing ,innovative ,neurotechnologies ,initiative4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,foundation should work in conjunction with the ,interagency ,working ,group on ,neuroscience established by the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council1 ,committee on ,science to determine how to use the data infrastructure of the ,foundation and other applicable ,federal science agencies to help neuroscientists collect1 standardize1 manage1 and analyze the large amounts of data that result from research attempting to understand how the brain functions4 ,,ii ,administrative and regulatory burden reduction #bja4 ,interagency working group on research regulation 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,research and ,development ,efficiency ,act4 7b7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,scientific and technological advancement have been the largest drivers of economic growth in the last #ej years1 with the ,federal ,government being the largest investor in basic research4 7#b7 ,substantial and increasing administrative burdens and costs in ,federal research administration1 particularly in the higher education sector where most federally funded research is performed1 are eroding funds available to carry out basic scientific research4 7#c7 ,federally funded grants are increasingly competitive1 with the ,foundation funding only approximately #a in every #e grant proposals4 7#d7 ,progress has been made over the last decade in streamlining the pre-award grant application process through the ,federal ,government's ,grants4gov website4 7#e7 ,post-award administrative costs have increased as ,federal research agencies have continued to impose agency-unique compliance and reporting requirements on researchers and research institutions4 7#f7 ,researchers spend as much as #db percent of their time complying with ,federal regulations1 including administrative tasks such as applying for grants or meeting reporting requirements4 7c7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 administrative burdens faced by researchers may be reducing the return on investment of federally funded research and development2 and 7#b7 it is a matter of critical importance to ,united ,states competitiveness that administrative costs of federally funded research be streamlined so that a higher proportion of federal funding is applied to direct research activities4 7d7 ,establishment ,the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget1 in coordination with the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 shall establish an interagency working group 7referred to in this section as the ,working ,group7 for the purpose of reducing administrative burdens on federally funded researchers while protecting the public interest through the transparency of and accountability for federally funded activities4 7e7 ,responsibilities 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,working ,group shall-- 7,a7 regularly review relevant1 administration-related regulations imposed on federally funded researchers2 7,b7 recommend those regulations or processes that may be eliminated1 streamlined1 or otherwise improved for the purpose described in subsection 7d72 7,c7 recommend ways to minimize the regulatory burden on ,united ,states institutions of higher education performing federally funded research while maintaining accountability for federal funding2 and 7,d7 recommend ways to identify and update specific regulations to refocus on performance-based goals rather than on process while achieving the outcome described in subparagraph 7,c74 7#b7 ,grant review 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,working ,group shall-- 7i7 conduct a comprehensive review of ,federal science agency grant proposal documents2 and 7ii7 develop1 to the extent practicable1 a simplified1 uniform grant format to be used by all ,federal science agencies4 7,b7 ,considerations ,in developing the uniform grant format1 the ,working ,group shall consider whether to implement-- 7i7 procedures for preliminary project proposals in advance of peer-review selection2 7ii7 increased use of ,just-,in-,time procedures for documentation that does not bear directly on the scientific merit of a proposal2 7iii7 simplified initial budget proposals in advance of peer review selection2 and 7iv7 detailed budget proposals for applicants that peer review selection identifies as likely to be funded4 7#c7 ,centralized researcher profile database 7,a7 ,establishment ,the ,working ,group shall establish1 to the extent practicable1 a secure1 centralized database for investigator biosketches1 curriculum vitae1 licenses1 lists of publications1 and other documents considered relevant by the ,working ,group4 7,b7 ,considerations ,in establishing the centralized profile database under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,working ,group shall consider incorporating existing investigator databases4 7,c7 ,grant proposals ,to the extent practicable1 all grant proposals shall utilize the centralized investigator profile database established under subparagraph 7,a74 7,d7 ,requirements ,each investigator shall-- 7i7 be responsible for ensuring the investigator's profile is current and accurate2 and 7ii7 be assigned a unique identifier linked to the database and accessible to all ,federal funding agencies4 7#d7 ,centralized assurances repository ,the ,working ,group shall-- 7,a7 establish a central repository for all of the assurances required for ,federal research grants2 and 7,b7 provide guidance to institutions of higher education and ,federal science agencies on the use of the centralized assurances repository4 7#e7 ,comprehensive review 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,working ,group shall-- 7i7 conduct a comprehensive review of the mandated progress reports for federally funded research2 and 7ii7 develop a strategy to simplify investigator progress reports4 7,b7 ,considerations ,in developing the strategy1 the ,working ,group shall consider limiting progress reports to performance outcomes4 7f7 ,consultation ,in carrying out its responsibilities under subsection 7e77#a71 the ,working ,group shall consult with academic researchers outside the ,federal ,government1 including-- 7#a7 federally funded researchers2 7#b7 non-federally funded researchers2 7#c7 institutions of higher education and their representative associations2 7#d7 scientific and engineering disciplinary societies and associations2 7#e7 nonprofit research institutions2 7#f7 industry1 including small businesses2 7#g7 federally funded research and development centers2 and 7#h7 members of the public with a stake in ensuring effectiveness1 efficiency1 and accountability in the performance of scientific research4 7g7 ,reports ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter for #c years1 the ,working ,group shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report on its responsibilities under this section1 including a discussion of the considerations described in paragraphs 7#b77;,b71 7#c77;,b71 and 7#e77;,b7 of subsection 7e7 and recommendations made under subsection 7e77#a74 #bjb4 ,scientific and technical collaboration 7a7 ,definition of scientific and technical workshop ,in this section1 the term scientific and technical workshop means a symposium1 seminar1 or any other organized1 formal gathering where scientists or engineers working in ,,stem research and development fields assemble to coordinate1 exchange and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject1 problem or area of knowledge in the ,,stem fields4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states should encourage broad dissemination of ,federal research findings and engagement of ,federal researchers with the scientific and technical community2 and 7#b7 laboratory1 test center1 and field center directors and other similar heads of offices should approve scientific and technical workshop attendance if-- 7,a7 that attendance would meet the mission of the laboratory or test center2 and 7,b7 sufficient laboratory or test center funds are available for that purpose4 7c7 ,attendance policies ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the heads of the ,federal science agencies shall each develop an action plan for the implementation of revisions and updates to their policies on attendance at scientific and technical workshops4 7d7 ,,nist workshops ,section #b7;c7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;c771 as amended by section #ajd of this ,act1 is further amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#ai7 through 7#bd7 as paragraphs 7#bb7 through 7#bg71 respectively2 and 7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#ah7 the following3 7#ai7 host1 participate in1 and support scientific and technical workshops 7as defined in section #bjb of the ,american ,innovation and ,competitiveness ,act72 7#bj7 collect and retain any fees charged by the ,secretary for hosting a scientific and technical workshop described in paragraph 7#ai72 7#ba7 notwithstanding title #ca of the ,united ,states ,code1 use the fees described in paragraph 7#bj7 to pay for any related expenses1 including subsistence expenses for participants2 4 #bjc4 ,,nist grants and cooperative agreements update ,section #h7;a7 of the ,stevenson-,wydler ,technology ,innovation ,act of #aihj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cgjf7;a77 is amended by striking ,the total amount of any such grant or cooperative agreement may not exceed #ge percent of the total cost of the program44 #bjd4 ,repeal of certain obsolete reports 7a7 ,repeal of certain obsolete reports 7#a7 ,,nist reports 7,a7 ,report on donation of educationally useful ,federal equipment to schools ,section #f7;b7 of the ,technology ,administration ,act of #aiih 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb note7 is amended-- 7i7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking 7#a7 ,in general4-- and indenting appropriately2 and 7ii7 by striking paragraph 7#b74 7,b7 ,three-year programmatic planning document 7i7 ,in general ,section #bc of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;i7 is amended by striking subsections 7c7 and 7d74 7ii7 ,conforming amendment ,section #aj7;h77#a7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh7;h77#a77 is amended by striking the last sentence4 7#b7 ,multiagency report on innovation acceleration research ,section #ajjh of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffjc7 is amended-- 7,a7 by striking subsection 7c72 and 7,b7 by redesignating subsection 7d7 as subsection 7c74 7#c7 ,,nsf reports 7,a7 ,funding for successful stem education programs2 report to ,congress ,section #gjab of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbo-#d7 is amended by striking subsection 7c74 7,b7 ,encouraging participation2 evaluation and report ,section #gjca of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbo-#aa7 is amended by striking subsection 7b74 7,c7 ,math and science partnerships program coordination report ,section #i7;c7 of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #bjjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbn7c77 is amended-- 7i7 by striking paragraph 7#d72 and 7ii7 by redesignating paragraph 7#e7 as paragraph 7#d74 7b7 ,national ,nanotechnology ,initiative reports ,the #bast ,century ,nanotechnology ,research and ,development ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #geja et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 by amending section #b7;c77#d7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #geja7;c77#d77 to read as follows3 7#d7 develop1 not later than #e years after the date of the release of the most-recent strategic plan1 and update every #e years thereafter1 a strategic plan to guide the activities described under subsection 7b7 that describes-- 7,a7 the near-term and long-term objectives for the ,program2 7,b7 the anticipated schedule for achieving the near-term objectives2 and 7,c7 the metrics that will be used to assess progress toward the near-term and long-term objectives2 7,d7 how the ,program will move results out of the laboratory and into application for the benefit of society2 7,e7 the ,program's support for long-term funding for interdisciplinary research and development in nanotechnology2 and 7,f7 the allocation of funding for interagency nanotechnology projects2 2 7#b7 by amending section #d7;d7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gejc7;d77 to read as follows3 7d7 ,reports ,not later than #d years after the date of the most recent assessment under subsection 7c71 and quadrennially thereafter1 the ,advisory ,panel shall submit to the ,president1 the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate1 and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives a report its assessments under subsection 7c7 and its recommendations for ways to improve the ,program4 2 and 7#c7 in section #e 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gejd7-- 7,a7 in the heading1 by striking ,triennial and inserting ,quadrennial2 7,b7 in subsection 7a71 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking triennial and inserting quadrennial2 7,c7 in subsection 7b71 by striking triennial and inserting quadrennial2 7,d7 in subsection 7c71 by striking triennial and inserting quadrennial2 and 7,e7 by amending subsection 7d7 to read as follows3 7d7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #cj days after the date the first evaluation under subsection 7a7 is received1 and quadrennially thereafter1 the ,director of the ,national ,nanotechnology ,coordination ,office shall report to the ,president its assessments under subsection 7c7 and its recommendations for ways to improve the ,program4 7#b7 ,congress ,not later than #cj days after the date the ,president receives the report under paragraph 7#a71 the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall transmit a copy of the report to ,congress4 4 7c7 ,major research equipment and facilities construction ,section #ad of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #bjjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbn-#d7 is amended-- 7#a7 by amending subsection 7a7 to read as follows3 7a7 ,prioritization of proposed major research equipment and facilities construction 7#a7 ,development of priorities ,the ,director shall-- 7,a7 develop a list indicating by number the relative priority for funding under the major research equipment and facilities construction account that the ,director assigns to each project the ,board has approved for inclusion in a future budget request2 and 7,b7 submit the list described in subparagraph 7,a7 to the ,board for approval4 7#b7 ,criteria ,the ,director shall include in the criteria for developing the list under paragraph 7#a7 the readiness of plans for construction and operation1 including confidence in the estimates of the full life-cycle cost 7as defined in section #b of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #aiih 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbk note77 and the proposed schedule of completion4 7#c7 ,updates ,the ,director shall update the list prepared under paragraph 7#a7 each time the ,board approves a new project that would receive funding under the major research equipment and facilities construction account and periodically submit any updated list to the ,board for approval4 2 7#b7 by striking subsection 7e72 7#c7 by redesignating subsections 7c7 and 7d7 as subsections 7b7 and 7c71 respectively2 and 7#d7 by amending subsection 7c71 as redesignated1 to read as follows3 7c7 ,board approval of major research equipment and facilities projects ,the ,board shall explicitly approve any project to be funded out of the major research equipment and facilities construction account before any funds may be obligated from such account for such project4 4 #bje4 ,repeal of certain provisions 7a7 ,technology ,innovation ,program 7#a7 ,in general ,section #bh of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghn7 is repealed4 7#b7 ,conforming amendments 7,a7 ,additional award criteria ,section #dbbf7;b7 of the ,small ,business ,jobs ,act of #bjaj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghn note7 is repealed4 7,b7 ,management costs ,section #b7;d7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;d77 is amended by striking sections #be1 #bf1 and #bh and inserting sections #be and #bf4 7,c7 ,annual and other reports to ,secretary and ,congress ,section #aj7;h77#a7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh7;h77#a77 is amended by striking 1 including the ,program established under section #bh14 7b7 ,teachers for a competitive tomorrow ,sections #faaa through #faaf of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ihaa1 #ihab1 #ihac1 #ihad1 #ihae1 #ihaf7 and the items relating to those sections in the table of contents under section #b of that ,act 7,public ,law #aaj-fi2 #aba ,stat4 #egb7 are repealed4 #bjf4 ,grant subrecipient transparency and oversight 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,inspector ,general of the ,foundation shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress an audit of the ,foundation's policies and procedures governing the monitoring of pass-through entities with respect to subrecipients4 7b7 ,contents ,the audit shall include the following3 7#a7 ,information regarding the ,foundation's process to oversee-- 7,a7 the compliance of pass-through entities under section #bjj4cca and subpart ,f of part #bjj of chapter ,,ii of subtitle ,a of title #b1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 and the other requirements of that title for subrecipients2 7,b7 whether pass-through entities have processes and controls in place regarding financial compliance of subrecipients1 where appropriate2 and 7,c7 whether pass-through entities have processes and controls in place to maintain approved grant objectives for subrecipients1 where appropriate4 7#b7 ,recommendations1 if necessary1 to increase transparency and oversight while balancing administrative burdens4 #bjg4 ,micro-purchase threshold for procurement solicitations by research institutions 7a7 ,micro-purchase threshold ,the micro-purchase threshold for procurement activities administered under sections #fcjc through #fcje of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 awarded by the ,foundation1 the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 or the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology to institutions of higher education1 or related or affiliated nonprofit entities1 or to nonprofit research organizations or independent research institutes is-- 7#a7 #aj1jjj 7as adjusted periodically to account for inflation72 or 7#b7 such higher threshold as determined appropriate by the head of the relevant executive agency and consistent with audit findings under chapter #ge of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 internal institutional risk assessment1 or ,state law4 7b7 ,uniform guidance ,the ,uniform ,guidance shall be revised to conform with the requirements of this section4 ,for purposes of the preceding sentence1 the term ,uniform ,guidance means the uniform administrative requirements1 cost principles1 and audit requirements for ,federal awards contained in part #bjj of title #b of the ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 #bjh4 ,coordination of international science and technology partnerships 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,international ,science and ,technology ,cooperation ,act of #bjaf4 7b7 ,establishment ,the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall establish a body under the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council with the responsibility to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the ,united ,states science and technology enterprise1 improve economic and national security1 and support ,united ,states foreign policy goals4 7c7 ,,nstc body leadership ,the body established under subsection 7b7 shall be co-chaired by senior level officials from the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy and the ,department of ,state4 7d7 ,responsibilities ,the body established under subsection 7b7 shall-- 7#a7 plan and coordinate interagency international science and technology cooperative research and training activities and partnerships supported or managed by ,federal agencies2 7#b7 work with other ,national ,science and ,technology ,council committees to help plan and coordinate the international component of national science and technology priorities2 7#c7 establish ,federal priorities and policies for aligning1 as appropriate1 international science and technology cooperative research and training activities and partnerships supported or managed by ,federal agencies with the foreign policy goals of the ,united ,states2 7#d7 identify opportunities for new international science and technology cooperative research and training partnerships that advance both the science and technology and the foreign policy priorities of the ,united ,states2 7#e7 in carrying out paragraph 7#d71 solicit input and recommendations from non-,federal science and technology stakeholders1 including institutions of higher education1 scientific and professional societies1 industry1 and other relevant organizations and institutions2 and 7#f7 identify broad issues that influence the ability of ,united ,states scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign counterparts1 including barriers to collaboration and access to scientific information4 7e7 ,report to ,congress ,the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives a biennial report on the requirements of this section4 7f7 ,website ,the ,director shall make each report available to the public on the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy website4 7g7 ,termination ,the body established under subsection 7b7 shall terminate on the date that is #aj years after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7h7 ,additional reports to ,congress ,the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall submit1 not later than #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act and annually thereafter1 to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives a report that lists and describes the details of all foreign travel by ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy staff and detailees4 ,,iii ,science1 technology1 engineering1 and math education #cja4 ,robert ,noyce ,teacher ,scholarship ,program update ,section #aj;,a of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #bjjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbn-#a;a7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7k7 ,,stem teacher service and retention 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director shall develop and implement practices for increasing the proportion of individuals receiving fellowships under this section who-- 7,a7 fulfill the service obligation required under subsection 7h72 and 7,b7 remain in the teaching profession in a high need local educational agency beyond the service obligation4 7#b7 ,practices ,the practices described under paragraph 7#a7 may include-- 7,a7 partnering with nonprofit or professional associations or with other government entities to provide individuals receiving fellowships under this section with opportunities for professional development1 including mentorship programs that pair those individuals with currently employed and recently retired science1 technology1 engineering1 mathematics1 or computer science professionals2 7,b7 increasing recruitment from high need districts2 7,c7 establishing a system to better collect1 track1 and respond to data on the career decisions of individuals receiving fellowships under this section2 7,d7 conducting research to better understand factors relevant to teacher service and retention1 including factors specifically impacting the retention of teachers who are individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b72 and 7,e7 conducting pilot programs to improve teacher service and retention4 4 #cjb4 ,space grants 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,national ,space ,grant ,college and ,fellowship ,program has been an important program by which the ,federal ,government has partnered with universities1 colleges1 industry1 and other organizations to provide hands-on ,,stem experiences1 fostering of multidisciplinary space research1 and supporting graduate fellowships in space-related fields1 among other purposes4 7b7 ,administrative costs ,section #djcjc of title #ea1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7d7 ,program administration costs ,in carrying out the provisions of this chapter1 the ,administrator-- 7#a7 shall maximize appropriated funds for grants and contracts made under section #djcjd in each fiscal year2 and 7#b7 in each fiscal year1 the ,administrator shall limit its program administration costs to no more than #e percent of funds appropriated for this program for that fiscal year4 7e7 ,reports ,for any fiscal year in which the ,administrator cannot meet the administration cost target under subsection 7d77#b71 if the ,administration is unable to limit program costs under subsection 7b71 the ,administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report1 including-- 7#a7 a description of why the ,administrator did not meet the cost target under subsection 7d72 and 7#b7 the measures the ,administrator will take in the next fiscal year to meet the cost target under subsection 7d7 without drawing upon other ,federal funding4 4 #cjc4 ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel 7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment this ,act1 the ,director of the ,foundation1 ,secretary of ,education1 ,administrator of the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 and ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration shall jointly establish an advisory panel 7referred to in this section as the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel7 to advise the ,committee on ,,stem ,education of the ,national ,science and ,technology ,council 7referred to in this section as ,co,s,t,e,m7 on matters relating to ,,stem education4 7b7 ,members 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel shall be composed of not less than #aa members4 7#b7 ,appointment 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 the ,director of the ,foundation1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,education and the heads of the ,federal science agencies1 shall appoint the members of the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel4 7,b7 ,consideration ,in selecting individuals to appoint under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,director of the ,foundation shall seek and give consideration to recommendations from ,congress1 industry1 the scientific community1 including the ,national ,academy of ,sciences1 scientific professional societies1 academia1 ,state and local governments1 organizations representing individuals identified in section #cc or section #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b71 and such other organizations as the ,director considers appropriate4 7,c7 ,qualifications ,members shall-- 7i7 primarily be individuals from academic institutions1 nonprofit organizations1 and industry1 including in-school1 out-of-school1 and informal education practitioners2 and 7ii7 be individuals who are qualified to provide advice and information on ,,stem education research1 development1 training1 implementation1 interventions1 professional development1 or workforce needs or concerns4 7c7 ,responsibilities 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel shall-- 7,a7 advise ,co,s,t,e,m2 7,b7 periodically assess ,co,s,t,e,m's progress in carrying out its responsibilities under section #aja7;b7 of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffba7;b772 and 7,c7 help identify any need or opportunity to update the strategic plan under section #aja7;b7 of that ,act4 7#b7 ,considerations ,in its advisory role1 the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel shall consider-- 7,a7 the management1 coordination1 and implementation of ,,stem education programs and activities across the ,federal ,government2 7,b7 the appropriateness of criteria used by ,federal agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities2 7,c7 whether societal and workforce concerns are adequately addressed by current ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities2 7,d7 how ,federal agencies can incentivize institutions of higher education to improve retention of ,,stem students2 7,e7 ways to leverage private and nonprofit ,,stem investments and encourage public-private partnerships to strengthen ,,stem education and help build the ,,stem workforce pipeline2 7,f7 ways to incorporate workforce needs into ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities1 particularly for specific employment fields of national interest and employment fields experiencing high unemployment rates2 7,g7 ways to better vertically and horizontally integrate ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities from pre-kindergarten through graduate study and the workforce1 and from in-school to out-of-school in order to improve transitions for students moving through the ,,stem education and workforce pipelines2 7,h7 the extent to which ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities are contributing to recruitment and retention of individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b7 in the ,,stem education and workforce pipelines2 and 7,i7 ways to encourage geographic diversity in the ,,stem education and the workforce pipelines4 7#c7 ,recommendations ,the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel shall make recommendations to improve ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities based on each assessment under paragraph 7#a77;,b74 7d7 ,funding ,the ,director of the ,foundation1 the ,secretary of ,education1 the ,administrator of the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 and the ,administrator of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration shall jointly make funds available on an annual basis to support the activities of the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel4 7e7 ,reports ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and after each assessment under subsection 7c77#a77;,b71 the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress and ,co,s,t,e,m a report on its assessment under that subsection and its recommendations under subsection 7c77#c74 7f7 ,travel expenses of non-,federal members 7#a7 ,in general ,non-,federal members of the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel1 while attending meetings of the panel or while otherwise serving at the request of a co-chairperson away from their homes or regular places of business1 may be allowed travel expenses1 including per diem in lieu of subsistence1 as authorized by section #egjc of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for individuals in the ,government serving without pay4 7#b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit members of the ,,stem ,advisory ,panel who are officers or employees of the ,united ,states from being allowed travel expenses1 including per diem in lieu of subsistence1 in accordance with existing law4 7g7 ,termination ,the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel established under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on the date that is #e years after the date that it is established4 #cjd4 ,committee on ,,stem ,education 7a7 ,responsibilities ,section #aja7;b7 of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffba7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#e77;,d71 by striking 2 and and inserting a semicolon2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#f71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#g7 collaborate with the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel established under section #cjc of the ,american ,innovation and ,competitiveness ,act and other outside stakeholders to ensure the engagement of the ,,stem education community2 7#h7 review the measures used by a ,federal agency to evaluate its ,,stem education activities and programs2 7#i7 request and review feedback from ,states on how the ,states are utilizing ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities2 and 7#aj7 recommend the reform1 termination1 or consolidation of ,federal ,,stem education activities and programs1 taking into consideration the recommendations of the ,,stem ,education ,advisory ,panel4 4 7b7 ,reports ,section #aja of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffba7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking 7c7 ,report4-- and inserting 7d7 ,reports4--2 7#b7 by striking 7b7 ,responsibilities of ,,ostp4-- and inserting 7c7 ,responsibilities of ,,ostp4--2 and 7#c7 in subsection 7d71 as redesignated-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking 2 and and inserting a semicolon2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#e71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#f7 a description of all consolidations and terminations of ,federal ,,stem education programs and activities implemented in the previous fiscal year1 including an explanation for the consolidations and terminations2 7#g7 recommendations for reforms1 consolidations1 and terminations of ,,stem education programs or activities in the upcoming fiscal year2 and 7#h7 a description of any significant new ,,stem education public-private partnerships4 4 #cje4 ,programs to expand ,,stem opportunities 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,economic projections by the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics indicate that by #bjah1 there could be #b1djj1jjj unfilled ,,stem jobs4 7#b7 ,women represent slightly more than half the ,united ,states population1 and projections indicate that #ed percent of the population will be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group by #bjej4 7#c7 ,despite representing half the population1 women comprise only about #cj percent of ,,stem workers according to a #bjae report by the ,national ,center for ,science and ,engineering ,statistics4 7#d7 ,a #bjad ,national ,center for ,education ,statistics study found that underrepresented populations leave the ,,stem fields at higher rates than their counterparts4 7#e7 ,the representation of women in ,,stem drops significantly at the faculty level4 ,overall1 women hold only #be percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and #ag percent of full professor positions in ,,stem fields in our ,nation's universities and #d-year colleges4 7#f7 ,black and ,hispanic faculty together hold about #f4e percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and #e percent of full professor positions4 7#g7 ,many of the numbers in the ,american ,indian or ,alaskan ,native and ,native ,hawaiian or ,other ,pacific ,islander categories for different faculty ranks were too small for the ,foundation to report publicly without potentially compromising confidential information about the individuals being surveyed4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 it is critical to our ,nation's economic leadership and global competitiveness that the ,united ,states educate1 train1 and retain more scientists1 engineers1 and computer scientists2 7#b7 there is currently a disconnect between the availability of and growing demand for ,,stem-skilled workers2 7#c7 historically1 underrepresented populations are the largest untapped ,,stem talent pools in the ,united ,states2 and 7#d7 given the shifting demographic landscape1 the ,united ,states should encourage full participation of individuals from underrepresented populations in ,,stem fields4 7c7 ,reaffirmation ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall continue to support programs designed to broaden participation of underrepresented populations in ,,stem fields4 7d7 ,grants ,to broaden participation 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall award grants on a competitive1 merit-reviewed basis1 to eligible entities to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in ,,stem fields1 including individuals identified in section #cc or section #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b74 7#b7 ,center of excellence 7,a7 ,in general ,grants awarded under this subsection may include grants for the establishment of a ,center of ,excellence to collect1 maintain1 and disseminate information to increase participation of underrepresented populations in ,,stem fields4 7,b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of a ,center of ,excellence under this subsection is to promote diversity in ,,stem fields by building on the success of the ,,includes programs1 providing technical assistance1 maintaining best practices1 and providing related training at federally funded academic institutions4 7e7 ,accountability and dissemination 7#a7 ,evaluation 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #e years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,foundation shall evaluate the grants provided under this section4 7,b7 ,requirements ,in conducting the evaluation under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,director shall-- 7i7 use a common set of benchmarks and assessment tools to identify best practices and materials developed or demonstrated by the research2 and 7ii7 to the extent practicable1 combine the research resulting from the grant activity under subsection 7e7 with the current research on serving underrepresented students in grades kindergarten through #h4 7#b7 ,report on evaluations ,not later than #ahj days after the completion of the evaluation under paragraph 7#a71 the ,director of the ,foundation shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress and make widely available to the public a report that includes-- 7,a7 the results of the evaluation2 and 7,b7 any recommendations for administrative and legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the program4 7f7 ,coordination ,in carrying out this section1 the ,director of the ,foundation shall consult and cooperate with the programs and policies of other relevant ,federal agencies to avoid duplication with and enhance the effectiveness of the program under this section4 #cjf4 ,,nist education and outreach 7a7 ,repeal ,the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bga et seq47 is amended by striking section #ah 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#a74 7b7 ,education and outreach ,the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bga et seq471 as amended1 is further amended by inserting after section #ag1 the following3 #ah4 ,education and outreach 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director is authorized to expend funds appropriated for activities of the ,institute in any fiscal year1 to support1 promote1 and coordinate activities and efforts to enhance public awareness and understanding of measurement sciences1 standards and technology at the national measurement laboratories and otherwise in fulfillment of the mission of the ,institute4 ,the ,director may carry out activities under this subsection1 including education and outreach activities to the general public1 industry and academia in support of the ,institute's mission4 7b7 ,hiring ,the ,director1 in coordination with the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management1 may revise the procedures the ,director applies when making appointments to laboratory positions within the competitive service-- 7#a7 to ensure corporate memory of and expertise in the fundamental ongoing work1 and on developing new capabilities in priority areas2 7#b7 to maintain high overall technical competence2 7#c7 to improve staff diversity2 7#d7 to balance emphases on the noncore and core areas2 or 7#e7 to improve the ability of the ,institute to compete in the marketplace for qualified personnel4 7c7 ,volunteers 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director may establish a program to use volunteers in carrying out the programs of the ,institute4 7#b7 ,acceptance of personnel ,the ,director may accept1 subject to regulations issued by the ,office of ,personnel ,management1 voluntary service for the ,institute for such purpose if the service-- 7,a7 is to be without compensation2 and 7,b7 will not be used to displace any current employee or act as a substitute for any future full-time employee of the ,institute4 7#c7 ,federal employee status ,any individual who provides voluntary service under this subsection shall not be considered a ,federal employee1 except for purposes of chapter #ha of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7relating to compensation for injury71 and sections #bfga through #bfhj of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code 7relating to tort claims74 7d7 ,research fellowships 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director may expend funds appropriated for activities of the ,institute in any fiscal year1 as the ,director considers appropriate1 for awards of research fellowships and other forms of financial and logistical assistance1 including direct stipend awards to-- 7,a7 students at institutions of higher learning within the ,united ,states who show promise as present or future contributors to the mission of the ,institute2 and 7,b7 ,united ,states citizens for research and technical activities of the ,institute1 including programs4 7#b7 ,selection criteria ,the selection of persons to receive such fellowships and assistance shall be made on the basis of ability and of the relevance of the proposed work to the mission and programs of the ,institute4 7#c7 ,financial and logistical assistance ,notwithstanding section #acde of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 or any other law to the contrary1 the ,director may include as a form of financial or logistical assistance under this subsection temporary housing and transportation to and from ,institute facilities4 7e7 ,educational outreach activities ,the ,director may-- 7#a7 facilitate education programs for undergraduate and graduate students1 postdoctoral researchers1 and academic and industry employees2 7#b7 sponsor summer workshops for ,,stem kindergarten through grade #ab teachers as appropriate2 7#c7 develop programs for graduate student internships and visiting faculty researchers2 7#d7 document publications1 presentations1 and interactions with visiting researchers and sponsoring interns as performance metrics for improving and continuing interactions with those individuals2 and 7#e7 facilitate laboratory tours and provide presentations for educational1 industry1 and community groups4 4 7c7 ,post-doctoral fellowship program ,section #ai of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#b7 is amended to read as follows3 #ai4 ,post-doctoral fellowship program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,institute and the ,national ,academy of ,sciences1 jointly1 shall establish and conduct a post-doctoral fellowship program1 subject to the availability of appropriations4 7b7 ,organization ,the post-doctoral fellowship program shall include not less than #bj new fellows per fiscal year4 7c7 ,evaluations ,in evaluating applications for post-doctoral fellowships under this section1 the ,director of the ,institute and the ,president of the ,national ,academy of ,sciences shall give consideration to the goal of promoting the participation of individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b7 in research areas supported by the ,institute4 4 7d7 ,savings clauses 7#a7 ,research fellowships and other financial assistance to students at institutes of higher education ,the repeal made by subsection 7a7 of this section shall not affect any award of a research fellowship or other form of financial assistance made under section #ah of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#a7 before the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,such award shall continue to be subject to the requirements to which such funds were subject under that section before the date of enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,post-doctoral fellowship program ,the amendment made by subsection 7c7 of this section shall not affect any award of a post-doctoral fellowship or other form of financial assistance made under section #ai of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#b7 before the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,such awards shall continue to be subject to the requirements to which such funds were subject under that section before the date of enactment of this ,act4 #cjg4 ,presidential awards for excellence in ,,stem mentoring 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall continue to administer awards on behalf of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy to recognize outstanding mentoring in ,,stem fields4 7b7 ,annual award recipients ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall provide ,congress with a list of award recipients1 including the name1 institution1 and a brief synopsis of the impact of the mentoring efforts4 #cjh4 ,working group on inclusion in ,,stem fields 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 in collaboration with ,federal departments and agencies1 shall establish an interagency working group to compile and summarize available research and best practices on how to promote diversity and inclusions in ,,stem fields and examine whether barriers exist to promoting diversity and inclusion within ,federal agencies employing scientists and engineers4 7b7 ,responsibilities ,the working group shall be responsible for reviewing and assessing research1 best practices1 and policies across ,federal science agencies related to the inclusion of individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b7 in the ,federal ,,stem workforce1 including available research and best practices on how to promote diversity and inclusion in ,,stem fields1 including-- 7#a7 policies providing flexibility for scientists and engineers that are also caregivers1 particularly on the timing of research grants2 7#b7 policies to address the proper handling of claims of sexual harassment2 7#c7 policies to minimize the effects of implicit bias and other systemic factors in hiring1 promotion1 evaluation and the workplace in general2 and 7#d7 other evidence-based strategies that the working group considers effective for promoting diversity and inclusion in the ,,stem fields4 7c7 ,stakeholder input ,in carrying out the responsibilities under section 7b71 the working group shall solicit and consider input and recommendations from non-,federal stakeholders1 including-- 7#a7 the ,council of ,advisors on ,science and ,technology2 7#b7 federally funded and non-federally funded researchers1 institutions of higher education1 scientific disciplinary societies1 and associations2 7#c7 nonprofit research institutions2 7#d7 industry1 including small businesses2 7#e7 federally funded research and development centers2 7#f7 non-governmental organizations2 and 7#g7 such other members of the public interested in promoting a diverse and inclusive ,federal ,,stem workforce4 7d7 ,public reports ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and periodically thereafter1 the working group shall publish a report on the review and assessment under subsection 7b71 including a summary of available research and best practices1 any recommendations for ,federal actions to promote a diverse and inclusive ,federal ,,stem workforce1 and updates on the implementation of previous recommendations for ,federal actions4 7e7 ,termination ,the interagency working group established under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on the date that is #aj years after the date that it is established4 #cji4 ,improving undergraduate ,,stem experiences 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that each ,federal science agency should invest in and expand research opportunities for undergraduate students attending institutions of higher education during the undergraduate students' first #b academic years of postsecondary education4 7b7 ,identification of research programs ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the head of each ,federal agency shall submit to the ,president recommendations regarding how the agency could best fulfill the goals described in subsection 7a74 #caj4 ,computer science education research 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds that as the lead ,federal agency for building the research knowledge base for computer science education1 the ,foundation is well positioned to make investments that will accelerate ongoing efforts to enable rigorous and engaging computer science throughout the ,nation as an integral part of ,,stem education4 7b7 ,grant program 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall award grants to eligible entities to research computer science education and computational thinking4 7#b7 ,research ,the research described in paragraph 7#a7 may include the development or adaptation1 piloting or full implementation1 and testing of-- 7,a7 models of preservice preparation for teachers who will teach computer science and computational thinking2 7,b7 scalable and sustainable models of professional development and ongoing support for the teachers described in subparagraph 7,a72 7,c7 tools and models for teaching and learning aimed at supporting student success and inclusion in computing within and across diverse populations1 particularly poor1 rural1 and tribal populations and other populations that have been historically underrepresented in computer science and ,,stem fields2 and 7,d7 high-quality learning opportunities for teaching computer science and1 especially in poor1 rural1 or tribal schools at the elementary school and middle school levels1 for integrating computational thinking into ,,stem teaching and learning4 7c7 ,collaborations ,in carrying out the grants established in subsection 7b71 eligible entities may collaborate and partner with local or remote schools to support the integration of computing and computational thinking within pre-kindergarten through grade #ab ,,stem curricula and instruction4 7d7 ,metrics ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall develop metrics to measure the success of the grant program funded under this section in achieving program goals4 7e7 ,report ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall report1 in the annual budget submission to ,congress1 on the success of the program as measured by the metrics in subsection 7d74 7f7 ,definition of eligible entity ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means an institution of higher education or a nonprofit research organization4 #caa4 ,informal ,,stem education 7a7 ,national ,,stem partnership grants ,section #c7;a7 of the ,,stem ,education ,act of #bjae 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbq7a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking 2 and and inserting a semicolon2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 a national partnership of institutions involved in informal ,,stem learning4 4 7b7 ,use of funds ,section #c7;b7 of the ,,stem ,education ,act of #bjae 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbq7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking 2 and and inserting a semicolon2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 fostering on-going partnerships between institutions involved in informal ,,stem learning1 institutions of higher education1 and education research centers2 and 7#d7 developing1 and making available informal ,,stem education activities and educational materials4 4 #cab4 ,developing ,,stem apprenticeships 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the lack of data on the return on investment for ,united ,states employers using registered apprenticeships makes it difficult-- 7,a7 to communicate the value of these programs to businesses2 and 7,b7 to expand registered apprenticeships4 7#b7 ,the lack of data on the value and impact of employer-provided worker training1 which is likely substantial1 hinders the ability of the ,federal ,government to formulate policy related to workforce training4 7#c7 ,the ,secretary of ,commerce has initiated-- 7,a7 the first study on the return on investment for ,united ,states employers using registered apprenticeships through case studies of firms in various sectors1 occupations1 and geographic locations to provide the business community with data on employer benefits and costs2 and 7,b7 discussions with officials at relevant ,federal agencies about the need to collect comprehensive data on-- 7i7 employer-provided worker training2 and 7ii7 existing tools that could be used to collect such data4 7b7 ,development of apprenticeship information ,the ,secretary of ,commerce shall continue to research the value to businesses of utilizing apprenticeship programs1 including-- 7#a7 evidence of return on investment of apprenticeships1 including estimates for the average time it takes a business to recover the costs associated with training apprentices2 and 7#b7 data from the ,united ,states ,census ,bureau and other statistical surveys on employer-provided training1 including apprenticeships and other on-the-job training and industry-recognized certification programs4 7c7 ,dissemination of apprenticeship information ,the ,secretary of ,commerce shall disseminate findings from research on apprenticeships to businesses and other relevant stakeholders1 including-- 7#a7 institutions of higher education2 7#b7 ,state and local chambers of commerce2 and 7#c7 workforce training organizations4 7d7 ,new apprenticeship program study ,the ,secretary of ,commerce may collaborate with the ,secretary of ,labor to study approaches for reducing the cost of creating new apprenticeship programs and hosting apprentices for businesses1 particularly small businesses1 including-- 7#a7 training sharing agreements2 7#b7 group training models2 and 7#c7 pooling resources and best practices4 7e7 ,economic ,development ,administration grants ,the ,stevenson-,wydler ,technology ,innovation ,act of #aihj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cgja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #bh4 ,,stem apprenticeship programs 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,commerce may carry out a grant program to identify the need for skilled science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics 7referred to in this section as ,,stem7 workers and to expand ,,stem apprenticeship programs4 7b7 ,eligible recipient defined ,in this section1 the term eligible recipient means-- 7#a7 a ,state2 7#b7 an ,indian tribe2 7#c7 a city or other political subdivision of a ,state2 7#d7 an entity that-- 7,a7 is a nonprofit organization1 an institution of higher education1 a public-private partnership1 a science or research park1 a ,federal laboratory1 or an economic development organization or similar entity2 and 7,b7 has an application that is supported by a ,state1 a political subdivision of a ,state1 or a native organization2 or 7#e7 a consortium of any of the entities described in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#e74 7c7 ,needs assessment grants ,the ,secretary of ,commerce may provide a grant to an eligible recipient to conduct a needs assessment to identify-- 7#a7 the unmet need of a region's employer base for skilled ,,stem workers2 7#b7 the potential of ,,stem apprenticeships to address the unmet need described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7#c7 any barriers to addressing the unmet need described in paragraph 7#a74 7d7 ,apprenticeship expansion grants ,the ,secretary of ,commerce may provide a grant to an eligible recipient that has conducted a needs assessment as described in subsection 7c77#a7 to develop infrastructure to expand ,,stem apprenticeship programs4 4 #cac4 ,,nsf report on broadening participation ,section #bjd7;e7 of the ,national ,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act of #aihh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;c7e77 is amended to read as follows3 7e7 ,biennial report ,every #b years1 the ,committee shall prepare and submit to the ,director a report on its activities during the previous #b years and proposed activities for the next #b years4 ,the ,director shall submit to ,congress the report1 unaltered1 together with such comments as the ,director considers appropriate1 including-- 7#a7 review data on the participation in ,foundation activities of institutions serving populations that are underrepresented in ,,stem disciplines1 including poor1 rural1 and tribal populations2 and 7#b7 recommendations regarding how the ,foundation could improve outreach and inclusion of these populations in ,foundation activities4 4 #cad4 ,,noaa science education programs 7a7 ,in general ,section #djjb7;a7 of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #hic;a7a77 is amended by striking agency1 with consideration given to the goal of promoting the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups and inserting the agency1 with consideration given to the goal of promoting the participation of individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b74 7b7 ,educational program goals ,section #djjb7;b77#d7 of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #hic;a7b77#d77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,c7 and subparagraph 7,d72 7#c7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,b7 the following3 7,c7 are designed considering the unique needs of underrepresented groups1 translating such materials and other resources2 2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7,e7 are promoted widely1 especially among individuals identified in sections #cc and #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b72 and 4 7c7 ,metrics ,section #djjb of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #hic;a7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsections 7d7 and 7e7 as subsections 7e7 and 7f71 respectively2 and 7#b7 by adding after section 7c7 the following3 7d7 ,metrics ,in executing the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration science education plan under subsection 7c71 the ,administrator shall maintain a comprehensive system for evaluating the ,administration's educational programs and activities4 ,in so doing1 the ,administrator shall ensure that such education programs have measurable objectives and milestones as well as clear1 documented metrics for evaluating programs4 ,for each such education program or portfolio of similar programs1 the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7 encourage the collection of evidence as relevant to the measurable objectives and milestones2 and 7#b7 ensure that program or portfolio evaluations focus on educational outcomes and not just inputs1 activities completed1 or the number of participants4 4 #cae4 ,hispanic-serving institutions undergraduate program update 7a7 ,in general ,section #gjcc7;a7 of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbo-#ab7;a77 is amended as follows3 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director shall award grants on a competitive1 merit-reviewed basis to ,hispanic-serving institutions 7as defined in section #ejb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja;a77 to enhance the quality of undergraduate ,,stem education at such institutions and to increase the retention and graduation rates of students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate degrees in science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics4 4 7b7 ,savings provision ,the amendment made by subsection 7a7 of this section shall not affect any award of a grant or other form of financial assistance made under section #gjcc of the ,america ,,competes ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfbo-#ab7 before the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,such awards shall continue to be subject to the requirements to which such funds were subject under that section before the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,,iv ,leveraging the private sector #dja4 ,prize competition authority update 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,science ,prize ,competition ,act4 7b7 ,in general ,section #bd of the ,stevenson-,wydler ,technology ,innovation ,act of #aihj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cgai7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 in the subsection heading1 by striking ,prizes and by inserting ,prize competitions2 7,b7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking prize may be one or more of the following and inserting prize competition may be #a or more of the following types of activities2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#b71 by inserting competition after prize2 and 7,d7 in paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d71 by striking prizes and inserting prize competitions2 7#b7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking in the ,federal ,register and inserting on a publicly accessible ,government website1 such as www4challenge4gov12 7,b7 in paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 and 7#c71 by inserting prize before competition2 and 7,c7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking prize and inserting cash prize purse or non-cash prize award2 7#c7 in subsection 7g7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking prize and inserting cash prize purse2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a71 by inserting prize before competition2 7#d7 in subsection 7h71 by inserting prize before competition each place it appears2 7#e7 in subsection 7i7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,b71 by inserting prize before competition2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by inserting prize before competition each place it appears2 7,c7 by redesignating paragraph 7#c7 as paragraph 7#d72 and 7,d7 by inserting after paragraph 7#b7 the following3 7#c7 ,waivers 7,a7 ,in general ,an agency may waive the requirement under paragraph 7#b74 7,b7 ,list ,the ,director shall include a list of all of the waivers granted under this paragraph during the preceding fiscal year1 including a detailed explanation of the reason for granting the waiver4 2 7#f7 in subsection 7j7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by inserting prize before competition2 and 7,b7 by amending paragraph 7#b7 to read as follows3 7#b7 ,licenses ,as appropriate and to further the goals of a prize competition1 the ,federal ,government may negotiate a license for the use of intellectual property developed by a registered participant in a prize competition4 2 7#g7 in subsection 7k7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking each competition and inserting each prize competition each place it appears2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by inserting prize before competition2 and 7,c7 in paragraph 7#c71 by inserting prize before competitions each place it appears2 7#h7 in subsection 7l71 by striking an agreement with and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting a grant1 contract1 cooperative agreement1 or other agreement with a private sector for-profit or nonprofit entity or ,state or local government agency to administer the prize competition1 subject to the provisions of this section42 7#i7 in subsection 7m7-- 7,a7 by amending paragraph 7#a7 to read as follows3 7#a7 ,in general ,support for a prize competition under this section1 including financial support for the design and administration of a prize competition or funds for a cash prize purse1 may consist of ,federal appropriated funds and funds provided by private sector for-profit and nonprofit entities4 ,the head of an agency may request and accept funds from other ,federal agencies1 ,state1 ,united ,states territory1 local1 or tribal government agencies1 private sector for-profit entities1 and nonprofit entities1 to be available to the extent provided by appropriations ,acts1 to support such prize competitions4 ,the head of an agency may not give any special consideration to any agency or entity in return for a donation4 2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking prize awards and inserting cash prize purses or non-cash prize awards2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#c7-- 7i7 by amending subparagraph 7,a7 to read as follows3 7,a7 ,announcement ,no prize competition may be announced under subsection 7f7 until all the funds needed to pay out the announced amount of the cash prize purse have been appropriated or committed in writing by a private or ,state1 ,united ,states territory1 local1 or tribal government source4 2 and 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b7-- 7,i7 in the matter preceding clause 7i71 by striking a prize and inserting a cash prize purse or non-cash prize award2 7,,ii7 in clause 7i71 by inserting competition after prize2 and 7,,iii7 in clause 7ii71 by inserting or ,state1 ,united ,states territory1 local1 or tribal government after private2 and 7,d7 in paragraph 7#d7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7,i7 by striking a prize and inserting a cash prize purse or a non-cash prize award2 and 7,,ii7 by striking ,science and ,technology and inserting ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology2 and 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking cash prizes and inserting cash prize purses or non-cash prize awards2 7#aj7 in subsection 7n7-- 7,a7 in the heading1 by striking ,service and inserting ,services2 7,b7 by striking the date of the enactment of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj1 and inserting the date of enactment of the ,american ,innovation and ,competitiveness ,act12 and 7,c7 by inserting for both for-profit and nonprofit entities and ,state1 ,united ,states territory1 local1 and tribal government entities1 after contract vehicle2 7#aa7 in subsection 7o77#a71 by striking or providing a prize and inserting a prize competition or providing a cash prize purse or non-cash prize award2 and 7#ab7 in subsection 7p7-- 7,a7 in the heading1 by striking ,annual and inserting ,biennial2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by striking each year and inserting every other year2 7ii7 by striking ,science and ,technology and inserting ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology2 and 7iii7 by striking fiscal year and inserting #b fiscal years2 and 7,c7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 by striking ,the report for a fiscal year and inserting ,a report2 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,c7-- 7,i7 in the heading1 by striking prizes and inserting prize purses or non-cash prize awards2 and 7,,ii7 by striking cash prizes each place it appears and inserting cash prize purses or non-cash prize awards2 and 7iii7 by adding at the end the following3 7,g7 ,plan ,a description of crosscutting topical areas and agency-specific mission needs that may be the strongest opportunities for prize competitions during the upcoming #b fiscal years4 4 #djb4 ,crowdsourcing and citizen science 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,crowdsourcing and ,citizen ,science ,act4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the authority granted to ,federal agencies under the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7,public ,law #aaa-ceh2 #abd ,stat4 #cihb7 to pursue the use of incentive prizes and challenges has yielded numerous benefits2 7#b7 crowdsourcing and citizen science projects have a number of additional unique benefits1 including accelerating scientific research1 increasing cost effectiveness to maximize the return on taxpayer dollars1 addressing societal needs1 providing hands-on learning in ,,stem1 and connecting members of the public directly to ,federal science agency missions and to each other2 and 7#c7 granting ,federal science agencies the direct1 explicit authority to use crowdsourcing and citizen science will encourage its appropriate use to advance ,federal science agency missions and stimulate and facilitate broader public participation in the innovation process1 yielding numerous benefits to the ,federal ,government and citizens who participate in such projects4 7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,citizen science ,the term citizen science means a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process in various ways1 including-- 7,a7 enabling the formulation of research questions2 7,b7 creating and refining project design2 7,c7 conducting scientific experiments2 7,d7 collecting and analyzing data2 7,e7 interpreting the results of data2 7,f7 developing technologies and applications2 7,g7 making discoveries2 and 7,h7 solving problems4 7#b7 ,crowdsourcing ,the term crowdsourcing means a method to obtain needed services1 ideas1 or content by soliciting voluntary contributions from a group of individuals or organizations1 especially from an online community4 7#c7 ,participant ,the term participant means any individual or other entity that has volunteered in a crowdsourcing or citizen science project under this section4 7d7 ,crowdsourcing and citizen science 7#a7 ,in general ,the head of each ,federal science agency1 or the heads of multiple ,federal science agencies working cooperatively1 may utilize crowdsourcing and citizen science to conduct projects designed to advance the mission of the respective ,federal science agency or the joint mission of ,federal science agencies1 as applicable4 7#b7 ,voluntary services ,notwithstanding section #acdb of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 the head of a ,federal science agency may accept1 subject to regulations issued by the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management1 in coordination with the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 services from participants under this section if such services-- 7,a7 are performed voluntarily as a part of a crowdsourcing or citizen science project authorized under paragraph 7#a72 7,b7 are not financially compensated for their time2 and 7,c7 will not be used to displace any employee of the ,federal ,government4 7#c7 ,outreach ,the head of each ,federal science agency engaged in a crowdsourcing or citizen science project under this section shall make public and promote such project to encourage broad participation4 7#d7 ,consent1 registration1 and terms of use 7,a7 ,in general ,each ,federal science agency shall determine the appropriate level of consent1 registration1 or acknowledgment of the terms of use that are required from participants in crowdsourcing or citizen science projects under this section on a per-project basis4 7,b7 ,disclosures ,in seeking consent1 conducting registration1 or developing terms of use for a project under this subsection1 a ,federal science agency shall disclose the privacy1 intellectual property1 data ownership1 compensation1 service1 program1 and other terms of use to the participant in a clear and reasonable manner4 7,c7 ,mode of consent ,a ,federal agency or ,federal science agencies1 as applicable1 may obtain consent electronically or in written form from participants under this section4 7#e7 ,protections for human subjects ,any crowdsourcing or citizen science project under this section that involves research involving human subjects shall be subject to part #df of title #bh1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulation74 7#f7 ,data 7,a7 ,in general ,a ,federal science agency shall1 where appropriate and to the extent practicable1 make data collected through a crowdsourcing or citizen science project under this section available to the public1 in a machine readable format1 unless prohibited by law4 7,b7 ,notice ,as part of the consent process1 the ,federal science agency shall notify all participants-- 7i7 of the expected uses of the data compiled through the project2 7ii7 if the ,federal science agency will retain ownership of such data2 7iii7 if and how the data and results from the project would be made available for public or third party use2 and 7iv7 if participants are authorized to publish such data4 7#g7 ,technologies and applications ,federal science agencies shall endeavor to make technologies1 applications1 code1 and derivations of such intellectual property developed through a crowdsourcing or citizen science project under this section available to the public4 7#h7 ,liability ,each participant in a crowdsourcing or citizen science project under this section shall agree-- 7,a7 to assume any and all risks associated with such participation2 and 7,b7 to waive all claims against the ,federal ,government and its related entities1 except for claims based on willful misconduct1 for any injury1 death1 damage1 or loss of property1 revenue1 or profits 7whether direct1 indirect1 or consequential7 arising from participation in the project4 7#i7 ,research misconduct ,federal science agencies coordinating crowdsourcing or citizen science projects under this section shall make all practicable efforts to ensure that participants adhere to all relevant ,federal research misconduct policies and other applicable ethics policies4 7#aj7 ,multi-sector partnerships ,the head of each ,federal science agency engaged in crowdsourcing or citizen science under this section1 or the heads of multiple ,federal science agencies working cooperatively1 may enter into a contract or other agreement to share administrative duties for such projects with-- 7,a7 a for profit or nonprofit private sector entity1 including a private institution of higher education2 7,b7 a ,state1 tribal1 local1 or foreign government agency1 including a public institution of higher education2 or 7,c7 a public-private partnership4 7#aa7 ,funding ,in carrying out crowdsourcing and citizen science projects under this section1 the head of a ,federal science agency1 or the heads of multiple ,federal science agencies working cooperatively-- 7,a7 may use funds appropriated by ,congress2 7,b7 may publicize projects and solicit and accept funds or in-kind support for such projects1 to be available to the extent provided by appropriations ,acts1 from-- 7i7 other ,federal agencies2 7ii7 for profit or nonprofit private sector entities1 including private institutions of higher education2 or 7iii7 ,state1 tribal1 local1 or foreign government agencies1 including public institutions of higher education2 and 7,c7 may not give any special consideration to any entity described in subparagraph 7,b7 in return for such funds or in-kind support4 7#ab7 ,facilitation 7,a7 ,general ,services ,administration assistance ,the ,administrator of the ,general ,services ,administration1 in coordination with the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management and the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 shall1 at no cost to ,federal science agencies1 identify and develop relevant products1 training1 and services to facilitate the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science projects under this section1 including by specifying the appropriate contract vehicles and technology and organizational platforms to enhance the ability of ,federal science agencies to carry out the projects under this section4 7,b7 ,additional guidance ,the head of each ,federal science agency engaged in crowdsourcing or citizen science under this section may-- 7i7 consult any guidance provided by the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 including the ,federal ,crowdsourcing and ,citizen ,science ,toolkit2 7ii7 designate a coordinator for that ,federal science agency's crowdsourcing and citizen science projects2 and 7iii7 share best practices with other ,federal agencies1 including participation of staff in the ,federal ,community of ,practice for ,crowdsourcing and ,citizen ,science4 7e7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall include1 as a component of an annual report required under section #bd7p7 of the ,stevenson-,wydler ,technology ,innovation ,act of #aihj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cgai7p771 a report on the projects and activities carried out under this section4 7#b7 ,information included ,the report required under paragraph 7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 a summary of each crowdsourcing and citizen science project conducted by a ,federal science agency during the most recently completed #b fiscal years1 including a description of the proposed goals of each crowdsourcing and citizen science project2 7,b7 an analysis of why the utilization of a crowdsourcing or citizen science project summarized in subparagraph 7,a7 was the preferable method of achieving the goals described in subparagraph 7,a7 as opposed to other authorities available to the ,federal science agency1 such as contracts1 grants1 cooperative agreements1 and prize competitions2 7,c7 the participation rates1 submission levels1 number of consents1 and any other statistic that might be considered relevant in each crowdsourcing and citizen science project2 7,d7 a detailed description of-- 7i7 the resources1 including personnel and funding1 that were used in the execution of each crowdsourcing and citizen science project2 7ii7 the project activities for which such resources were used2 and 7iii7 how the obligations and expenditures relating to the project's execution were allocated among the accounts of the ,federal science agency1 including a description of the amount and source of all funds1 private1 public1 and in-kind1 contributed to each crowdsourcing and citizen science project2 7,e7 a summary of the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science by all ,federal science agencies1 including interagency and multi-sector partnerships2 7,f7 a description of how each crowdsourcing and citizen science project advanced the mission of each participating ,federal science agency2 7,g7 an identification of each crowdsourcing or citizen science project where data collected through such project was not made available to the public1 including the reasons for such action2 and 7,h7 any other information that the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy considers relevant4 7f7 ,savings provision ,nothing in this section may be construed-- 7#a7 to affect the authority to conduct crowdsourcing and citizen science authorized by any other provision of law2 or 7#b7 to displace ,federal ,government resources allocated to the ,federal science agencies that use crowdsourcing or citizen science authorized under this section to carry out a project4 #djc4 ,,nist director functions update ,section #b7;b7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;b771 as amended by section #djc of this ,act1 is further amended-- 7#a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking authorized to take and inserting authorized to serve as the ,president's principal adviser on standards policy pertaining to the ,nation's technological competitiveness and innovation ability and to take2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking compare standards and all that follows through ,federal ,government and inserting facilitate standards-related information sharing and cooperation between ,federal agencies2 and 7#c7 in paragraph 7#ac71 by striking ,federal1 ,state1 and local and all that follows through private sector and inserting technical standards activities and conformity assessment activities of ,federal1 ,state1 and local governments with private sector4 #djd4 ,,nist ,visiting ,committee on ,advanced ,technology update ,section #aj of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in the second sentence1 by striking #ae members appointed by the ,director1 at least #aj of whom and inserting not fewer than #i members appointed by the ,director1 a majority of whom2 and 7,b7 in the third sentence1 by striking ,national ,bureau of ,standards and inserting ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology2 and 7#b7 in subsection 7h77#a71 by striking 1 including the ,program established under section #bh14 ,v ,manufacturing #eja4 ,hollings manufacturing extension partnership improvements 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership ,improvement ,act4 7b7 ,in general ,section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk7 is amended to read as follows3 #be4 ,hollings manufacturing extension partnership 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of ,congress ,the term appropriate committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,area career and technical education school ,the term area career and technical education school has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,vocational ,education ,act of #aifc 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjb74 7#c7 ,center ,the term ,center means a manufacturing extension center that-- 7,a7 is created under subsection 7b72 and 7,b7 is affiliated with an eligible entity that applies for and is awarded financial support under subsection 7e74 7#d7 ,community college ,the term community college means an institution of higher education 7as defined under section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a777 at which the highest degree that is predominately awarded to students is an associate's degree4 7#e7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means a ,united ,states-based nonprofit institution1 or consortium thereof1 an institution of higher education1 or a ,state1 ,united ,states territory1 local1 or tribal government4 7#f7 ,hollings ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership or ,program ,the term ,hollings ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership or ,program means the program established under subsection 7b74 7#g7 ,,mep ,advisory ,board ,the term ,,mep ,advisory ,board means the ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership ,advisory ,board established under subsection 7n74 7b7 ,establishment and purpose ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,director and1 if appropriate1 through other ,federal officials1 shall establish a program to provide assistance for the creation and support of manufacturing extension centers for the transfer of manufacturing technology and best business practices4 7c7 ,objective ,the objective of the ,program shall be to enhance competitiveness1 productivity1 and technological performance in ,united ,states manufacturing through-- 7#a7 the transfer of manufacturing technology and techniques developed at the ,institute to ,centers and1 through them1 to manufacturing companies throughout the ,united ,states2 7#b7 the participation of individuals from industry1 institutions of higher education1 ,state governments1 other ,federal agencies1 and1 when appropriate1 the ,institute in cooperative technology transfer activities2 7#c7 efforts to make new manufacturing technology and processes usable by ,united ,states-based small and medium-sized companies2 7#d7 the active dissemination of scientific1 engineering1 technical1 and management information about manufacturing to industrial firms1 including small and medium-sized manufacturing companies2 7#e7 the utilization1 when appropriate1 of the expertise and capability that exists in ,federal agencies1 other than the ,institute1 and federally-sponsored laboratories2 7#f7 the provision to community colleges and area career and technical education schools of information about the job skills needed in manufacturing companies1 including small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in the regions they serve2 7#g7 the promotion and expansion of certification systems offered through industry1 associations1 and local colleges when appropriate1 including efforts such as facilitating training1 supporting new or existing apprenticeships1 and providing access to information and experts1 to address workforce needs and skills gaps in order to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturing businesses2 and 7#h7 the growth in employment and wages at ,united ,states-based small and medium-sized companies4 7d7 ,activities ,the activities of a ,center shall include-- 7#a7 the establishment of automated manufacturing systems and other advanced production technologies1 based on ,institute-supported research1 for the purpose of demonstrations and technology transfer2 7#b7 the active transfer and dissemination of research findings and ,center expertise to a wide range of companies and enterprises1 particularly small and medium-sized manufacturers2 and 7#c7 the facilitation of collaborations and partnerships between small and medium-sized manufacturing companies1 community colleges1 and area career and technical education schools1 to help those entities better understand the specific needs of manufacturers and to help manufacturers better understand the skill sets that students learn in the programs offered by such colleges and schools4 7e7 ,financial assistance 7#a7 ,authorization ,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary may provide financial assistance for the creation and support of a ,center through a cooperative agreement with an eligible entity4 7#b7 ,cost sharing ,the ,secretary may not provide more than #ej percent of the capital and annual operating and maintenance funds required to establish and support a ,center4 7#c7 ,rule of construction ,for purposes of paragraph 7#b71 any amount received by an eligible entity for a ,center under a provision of law other than paragraph 7#a7 shall not be considered an amount provided under paragraph 7#a74 7#d7 ,regulations ,the ,secretary may revise or promulgate such regulations as necessary to carry out this subsection4 7f7 ,applications 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7#b7 ,program description ,the ,secretary shall establish and update1 as necessary-- 7,a7 a description of the ,program2 7,b7 the application procedures2 7,c7 performance metrics2 7,d7 criteria for determining qualified applicants2 and 7,e7 criteria for choosing recipients of financial assistance from among the qualified applicants4 7,f7 procedures for determining allowable cost share contributions2 and 7,g7 such other program policy objectives and operational procedures as the ,secretary considers necessary4 7#c7 ,cost sharing 7,a7 ,in general ,to be considered for financial assistance under this section1 an applicant shall provide adequate assurances that the applicant and if applicable1 the applicant's partnering organizations1 will obtain funding for not less than #ej percent of the capital and annual operating and maintenance funds required to establish and support the ,center from sources other than the financial assistance provided under subsection 7e74 7,b7 ,agreements with other entities ,in meeting the cost-sharing requirement under subparagraph 7,a71 an eligible entity may enter into an agreement with #a or more other entities1 such as a private industry1 institutions of higher education1 or a ,state1 ,united ,states territory1 local1 or tribal government for the contribution by that other entity of funding if the ,secretary determines the agreement-- 7i7 is programmatically reasonable2 7ii7 will help accomplish programmatic objectives2 and 7iii7 is allocable under ,program procedures under subsection 7f77#b74 7#d7 ,legal rights ,each applicant shall include in the application a proposal for the allocation of the legal rights associated with any intellectual property which may result from the activities of the ,center4 7#e7 ,merit review of applications 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall subject each application to merit review4 7,b7 ,considerations ,in making a decision whether to approve an application and provide financial assistance under subsection 7e71 the ,secretary shall consider1 at a minimum-- 7i7 the merits of the application1 particularly those portions of the application regarding technology transfer1 training and education1 and adaptation of manufacturing technologies to the needs of particular industrial sectors2 7ii7 the quality of service to be provided2 7iii7 the geographical diversity and extent of the service area2 and 7iv7 the type and percentage of funding and in-kind commitment from other sources under paragraph 7#c74 7g7 ,evaluations 7#a7 ,third and eighth year evaluations by panel 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall ensure that each ,center is evaluated during its third and eighth years of operation by an evaluation panel appointed by the ,secretary4 7,b7 ,composition ,the ,secretary shall ensure that each evaluation panel appointed under subparagraph 7,a7 is composed of-- 7i7 private experts1 none of whom are connected with the ,center evaluated by the panel2 and 7ii7 ,federal officials4 7,c7 ,chairperson ,for each evaluation panel appointed under subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary shall appoint a chairperson who is an official of the ,institute4 7#b7 ,fifth year evaluations by ,secretary ,in the fifth year of operation of a ,center1 the ,secretary shall conduct a review of the ,center4 7#c7 ,performance measurement ,in evaluating a ,center an evaluation panel or the ,secretary1 as applicable1 shall measure the performance of the ,center against-- 7,a7 the objective specified in subsection 7c72 7,b7 the performance metrics under subsection 7f77#b77;,c72 and 7,c7 such other criterion as considered appropriate by the ,secretary4 7#d7 ,positive evaluations ,if an evaluation of a ,center is positive1 the ,secretary may continue to provide financial assistance for the ,center-- 7,a7 in the case of an evaluation occurring in the third year of a ,center1 through the fifth year of the ,center2 7,b7 in the case of an evaluation occurring in the fifth year of a ,center1 through the eighth year of the ,center2 and 7,c7 in the case of an evaluation occurring in the eighth year of a ,center1 through the tenth year of the ,center4 7#e7 ,other than positive evaluations 7,a7 ,probation ,if an evaluation of a ,center is other than positive1 the ,secretary shall put the ,center on probation during the period beginning on the date that the ,center receives notice under subparagraph 7,b77i7 and ending on the date that the reevaluation is complete under subparagraph 7,b77iii74 7,b7 ,notice and reevaluation ,if a ,center receives an evaluation that is other than positive1 the evaluation panel or ,secretary1 as applicable1 shall-- 7i7 notify the ,center of the reason1 including any deficiencies in the performance of the ,center identified during the evaluation2 7ii7 assist the ,center in remedying the deficiencies by providing the ,center1 not less frequently than once every #c months1 an analysis of the ,center1 if considered appropriate by the panel or ,secretary1 as applicable2 and 7iii7 reevaluate the ,center not later than #a year after the date of the notice under clause 7i74 7,c7 ,continued support during period of probation 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary may continue to provide financial assistance under subsection 7e7 for a ,center during the probation period4 7ii7 ,post probation ,after the period of probation1 the ,secretary shall not provide any financial assistance unless the ,center has received a positive evaluation under subparagraph 7,b77iii74 7#f7 ,failure to remedy 7,a7 ,in general ,if a ,center fails to remedy a deficiency or to show significant improvement in performance before the end of the probation period under paragraph 7#e71 the ,secretary shall conduct a competition to select an operator for the ,center under subsection 7h74 7,b7 ,treatment of ,centers subject to new competition ,upon the selection of an operator for a ,center under subsection 7h71 the ,center shall be considered a new ,center and the calculation of the years of operation of that ,center for purposes of paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#e7 of this subsection and subsection 7h77#a7 shall start anew4 7h7 ,reapplication competition for financial assistance after #aj years 7#a7 ,in general ,if an eligible entity has operated a ,center under this section for a period of #aj consecutive years1 the ,secretary shall conduct a competition to select an eligible entity to operate the ,center in accordance with the process plan under subsection 7i74 7#b7 ,incumbent eligible entities ,an eligible entity that has received financial assistance under this section for a period of #aj consecutive years and that the ,secretary determines is in good standing shall be eligible to compete in the competition under paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,treatment of ,centers subject to reapplication competition ,upon the selection of an operator for a ,center under paragraph 7#a71 the ,center shall be considered a new ,center and the calculation of the years of operation of that ,center for purposes of paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#e7 of subsection 7g7 shall start anew4 7i7 ,process plan ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of the ,american ,innovation and ,competitiveness ,act1 the ,secretary shall implement and submit to ,congress a plan for how the ,institute will conduct an evaluation1 competition1 and reapplication competition under this section4 7j7 ,operational requirements 7#a7 ,protection of confidential information of center clients ,the following information1 if obtained by the ,federal ,government in connection with an activity of a ,center or the ,program1 shall be exempt from public disclosure under section #eeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code3 7,a7 ,information on the business operation of any participant in the ,program or of a client of a ,center4 7,b7 ,trade secrets of any client of a ,center4 7k7 ,oversight boards 7#a7 ,in general ,as a condition on receipt of financial assistance for a ,center under subsection 7e71 an eligible entity shall establish a board to oversee the operations of the ,center4 7#b7 ,standards 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,director shall establish appropriate standards for each board described under paragraph 7#a74 7,b7 ,considerations ,in establishing the standards1 the ,director shall take into account the type and organizational structure of an eligible entity4 7,c7 ,requirements ,the standards shall address-- 7i7 membership2 7ii7 composition2 7iii7 term limits2 7iv7 conflicts of interest2 and 7v7 such other requirements as the ,director considers necessary4 7#c7 ,membership 7,a7 ,in general ,each board established under paragraph 7#a7 shall be composed of members as follows3 7i7 ,the membership of each board shall be representative of stakeholders in the region in which the ,center is located4 7ii7 ,a majority of the members of the board shall be selected from among individuals who own or are employed by small or medium-sized manufacturers4 7,b7 ,limitation ,a member of a board established under paragraph 7#a7 may not serve on more than #a board established under that paragraph4 7#d7 ,bylaws 7,a7 ,in general ,each board established under paragraph 7#a7 shall adopt and submit to the ,director bylaws to govern the operation of the board4 7,b7 ,conflicts of interest ,bylaws adopted under subparagraph 7,a7 shall include policies to minimize conflicts of interest1 including such policies relating to disclosure of relationships and recusal as may be necessary to minimize conflicts of interest4 7l7 ,acceptance of funds ,in addition to such sums as may be appropriated to the ,secretary and ,director to operate the ,program1 the ,secretary and ,director may also accept funds from other ,federal departments and agencies and from the private sector under section #b7;c77#g7 of this ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb7;c77#g771 to be available to the extent provided by appropriations ,acts1 for the purpose of strengthening ,united ,states manufacturing4 7m7 ,,mep ,advisory ,board 7#a7 ,establishment ,there is established within the ,institute a ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership ,advisory ,board4 7#b7 ,membership 7,a7 ,composition 7i7 ,in general ,the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall consist of not fewer than #aj members appointed by the ,director and broadly representative of stakeholders4 7ii7 ,requirements ,of the members appointed under clause 7i7-- 7,i7 at least #b members shall be employed by or on an advisory board for a ,center2 7,,ii7 at least #e members shall be from ,united ,states small businesses in the manufacturing sector2 and 7,,iii7 at least #a member shall represent a community college4 7iii7 ,limitation ,no member of the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall be an employee of the ,federal ,government4 7,b7 ,term ,except as provided in subparagraph 7,c71 the term of office of each member of the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall be #c years4 7,c7 ,vacancies ,any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term4 7,d7 ,serving consecutive terms ,any person who has completed #b consecutive full terms of service on the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall thereafter be ineligible for appointment during the #a-year period following the expiration of the second such term4 7#c7 ,meetings ,the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall-- 7,a7 meet not less than biannually2 and 7,b7 provide to the ,director-- 7i7 advice on the activities1 plans1 and policies of the ,program2 7ii7 assessments of the soundness of the plans and strategies of the ,program2 and 7iii7 assessments of current performance against the plans of the ,program4 7#d7 ,,faca applicability 7,a7 ,in general ,in discharging its duties under this subsection1 the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall function solely in an advisory capacity1 in accordance with the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app474 7,b7 ,exception ,section #ad of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act shall not apply to the ,,mep ,advisory ,board4 7#e7 ,annual report 7,a7 ,in general ,at a minimum1 the ,,mep ,advisory ,board shall transmit an annual report to the ,secretary for transmittal to ,congress not later than #cj days after the submission to ,congress of the ,president's annual budget under section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7,b7 ,contents ,the report shall address the status of the ,program and describe the relevant sections of the programmatic planning document and updates thereto transmitted to ,congress by the ,director under subsections 7c7 and 7d7 of section #bc 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;i74 7n7 ,small manufacturers 7#a7 ,evaluation of obstacles ,as part of the ,program1 the ,director shall-- 7,a7 identify obstacles that prevent small manufacturers from effectively competing in the global market2 7,b7 implement a comprehensive plan to train the ,centers to address the obstacles identified in paragraph 7#b72 and 7,c7 facilitate improved communication between the ,centers to assist such manufacturers in implementing appropriate1 targeted solutions to the obstacles identified in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,development of open access resources ,as part of the ,program1 the ,secretary shall develop open access resources that address best practices related to inventory sourcing1 supply chain management1 manufacturing techniques1 available ,federal resources1 and other topics to further the competitiveness and profitability of small manufacturers4 4 7c7 ,competitive awards program ,the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bga et seq47 is amended by inserting after section #be the following3 #be;,a4 ,competitive awards program 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,director shall establish within the ,hollings ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership under section #be 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk7 and section #bf 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghl7 a program of competitive awards among participants described in subsection 7b7 of this section for the purposes described in subsection 7c74 7b7 ,participants ,participants receiving awards under this section shall be ,centers1 or a consortium of ,centers4 7c7 ,purpose1 themes1 and reimbursement 7#a7 ,purpose ,the purpose of the program established under subsection 7a7 is to add capabilities to the ,hollings ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership1 including the development of projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems as determined by the ,director1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,hollings ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership1 the ,,mep ,advisory ,board1 other ,federal agencies1 and small and medium-sized manufacturers4 7#b7 ,themes ,the ,director may identify #a or more themes for a competition carried out under this section1 which may vary from year to year1 as the ,director considers appropriate after assessing the needs of manufacturers and the success of previous competitions4 7#c7 ,reimbursement ,centers may be reimbursed for costs incurred by the ,centers under this section4 7d7 ,applications ,applications for awards under this section shall be submitted in such manner1 at such time1 and containing such information as the ,director shall require in consultation with the ,,mep ,advisory ,board4 7e7 ,selection 7#a7 ,peer review and competitively awarded ,the ,director shall ensure that awards under this section are peer reviewed and competitively awarded4 7#b7 ,geographic diversity ,the ,director shall endeavor to have broad geographic diversity among selected proposals4 7#c7 ,criteria ,the ,director shall select applications to receive awards that the ,director determines will achieve #a or more of the following3 7,a7 ,improve the competitiveness of industries in the region in which the ,center or ,centers are located4 7,b7 ,create jobs or train newly hired employees4 7,c7 ,promote the transfer and commercialization of research and technology from institutions of higher education1 national laboratories or other federally funded research programs1 and nonprofit research institutes4 7,d7 ,recruit a diverse manufacturing workforce1 including through outreach to underrepresented populations1 including individuals identified in section #cc or section #cd of the ,science and ,engineering ,equal ,opportunities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahhe;a1 #ahhe;b74 7,e7 ,such other result as the ,director determines will advance the objective set forth in section #be7;c7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk7 or in section #bf 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghl74 7f7 ,program contribution ,recipients of awards under this section shall not be required to provide a matching contribution4 7g7 ,global marketplace projects ,in making an award under this section1 the ,director1 in consultation with the ,,mep ,advisory ,board and the ,secretary1 may take into consideration whether an application has significant potential for enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized ,united ,states manufacturers in the global marketplace4 7h7 ,duration ,the duration of an award under this section shall be for not more than #c years4 7i7 ,definitions ,the terms used in this section have the meanings given the terms in section #be 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk74 4 7d7 ,reports 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states1 in consultation with the ,,mep ,advisory ,board 7as defined in section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk771 shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report analyzing-- 7,a7 the effectiveness of the changes in the cost share to ,centers under section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk72 7,b7 the engagement in services and the characteristics of services provided by #b types of ,centers1 including volume and type of service2 and 7,c7 whether the cost-sharing ratio has any effect on the services provided by either type of ,center4 7#b7 ,independent assessment 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #c years after the date of submission of the report under paragraph 7#a71 the ,director of ,,nist shall contract with an independent organization to perform an assessment of the implementation of the reapplication competition process4 7,b7 ,consultation ,the independent organization performing the assessment under subparagraph 7,a7 may consult with the ,,mep ,advisory ,board 7as defined in section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk774 7#c7 ,comparison of ,centers 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report providing information on the first and second years of operations for ,centers 7as defined in section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk77 operating from new competitions or recompetition as compared to longstanding ,centers4 7,b7 ,contents ,the report shall provide detail on the engagement in services provided by ,centers and the characteristics of services provided1 including volume and type of services1 so that the appropriate committees of ,congress can evaluate whether the cost-sharing ratio has an effect on the services provided at ,centers4 7e7 ,conforming amendments 7#a7 ,definitions ,section #baii7c7 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7,a7 by striking regional center and inserting manufacturing extension center2 7,b7 by inserting and best business practices before referred2 and 7,c7 by striking #be7;a7 and inserting #be7;b74 7#b7 ,enterprise integration initiative ,section #c7;a7 of the ,enterprise ,integration ,act of #bjjb 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgh;g-#e7;a77 is amended by inserting ,hollings before ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership4 7#c7 ,assistance to ,state technology programs ,section #bf7;a7 of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghl7a77 is amended by striking ,centers program created and inserting ,hollings ,manufacturing ,extension ,partnership4 7f7 ,savings provisions ,notwithstanding the amendments made by subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of this section1 the ,secretary of ,commerce may carry out section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk7 as that section was in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this ,act1 with respect to existing grants1 agreements1 cooperative agreements1 or contracts1 and with respect to applications for such items that are received by the ,secretary prior to the date of enactment of this ,act4 7g7 ,patent rights ,the provisions of chapter #ah of title #ce1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall apply1 to the extent not inconsistent with section #be of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bghk7 and section #be of that ,act1 to the promotion of technology from research by ,centers under those sections1 except for contracts for such specific technology extension or transfer services as may be specified by the ,director of ,,nist or under other law4 ,,vi ,innovation and technology transfer #fja4 ,innovation corps 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the ,national ,science ,foundation ,innovation ,corps 7referred to in this section as the ,i-,corps7 was established to foster a national innovation ecosystem by encouraging institutions1 scientists1 engineers1 and entrepreneurs to identify and explore the innovation and commercial potential of ,national ,science ,foundation-funded research well beyond the laboratory4 7#b7 ,through ,i-,corps1 the ,foundation invests in entrepreneurship and commercialization education1 training1 and mentoring that can ultimately lead to the practical deployment of technologies1 products1 processes1 and services that improve the ,nation's competitiveness1 promote economic growth1 and benefit society4 7#c7 ,by building networks of entrepreneurs1 educators1 mentors1 institutions1 and collaborations1 and supporting specialized education and training1 ,i-,corps is at the leading edge of a strong1 lasting foundation for an ,american innovation ecosystem4 7#d7 ,by translating federally funded research to a commercial stage more quickly and efficiently1 programs like the ,i-,corps create new jobs and companies1 help solve societal problems1 and provide taxpayers with a greater return on their investment in research4 7#e7 ,the ,i-,corps program model has a strong record of success that should be replicated at all ,federal science agencies4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 commercialization of federally funded research can improve the ,nation's competitiveness1 grow the economy1 and benefit society2 7#b7 ,i-,corps is a useful tool in promoting the commercialization of federally funded research by training researchers funded by the ,foundation in entrepreneurship and commercialization2 7#c7 ,i-,corps should continue to build a network of entrepreneurs1 educators1 mentors1 and institutions and support specialized education and training2 7#d7 researchers other than those funded by the ,foundation may also benefit from the education and training described in paragraph 7#c72 and 7#e7 ,i-,corps should continue to promote a strong innovation system by investing in and supporting female entrepreneurs through mentorship1 education1 and training because they are historically underrepresented in entrepreneurial fields4 7c7 ,i-,corps program 7#a7 ,in general ,in order to promote a strong1 lasting foundation for the national innovation ecosystem and increase the positive economic and social impact of federally funded research1 the ,director of the ,foundation shall set forth eligibility requirements and carry out a program to award grants for entrepreneurship and commercialization education1 training1 and mentoring4 7#b7 ,expansion of ,i-corps 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,director-- 7i7 shall encourage the development and expansion of ,i-,corps and other training programs that focus on professional development1 including education in entrepreneurship and commercialization2 and 7ii7 may establish an agreement with another ,federal science agency-- 7,i7 to make researchers1 students1 and institutions funded by that agency eligible to participate in the ,i-,corps program2 or 7,,ii7 to assist that agency with the design and implementation of its own program that is similar to the ,i-,corps program4 7,b7 ,partnership funding ,in negotiating an agreement with another ,federal science agency under subparagraph 7,a77ii71 the ,director shall require that ,federal science agency to provide funding for-- 7i7 the training for researchers1 students1 and institutions selected for the ,i-,corps program2 and 7ii7 the locations that ,federal science agency designates as regional and national infrastructure for science and engineering entrepreneurship4 7#c7 ,follow-on grants 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 the ,director1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,small ,business ,innovation ,research ,program1 shall make funds available for competitive grants1 including to ,i-,corps participants1 to help support-- 7i7 prototype or proof-of-concept development2 and 7ii7 such activities as the ,director considers necessary to build local1 regional1 and national infrastructure for science and engineering entrepreneurship4 7,b7 ,limitation ,grants under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be limited to participants with innovations that because of the early stage of development are not eligible to participate in a ,small ,business ,innovation ,research ,program or a ,small ,business ,technology ,transfer ,program4 7#d7 ,state and local partnerships ,the ,director may engage in partnerships with ,state and local governments1 economic development organizations1 and nonprofit organizations to provide access to the ,i-,corps program to support entrepreneurship education and training for researchers1 students1 and institutions under this subsection4 7#e7 ,reports ,the ,director shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a biennial report on ,i-,corps program efficacy1 including metrics on the effectiveness of the program4 ,each ,federal science agency participating in the ,i-,corps program or that implements a similar program under paragraph 7#b77;,a7 shall contribute to the report4 7#f7 ,definitions ,in this subsection1 the terms ,small ,business ,innovation ,research ,program and ,small ,business ,technology ,transfer ,program have the meanings given those terms in section #i of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fch74 #fjb4 ,translational research grants 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 commercialization of federally funded research may benefit society and the economy2 and 7#b7 not-for-profit organizations support the commercialization of federally funded research by providing useful business and technical expertise to researchers4 7b7 ,commercialization promotion ,the ,director of the ,foundation shall continue to award grants on a competitive1 merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities to promote the commercialization of federally funded research results4 7c7 ,use of funds ,activities supported by grants under this section may include-- 7#a7 identifying ,foundation-sponsored research and technologies that have the potential for accelerated commercialization2 7#b7 supporting prior or current ,foundation-sponsored investigators1 institutions of higher education1 and non-profit organizations that partner with an institution of higher education in undertaking proof-of-concept work1 including development of prototypes of technologies that are derived from ,foundation-sponsored research and have potential market value2 7#c7 promoting sustainable partnerships between ,foundation-funded institutions1 industry1 and other organizations within academia and the private sector with the purpose of accelerating the transfer of technology2 7#d7 developing multi-disciplinary innovation ecosystems which involve and are responsive to specific needs of academia and industry2 and 7#e7 providing professional development1 mentoring1 and advice in entrepreneurship1 project management1 and technology and business development to innovators4 7d7 ,eligibility 7#a7 ,in general ,the following organizations may be eligible for grants under this section3 7,a7 ,institutions of higher education4 7,b7 ,public or nonprofit technology transfer organizations4 7,c7 ,a nonprofit organization that partners with an institution of higher education4 7,d7 ,a consortia of #b or more of the organizations described under subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,c74 7#b7 ,lead organizations ,any eligible organization under paragraph 7#a7 may apply as a lead organization4 7e7 ,applications ,an eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,director at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,director may require4 #fjc4 ,optics and photonics technology innovations 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the #aiih ,national ,research ,council ,report1 ,harnessing ,light presented a comprehensive overview on the importance of optics and photonics to various sectors of the ,united ,states economy4 7#b7 ,in #bjab1 in response to increased coordination and investment by other nations1 the ,national ,research ,council released a follow up study recommending a national photonics initiative to increase collaboration and coordination among ,united ,states industry1 ,federal and ,state government1 and academia to identify and further advance areas of photonics critical to regaining ,united ,states competitiveness and maintaining national security4 7#c7 ,publicly-traded companies focused on optics and photonics in the ,united ,states enable more than #c trillion in revenue annually4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 optics and photonics research and technologies promote ,united ,states global competitiveness in industry sectors1 including telecommunications and information technology1 energy1 healthcare and medicine1 manufacturing1 and defense2 7#b7 ,federal science agencies1 industry1 and academia should seek partnerships with each other to develop basic research in optics and photonics into more mature technologies and capabilities2 and 7#c7 each ,federal science agency1 as appropriate1 should-- 7,a7 survey and identify optics and photonics-related programs within that ,federal science agency and share results with other ,federal science agencies for the purpose of generating multiple applications and uses2 7,b7 partner with the private sector and academia to leverage knowledge and resources to maximize opportunities for innovation in optics and photonics2 7,c7 explore research and development opportunities1 including ,federal and private sector-sponsored internships1 to ensure a highly trained optics and photonics workforce in the ,united ,states2 7,d7 encourage partnerships between academia and industry to promote improvement in the education of optics and photonics technicians at the secondary school level1 undergraduate level1 and #b-year college level1 including through the ,foundation's ,advanced ,technological ,education program2 and 7,e7 assess existing programs and explore alternatives to modernize photonics laboratory equipment in undergraduate institutions in the ,united ,states to facilitate critical hands-on learning4 #fjd4 ,united ,states chief technology officer 7a7 ,short title ,this section may be cited as the ,united ,states ,chief ,technology ,officer ,act4 7b7 ,in general ,section #bjc the ,national ,science and ,technology ,policy1 ,organization1 and ,priorities ,act of #aigf 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffab7 is amended-- 7#a7 by inserting 7b7 ,associate ,directors4-- before ,the ,president is authorized and indenting appropriately2 7#b7 by inserting 7a7 ,in general4-- before ,there shall be and indenting appropriately2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7c7 ,chief ,technology ,officer ,subject to subsection 7b71 the ,president is authorized to designate #a of the ,associate ,directors under that subsection as a ,united ,states ,chief ,technology ,officer4 4 #fje4 ,national research council study on technology for emergency notifications on campuses 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall enter into an arrangement with the ,national ,research ,council to conduct and complete a study to identify and review technologies employed at institutions of higher education to provide notifications to students1 faculty1 and other personnel during emergency situations in accordance with law4 7b7 ,contents ,the study shall address-- 7#a7 the timeliness of notifications provided by the technologies during emergency situations2 7#b7 the durability of the technologies in delivering the notifications to students1 faculty1 and other personnel2 and 7#c7 the limitations exhibited by the technologies to successfully deliver the notifications not more than #cj seconds after the institution of higher education transmits the notifications4 7c7 ,report required ,not later than #a year after the date that the ,national ,research ,council enters into the arrangement under subsection 7a71 the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall submit to ,congress a report on the study1 including recommendations for addressing any limitations identified under subsection 7b77#c74 ,passed the ,senate ,december #aj 7legislative day1 ,december #i71 #bjaf4,secretary