America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014 - Establishes, revises, and extends specified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, as well as education, research, and training programs.
Authorizes appropriations for FY2015-FY2019 for: (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF), (2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and (3) the Department of Energy (DOE) for activities of the Office of Science.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4159 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4159
To provide for investment in innovation through research and
development and STEM education, to improve the competitiveness of the
United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2014
Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mr. George Miller of
California, Mr. Hoyer, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Edwards, Ms.
Wilson of Florida, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Swalwell of California, Mr.
Maffei, Mr. Grayson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Peters of California, Mr. Kilmer,
Mr. Bera of California, Ms. Esty, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Brownley of
California, Mr. Takano, and Ms. Kelly of Illinois) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for investment in innovation through research and
development and STEM education, to improve the competitiveness of the
United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``America Competes
Reauthorization Act of 2014''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--OSTP; GOVERNMENTWIDE SCIENCE
Subtitle A--General Provisions
Sec. 101. National Science and Technology Council amendments.
Sec. 102. Review of Federal regulations and reporting requirements.
Sec. 103. Amendments to prize competitions.
Sec. 104. Coordination of international science and technology
partnerships.
Subtitle B--Reauthorization of the National Nanotechnology Initiative
Sec. 111. Short title.
Sec. 112. National Nanotechnology Program amendments.
Sec. 113. Societal dimensions of nanotechnology.
Sec. 114. Nanotechnology education.
Sec. 115. Technology transfer.
Sec. 116. Signature initiatives in areas of national importance.
Sec. 117. Nanomanufacturing research.
Sec. 118. Definitions.
TITLE II--STEM EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY
Subtitle A--STEM Education and Workforce
Sec. 201. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 202. Coordination of Federal STEM education.
Sec. 203. Grand challenges in education research.
Sec. 204. Establishment of the Advanced Research Project Agency-
Education.
Sec. 205. Community college and industry partnerships STEM pilot grant
program.
Sec. 206. National Research Council report on STEAM education.
Sec. 207. Engaging Federal scientists and engineers in STEM education.
Subtitle B--Broadening Participation in STEM
Sec. 211. Short title.
Sec. 212. Purpose.
Sec. 213. Federal science agency policies for caregivers.
Sec. 214. Collection and reporting of data on Federal research grants.
Sec. 215. Policies for review of Federal research grants.
Sec. 216. Collection of data on demographics of faculty.
Sec. 217. Cultural and institutional barriers to expanding the academic
and Federal STEM workforce.
Sec. 218. Research and dissemination at the National Science
Foundation.
Sec. 219. Report to Congress.
Sec. 220. National Science Foundation support for increasing diversity
among STEM faculty at institutions of
higher education.
Sec. 221. National Science Foundation support for broadening
participation in undergraduate STEM
education.
Sec. 222. Definitions.
TITLE III--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Subtitle A--General Provisions
Sec. 301. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 302. Sense of Congress on support for all fields of science and
engineering.
Sec. 303. Management and oversight of large facilities.
Sec. 304. Data management plans.
Sec. 305. Support for potentially transformative research.
Sec. 306. Strengthening institutional research partnerships.
Sec. 307. Innovation Corps.
Sec. 308. Definitions.
Subtitle B--STEM Education
Sec. 321. National Science Board report on consolidation of STEM
education activities at the Foundation.
Sec. 322. Models for graduate student support.
Sec. 323. Undergraduate STEM education reform.
Sec. 324. Advanced manufacturing education.
Sec. 325. STEM education partnerships.
Sec. 326. Noyce scholarship program amendments.
Sec. 327. Informal STEM education.
Sec. 328. Research and development to support improved K-12 learning.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 403. Advanced manufacturing technology consortia.
Sec. 404. Network for manufacturing innovation.
Sec. 405. Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Sec. 406. Bioscience measurement science and standards.
Sec. 407. National Academy of Sciences review.
Sec. 408. Improving NIST collaboration with other agencies.
Sec. 409. Miscellaneous provisions.
TITLE V--INNOVATION
Sec. 501. Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Sec. 502. Federal loan guarantees for innovative technologies in
manufacturing.
Sec. 503. Regional Innovation Program.
Sec. 504. Innovation voucher pilot program.
Sec. 505. Federal Acceleration of State Technology Commercialization
Pilot Program.
Sec. 506. National Academies report on university incubators and
accelerators.
TITLE VI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Subtitle A--Office of Science
Sec. 601. Short title.
Sec. 602. Definitions.
Sec. 603. Mission of the Office of Science.
Sec. 604. Basic energy sciences program.
Sec. 605. Biological and environmental research.
Sec. 606. Advanced scientific computing research program.
Sec. 607. Fusion energy research.
Sec. 608. High energy physics program.
Sec. 609. Nuclear physics program.
Sec. 610. Science laboratories infrastructure program.
Sec. 611. Authorization of appropriations.
Subtitle B--ARPA-E
Sec. 621. Short title.
Sec. 622. ARPA-E amendments.
Subtitle C--Energy Innovation
Sec. 641. Energy innovation hubs.
Sec. 642. Participation in the Innovation Corps program.
Sec. 643. Technology transfer.
Sec. 644. Elimination of cost sharing requirement for research and
development activities conducted by
universities and nonprofit institutions.
Sec. 645. Pilot Race to the Top for Energy Efficiency and Grid
Modernization Program.
Sec. 646. Rename Under Secretary for Science to Under Secretary for
Science and Energy.
Sec. 647. Special hiring authority for scientific, engineering, and
project management personnel.
TITLE I--OSTP; GOVERNMENTWIDE SCIENCE
Subtitle A--General Provisions
SEC. 101. NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL AMENDMENTS.
Section 401 of the National Science and Technology Policy,
Organization, and Priorities Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 6651) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Federal Coordinating
Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology'' and
inserting ``National Science and Technology Council'';
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``and Energy Research
and Development Administration'' and inserting ``Department of
Energy, and any other agency designated by the President''; and
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``engineering, and technology'' and
inserting ``engineering, technology, innovation, and
STEM education'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``engineering,
and technological'' and inserting ``engineering,
technological, innovation, and STEM education'';
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as
paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following
new paragraph:
``(3) address research needs identified under paragraph (2)
through appropriate funding mechanisms, which may include
solicitations involving 2 or more agencies and public-private
partnerships;''.
SEC. 102. REVIEW OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall establish or designate a working group under
the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility of
reviewing Federal regulatory and reporting requirements across Federal
agencies that affect the conduct of United States research in an effort
to reduce regulatory burdens and to eliminate and harmonize duplicative
regulatory and reporting requirements.
(b) Responsibilities.--The working group established or designated
under subsection (a) shall--
(1) periodically review all Federal regulations and
reporting requirements that affect the conduct of United States
research to--
(A) identify ways to harmonize overlapping or
duplicative research regulations and reporting
requirements across Federal agencies;
(B) evaluate such regulations and reporting
requirements in relationship to the risks the
requirements seek to address to determine if the
benefits of the requirements are commensurate with the
costs to the progress of science or to the taxpayer;
(C) identify any regulations that are applied to
scientific researchers or to research-performing
institutions for which exemptions could be reasonably
applied or for which adjustments could be made to
better fit those regulations to diverse research
environments; and
(D) identify any specific regulations which could
be refocused on performance-based goals rather than on
process while still meeting the desired outcome;
(2) examine the extent to which agencies' guidance
documents adhere with the most recently updated version of the
Office of Management and Budget's Agency Good Guidance
Practices bulletin; and
(3) develop and update at least once every 3 years a
strategic plan for streamlining Federal regulations and
reporting requirements that affect the conduct of United States
research that contains, at a minimum--
(A) a priority list of research-related
regulations, reporting requirements, and agency
guidance to be harmonized, streamlined, updated, or
eliminated; and
(B) a plan, including a timeline, for implementing
the regulatory and reporting reforms identified in
subparagraph (A).
(c) Stakeholder Input.--In carrying out the responsibilities under
subsection (b), including the development of the strategic plan under
subsection (b)(3), the working group established or designated under
subsection (a) shall take into account input and recommendations from
non-Federal stakeholders, including federally funded and nonfederally
funded researchers, institutions of higher education, scientific
disciplinary societies and associations, nonprofit research
institutions, industry, including small businesses, federally funded
research and development centers, and others with a stake in ensuring
effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in the performance of
scientific research.
(d) Responsibilities of OSTP.--The Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, in collaboration with the Office of
Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
shall encourage and monitor the efforts of the participating agencies
to ensure that the strategic plan is developed under subsection (b)(3)
and that appropriate steps are taken by the agencies to effectively
implement the recommendations, achieve the objectives, and to adhere to
the timeline in the strategic plan.
(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
shall transmit the priority list and strategic plan developed under
subsection (b)(3) to the Congress. The Director shall further provide a
report annually to the Congress, to be submitted not later than 60 days
after the submission of the President's annual budget request, on the
progress toward implementation of the regulatory reforms outlined in
the strategic plan.
SEC. 103. AMENDMENTS TO PRIZE COMPETITIONS.
Section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) by inserting ``competition'' after ``section, a
prize'';
(B) by inserting ``types'' after ``following''; and
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``prizes'' and
inserting ``prize competitions'';
(2) in subsection (f)--
(A) by striking ``in the Federal Register'' and
inserting ``on a publicly accessible Government
website, such as www.challenge.gov,''; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``prize'' and
inserting ``cash prize purse'';
(3) in subsection (g), by striking ``prize'' and inserting
``cash prize purse'';
(4) in subsection (h), by inserting ``prize'' before
``competition'' both places it appears;
(5) in subsection (i)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``prize''
before ``competition'';
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ``prize''
before ``competition'' both places it appears;
(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph
(4); and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following
new paragraph:
``(3) Waiver.--An agency may waive the requirement under
paragraph (2). The annual report under subsection (p) shall
include a list of such waivers granted during the preceding
fiscal year, along with an explanation of the reasons for
granting the waivers.'';
(6) in subsection (j) by amending paragraph (2) to read as
follows:
``(2) Intellectual property.--
``(A) Licenses.--The Federal Government may
negotiate a license for the use of intellectual
property developed by a participant for a prize
competition.
``(B) Other conditions.--A Federal agency or
agencies in cooperation may require participants to
agree in advance to a specific approach to intellectual
property as a condition for eligibility to participate
in a prize competition.'';
(7) in subsection (k)--
(A) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ``prize''
before ``competition''; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``prize'' before
``competitions'' both places it appears;
(8) in subsection (l), by striking all after ``may enter
into'' and inserting ``a grant, contract, cooperative
agreement, or other agreement with a private sector for-profit
or nonprofit entity to administer the prize competition,
subject to the provisions of this section.'';
(9) in subsection (m)--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) In general.--Support for a prize competition under
this section, including financial support for the design and
administration of a prize competition or funds for a cash prize
purse, may consist of Federal appropriated funds and funds
provided by private sector for-profit and nonprofit entities.
The head of an agency may accept funds from other Federal
agencies, private sector for-profit entities, and nonprofit
entities to support such prize competitions. The head of an
agency may not give any special consideration to any private
sector for-profit or nonprofit entity in return for a
donation.'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``prize awards''
and inserting ``cash prize purses'';
(C) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(i) by striking ``No prize'' and inserting
``No prize competition''; and
(ii) by striking ``the prize'' and
inserting ``the cash prize purse'';
(D) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``a prize''
and inserting ``a cash prize purse'';
(E) in paragraph (3)(B)(i), by inserting
``competition'' after ``prize'';
(F) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``a prize''
and inserting ``a cash prize purse''; and
(G) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``cash
prizes'' and inserting ``cash prize purses'';
(10) in subsection (n), by inserting ``for both for-profit
and nonprofit entities,'' after ``contract vehicle'';
(11) in subsection (o)(1), by striking ``or providing a
prize'' and insert ``a prize competition or providing a cash
prize purse''; and
(12) in subsection (p)--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``Annual Report''
and inserting ``Biennial Report'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``of each year''
and inserting ``of each odd-numbered year''; and
(C) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``cash
prizes'' both places it occurs and inserting ``cash
prize purses''.
SEC. 104. COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``International
Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2014''.
(b) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall establish a body under the National Science and
Technology Council (NSTC) with the responsibility to identify and
coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can
strengthen the United States science and technology enterprise, improve
economic and national security, and support United States foreign
policy goals.
(c) NSTC Body Leadership.--The body established under subsection
(b) shall be co-chaired by senior level officials from the Office of
Science and Technology Policy and the Department of State.
(d) Responsibilities.--The body established under subsection (b)
shall--
(1) plan and coordinate interagency international science
and technology cooperative research and training activities and
partnerships supported or managed by Federal agencies and work
with other National Science and Technology Council committees
to help plan and coordinate the international component of
national science and technology priorities;
(2) establish Federal priorities and policies for aligning,
as appropriate, 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 States;
(3) 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 States;
(4) in carrying out paragraph (3), solicit input and
recommendations from non-Federal science and technology
stakeholders, including universities, scientific and
professional societies, industry, and relevant organizations
and institutions; and
(5) identify broad issues that influence the ability of
United States scientists and engineers to collaborate with
foreign counterparts, including barriers to collaboration and
access to scientific information.
(e) Report to Congress.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall transmit a report, to be updated annually, to
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate. The report shall also be made available to the
public on the reporting agency's website. The report shall contain a
description of--
(1) the priorities and policies established under
subsection (d)(2);
(2) the ongoing and new partnerships established since the
last update to the report;
(3) the means by which stakeholder input was received, as
well as summary views of stakeholder input; and
(4) the issues influencing the ability of United States
scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign
counterparts.
Subtitle B--Reauthorization of the National Nanotechnology Initiative
SEC. 111. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``National Nanotechnology
Initiative Amendments Act of 2014''.
SEC. 112. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 2--
(A) in subsection (c), by amending paragraph (4) to
read as follows:
``(4) develop, and update every 3 years thereafter, a
strategic plan to guide the activities described under
subsection (b) that specifies near-term and long-term
objectives for the Program, the anticipated timeframe for
achieving the near-term objectives, and the metrics to be used
for assessing progress toward the objectives, and that
describes--
``(A) how the Program will move results out of the
laboratory and into applications for the benefit of
society, including through cooperation and
collaborations with nanotechnology research,
development, and technology transition initiatives
supported by the States; and
``(B) proposed research in areas of national
importance in accordance with the requirements of
section 116 of the National Nanotechnology Initiative
Amendments Act of 2014;'';
(B) in subsection (d)--
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through
(5) as paragraphs (2) through (6),
respectively;
(ii) by inserting before paragraph (2), as
redesignated by clause (i), the following:
``(1) the Program budget, for the previous fiscal year, for
each agency that participates in the Program, and for each
program component area;''; and
(iii) by amending paragraph (6), as
redesignated by clause (i), to read as follows:
``(6) an assessment of how Federal agencies are
implementing the plan described in subsection (c)(7) and a
description of the amount of Small Business Innovative Research
and Small Business Technology Transfer Research funds
supporting the plan.''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(e) Standards Setting.--The agencies participating in the Program
shall support the activities of committees involved in the development
of standards for nanotechnology and may reimburse the travel costs of
scientists and engineers who participate in activities of such
committees.'';
(2) in section 3--
(A) by amending subsection (b)(1) to read as
follows:
``(b) Funding.--
``(1) In general.--The operation of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall be supported by funds
from each agency participating in the Program.
``(2) Proportion.--The portion of such Office's total
budget provided by each agency for each fiscal year shall be in
the same proportion as the agency's share of the total budget
for the Program for the previous fiscal year, as specified in
the report required under section 2(d)(1).
``(3) Exception.--The Director of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office may establish a minimum
contribution or other exception to the requirement in paragraph
(2) for participating agencies whose share of the total budget
for the Program is below a threshold level, to be set by the
Director.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(d) Public Information.--
``(1) Database.--
``(A) In general.--The National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall develop and maintain a
database accessible by the public of projects funded
under at least the Environmental, Health, and Safety
program component area, or any successor program
component area, including, to the extent practicable, a
description of each project, its source of funding by
agency, and its funding history.
``(B) Organization.--Projects shall be grouped by
major objective as defined by the research plan
required under section 3(b) of the National
Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2014.
``(2) Accessible facilities.--
``(A) In general.--The National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall develop, maintain, and
publicize information on nanotechnology facilities
supported under the Program, and may include
information on nanotechnology facilities supported by
the States, that are accessible for use by individuals
from academic institutions and from industry.
``(B) Websites.--The National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall maintain active web links to
the websites for each of these facilities and shall
work with each facility supported under the Program to
ensure that each facility publishes on its respective
website updated information on the terms and conditions
for the use of the facility, a description of the
capabilities of the instruments and equipment available
for use at the facility, and a description of the
technical support available to assist users of the
facility.'';
(3) in section 4--
(A) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the
following: ``The co-chairs of the Advisory Panel shall
meet the qualifications of Panel membership required in
subsection (b) and may be members of the President's
Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The
Advisory Panel shall include members having specific
qualifications tailored to enable it to carry out the
requirements of subsection (c)(6).'';
(B) in subsection (c)--
(i) by striking paragraph (1); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (2)
through (7) as paragraphs (1) through (6),
respectively; and
(C) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
``(d) Reports.--The Advisory Panel shall report not less frequently
than every 3 years, and, to the extent practicable, 1 year following
each of the National Research Council triennial reviews required under
section 5, to the President on its assessments under subsection (c) and
its recommendations for ways to improve the Program. The Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall transmit a copy of
each report under this subsection to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and other
appropriate committees of the Congress.'';
(4) by amending section 5 to read as follows:
``SEC. 5. TRIENNIAL EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall enter into an arrangement with the National
Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a
triennial review of the Program. The Director shall ensure that the
arrangement with the National Research Council is concluded in order to
allow sufficient time for the reporting requirements of subsection (b)
to be satisfied. Each triennial review shall include an evaluation of
the--
``(1) research priorities and technical content of the
Program, including whether the balance of funding among program
component areas, as designated according to section 2(c)(2), is
appropriate;
``(2) Program's scientific and technological
accomplishments and its success in transferring technology to
the private sector; and
``(3) adequacy of the Program's activities addressing
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal
concerns, including human health concerns.
``(b) Priority Reports.--If the Director of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office, working with the National Research
Council and with input from the Advisory Panel, determines that a more
narrowly focused review of the Program is in the best interests of the
Program, the Director may enter into such an arrangement with the
National Research Council in lieu of a full review as required under
subsection (a), but not more often than every second triennial review.
``(c) Evaluation To Be Transmitted to Congress.--The National
Research Council shall document the results of each triennial review
carried out in accordance with this section in a report that includes
any recommendations for changes to the Program's objectives, technical
content, or other policy or Program changes. Each report shall be
submitted to the Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination
Office, who shall transmit it to the Advisory Panel, the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.'';
and
(5) in section 10--
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Nanotechnology.--The term `nanotechnology' means the
science and technology that will enable one to understand,
measure, model, image, manipulate, and manufacture at the
nanoscale, aimed at creating materials, devices, and systems
with fundamentally new properties or functions.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(7) Nanoscale.--The term `nanoscale' means one or more
dimensions of between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers.''.
SEC. 113. SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.
(a) Coordinator for Environmental, Health, and Safety Research.--
The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall
designate an associate director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy or other appropriate senior government official as the
Coordinator for Environmental, Health, and Safety Research. The
Coordinator shall be responsible for oversight of the coordination,
planning, and budget prioritization of research and other activities
related to environmental, health, safety, and other appropriate
societal concerns related to nanotechnology. The responsibilities of
the Coordinator shall include--
(1) ensuring that a research plan for the environmental,
health, and safety research activities required under
subsection (b) is developed, updated, and implemented and that
the plan is responsive to the recommendations of the Advisory
Panel established under section 4(a) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7503(a)); and
(2) encouraging and monitoring the efforts of the agencies
participating in the Program to allocate the level of resources
and management attention necessary to ensure that the
environmental, health, safety, and other appropriate societal
concerns related to nanotechnology are addressed under the
Program.
(b) Research Plan.--
(1) In general.--The Coordinator for Environmental, Health,
and Safety Research shall convene and chair a panel comprised
of representatives from the agencies funding research
activities under the Environmental, Health, and Safety program
component area of the Program, or any successor program
component area, and from such other agencies as the Coordinator
considers necessary to develop, periodically update, and
coordinate the implementation of a research plan for this
program component area. Such panel may be a subgroup of the
Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of
the National Science and Technology Council. In developing and
updating the plan, the panel convened by the Coordinator shall
solicit and be responsive to recommendations and advice from--
(A) the Advisory Panel established under section
4(a) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)); and
(B) the agencies responsible for environmental,
health, and safety regulations associated with the
production, use, and disposal of nanoscale materials
and products.
(2) Development of standards.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall include a description of how the Program
will help to ensure the development of--
(A) standards related to nomenclature associated
with engineered nanoscale materials;
(B) engineered nanoscale standard reference
materials for environmental, health, and safety
testing; and
(C) standards related to methods and procedures for
detecting, measuring, monitoring, sampling, and testing
engineered nanoscale materials for environmental,
health, and safety impacts.
(3) Components of plan.--The plan required under paragraph
(1) shall, with respect to activities described in paragraphs
(1) and (2)--
(A) specify near-term research objectives and long-
term research objectives;
(B) specify milestones associated with each near-
term objective and the estimated time and resources
required to reach each milestone;
(C) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B),
describe the role of each agency carrying out or
sponsoring research in order to meet the objectives
specified under subparagraph (A) and to achieve the
milestones specified under subparagraph (B); and
(D) specify the funding allocated to each major
objective of the plan and the source of funding by
agency for the current fiscal year.
(4) Transmittal to congress.--Not later than 6 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the plan required under
paragraph (1) shall be transmitted to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives.
(5) Updating and appending to report.--The plan required
under paragraph (1) shall be updated at least every 3 years and
may be submitted as part of the report required under section
2(c)(4) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(c)(4)).
SEC. 114. NANOTECHNOLOGY EDUCATION.
(a) Undergraduate Education Programs.--The Program shall support
efforts to introduce nanoscale science, engineering, and technology
into undergraduate science and engineering education through a variety
of interdisciplinary approaches. Activities supported may include--
(1) development of courses of instruction or modules to
existing courses;
(2) faculty professional development; and
(3) acquisition of equipment and instrumentation suitable
for undergraduate education and research in nanotechnology.
(b) Interagency Coordination of Education.--The Committee
established under section 2(c) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology
Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(c)) shall coordinate, as
appropriate, with the Committee established under section 101 of the
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621) to
prioritize, plan, and assess the educational activities supported under
the Program.
(c) Societal Dimensions in Nanotechnology Education Activities.--
Activities supported under the Education and Societal Dimensions
program component area, or any successor program component area, that
involve informal, precollege, or undergraduate nanotechnology education
shall include education regarding the environmental, health and safety,
and other societal aspects of nanotechnology.
(d) Remote Access to Nanotechnology Facilities.--
(1) In general.--Agencies supporting nanotechnology
research facilities as part of the Program shall require the
entities that operate such facilities to allow access via the
Internet, and support the costs associated with the provision
of such access, by secondary school students and teachers, to
instruments and equipment within such facilities for
educational purposes. The agencies may waive this requirement
for cases when particular facilities would be inappropriate for
educational purposes or the costs for providing such access
would be prohibitive.
(2) Procedures.--The agencies identified in paragraph (1)
shall require the entities that operate such nanotechnology
research facilities to establish and publish procedures,
guidelines, and conditions for the submission and approval of
applications for the use of the facilities for the purpose
identified in paragraph (1) and shall authorize personnel who
operate the facilities to provide necessary technical support
to students and teachers.
SEC. 115. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
(a) Prototyping.--
(1) Access to facilities.--In accordance with section
2(b)(7) of 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(7)), the agencies supporting
nanotechnology research facilities as part of the Program shall
provide access to such facilities to companies for the purpose
of assisting the companies in the development of prototypes of
nanoscale products, devices, or processes (or products,
devices, or processes enabled by nanotechnology) for
determining proof of concept. The agencies shall publicize the
availability of these facilities and encourage their use by
companies as provided for in this section. The agencies may
waive this requirement for academic facilities for which the
costs of providing such access would be prohibitive.
(2) Procedures.--The agencies identified in paragraph (1)--
(A) shall establish and publish procedures,
guidelines, and conditions for the submission and
approval of applications for use of nanotechnology
facilities;
(B) shall publish descriptions of the capabilities
of facilities available for use under this subsection,
including the availability of technical support; and
(C) may waive recovery, require full recovery, or
require partial recovery of the costs associated with
use of the facilities for projects under this
subsection.
(3) Selection and criteria.--
(A) In general.--In cases when less than full cost
recovery is required pursuant to paragraph (2)(C),
projects provided access to nanotechnology facilities
in accordance with this subsection shall be selected
through a competitive, merit-based process, and the
criteria for the selection of such projects shall
include at a minimum the readiness of the project for
technology demonstration.
(B) Special consideration.--The agencies may give
special consideration in selecting projects to
applications that are relevant to important national
needs or requirements.
(b) Collaboration With Industry.--The Program shall coordinate with
industry from all industrial sectors that would benefit from
applications of nanotechnology by--
(1) enhancing communication of information related to
nanotechnology innovation, including information about
research, education and training, manufacturing issues, and
market-driven needs;
(2) advancing and accelerating the creation of new products
and manufacturing processes derived from discovery at the
nanoscale by working with industry, including small and medium-
sized manufacturers;
(3) developing innovative methods for transferring
nanotechnology products and processes from Federal agencies to
industry; and
(4) facilitating industry-led partnerships between the
Program and industry sectors, including regional partnerships.
(c) Coordination With State, Regional, and Local Initiatives.--
Section 2(b)(5) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
``(5) ensuring United States global leadership in the
development and application of nanotechnology, including
through the coordination and leveraging of Federal investments
with nanotechnology research, development, and technology
transition initiatives supported by the States and regions
across the country;''.
SEC. 116. SIGNATURE INITIATIVES IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Program shall include support for
nanotechnology research and development activities directed toward
topical and application areas that have the potential for significant
contributions to national economic competitiveness and for other
significant societal benefits. The activities supported shall be
designed to advance the development of research discoveries by
demonstrating technical solutions to important national challenges. The
Advisory Panel shall make recommendations to the Program for candidate
research and development areas for support under this section.
(b) Characteristics.--
(1) In general.--Research and development activities under
this section shall--
(A) include projects selected on the basis of
applications for support through a competitive, merit-
based process;
(B) involve collaborations among researchers in
academic institutions and industry, and may involve
nonprofit research institutions and Federal
laboratories, as appropriate;
(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments
through collaboration with related State initiatives;
and
(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of
research discoveries and the results of technology
demonstration activities to industry for commercial
development.
(2) Joint solicitations.--Projects supported under this
section shall include projects for which determination of the
requirements for applications, review and selection of
applications for support, and subsequent funding of projects
shall be carried out by a collaboration of no fewer than 2
agencies participating in the Program. In selecting
applications for support, agencies may, as appropriate, give
special consideration to projects that include cost sharing
from non-Federal sources.
(3) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and
development activities under this section may be supported
through interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers, as
authorized by section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(4)), that are organized to investigate basic research
questions and carry out technology demonstration activities in
areas such as those identified in subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Reports required under section 2(d) of the 21st
Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(d))
shall include a description of research and development areas supported
in accordance with this section.
SEC. 117. NANOMANUFACTURING RESEARCH.
(a) Research Areas.--The Program shall include research on--
(1) the development of instrumentation and tools required
for the rapid characterization of nanoscale materials and for
monitoring of nanoscale manufacturing processes; and
(2) approaches and techniques for scaling the synthesis of
new nanoscale materials to achieve industrial-level production
rates.
(b) Green Nanotechnology.--Interdisciplinary research centers
supported under the Program in accordance with section 2(b)(4) of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(4)) that are focused on nanomanufacturing research shall
include as part of the activities of such centers--
(1) research on methods and approaches to develop
environmentally benign nanoscale products and nanoscale
manufacturing processes, taking into consideration relevant
findings and results of research supported under the
Environmental, Health, and Safety program component area, or
any successor program component area;
(2) fostering the transfer of the results of such research
to industry; and
(3) providing for the education of scientists and engineers
through interdisciplinary studies in the principles and
techniques for the design and development of environmentally
benign nanoscale products and processes.
SEC. 118. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle, terms that are defined in section 10 of the 21st
Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7509)
have the meaning given those terms in that section.
TITLE II--STEM EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY
Subtitle A--STEM Education and Workforce
SEC. 201. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Proposal.--It is the sense of Congress
that Federal agencies need to develop and implement a comprehensive
Federal STEM education strategy that focuses on leveraging the limited
STEM education funding and other assets we have to invest for maximum
student learning benefit, and that such a strategy will involve a
reorganization of the current portfolio of Federal STEM investments.
However, it is the sense of Congress that the Administration's fiscal
year 2014 proposal to consolidate or eliminate 120 STEM programs across
14 Federal agencies lacked input or support from the Federal agencies
and the stakeholder communities implicated in the proposal, was not
based on evidence about program effectiveness, lacks clarity in how it
will meet the goals of the strategic plan required in the America
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, and is not an adequate basis for
implementing changes to existing agency and interagency STEM
activities.
(b) CoSTEM.--It is the sense of Congress that the National Science
and Technology Council's Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM), required
under the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, has taken
important initial steps toward developing a comprehensive and
defensible strategic plan through its completion of its first ``Federal
STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan,'' but that much more work must be
done to develop a clear evidence base for reorganization decisions and
to solicit and take into account views and experience from stakeholders
who help implement or are the beneficiaries of Federal STEM programs
across the Nation. It is further the sense of Congress that agencies,
through CoSTEM, should play a leading role in developing the
Administration's budget proposals for STEM education just as they play
a leading role in developing the budget proposals for other major
interagency initiatives, such as the National Nanotechnology
Initiative.
(c) Mission Agencies.--It is the sense of Congress that science
mission agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and the Department of Energy are essential partners in contributing to
the goals and implementation of a Federal STEM strategic plan because
such agencies have unique scientific and technological facilities as
well as highly trained scientists who are eager and able to contribute
to improved STEM learning outcomes in their own communities. It is
further the sense of Congress that the Department of Education can play
an important role in implementing any Federal STEM education strategy
because of its unique relationship with States, local educational
agencies, schools, and institutions of higher education, as well as its
capacity to scale and disseminate proven programs and models, but that
the Department must take steps to build capacity in STEM education to
maximize the effectiveness of any Governmentwide leadership role in K-
12 STEM education.
SEC. 202. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL STEM EDUCATION.
Section 101 of America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42
U.S.C. 6621) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(5)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (D)
as subparagraphs (B) through (E), respectively; and
(B) by inserting before subparagraph (B), as so
redesigned by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the
following new subparagraph:
``(A) have as its primary goal to leverage the
limited STEM education funding and other assets,
including intellectual capital, invested by Federal
STEM agencies for maximum benefit to student
learning;'';
(2) by striking the second subsection (b);
(3) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (f);
(4) by inserting after subsection (b), the following new
subsections:
``(c) Coordinator for STEM Education.--The Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy shall designate an associate director
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy as the Coordinator for
STEM Education. When an appropriate associate director is not
available, the Director may designate another appropriate senior
government official as the Coordinator for STEM Education. The
Coordinator shall chair the committee established under subsection (a).
The Coordinator shall, with the assistance of appropriate senior
officials from other Committee on STEM Education agencies, ensure that
the requirements of this section are satisfied.
``(d) Stakeholder Input.--
``(1) Interagency consolidation.--For all agency proposals
to consolidate or transfer budgets or functions for STEM
education programs or activities between agencies, at the time
of submission of such proposals to Congress, the Director shall
report to Congress on activities undertaken by the Office of
Science and Technology Policy or by relevant agencies to take
into consideration relevant input from the STEM Education
Advisory Panel established under subsection (e) and other
relevant education stakeholders.
``(2) Intraagency consolidation.--For all agency proposals
to internally consolidate or terminate STEM education programs
with budgets exceeding $3,000,000, at the time of submission of
such proposals to Congress, the head of the relevant agency
shall report to Congress on activities to solicit and take into
consideration input on such proposals from the STEM Education
Advisory Panel established under subsection (e) and other
relevant education stakeholders.
``(e) STEM Education Advisory Panel.--
``(1) In general.--The President shall establish or
designate a STEM Education Advisory Panel. The cochairs of the
Advisory Panel shall meet the qualifications of Panel
membership required in paragraph (2) and may be members of the
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
``(2) Qualifications.--The Advisory Panel established or
designated by the President under this subsection shall consist
of members from academic institutions, industry, informal
education providers, nonprofit STEM education organizations,
foundations, and local and State educational agencies. Members
of the Advisory Panel shall be qualified to provide advice on
Federal STEM education programs, best practices in STEM
education, assessment of STEM education programs, STEM
education standards, industry needs for STEM graduates, and
public-private STEM education partnerships.
``(3) Duties.--The Advisory Panel shall advise the
President and the committee established under subsection (a) on
implementing the Federal STEM education strategic plan required
under subsection (b)(5) and coordinating Federal STEM programs
with nongovernmental STEM initiatives and State and local
educational agencies.
``(4) Report.--The Advisory Panel shall report, not more
than 1 year after enactment of the America Competes
Reauthorization Act of 2014, on options for evidence-based
implementation of the Federal STEM strategic plan required
under subsection (b)(5), including options for designating
certain agencies as coordinating leads for different priority
investment areas, timelines for implementation, and specific
management, budget, policy, or other steps that agencies must
take to effectively implement the strategic plan.
``(5) Sunset.--The authorization for the Advisory Panel
established under this subsection shall expire 3 years after
the date of enactment of the America Competes Reauthorization
Act of 2014.''; and
(5) in subsection (f), as so redesignated by paragraph (3)
of this section--
(A) by inserting ``progress made in implementing''
after ``describing'';
(B) by striking paragraph (3); and
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as
paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively.
SEC. 203. GRAND CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation
and the Secretary of Education shall collaborate in--
(1) identifying, prioritizing, and developing strategies to
address grand challenges in research and development, including
assessment, on the teaching and learning of STEM at the pre-K-
12 level, in formal and informal settings, for diverse learning
populations, including individuals identified in section 33 or
34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42
U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b); and
(2) ensuring the dissemination and promoting the
utilization of the results of such research and development.
(b) Stakeholder Input.--In identifying the grand challenges under
subsection (a), the Director and the Secretary shall--
(1) take into consideration critical research gaps
identified in existing reports, including reports by the
National Academies, on the teaching and learning of STEM at the
pre-K-12 level in formal and informal settings; and
(2) solicit input from a wide range of stakeholders,
including officials from State educational agencies and local
educational agencies, STEM teachers, STEM education
researchers, scientific and engineering societies, STEM faculty
at institutions of higher education, informal STEM education
providers, businesses with a large STEM workforce, and other
stakeholders in the teaching and learning of STEM at the pre-K-
12 level, and may enter into an arrangement with the National
Research Council for these purposes.
(c) Topics To Consider.--In identifying the grand challenges under
subsection (a), the Director and the Secretary shall, at a minimum,
consider research and development on--
(1) scalability, sustainability, and replication of
successful STEM activities, programs, and models, in formal and
informal environments;
(2) model systems that support improved teaching and
learning of STEM across entire local educational agencies and
States, including rural areas, and encompassing and integrating
the teaching and learning of STEM in formal and informal
venues;
(3) implementation of new State mathematics and science
standards;
(4) what makes a STEM teacher effective and STEM teacher
professional development effective, including development of
tools and methodologies to measure STEM teacher effectiveness;
(5) cyber-enabled and other technology tools for teaching
and learning, including massive open online courses;
(6) STEM teaching and learning in informal environments,
including development of tools and methodologies for assessing
STEM teaching and learning in informal environments; and
(7) how integrating engineering with mathematics and
science education may--
(A) improve student learning of mathematics and
science;
(B) increase student interest and persistence in
STEM; or
(C) improve student understanding of engineering
design principles and of the built world.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director and the Secretary shall report to
Congress with a description of--
(1) the grand challenges identified pursuant to this
section;
(2) the role of each agency in supporting research and
development activities to address the grand challenges;
(3) the common metrics that will be used to assess progress
toward meeting the grand challenges;
(4) plans for periodically updating the grand challenges;
(5) how the agencies will disseminate and promote the
utilization of the results of research and development
activities carried out under this section to STEM education
practitioners, to other Federal agencies that support STEM
programs and activities, and to non-Federal funders of STEM
education; and
(6) how the agencies will support implementation of best
practices identified by the research and development
activities.
SEC. 204. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECT AGENCY-
EDUCATION.
(a) Program Established.--From the amounts appropriated for section
14007 of division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (Public Law 111-5), the Secretary of Education may reserve up to
30 percent to--
(1) establish and carry out the Advanced Research Projects
Agency-Education (in this section referred to as ``ARPA-ED'')
to--
(A) identify and promote advances in learning,
fundamental and applied sciences, and engineering that
may be translated into new learning technologies;
(B) develop, test, and evaluate new learning
technologies and related processes; and
(C) accelerate transformational technological
advances in education;
(2) convene an advisory panel under subsection (d); and
(3) carry out the evaluation and dissemination requirements
under subsection (e).
(b) Appointments.--
(1) Director.--ARPA-ED shall be under the direction of the
Director of ARPA-ED, who shall be appointed by the Secretary.
(2) Qualified individuals.--The Secretary shall appoint,
for a term of not more than 4 years, qualified individuals who
represent scientific, engineering, professional, and other
personnel with expertise in carrying out the activities
described in this section to positions in ARPA-ED, at rates of
compensation determined by the Secretary, without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, except that such
rates of compensation shall not to exceed the rate for level I
of the Executive Schedule under section 5312 of such title.
(c) Functions of ARPA-ED.--Upon consultation with the advisory
panel convened under subsection (d), the Secretary shall select public
and private entities to carry out the activities described in
subsection (a)(1) by--
(1) awarding such entities grants, contracts, cooperative
agreements, or cash prizes; or
(2) entering into such other transactions with such
entities as the Secretary may prescribe in regulations.
(d) Advisory Panel.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall convene an advisory
panel to advise and consult with the Secretary, the Director,
and the qualified individuals appointed under subsection (b)(2)
on--
(A) ensuring that the awards made and transaction
entered into under subsection (c) are consistent with
the purposes described in subsection (a)(1); and
(B) ensuring the relevance, accessibility, and
utility of such awards and transactions to education
practitioners.
(2) Appointment of members.--The Secretary shall appoint
the following qualified individuals to serve on the advisory
panel:
(A) Education practitioners.
(B) Experts in technology.
(C) Specialists in rapid gains in student
achievement and school turnaround.
(D) Specialists in personalized learning.
(E) Researchers, including at least one
representative from a comprehensive center established
under section 203 of the Educational Technical
Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602) or the regional
laboratories system established under section 174 of
the Education Sciences Reform Act (20 U.S.C. 9564).
(F) Other individuals with expertise who will
contribute to the overall rigor and quality of ARPA-ED.
(3) Applicability of faca.--The Federal Advisory Committee
Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the panel convened under
this subsection and any appointee to such panel shall not be
considered an ``employee'' under section 2105 of title 5,
United States Code.
(e) Evaluation and Dissemination.--
(1) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall obtain independent,
periodic, and rigorous evaluation of--
(A) the effectiveness of the processes ARPA-Ed is
using to achieve the purposes described in subsection
(a)(1);
(B) the relevance, accessibility, and utility of
the awards made and transactions entered into under
subsection (c) to education practitioners; and
(C) the effectiveness of the projects carried out
through such awards and transactions, using evidence
standards developed in consultation with the Institute
of Education Sciences, and the suitability of such
projects for further investment or increased scale.
(2) Dissemination and use.--The Secretary shall disseminate
information to education practitioners, including teachers,
principals, and local and State superintendents, on effective
practices and technologies developed under ARPA-ED, as
appropriate, through--
(A) the comprehensive centers established under 203
of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20
U.S.C. 9602);
(B) the regional laboratories system established
under section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act
(20 U.S.C. 9564); and
(C) such other means as the Secretary determines to
be appropriate.
(f) Administrative Requirements.--Notwithstanding section 437(d) of
the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)), the Secretary
shall establish such processes as may be necessary for the Secretary to
manage and administer ARPA-ED, which are not constrained by other
Department-wide administrative requirements that may prevent ARPA-ED
from carrying out the purposes described in subsection (a)(1).
(g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Education.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
ARPA-ED.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
SEC. 205. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS STEM PILOT GRANT
PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Labor shall establish a
competitive grant pilot program for the purpose of developing,
offering, improving, or providing STEM education or career training
programs for workers.
(b) Eligible Entity.--
(1) In general.--Entities eligible for a grant under this
section are any of the following (or a consortium of any of the
following) in partnership with employers or an association of
employers--
(A) a junior or community college (as defined in
section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1085(f)));
(B) a postsecondary vocational institution (as
defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)));
(C) a four-year public institution of higher
education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that offers
two-year degrees, will use funds provided under this
section for activities at the certificate and associate
degree levels, and is not reasonably close, as
determined by the Secretary of Labor, to a community
college;
(D) a tribal college or university (as defined in
section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1059c(b))); or
(E) at the discretion of the Secretary of Labor, a
private, not-for-profit, two-year institution of higher
education in Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the
Republic of Palau.
(2) Additional partnerships.--In addition to partnering
with employers or an association of employers, the eligible
entities described in paragraph (1) may partner with any of the
following organizations:
(A) An adult education provider or institution of
higher education (as defined in section 101 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
(B) A community-based organization.
(C) A joint labor-management partnership.
(D) Any other organization that the Secretary of
Labor considers appropriate.
(3) Workforce investment board.--Any such partnership shall
collaborate with, and may include, the State or local workforce
investment board.
(c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this
section shall submit a grant proposal to the Secretary of Labor at such
time and containing such information as the Secretary may require. The
proposal shall include, at a minimum, a detailed description of--
(1) the specific project for which the grant proposal is
submitted, including the manner in which the grant will be used
to develop, offer, improve, or provide a STEM education or
career training program;
(2) the extent to which the project will meet the STEM
education or career training needs of workers in the area
served by the eligible entity;
(3) the extent to which the project will meet the needs of
employers in the region for skilled workers in in-demand
industry sectors and in-demand occupations, including high
technology areas, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing;
(4) the extent to which the project fits within any overall
strategic plan developed by an eligible entity; and
(5) any previous experience of the eligible entity in
providing STEM education or career training programs, the
absence of which shall not automatically disqualify an eligible
institution from receiving a grant under this section.
(d) Specifications of Grants.--
(1) Duration.--A grant shall be awarded under this section
for a period of up to 36 months in duration.
(2) Size of grant.--The amount of a grant awarded under
this subsection may not exceed $3,000,000 for an individual
entity and $20,000,000 for a consortium.
(e) Criteria for Award.--
(1) In general.--Grants under this section shall be awarded
based on--
(A) a determination of the merits of the grant
proposal submitted by the eligible entity to develop,
offer, improve, or provide STEM education or career
training programs to be made available to workers;
(B) an assessment of the likely employment
opportunities available in the region to individuals
who complete a STEM education or career training
program that the eligible entity proposes to develop,
offer, improve, or provide;
(C) an assessment of prior demand for STEM training
programs by individuals eligible for training served by
the eligible entity as well as availability and
capacity of existing STEM training programs to meet
future demand for STEM training programs; and
(D) any additional criteria established by the
Secretary of Labor.
(2) Priority.--The Secretary of Labor shall give priority
to eligible entities that--
(A) include a partnership with a business or
industry or sector partnership that--
(i) pays a portion of the costs of such
programs; or
(ii) agrees to hire individuals who have
completed a particular postsecondary degree,
certificate, or credential resulting from the
training program of the eligible entity;
(B) enter into a partnership with a labor
organization or labor-management training program that
provides technical expertise for occupationally
specific education necessary for a recognized
postsecondary STEM credential leading to an occupation
in an in-demand industry sector;
(C) are focused on serving individuals with
barriers to employment, particularly individuals who
have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer;
(D) are community colleges serving areas with high
unemployment rates, including rural areas; and
(E) are eligible entities that include an
institution of higher education eligible for assistance
under title III or V of the Higher Education Act of
1965.
(f) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used
for one or more of the following:
(1) The development, offering, improvement, or provision of
STEM academic programs or training programs that provide
relevant job training for skilled occupations that will meet
the needs of employers in in-demand industry sectors, which may
include registered apprenticeship programs, on-the-job training
programs, and programs that support employers in upgrading the
skills of their workforce.
(2) The development and implementation of policies and
programs to expand opportunities for students to earn a
recognized postsecondary STEM credential or degree in in-demand
industry sectors and in-demand occupations, including by--
(A) facilitating the transfer of academic credits
between institutions of higher education, including the
transfer of academic credits for courses in the same
field of study;
(B) expanding articulation agreements and policies
that guarantee transfer between such institutions,
including through common course numbering and general
core curriculum; and
(C) developing or enhancing student support
services programs.
(3) The creation of workforce programs that provide a
sequence of education and occupational training that leads to a
recognized postsecondary STEM credential or degree, including
programs that--
(A) blend basic skills and occupational training;
(B) facilitate means of transitioning from
noncredit occupational, basic skills, or developmental
coursework to for-credit coursework within and across
institutions;
(C) build or enhance linkages including the
development of dual enrollment programs and early
college high schools between secondary education or
adult education programs (including programs
established under the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006);
(D) implement other innovative programs designed to
increase the provision of training for students,
including students who are veteran members of the
National Guard or Reserves, to enter skilled
occupations in in-demand industry sectors; and
(E) support paid internships that will allow
students to simultaneously earn credit for work-based
learning and gain relevant employment experience in an
in-demand industry sector or in-demand occupation,
which shall include opportunities that transition
individuals into employment.
(4) The support of regional or national in-demand industry
sectors to develop skills consortia that will identify pressing
workforce needs and develop solutions such as--
(A) standardizing industry certifications;
(B) developing new training technologies; and
(C) collaborating with industry employers to define
and describe how specific skills lead to particular
jobs and career opportunities.
(g) Authorizations of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Labor $100,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2014 through 2016 to carry out this section.
(h) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section--
(1) the term ``in-demand industry sector'' means an
industry sector that has a substantial current or potential
impact (including through jobs that lead to economic self-
sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) on the State,
regional, or local economy, as appropriate, and that
contributes to the growth or stability of other supporting
businesses, or the growth of other industry sectors; and
(2) the term ``in-demand occupation'' means an occupation
that currently has or is projected to have a number of
positions (including positions that lead to economic self-
sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) in an industry
sector so as to have a significant impact on the State,
regional, or local economy.
SEC. 206. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORT ON STEAM EDUCATION.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) Talent Expansion Program set an important goal of
increasing the number of students graduating with associate or
baccalaureate degrees in the STEM fields, and this should
continue to be a focus of that program;
(2) to further the goal of the STEM Talent Expansion
Program, as well as STEM education promotion programs across
the Federal Government, innovative approaches are needed to
enhance STEM education in the United States;
(3) STEAM, which is the integration of arts and design,
broadly defined, into Federal STEM programming, research, and
innovation activities, is a method-validated approach to
maintaining the competitiveness of the United States in both
workforce and innovation and to increasing and broadening
students' engagement in the STEM fields;
(4) STEM graduates need more than technical skills to
thrive in the 21st century workforce; they also need to be
creative, innovative, collaborative, and able to think
critically;
(5) STEAM should be recognized as providing value to STEM
research and education programs across Federal agencies,
without supplanting the focus on the traditional STEM
disciplines;
(6) Federal agencies should work cooperatively on
interdisciplinary initiatives to support the integration of
arts and design into STEM, and current interdisciplinary
programs should be strengthened;
(7) Federal agencies should allow for STEAM activities
under current and future grant-making and other activities; and
(8) Federal agencies should clarify that, where
appropriate, data collection, surveys, and reporting on STEM
activities and grant-making should examine activities that
involve cross-disciplinary learning that integrates specialized
skills and expertise from both art and science.
(b) National Research Council Workshop.--The National Science
Foundation shall enter into an arrangement with the National Research
Council to conduct a workshop on the integration of arts and design
with STEM education. The workshop shall include a discussion of--
(1) how the perspectives and experience of artists and
designers may contribute to the advancement of science,
engineering, and innovation, for example through the
development of visualization aids for large experimental and
computational data sets;
(2) how arts and design-based education experiences might
support formal and informal STEM education at the pre-K-12
level, particularly in fostering creativity and risk taking,
and encourage more students to pursue STEM studies, including
students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM;
(3) how the teaching of design principles can be better
integrated into undergraduate engineering and other STEM
curricula, including in the first two years of undergraduate
studies, to enhance student capacity for creativity and
innovation and improve student retention, including students
from groups historically underrepresented in STEM; and
(4) what additional steps, if any, Federal science agencies
should take to promote the inclusion of arts and design
principles in their respective STEM programs and activities in
order to improve student STEM learning outcomes, increase the
recruitment and retention of students into STEM studies and
careers, and increase innovation in the United States.
(c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment
of this Act, the National Research Council shall submit a report to
Congress providing a summary description of the discussion and findings
from the workshop required under subsection (b).
SEC. 207. ENGAGING FEDERAL SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN STEM EDUCATION.
The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall
develop guidance for Federal agencies to increase opportunities and
training, as appropriate, for Federal scientists and engineers to
participate in STEM engagement activities through their respective
agencies and in their communities.
Subtitle B--Broadening Participation in STEM
SEC. 211. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``STEM Opportunities Act of
2014''.
SEC. 212. PURPOSE.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy, acting through the Federal science agencies, shall
carry out programs and activities with the purpose of ensuring that
Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education receiving
Federal research and development funding are fully engaging their
entire talent pool.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this subtitle are as follows:
(1) To promote research on and increase understanding of
the participation and trajectories of women and
underrepresented minorities in STEM careers at institutions of
higher education and Federal science agencies, including
Federal laboratories.
(2) To raise awareness within Federal science agencies,
including Federal laboratories, and institutions of higher
education about cultural and institutional barriers limiting
the recruitment, retention, promotion, and other indicators of
participation and achievement of women and underrepresented
minorities in academic and Government STEM research careers at
all levels.
(3) To identify, disseminate, and implement best practices
at Federal science agencies, including Federal laboratories,
and at institutions of higher education to remove or reduce
cultural and institutional barriers limiting the recruitment,
retention, and success of women and underrepresented minorities
in academic and Government STEM research careers.
(4) To provide grants to institutions of higher education
to recruit, retain, and advance STEM faculty members from
underrepresented minority groups and to implement or expand
reforms in undergraduate STEM education in order to increase
the number of students from underrepresented minority groups
receiving degrees in these fields.
SEC. 213. FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY POLICIES FOR CAREGIVERS.
(a) OSTP Guidance.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall provide guidance to Federal science agencies to
establish policies that--
(1) apply to all--
(A) intramural and extramural research awards; and
(B) primary investigators who have caregiving
responsibilities, including care for a newborn or newly
adopted child and care for an immediate family member
who is sick or disabled; and
(2) provide--
(A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of
approved research awards;
(B) no-cost extensions of research awards;
(C) grant supplements as appropriate to research
awards for research technicians or equivalent to
sustain research activities; and
(D) any other appropriate accommodations at the
discretion of the head of each agency.
(b) Uniformity of Guidance.--In providing such guidance, the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall encourage
uniformity and consistency in the policies across all agencies.
(c) Establishment of Policies.--Consistent with the guidance
provided under this section, Federal science agencies shall maintain or
develop and implement policies for caregivers and shall broadly
disseminate such policies to current and potential grantees.
(d) Data on Usage.--Federal science agencies shall--
(1) collect data on the usage of the policies under
subsection (c), by gender, at both institutions of higher
education and Federal laboratories; and
(2) report such data on an annual basis to the Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy in such form as
required by the Director.
SEC. 214. COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF DATA ON FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS.
(a) Collection of Data.--
(1) In general.--Each Federal science agency shall collect
standardized record-level annual information on demographics,
primary field, award type, budget request, funding outcome, and
awarded budget for all applications for merit-reviewed research
and development grants to institutions of higher education and
Federal laboratories supported by that agency.
(2) Uniformity and standardization.--The Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish a
policy to ensure uniformity and standardization of the data
collection required under paragraph (1).
(3) Record-level data.--
(A) Requirement.--On an annual basis, beginning
with the deadline under subparagraph (C), each Federal
science agency shall submit to the Director of the
National Science Foundation record-level data collected
under paragraph (1) in the form required by such
Director.
(B) Previous data.--As part of the first submission
under subparagraph (A), each Federal science agency, to
the extent practicable, shall also submit comparable
record-level data for the 5 years preceding the
deadline under subparagraph (C).
(C) Deadline.--The deadline under this paragraph is
2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Reporting of Data.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall publish statistical summary data collected under this
section, disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, gender,
age, and years since completion of doctoral degree, including in
conjunction with the National Science Foundation's report required by
section 37 of the Science and Technology Equal Opportunities Act (42
U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96-516).
SEC. 215. POLICIES FOR REVIEW OF FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy, in collaboration with the Director of the National
Science Foundation, shall identify information and best practices
useful for educating program officers and members of standing peer
review committees at Federal science agencies about--
(1) research on implicit bias based on gender, race, or
ethnicity; and
(2) methods to minimize the effect of such bias in the
review of extramural and intramural Federal research grants.
(b) Guidance to All Federal Science Agencies.--The Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy shall disseminate the
information and best practices identified in subsection (a) to all
Federal science agencies and provide guidance as necessary on policies
to implement such practices within each agency.
(c) Establishment of Policies.--Consistent with the guidance
provided in subsection (b), Federal science agencies shall maintain or
develop and implement policies and practices to minimize the effects of
implicit bias in the review of extramural and intramural Federal
research grants.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall report to Congress on what steps all Federal
science agencies have taken to implement policies and practices to
minimize the effects of bias in the review of extramural and intramural
Federal research grants.
SEC. 216. COLLECTION OF DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF FACULTY.
(a) Collection of Data.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and at least every 5 years thereafter,
the Director of the National Science Foundation shall carry out
a survey to collect institution-level data on the demographics
of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of
institutions of higher education.
(2) Considerations.--To the extent practicable, the
Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider, by
gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship status, age, and years
since completion of doctoral degree--
(A) the number and percentage of faculty;
(B) the number and percentage of faculty at each
rank;
(C) the number and percentage of faculty who are in
nontenure-track positions, including teaching and
research;
(D) the number and percentage of faculty who are
reviewed for promotion, including tenure, and the
percentage of that number who are promoted, including
being awarded tenure;
(E) faculty years in rank;
(F) the number and percentage of faculty to leave
tenure-track positions;
(G) the number and percentage of faculty hired, by
rank; and
(H) the number and percentage of faculty in
leadership positions.
(b) Existing Surveys.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation--
(1) may carry out the requirements under subsection (a) by
collaborating with statistical centers at other Federal
agencies to modify or expand, as necessary, existing Federal
surveys of higher education; or
(2) may award a grant or contract to an institution of
higher education or other nonprofit organization to design and
carry out the requirements under subsection (a).
(c) Reporting Data.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall publish statistical summary data collected under this
section, including as part of the National Science Foundation's report
required by section 37 of the Science and Technology Equal
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96-516).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2016 to develop and
carry out the initial survey required in subsection (a).
SEC. 217. CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO EXPANDING THE ACADEMIC
AND FEDERAL STEM WORKFORCE.
(a) Best Practices at Institutions of Higher Education.--
(1) Development of guidance.--Not later than 6 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National
Science Foundation shall develop written guidance for
institutions of higher education on the best practices for--
(A) conducting periodic campus culture surveys of
STEM departments, with a particular focus on
identifying any cultural or institutional barriers to
or successful enablers for the recruitment, retention,
promotion, and other indicators of participation and
achievement, of women and underrepresented minorities
in STEM degree programs and academic STEM careers; and
(B) providing educational opportunities, including
workshops as described in subsection (c), for STEM
faculty and administrators to learn about current
research on implicit bias in recruitment, evaluation,
and promotion of faculty in STEM and recruitment and
evaluation of undergraduate and graduate students in
STEM degree programs.
(2) Existing guidance.--In developing the guidance in
paragraph (1), the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall utilize guidance already developed by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy,
and the Department of Education.
(3) Dissemination of guidance.--The Director of the
National Science Foundation shall broadly disseminate the
guidance developed in paragraph (1) to institutions of higher
education that receive Federal research funding.
(4) Reports to the national science foundation.--The
Director of the National Science Foundation shall develop a
policy that--
(A) applies to, at a minimum, the institutions
classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching on January 1, 2013, as a
doctorate-granting university with a very high level of
research activity; and
(B) requires each institution identified in
subparagraph (A), not later than 3 years after the date
of enactment of this Act, to report to the Director of
the National Science Foundation on activities and
policies developed and implemented based on the
guidance provided in paragraph (1).
(b) Best Practices at Federal Laboratories.--
(1) Development of guidance.--Not later than 6 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy shall develop written guidance
for Federal laboratories to develop and implement practices and
policies to--
(A) conduct periodic laboratorywide culture surveys
of research personnel at all levels, with a particular
focus on identifying any cultural or institutional
barriers to the recruitment, retention, and success of
women and underrepresented minorities in STEM careers
at Federal laboratories; and
(B) provide educational opportunities, including
workshops as described in subsection (c), for STEM
research personnel to learn about current research in
implicit bias in recruitment, evaluation, and promotion
of research personnel at Federal laboratories.
(2) Establishment of policies.--Consistent with the
guidance provided in paragraph (1), Federal science agencies
with Federal laboratories shall maintain or develop and
implement policies for their respective Federal laboratories.
(c) Workshops To Address Cultural Barriers To Expanding the
Academic and Federal STEM Workforce.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall recommend a uniform policy for Federal science
agencies to carry out a program of workshops that educate STEM
department chairs at institutions of higher education, senior
managers at Federal laboratories, and other federally funded
researchers about methods that minimize the effects of implicit
bias in the career advancement, including hiring, tenure,
promotion, and selection for any honor based in part on the
recipient's research record, of academic and Federal STEM
researchers.
(2) Interagency coordination.--The Director of the National
Science Foundation shall ensure that workshops supported under
this subsection are coordinated across Federal science agencies
and jointly supported as appropriate.
(3) Minimizing costs.--To the extent practicable, workshops
shall be held in conjunction with national or regional STEM
disciplinary meetings to minimize costs associated with
participant travel.
(4) Priority fields for academic participants.--In
considering the participation of STEM department chairs and
other academic researchers, the Director of the National
Science Foundation shall prioritize workshops for the broad
fields of STEM in which the national rate of representation of
women among tenured or tenure-track faculty or non-faculty
researchers at doctorate-granting institutions of higher
education is less than 25 percent, according to the most recent
data available from the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics.
(5) Organizations eligible to carry out workshops.--Federal
science agencies may carry out the program of workshops under
this subsection by making grants to eligible organizations. In
addition to any other organizations made eligible by the
Federal science agencies, the following organizations are
eligible for grants under this subsection:
(A) Nonprofit scientific and professional societies
and organizations that represent one or more STEM
disciplines.
(B) Nonprofit organizations that have the primary
mission of advancing the participation of women or
underrepresented minorities in STEM.
(6) Characteristics of workshops.--The workshops shall have
the following characteristics:
(A) Invitees to workshops shall include at least--
(i) the chairs of departments in the
relevant STEM discipline or disciplines from at
least the top 50 institutions of higher
education, as determined by the amount of
Federal research and development funds
obligated to each institution of higher
education in the prior year based on data
available from the National Science Foundation;
and
(ii) in the case of Federal laboratories,
individuals with personnel management
responsibilities comparable to those of an
institution of higher education department
chair.
(B) Activities at the workshops shall include
research presentations and interactive discussions or
other activities that increase the awareness of the
existence of implicit bias in recruitment, hiring,
tenure review, promotion, and other forms of formal
recognition of individual achievement for faculty and
other federally funded STEM researchers and shall
provide strategies to overcome such bias.
(C) Research presentations and other workshop
programs, as appropriate, shall include a discussion of
the unique challenges faced by underrepresented
subgroups, including minority women, minority men, and
first generation minority graduates in research.
(D) Workshop programs shall include information on
best practices for mentoring undergraduate and graduate
women and underrepresented minority students.
(7) Data on workshops.--Any proposal for funding by an
organization seeking to carry out a workshop under this
subsection shall include a description of how such organization
will--
(A) collect data on the rates of attendance by
invitees in workshops, including information on the
home institution and department of attendees, and the
rank of faculty attendees;
(B) conduct attitudinal surveys on workshop
attendees before and after the workshops; and
(C) collect follow-up data on any relevant
institutional policy or practice changes reported by
attendees not later than 1 year after attendance in
such a workshop.
(8) Report to nsf.--Organizations receiving funding to
carry out workshops under this subsection shall report the data
required in paragraph (7) to the Director of the National
Science Foundation in such form as required by such Director.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall submit a report to Congress that includes--
(1) a summary and analysis of the types and frequency of
activities and policies developed and carried out under
subsection (a) based on the reports submitted under paragraph
(4) of such subsection; and
(2) a description and evaluation of the status and
effectiveness of the program of workshops required under
subsection (c), including a summary of any data reported under
paragraph (8) of such subsection.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out this
section.
SEC. 218. RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation
shall award research grants and carry out dissemination activities
consistent with the purposes of this subtitle, including--
(1) research grants to analyze the record-level data
collected under section 214 and section 216, consistent with
policies to ensure the privacy of individuals identifiable by
such data;
(2) research grants to study best practices for work-life
accommodation;
(3) research grants to study the impact of policies and
practices that are implemented under this subtitle or that are
otherwise consistent with the purposes of this subtitle;
(4) collaboration with other Federal science agencies and
professional associations to exchange best practices, harmonize
work-life accommodation policies and practices, and overcome
common barriers to work-life accommodation; and
(5) collaboration with institutions of higher education in
order to clarify and catalyze the adoption of a coherent and
consistent set of work-life accommodation policies and
practices.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out this
section.
SEC. 219. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall submit a
report to Congress that includes--
(1) a description and evaluation of the status and usage of
caregiver policies at all Federal science agencies, including
any recommendations for revising or expanding such policies;
(2) a description of any significant updates to the
policies for review of Federal research grants required under
section 215, and any evidence of the impact of such policies on
the review or awarding of Federal research grants; and
(3) a description and evaluation of the status of Federal
laboratory policies and practices required under section
217(b), including any recommendations for revising or expanding
such policies.
SEC. 220. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR INCREASING DIVERSITY
AMONG STEM FACULTY AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
(a) Grants.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall
award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof)
for the development of innovative reform efforts designed to increase
the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from
underrepresented minority groups in academic STEM careers.
(b) Merit Review; Competition.--Grants shall be awarded under this
section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
(c) Use of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under this
section may include--
(1) institutional assessment activities, such as data
analyses and policy review, in order to identify and address
specific issues in the recruitment, retention, and advancement
of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups;
(2) implementation of institution-wide improvements in
workload distribution, such that faculty members from
underrepresented minority groups are not disadvantaged in the
amount of time available to focus on research, publishing
papers, and engaging in other activities required to achieve
tenure status and run a productive research program;
(3) development and implementation of training courses for
administrators and search committee members to ensure that
candidates from underrepresented minority groups are not
subject to implicit biases in the search and hiring process;
(4) development and hosting of intra- or inter-
institutional workshops to propagate best practices in
recruiting, retaining, and advancing faculty members from
underrepresented minority groups;
(5) professional development opportunities for faculty
members from underrepresented minority groups;
(6) activities aimed at making undergraduate STEM students
from underrepresented minority groups aware of opportunities
for academic careers in STEM fields;
(7) activities to identify and engage exceptional graduate
students from underrepresented minority groups at various
stages of their studies and to encourage them to enter academic
careers; and
(8) other activities consistent with subsection (a), as
determined by the Director of the National Science Foundation.
(d) Selection Process.--
(1) Application.--An institution of higher education (or
consortia thereof) seeking funding under this section shall
submit an application to the Director of the National Science
Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information and assurances as such Director may require. The
application shall include, at a minimum, a description of--
(A) the reform effort that is being proposed for
implementation by the institution of higher education;
(B) any available evidence of specific difficulties
in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of
faculty members from underrepresented minority groups
in STEM academic careers within the institution of
higher education submitting an application, and how the
proposed reform effort would address such issues;
(C) how the institution of higher education
submitting an application plans to sustain the proposed
reform effort beyond the duration of the grant; and
(D) how the success and effectiveness of the
proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed
in order to contribute to the national knowledge base
about models for catalyzing institutional change.
(2) Review of applications.--In selecting grant recipients
under this section, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall consider, at a minimum--
(A) the likelihood of success in undertaking the
proposed reform effort at the institution of higher
education submitting the application, including the
extent to which the administrators of the institution
are committed to making the proposed reform effort a
priority;
(B) the degree to which the proposed reform effort
will contribute to change in institutional culture and
policy such that greater value is placed on the
recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty
members from underrepresented minority groups;
(C) the likelihood that the institution of higher
education will sustain or expand the proposed reform
effort beyond the period of the grant; and
(D) the degree to which evaluation and assessment
plans are included in the design of the proposed reform
effort.
(3) Grant distribution.--The Director of the National
Science Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable,
that grants awarded under this section are made to a variety of
types of institutions of higher education.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out
this section.
SEC. 221. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR BROADENING
PARTICIPATION IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION.
(a) Grants.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall
award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof)
to implement or expand research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM
education for the purpose of recruiting and retaining students from
minority groups who are underrepresented in STEM fields, with a
priority focus on natural science and engineering fields.
(b) Merit Review; Competition.--Grants shall be awarded under this
section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
(c) Use of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under this
section may include--
(1) implementation or expansion of innovative, research-
based approaches to broaden participation of underrepresented
minority groups in STEM fields;
(2) implementation or expansion of bridge, cohort,
tutoring, or mentoring programs designed to enhance the
recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented
minority groups in STEM fields;
(3) implementation or expansion of outreach programs
linking institutions of higher education and K-12 school
systems in order to heighten awareness among pre-college
students from underrepresented minority groups of opportunities
in college-level STEM fields and STEM careers;
(4) implementation or expansion of faculty development
programs focused on improving retention of undergraduate STEM
students from underrepresented minority groups;
(5) implementation or expansion of mechanisms designed to
recognize and reward faculty members who demonstrate a
commitment to increasing the participation of students from
underrepresented minority groups in STEM fields;
(6) expansion of successful reforms aimed at increasing the
number of STEM students from underrepresented minority groups
beyond a single course or group of courses to achieve reform
within an entire academic unit, or expansion of successful
reform efforts beyond a single academic unit to other STEM
academic units within an institution of higher education;
(7) expansion of opportunities for students from
underrepresented minority groups to conduct STEM research in
industry, at Federal laboratories, and at international
research institutions or research sites;
(8) provision of stipends for students from
underrepresented minority groups participating in research;
(9) development of research collaborations between
research-intensive universities and primarily undergraduate
minority-serving institutions;
(10) support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows
from underrepresented minority groups to participate in
instructional or assessment activities at primarily
undergraduate institutions, including primarily undergraduate
minority-serving institutions and two-year institutions of
higher education; and
(11) other activities consistent with subsection (a), as
determined by the Director of the National Science Foundation.
(d) Selection Process.--
(1) Application.--An institution of higher education (or
consortium thereof) seeking a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Director of the National Science
Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information and assurances as such Director may require. The
application shall include, at a minimum--
(A) a description of the proposed reform effort;
(B) a description of the research findings that
will serve as the basis for the proposed reform effort
or, in the case of applications that propose an
expansion of a previously implemented reform, a
description of the previously implemented reform
effort, including data about the recruitment,
retention, and academic achievement of students from
underrepresented minority groups;
(C) evidence of an institutional commitment to, and
support for, the proposed reform effort, including a
long-term commitment to implement successful strategies
from the current reform beyond the academic unit or
units included in the grant proposal;
(D) a description of existing or planned
institutional policies and practices regarding faculty
hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching assignment that
reward faculty contributions to improving the education
of students from underrepresented minority groups in
STEM; and
(E) how the success and effectiveness of the
proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed
in order to contribute to the national knowledge base
about models for catalyzing institutional change.
(2) Review of applications.--In selecting grant recipients
under this section, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall consider, at a minimum--
(A) the likelihood of success of the proposed
reform effort at the institution submitting the
application, including the extent to which the faculty,
staff, and administrators of the institution are
committed to making the proposed institutional reform a
priority of the participating academic unit or units;
(B) the degree to which the proposed reform effort
will contribute to change in institutional culture and
policy such that greater value is placed on faculty
engagement in the retention of students from
underrepresented minority groups;
(C) the likelihood that the institution will
sustain or expand the proposed reform effort beyond the
period of the grant; and
(D) the degree to which evaluation and assessment
plans are included in the design of the proposed reform
effort.
(3) Priority.--For applications that include an expansion
of existing reforms beyond a single academic unit, the Director
of the National Science Foundation shall give priority to
applications for which a senior institutional administrator,
such as a dean or other administrator of equal or higher rank,
serves as the principal investigator.
(4) Grant distribution.--The Director of the National
Science Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable,
that grants awarded under this section are made to a variety of
types of institutions of higher education, including two-year
and minority-serving institutions of higher education.
(e) Education Research.--
(1) In general.--All grants made under this section shall
include an education research component that will support the
design and implementation of a system for data collection and
evaluation of proposed reform efforts in order to build the
knowledge base on promising models for increasing recruitment
and retention of students from underrepresented minority groups
in STEM education at the undergraduate level across a diverse
set of institutions.
(2) Dissemination.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall coordinate with relevant Federal agencies in
disseminating the results of the research under this subsection
to ensure that best practices in broadening participation in
STEM education at the undergraduate level are made readily
available to all institutions of higher education, other
Federal agencies that support STEM programs, non-Federal
funders of STEM education, and the general public.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out
this section.
SEC. 222. DEFINITIONS.
(a) This Subtitle.--In this subtitle:
(1) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory''
has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-
Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
(2) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science
agency'' means any Federal agency with at least $100,000,000 in
research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2012.
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
(b) National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002.--Section
4 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n note) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (16) as paragraph (17); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (15) the following new
paragraph:
``(16) STEM.--The term `STEM' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.''.
TITLE III--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Subtitle A--General Provisions
SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2015.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $7,520,900,000 for fiscal year 2015.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $6,099,360,000 shall be made available for
research and related activities;
(B) $888,830,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which $62,000,000
shall be for informal STEM education activities under
section 327;
(C) $200,760,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $312,900,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,430,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board, including
salaries and compensation for members of the Board and
staff appointed under section 4 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and
training costs for members of the Board and such staff,
general and Board operating expenses, representational
expenses for the Board, honorary awards made by the
Board, Board reports (other than the report entitled
``Science and Engineering Indicators''), and contracts;
and
(F) $14,630,000 shall be made available for the
Office of Inspector General.
(b) Fiscal Year 2016.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $7,885,770,000 for fiscal year 2016.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $6,404,330,000 shall be made available for
research and related activities;
(B) $933,270,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which $65,100,000
shall be for informal STEM education activities under
section 327;
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $328,550,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,560,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board, including
salaries and compensation for members of the Board and
staff appointed under section 4 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and
training costs for members of the Board and such staff,
general and Board operating expenses, representational
expenses for the Board, honorary awards made by the
Board, Board reports (other than the report entitled
``Science and Engineering Indicators''), and contracts;
and
(F) $15,060,000 shall be made available for the
Office of Inspector General.
(c) Fiscal Year 2017.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $8,269,670,000 for fiscal year 2017.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $6,724,550,000 shall be made available for
research and related activities;
(B) $979,930,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which $68,360,000
shall be for informal STEM education activities under
section 327;
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $344,970,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,700,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board, including
salaries and compensation for members of the Board and
staff appointed under section 4 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and
training costs for members of the Board and such staff,
general and Board operating expenses, representational
expenses for the Board, honorary awards made by the
Board, Board reports (other than the report entitled
``Science and Engineering Indicators''), and contracts;
and
(F) $15,520,000 shall be made available for the
Office of Inspector General.
(d) Fiscal Year 2018.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $8,672,740,000 for fiscal year 2018.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $7,060,780,000 shall be made available for
research and related activities;
(B) $1,028,930,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which $71,770,000
shall be for informal STEM education activities under
section 327;
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $362,220,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,840,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board, including
salaries and compensation for members of the Board and
staff appointed under section 4 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and
training costs for members of the Board and such staff,
general and Board operating expenses, representational
expenses for the Board, honorary awards made by the
Board, Board reports (other than the report entitled
``Science and Engineering Indicators''), and contracts;
and
(F) $15,980,000 shall be made available for the
Office of Inspector General.
(e) Fiscal Year 2019.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $9,095,970,000 for fiscal year 2019.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $7,413,810,000 shall be made available for
research and related activities;
(B) $1,080,370,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which $75,360,000
shall be for informal STEM education activities under
section 327;
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $380,330,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,980,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board, including
salaries and compensation for members of the Board and
staff appointed under section 4 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and
training costs for members of the Board and such staff,
general and Board operating expenses, representational
expenses for the Board, honorary awards made by the
Board, Board reports (other than the report entitled
``Science and Engineering Indicators''), and contracts;
and
(F) $16,460,000 shall be made available for the
Office of Inspector General.
SEC. 302. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON SUPPORT FOR ALL FIELDS OF SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING.
It is the sense of Congress that in order to achieve its mission
``to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health,
prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense . . .'' the
National Science Foundation must continue to support unfettered,
competitive, merit-reviewed basic research across all fields of science
and engineering, including the social and behavioral sciences. It is
further the sense of Congress that the Foundation's process for
selecting proposals for funding, which includes merit review based on
both intellectual merit and broader impacts, remains the gold standard
for the world, and that program officers and division directors at the
Foundation play an essential role in this process.
SEC. 303. MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF LARGE FACILITIES.
(a) Large Facilities Office.--The Director shall maintain a Large
Facilities Office within the Foundation. The functions of the Large
Facilities Office shall be to support the research directorates in the
development and implementation of major research facilities, including
by--
(1) serving as the Foundation's primary resource for all
policy or process issues related to the development and
implementation of major research facilities;
(2) serving as a Foundation-wide resource on project
management, including providing expert assistance on
nonscientific and nontechnical aspects of project planning,
budgeting, implementation, management, and oversight; and
(3) coordinating and collaborating with research
directorates to share best management practices and lessons
learned from prior projects.
(b) Oversight of Large Facilities.--The Director shall appoint a
senior agency official within the Office of the Director whose primary
responsibility is oversight of major research facilities. The duties of
this official shall include--
(1) oversight of the development, construction, and
operation of major research facilities across the Foundation;
(2) in collaboration with the directors of the research
directorates and other senior agency officials as appropriate,
ensuring that the requirements of section 14(a) of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 are satisfied;
(3) serving as a liaison to the National Science Board for
approval and oversight of major research facilities; and
(4) periodically reviewing and updating as necessary
Foundation policies and guidelines for the development and
construction of major research facilities.
(c) Policies for Costing Large Facilities.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall ensure that the
Foundation's policies for developing and managing major
research facility construction costs are consistent with the
best practices described in the March 2009 General
Accountability Office Report GAO-09-3SP.
(2) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a
report describing the Foundation's policies for developing and
managing major research facility construction costs, including
a description of any aspects of the policies that diverge from
the best practices recommended in General Accountability Office
Report GAO-09-3SP.
SEC. 304. DATA MANAGEMENT PLANS.
(a) Development of Data Management Policies.--Not later than 6
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
develop and implement a policy requiring that all proposals for
research funding from the Foundation include a plan for long-term
management of data resulting from such funding.
(b) Requirements.--The policy shall--
(1) include a clear definition of what constitutes data for
the purposes of data management plans;
(2) include mechanisms to ensure appropriate evaluation of
the merits of submitted data management plans required under
this section;
(3) include mechanisms to ensure that researchers comply
with approved data management plans; and
(4) allow for the inclusion of appropriate costs for data
management in proposals for research grants.
(c) Public Databases.--The Foundation shall promote the deposit of
data covered under this section in publicly accessible databases, where
appropriate and available.
SEC. 305. SUPPORT FOR POTENTIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Director shall establish and periodically
update grant solicitation, merit review, and funding policies and
mechanisms designed to identify and provide support for high-risk,
high-reward basic research proposals.
(b) Policies and Mechanisms.--Such policies and mechanisms may
include--
(1) development of solicitations specifically for high-
risk, high-reward basic research;
(2) establishment of review panels for the primary purpose
of selecting high-risk, high-reward proposals;
(3) development of guidance to standard review panels to
encourage the identification and consideration of high-risk,
high-reward proposals; and
(4) support for workshops and other conferences with the
primary purpose of identifying new opportunities for high-risk,
high-reward basic research, especially at interdisciplinary
interfaces.
(c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``high-
risk, high-reward basic research'' means research driven by ideas that
have the potential to radically change our understanding of an
important existing scientific or engineering concept, or leading to the
creation of a new paradigm or field of science or engineering, and that
is characterized by its challenge to current understanding or its
pathway to new frontiers.
SEC. 306. STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) In General.--For any Foundation research grant, in an amount
greater than $5,000,000, to be carried out through a partnership that
includes one or more minority-serving institutions or predominantly
undergraduate institutions and one or more institutions described in
subsection (b), the Director shall award funds directly, according to
the budget justification described in the grant proposal, to at least
two of the institutions of higher education in the partnership,
including at least one minority-serving institution or one
predominantly undergraduate institution, to ensure a strong and
equitable partnership.
(b) Institutions.--The institutions referred to in subsection (a)
are institutions of higher education that are among the 100
institutions receiving, over the 3-year period immediately preceding
the awarding of grants, the highest amount of research funding from the
Foundation.
(c) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Director shall provide a report to Congress on
institutional research partnerships identified in subsection (a) funded
in the 2 previous fiscal years and make any recommendations for how
such partnerships can continue to be strengthened.
SEC. 307. INNOVATION CORPS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps (I-
Corps) was established to foster a national innovation
ecosystem by encouraging institutions, scientists, engineers,
and entrepreneurs to identify and explore the innovation and
commercial potential of Foundation-funded research well beyond
the laboratory;
(2) the Foundation's I-Corps includes investments in
entrepreneurship and commercialization education, training, and
mentoring, ultimately leading to the practical deployment of
technologies, products, processes, and services that improve
the Nation's competitiveness, promote economic growth, and
benefit society; and
(3) by building networks of entrepreneurs, educators,
mentors, institutions, and collaborations, and supporting
specialized education and training, I-Corps is at the leading
edge of a strong, lasting foundation for an American innovation
ecosystem.
(b) Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program to
award grants for entrepreneurship and commercialization
education to Foundation-funded researchers to increase the
economic and social impact of federally funded research.
(2) Purposes.--The purpose of the program shall be to
increase the capacity of STEM researchers and students to
successfully engage in entrepreneurial activities and to help
transition the results of federally funded research into the
marketplace by--
(A) identifying STEM research that can lead to the
practical deployment of technologies, products,
processes, and services that improve the Nation's
economic competitiveness;
(B) bringing STEM researchers and students together
with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and other
industry representatives experienced in
commercialization of new technologies;
(C) supporting entrepreneurship and
commercialization education and training for faculty,
students, postdoctoral fellows, and other STEM
researchers; and
(D) promoting the development of regional and
national networks of entrepreneurs, venture
capitalists, and other industry representatives who can
serve as mentors to researchers and students at
Foundation-funded institutions across the country.
(3) Additional use of funds.--Grants awarded under this
subsection may be used to help support--
(A) prototype and proof-of-concept development for
the funded project; and
(B) additional activities needed to build a
national infrastructure for STEM entrepreneurship.
(4) Other federal agencies.--The Director may establish
agreements with other Federal agencies that fund scientific
research to make researchers funded by those agencies eligible
to participate in the Foundation's Innovation Corps program.
SEC. 308. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this title:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Foundation.
(2) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation.
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
Subtitle B--STEM Education
SEC. 321. NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD REPORT ON CONSOLIDATION OF STEM
EDUCATION ACTIVITIES AT THE FOUNDATION.
(a) In General.--The National Science Board shall review and
evaluate the appropriateness of the Foundation's portfolio of STEM
education programs and activities at the pre-K-12 and undergraduate
levels, including informal education, taking into account the mission
of the Foundation and the 2013 Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic
Plan.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the National Science Board shall submit to Congress a report
summarizing their findings and including--
(1) an analysis of how well the Foundation's portfolio of
STEM education programs is contributing to the mission of the
Foundation;
(2) an analysis of how well STEM education programs and
activities are coordinated and best practices are shared across
the Foundation;
(3) an analysis of how well the Foundation's portfolio of
STEM education programs is aligned with and contributes to
priority STEM education investment areas described in the 2013
Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan;
(4) any Board recommendations regarding internal
reorganization, including consolidation, of the Foundation's
STEM education programs and activities, taking into account
both the mission of the Foundation and the 2013 Federal STEM
Education 5-Year Strategic Plan;
(5) any Board recommendations regarding the Foundation's
role in helping to implement the Federal STEM Education 5-Year
Strategic Plan, including opportunities for the Foundation to
more effectively partner and collaborate with other Federal
agencies; and
(6) any additional Board recommendations regarding specific
management, policy, budget, or other steps the Foundation
should take to increase effectiveness and accountability across
its portfolio of STEM education programs and activities.
SEC. 322. MODELS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT.
(a) In General.--The Director shall enter into an agreement with
the National Research Council to convene a workshop or roundtable to
examine models of Federal support for STEM graduate students, including
the Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship program and comparable
fellowship programs at other agencies, traineeship programs, and the
research assistant model.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the workshop or roundtable shall be to
compare and evaluate the extent to which each of these models helps to
prepare graduate students for diverse careers utilizing STEM degrees,
including at diverse types of institutions of higher education, in
industry, and at government agencies and research laboratories, and to
make recommendations regarding--
(1) how current Federal programs and models, including
programs and models at the Foundation, can be improved;
(2) the appropriateness of the current distribution of
funding among the different models at the Foundation and across
the agencies; and
(3) the appropriateness of creating a new education and
training program for graduate students distinct from programs
that provide direct financial support, including the grants
authorized in section 527 of the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-15).
(c) Criteria.--At a minimum, in comparing programs and models, the
workshop or roundtable participants shall consider the capacity of such
programs or models to provide students with knowledge and skills--
(1) to become independent, creative, successful
researchers;
(2) to participate in large interdisciplinary research
projects, including in an international context;
(3) to adhere to the highest standards for research ethics;
(4) to become high-quality teachers utilizing the most
currently available evidence-based pedagogy;
(5) in oral and written communication, to both technical
and nontechnical audiences;
(6) in innovation, entrepreneurship, and business ethics;
and
(7) in program management.
(d) Graduate Student Input.--The participants in the workshop or
roundtable shall include current or recent STEM graduate students.
(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the National Research Council shall submit to Congress a
summary report of the findings and recommendations of the workshop or
roundtable convened under this section.
SEC. 323. UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION REFORM.
Section 17 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of
2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-6) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 17. UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION REFORM.
``(a) In General.--The Director, through the Directorate for
Education and Human Resources, shall award grants, on a competitive,
merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher education (or to
consortia thereof) and to other eligible nonprofit organizations to
reform undergraduate STEM education for the purpose of increasing the
number and quality of students studying toward and completing
baccalaureate degrees in STEM and improving the STEM learning outcomes
for all undergraduate students.
``(b) Interdirectorate Working Group on Undergraduate STEM
Education.--In carrying out the requirements of this section, the
Directorate for Education and Human Resources shall collaborate and
coordinate with the Research Directorates, including through the
establishment of an interdirectorate working group on undergraduate
STEM education reform, in order to identify and implement new and
expanded opportunities for collaboration between STEM disciplinary
researchers and education researchers on the reform of undergraduate
STEM education.
``(c) Grants.--Research and development supported by grants under
this section may encompass a single discipline, multiple disciplines,
or interdisciplinary education at the undergraduate level, and may
include--
``(1) research foundational to the improvement of teaching,
learning, and retention;
``(2) development, implementation, and assessment of
innovative, research-based approaches to transforming teaching,
learning, and retention; and
``(3) scaling of successful efforts on learning and
learning environments, broadening participation, workforce
preparation, employing emerging technologies, or other reforms
in STEM education, including expansion of successful STEM
reform efforts beyond a single course or group of courses to
achieve reform within an entire academic unit, or expansion of
successful reform efforts beyond a single academic unit to
other STEM academic units within an institution or to
comparable academic units at other institutions.
``(d) Selection Process.--
``(1) Applications.--An institution of higher education or
other eligible nonprofit organization seeking a grant under
this section shall submit an application to the Director at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Director may require. In addition to a description of the
proposed research, development, or scaling effort, including a
description of the research findings that will serve as the
basis for the proposed effort, applications shall include, at a
minimum--
``(A) evidence of institutional support for, and
commitment to, the proposed effort, including long-term
commitment to implement and scale successful strategies
resulting from the current effort;
``(B) a description of existing or planned
institutional policies and practices regarding faculty
hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching assignment that
reward faculty contributions to undergraduate STEM
education; and
``(C) a description of the plans for assessment and
evaluation of the effort, including evidence of
participation by individuals with experience in
assessment and evaluation of teaching and learning
programs.
``(2) Review of applications.--In selecting grant
recipients for funding under this section, the Director shall
consider, as appropriate to the scale of the proposed effort--
``(A) the likelihood of success in undertaking the
proposed effort at the institution submitting the
application, including the extent to which the faculty,
staff, and administrators of the institution are
committed to making undergraduate STEM education reform
a priority of the participating academic unit or units;
``(B) the degree to which the proposed effort will
contribute to change in institutional culture and
policy such that a greater value is placed on faculty
engagement in undergraduate education;
``(C) the likelihood that the institution will
sustain or expand the effort beyond the period of the
grant; and
``(D) the degree to which the proposed effort will
contribute to the systematic accumulation of knowledge
on STEM education.
``(3) Priority.--The Director shall give priority to
proposals focused on the first 2 years of undergraduate
education, including STEM education at 2-year institutions of
higher education.
``(4) Grant distribution.--The Director shall ensure, to
the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this section
are made to a variety of types of institutions of higher
education.''.
SEC. 324. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EDUCATION.
Section 506(b) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010
(42 U.S.C. 1862p-1(b)) is amended to read as follows:
``(b) Advanced Manufacturing Education.--The Director shall award
grants, on a competitive, merit reviewed basis, to community colleges
for the development and implementation of innovative advanced
manufacturing education reforms to ensure an adequate and well-trained
advanced manufacturing workforce. Activities supported by grants under
this subsection may include--
``(1) the development or expansion of educational
materials, courses, curricula, strategies, and methods that
will lead to improved advanced manufacturing degree or
certification programs, including the integration of industry
standards and workplace competencies into the curriculum;
``(2) the development and implementation of faculty
professional development programs that enhance a faculty
member's capabilities and teaching skills in advanced
manufacturing, including efforts to understand current advanced
manufacturing technologies and practices;
``(3) the establishment of centers that provide models and
leadership in advanced manufacturing education and serve as
regional or national clearinghouses for educational materials
and methods, including in rural areas;
``(4) activities to enhance the recruitment and retention
of students into certification and degree programs in advanced
manufacturing, including the provision of improved mentoring
and internship opportunities;
``(5) the establishment of partnerships with private sector
entities to ensure the development of an advanced manufacturing
workforce with the skills necessary to meet regional economic
needs; and
``(6) other activities as determined appropriate by the
Director.''.
SEC. 325. STEM EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS.
Section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of
2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``mathematics and
science'' and inserting ``stem'';
(2) by striking ``mathematics and science'' each place it
appears in subsections (a) and (b) and inserting ``STEM'';
(3) by striking ``mathematics or science'' each place it
appears in subsection (a)(3) and (4)(A) and inserting ``STEM'';
(4) by striking ``mathematics, science, or engineering'' in
subsection (a)(2)(B) and inserting ``STEM'';
(5) by striking ``mathematics, science, and technology'' in
subsection (a)(3)(B)(ii)(II) and (8) and inserting ``STEM'';
(6) by striking ``professional mathematicians, scientists,
and engineers'' in subsection (a)(3)(F) and inserting ``STEM
professionals'';
(7) by striking ``mathematicians, scientists, and
engineers'' in subsection (a)(3)(J) and (M) and inserting
``STEM professionals'';
(8) by striking ``scientists, technologists, engineers, or
mathematicians'' in subsection (a)(8) and inserting ``STEM
professionals'';
(9) by striking ``science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics'' each place it appears in subsection (a)(3)(K) and
(10) and inserting ``STEM'';
(10) by striking ``science, technology, engineering, or
mathematics'' in subsection (a)(10)(A)(ii)(II) and inserting
``STEM'';
(11) by striking ``science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology'' each place it appears in subsection (a)(5) and
inserting ``STEM'';
(12) by striking ``science, mathematics, engineering, or
technology'' in subsection (a)(5) and inserting ``STEM'';
(13) by striking ``mathematics, science, engineering, and
technology'' in subsection (b)(1) and (2) and inserting
``STEM''; and
(14) by striking subsection (d).
SEC. 326. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
Section 10A of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of
2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting ``or bachelor's''
after ``master's'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph
(2)(B);
(B) in paragraph (3), by--
(i) inserting ``for teachers with master's
degrees in their field'' after ``Teaching
Fellowships''; and
(ii) by striking the period at the end of
subparagraph (B) and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(4) in the case of National Science Foundation Master
Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bachelor's degrees in
their field--
``(A) offering academic courses leading to a
master's degree and leadership training to prepare
individuals to become master teachers in elementary and
secondary schools; and
``(B) offering programs both during and after
matriculation in the program for which the fellowship
is received to enable fellows to become highly
effective mathematics and science teachers, including
mentoring, training, induction, and professional
development activities, to fulfill the service
requirements of this section, including the
requirements of subsection (e), and to exchange ideas
with others in their fields.'';
(3) in subsection (e), by striking ``subsection (g)'' and
inserting ``subsection (h)''; and
(4) by adding after subsection (f) the following new
subsection:
``(g) Support for Master Teaching Fellows While Enrolled in a
Master's Degree Program.--A National Science Foundation Master Teacher
Fellow may receive a maximum of 1 year of fellowship support while
enrolled in a master's degree program as described in subsection
(c)(4)(A), except that if such fellow is enrolled in a part-time
program, such amount shall be prorated according to the length of the
program.''.
SEC. 327. INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION.
(a) Grants.--The Director, through the Directorate for Education
and Human Resources, shall continue to award competitive, merit-
reviewed grants to support--
(1) research and development of innovative out-of-school
STEM learning and emerging STEM learning environments in order
to improve STEM learning outcomes and engagement in STEM; and
(2) research that advances the field of informal STEM
education.
(b) Uses of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under this
section may encompass a single STEM discipline, multiple STEM
disciplines, or integrative STEM initiatives and shall include--
(1) research and development that improves our
understanding of learning and engagement in informal
environments, including the role of informal environments in
broadening participation in STEM; and
(2) design and testing of innovative STEM learning models,
programs, and other resources for informal learning
environments to improve STEM learning outcomes and increase
engagement for K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and the general
public, including design and testing of the scalability of
models, programs, and other resources.
SEC. 328. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT IMPROVED K-12 LEARNING.
(a) In General.--The Director, acting through the Directorate for
Education and Human Resources, shall award competitive, merit-reviewed
grants to support research and development on alignment,
implementation, impact, and ongoing improvement of standards and
equivalent learning expectations used by States in mathematics,
science, and, as appropriate, other State-based STEM standards.
(b) Research Areas.--In making awards under this section, the
Director shall consider proposals for research and development,
including, as appropriate, large-scale research and development, of--
(1) resources, including virtual resources such as web
portals, for content, professional development, and research
results;
(2) teacher education and professional development;
(3) learning progressions;
(4) assessments;
(5) metrics for evaluating the impact of standards; and
(6) other areas of research and development that are likely
to contribute to the alignment, implementation, impact, and
ongoing improvement of standards in STEM subjects.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``National Institute of Standards
and Technology Authorization Act of 2014''.
SEC. 402. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2015.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $892,500,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2015.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $683,550,000 shall be authorized for scientific
and technical research and services laboratory
activities;
(B) $58,800,000 shall be authorized for the
construction and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $150,150,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $134,400,000 shall be authorized for
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership under section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278k) and the program under section 26
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278l), of which not more
than $20,000,000 shall be for the competitive
grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
and
(ii) $15,750,000 shall be authorized for
the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia
program established under section 33 of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 278r).
(b) Fiscal Year 2016.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $937,130,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2016.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $717,730,000 shall be authorized for scientific
and technical research and services laboratory
activities;
(B) $61,740,000 shall be authorized for the
construction and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $157,660,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $141,120,000 shall be authorized for
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership under section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278k) and the program under section 26
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278l), of which not more
than $20,000,000 shall be for the competitive
grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
and
(ii) $16,540,000 shall be authorized for
the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia
program established under section 33 of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 278r).
(c) Fiscal Year 2017.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $983,980,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2017.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $753,610,000 shall be authorized for scientific
and technical research and services laboratory
activities;
(B) $64,830,000 shall be authorized for the
construction and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $165,540,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $148,180,000 shall be authorized for
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership under section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278k) and the program under section 26
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278l), of which not more
than $20,000,000 shall be for the competitive
grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
and
(ii) $17,360,000 shall be authorized for
the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia
program established under section 33 of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 278r).
(d) Fiscal Year 2018.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,033,180,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2018.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $791,290,000 shall be authorized for scientific
and technical research and services laboratory
activities;
(B) $68,070,000 shall be authorized for the
construction and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $173,820,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $155,580,000 shall be authorized for
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership under section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278k) and the program under section 26
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278l), of which not more
than $20,000,000 shall be for the competitive
grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
and
(ii) $18,230,000 shall be authorized for
the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia
program established under section 33 of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 278r).
(e) Fiscal Year 2019.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,084,840,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2019.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $830,860,000 shall be authorized for scientific
and technical research and services laboratory
activities;
(B) $71,470,000 shall be authorized for the
construction and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $182,510,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $163,360,000 shall be authorized for
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership under section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278k) and the program under section 26
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278l), of which not more
than $20,000,000 shall be for the competitive
grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
and
(ii) $19,140,000 shall be authorized for
the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia
program established under section 33 of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 278r).
SEC. 403. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CONSORTIA.
Section 33 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Act (15 U.S.C. 278r) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 33. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CONSORTIA.
``(a) Authority.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program
to facilitate the development of and provide support to
industry-led consortia that will identify, prioritize, and
address long-term, precompetitive industrial research needs in
the area of advanced manufacturing.
``(2) Program objectives.--The objectives of the program
established under this section include the following:
``(A) To promote collective public-private efforts
to develop key technology platforms and infrastructure
for advanced manufacturing.
``(B) To enable the prioritization of public
research portfolios to be more responsive to the long-
term technology development needs of industry.
``(C) To leverage Federal investment in advanced
manufacturing with shared investment by the private
sector.
``(D) To increase industrial research and
development investment in precompetitive technology
platforms and infrastructure.
``(E) To accelerate technological innovation in
advanced manufacturing.
``(F) To foster broad participation by industry,
the Federal Government, institutions of higher
education, and State, local, and tribal governments in
advanced manufacturing research and development.
``(b) Activities.--As part of the program established under this
section, the Director shall--
``(1) support the formation of industry-led consortia
composed of representatives from industry (including small and
medium-sized manufacturers), institutions of higher education,
the Federal Government, State, local, and tribal governments,
and other entities, as appropriate;
``(2) collaborate with consortia participants in the
development of technology roadmaps that identify research needs
in the area of advanced manufacturing;
``(3) support precompetitive research directed at meeting
the research needs identified in the roadmaps developed under
paragraph (2);
``(4) promote the transfer of precompetitive technology
platforms and infrastructure resulting from consortia research
to the private sector and facilitate open access to the
intellectual property underpinning those platforms and
technology; and
``(5) facilitate the development of new technologies into
commercial products.
``(c) Selection Criteria.--In selecting applications for awards
under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum--
``(1) the degree to which the activities proposed under the
consortia will broadly impact manufacturing, including regional
manufacturing efforts, and increase the productivity and
economic competitiveness of the United States;
``(2) the level of technical risk to be addressed by the
consortia;
``(3) the potential to produce fundamental new knowledge;
and
``(4) the likelihood that the consortia will become self-
sustaining, if appropriate.''.
SEC. 404. NETWORK FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
271 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 34 as section 36; and
(2) by inserting after section 33 (15 U.S.C. 278r) the
following:
``SEC. 34. NETWORK FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION.
``(a) Establishment of Network for Manufacturing Innovation
Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish within the
Institute a program to be known as the `Network for
Manufacturing Innovation Program' (referred to in this section
as the `Program').
``(2) Purposes of program.--The purposes of the Program
are--
``(A) to improve the competitiveness of United
States manufacturing and to increase domestic
production;
``(B) to stimulate United States leadership in
advanced manufacturing research, innovation, and
technology;
``(C) to facilitate the transition of innovative
technologies into scalable, cost-effective, and high-
performing manufacturing capabilities;
``(D) to facilitate access by manufacturing
enterprises to capital-intensive infrastructure,
including high-performance computing, in order to
improve the speed with which such enterprises
commercialize new processes and technologies;
``(E) to accelerate the development of an advanced
manufacturing workforce;
``(F) to facilitate peer exchange of and the
documentation of best practices in addressing advanced
manufacturing challenges; and
``(G) to leverage non-Federal sources of support to
promote a stable and sustainable business model without
the need for long-term Federal funding.
``(3) Support.--The Secretary, acting through the Director,
shall carry out the purposes set forth in paragraph (2) by
supporting--
``(A) the Network for Manufacturing Innovation
established under subsection (b); and
``(B) the establishment of centers for
manufacturing innovation.
``(4) Director.--The Secretary shall carry out the Program
through the Director.
``(b) Establishment of Network for Manufacturing Innovation.--
``(1) In general.--As part of the Program, the Secretary
shall establish a network of centers for manufacturing
innovation.
``(2) Designation.--The network established under paragraph
(1) shall be known as the `Network for Manufacturing
Innovation' (referred to in this section as the `Network').
``(c) Centers for Manufacturing Innovation.--
``(1) In general.--For purposes of this section, a `center
for manufacturing innovation' is a center that--
``(A) has been established by a person to address
challenges in advanced manufacturing and to assist
manufacturers in retaining or expanding industrial
production and jobs in the United States;
``(B) has a predominant focus on a manufacturing
process, novel material, enabling technology, supply
chain integration methodology, or another relevant
aspect of advanced manufacturing, as determined by the
Secretary, with the potential--
``(i) to improve the competitiveness of
United States manufacturing;
``(ii) to accelerate investment in advanced
manufacturing production capacity in the United
States; and
``(iii) to enable the commercial
application of new technologies or industry-
wide manufacturing processes; and
``(C) includes active participation among
representatives from multiple industrial entities,
research universities, community colleges, and such
other entities as the Secretary considers appropriate,
which may include career and technical education
schools, Federal laboratories, State, local, and tribal
governments, businesses, educational institutions, and
nonprofit organizations.
``(2) Activities.--Activities of a center for manufacturing
innovation may include the following:
``(A) Research, development, and demonstration
projects, including proof-of-concept development and
prototyping, to reduce the cost, time, and risk of
commercializing new technologies and improvements in
existing technologies, processes, products, and
research and development of materials to solve pre-
competitive industrial problems with economic or
national security implications.
``(B) Development and implementation of education
and training courses, materials, and programs.
``(C) Development of innovative methodologies and
practices for supply chain integration and introduction
of new technologies into supply chains.
``(D) Outreach and engagement with small and
medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, in addition to
large manufacturing enterprises.
``(E) Such other activities as the Secretary, in
consultation with Federal departments and agencies
whose missions contribute to or are affected by
advanced manufacturing, considers consistent with the
purposes described in subsection (a)(2).
``(3) Additional centers for manufacturing innovation.--The
National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute and
pending manufacturing centers under interagency review shall be
considered centers for manufacturing innovation.
``(d) Financial Assistance To Establish and Support Centers for
Manufacturing Innovation.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the
Secretary shall award financial assistance to a person to
assist the person in planning, establishing, or supporting a
center for manufacturing innovation.
``(2) Application.--A person seeking financial assistance
under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary an
application therefor at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
``(3) Open process.--In soliciting applications for
financial assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
ensure an open process that will allow for the consideration of
all applications relevant to advanced manufacturing regardless
of technology area.
``(4) Selection.--
``(A) Competitive, merit review.--In awarding
financial assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall use a competitive, merit review process.
``(B) Collaboration.--In awarding financial
assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall,
acting through the National Program Office established
under subsection (e)(1), collaborate with Federal
departments and agencies whose missions contribute to
or are affected by advanced manufacturing.
``(C) Considerations.--In selecting a person who
submitted an application under paragraph (2) for an
award of financial assistance under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall consider, at a minimum, the following:
``(i) The potential of the center for
manufacturing innovation to advance domestic
manufacturing and the likelihood of economic
impact in the predominant focus areas of the
center for manufacturing innovation.
``(ii) The commitment of continued
financial support, advice, participation, and
other contributions from non-Federal sources to
provide leverage and resources to promote a
stable and sustainable business model without
the need for long-term Federal funding.
``(iii) How the center for manufacturing
innovation will engage with small and medium-
sized manufacturing enterprises, to improve the
capacity of such enterprises to commercialize
new processes and technologies.
``(iv) How the center for manufacturing
innovation will carry out educational and
workforce activities that meet industrial needs
related to the predominant focus areas of the
center for manufacturing innovation.
``(v) How the center for manufacturing
innovation will advance economic
competitiveness.
``(vi) How the center for manufacturing
innovation will strengthen and leverage the
assets of a region.
``(5) Limitation on period for awards.--No award of
financial assistance may be made under paragraph (1) to a
center of manufacturing innovation after the 7-year period
beginning on the date on which the Secretary first awards
financial assistance to a center under such paragraph.
``(e) National Program Office.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish or
designate, within the Institute, an Advanced Manufacturing
National Program Office (referred to in this section as the
`National Program Office'), which shall oversee and carry out
the Program.
``(2) Functions.--The functions of the National Program
Office are--
``(A) to oversee the planning, management, and
coordination of the Program;
``(B) to enter into memorandums of understanding
with Federal departments and agencies, whose missions
contribute to or are affected by advanced
manufacturing, to carry out the purposes described in
subsection (a)(2);
``(C) to develop, not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2014, and
update not less frequently than once every 3 years
thereafter, a strategic plan to guide the Program;
``(D) to establish such procedures, processes, and
criteria as may be necessary and appropriate to
maximize cooperation and coordinate of the activities
of the Program with programs and activities of other
Federal departments and agencies whose missions
contribute to or are affected by advanced
manufacturing;
``(E) to establish a clearinghouse of public
information related to the activities of the Program;
and
``(F) to act as a convener of the Network.
``(3) Recommendations.--In developing and updating the
strategic plan under paragraph (2)(C), the Secretary shall
solicit recommendations and advice from a wide range of
stakeholders, including industry, small and medium-sized
manufacturing enterprises, research universities, community
colleges, and other relevant organizations and institutions.
``(4) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall transmit the
strategic plan required under paragraph (2)(C) to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives.
``(5) Hollings manufacturing extension partnership.--The
Secretary shall ensure that the National Program Office
incorporates the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership
into Program planning to ensure that the results of the Program
reach small and medium-sized entities.
``(6) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be
detailed to the National Program Office without reimbursement.
Such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil
service status or privilege.
``(f) Reporting and Auditing.--
``(1) Annual reports to the secretary.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall require
recipients of financial assistance under subsection
(d)(1) to annually submit a report to the Secretary
that describes the finances and performance of the
center for manufacturing innovation for which such
assistance was awarded.
``(B) Elements.--Each report submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall include--
``(i) an accounting of expenditures of
amounts awarded to the recipient under
subsection (d)(1); and
``(ii) a description of the performance of
the center for manufacturing innovation with
respect to--
``(I) its goals, plans, financial
support, and accomplishments; and
``(II) how the center for
manufacturing innovation has furthered
the purposes described in subsection
(a)(2).
``(2) Annual reports to congress.--
``(A) In general.--Not less frequently than once
each year, the Secretary shall submit a report to
Congress that describes the performance of the Program
during the most recent 1-year period.
``(B) Elements.--Each report submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall include, for the period covered
by the report--
``(i) a summary and assessment of the
reports received by the Secretary under
paragraph (1);
``(ii) an accounting of the funds expended
by the Secretary under the Program; and
``(iii) an assessment of the Program with
respect to the purposes described in subsection
(a)(2).
``(3) Triennial assessment by gao.--
``(A) In general.--Not less frequently than once
every 3 years, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress an assessment of the
operation of the Program during the most recent 3-year
period.
``(B) Elements.--Each assessment submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall include, for the period covered
by the report--
``(i) a review of the management,
coordination, and industry utility of the
Program;
``(ii) an assessment of the extent to which
the Program has furthered the purposes
described in subsection (a)(2); and
``(iii) such recommendations for
legislative and administrative action as the
Comptroller General considers appropriate to
improve the Program.
``(g) Additional Authorities.--
``(1) Appointment of personnel and contracts.--The
Secretary may appoint such personnel and enter into such
contracts, financial assistance agreements, and other
agreements as the Secretary considers necessary or appropriate
to carry out the Program including support for research and
development activities involving a center for manufacturing
innovation.
``(2) Transfer of funds.--The Secretary may transfer to
other Federal agencies such sums as the Secretary considers
necessary or appropriate to carry out the Program.
``(3) Authority of other agencies.--In the event that the
Secretary exercises the authority to transfer funds to another
agency under paragraph (2), such agency may award and
administer all aspects of financial assistance awards under
this section.
``(4) Use of resources.--In furtherance of the purposes of
the Program, the Secretary may use, with the consent of a
covered entity and with or without reimbursement, the land,
services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of such covered
entity.
``(5) Acceptance of resources.--In addition to amounts
appropriated to carry out the Program, the Secretary may accept
funds, services, equipment, personnel, and facilities from any
covered entity to carry out the Program.
``(6) Covered entity.--For purposes of this subsection, a
covered entity is any Federal department, Federal agency,
instrumentality of the United States, State, local government,
tribal government, territory or possession of the United
States, or of any political subdivision thereof, or
international organization, or any public or private entity or
individual.
``(h) Patents.--Chapter 18 of title 35, United States Code, shall
not apply if financial assistance is awarded under this section solely
for the purpose of planning, establishing, or supporting new or
existing centers for manufacturing innovation.
``(i) Funding.--
``(1) Network for manufacturing innovation fund.--
``(A) Establishment.--There is established in the
Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the
`Network for Manufacturing Innovation Fund' (referred
to in this paragraph as the `Fund').
``(B) Elements.--There shall be deposited in the
Fund, which shall constitute the assets of the Fund,
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to
carry out the Program.
``(C) Availability.--Amounts deposited in the Fund
shall be available to the Secretary, at the discretion
of the Secretary, or the Secretary's delegee, to carry
out the Program without further appropriation and
without fiscal year limitation.
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $600,000,000 to the Secretary to carry out
this section.
``(3) Administrative expenses.--The Secretary may use not
more than 5 percent of the amounts appropriated pursuant to
paragraph (2) to pay the salaries, expenses, and other
administrative costs incurred by the Secretary under this
section.''.
SEC. 405. HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP.
Section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 25. HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP.
``(a) Establishment and Purpose.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, through the Director
shall provide assistance for the creation and support of
regional manufacturing extension centers for the transfer of
manufacturing technology and best business practices. These
centers shall be known as the `Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Centers' (in this Act referred to as the `Centers'). The
program under this section shall be known as the `Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership'.
``(2) Affiliations.--Such Centers shall be affiliated with
any United States-based public or nonprofit institution or
organization, or group thereof, that applies for and is awarded
financial assistance under this section.
``(3) Objective.--The objective of the program is to
enhance productivity, competitiveness, and technological
performance in United States manufacturing through--
``(A) the transfer of manufacturing technology and
techniques to Centers and, through them, to
manufacturing companies throughout the United States;
``(B) the participation of individuals from
industry, institutions of higher education, State
governments, other Federal agencies, and, when
appropriate, the Institute in cooperative technology
transfer activities;
``(C) efforts to make new manufacturing technology
and processes usable by United States-based small and
medium-sized companies;
``(D) the active dissemination of scientific,
engineering, technical, and management information
about manufacturing to industrial firms, including
small and medium-sized manufacturing companies;
``(E) the development of new partnerships,
networks, and services that will assist small and
medium-sized manufacturing companies expand into new
markets, including global markets;
``(F) the utilization, when appropriate, of the
expertise and capability that exists in Federal
laboratories other than the Institute; and
``(G) the provision to community colleges and area
career and technical education schools of information
about the job skills needed in small and medium-sized
manufacturing businesses in the regions they serve.
``(b) Activities.--The activities of the Centers shall include--
``(1) the establishment of automated manufacturing systems
and other advanced production technologies, based on research
by the Institute and other entities, for the purpose of
demonstrations and technology transfer;
``(2) assistance to Federal agencies in supporting United
States-based manufacturing by identifying and providing
technical assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers to
help them meet Federal agency procurement and acquisition
needs;
``(3) the active transfer and dissemination of research
findings and Center expertise to a wide range of companies and
enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized manufacturers;
and
``(4) the facilitation of collaborations and partnerships
between small and medium-sized manufacturing companies and
community colleges and area career and technical education
schools to help such colleges and schools 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 schools.
``(c) Financial Assistance and Requirements.--
``(1) Financial support.--The Secretary may provide
financial support to any Center created under subsection (a)
for an initial period of 5 years, which may be renewed for an
additional 5-year period. The Secretary may provide to a Center
up to 50 percent of the capital and annual operating and
maintenance funds required to create and maintain such Center.
``(2) Regulations.--The Secretary shall implement, review,
and update the sections of the Code of Federal Regulations
related to this section at least once every 5 years.
``(3) Application.--
``(A) In general.--Any public or nonprofit
institution, or consortium thereof, may submit to the
Secretary an application for financial support under
this section, in accordance with the procedures
established by the Secretary.
``(B) Cost-sharing.--In order to receive assistance
under this section, an applicant for financial
assistance under subparagraph (A) shall provide
adequate assurances that non-Federal assets obtained
from the applicant and the applicant's partnering
organizations will be used as a funding source to meet
not less than 50 percent of the costs incurred. For
purposes of the preceding sentence, the costs incurred
means the costs incurred in connection with the
activities undertaken to improve the management,
productivity, competitiveness, and technological
performance of small and medium-sized manufacturing
companies.
``(C) Agreements with other entities.--In meeting
the 50-percent requirement, it is anticipated that a
Center will enter into agreements with other entities
such as private industry, institutions of higher
education, and State governments to accomplish
programmatic objectives and access new and existing
resources that will further the impact of the Federal
investment made on behalf of small and medium-sized
manufacturing companies.
``(D) Legal rights.--Each applicant under
subparagraph (A) shall submit a proposal for the
allocation of the legal rights associated with any
invention that may result from the proposed Center's
activities.
``(4) Merit review.--The Secretary shall subject each such
application to merit review. In making a decision whether to
approve such application and provide financial support under
this section, the Secretary shall consider, at a minimum, the
following:
``(A) The merits of the application, particularly
those portions of the application regarding technology
transfer, training and education, and adaptation of
manufacturing technologies to the needs of particular
industrial sectors.
``(B) The quality of service to be provided.
``(C) Geographical diversity and extent of service
area.
``(D) The percentage of funding and amount of in-
kind commitment from other sources.
``(5) Evaluation.--
``(A) In general.--Each Center that receives
financial assistance under this section shall be
evaluated during its third year of operation by an
evaluation panel appointed by the Secretary.
``(B) Composition.--Each such evaluation panel
shall be composed of independent experts, none of whom
shall be connected with the involved Center, and
Federal officials.
``(C) Chair.--An official of the Institute shall
chair the panel.
``(D) Performance measurement.--Each evaluation
panel shall measure the involved Center's performance
against the objectives specified in this section.
``(E) Positive evaluation.--If the evaluation is
positive, the Secretary may provide continued funding
through the fifth year.
``(F) Corrective action plan.--The Secretary may
not provide funding for the remaining years of a
Center's operation unless the evaluation is positive. A
Center that has not received a positive evaluation by
the evaluation panel shall be notified by the panel of
the deficiencies in its performance and shall be placed
on a corrective action plan and provided the
opportunity to address deficiencies unless immediate
action is necessary to protect the public interest. The
program shall re-evaluate the Center within one year
and if the Center has not addressed the deficiencies
identified by the panel, or shown a significant
improvement in its performance, the Director shall
conduct a new competition or may close the Center.
``(G) Additional financial support.--After the
fifth year, a Center may receive additional financial
support under this section if it has received a
positive evaluation through an independent review,
under procedures established by the Institute.
``(H) Recompetition.--If a Center has received
financial support for 10 consecutive years, the
Director shall conduct a new competition. An existing
Center may submit an application as part of the new
competition.
``(I) Recompetition plan.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of the America Competes
Reauthorization Act of 2014, the Director shall submit
a plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate detailing how the program will implement the
new competitions required under subparagraph (H). The
Director shall consult with the MEP Advisory Board
established under subsection (f) in the development and
implementation of the plan.
``(6) Oversight board.--
``(A) In general.--Each Center that receives
financial assistance under this section shall establish
an oversight board that is broadly representative of
regional stakeholders with a majority of board members
drawn from local small and medium-sized manufacturing
firms.
``(B) Bylaws and conflict of interest.--Each board
under subparagraph (A) shall adopt and submit to the
Director bylaws to govern the operation of the board,
including a conflict of interest policy to ensure
relevant relationships are disclosed and proper recusal
procedures are in place.
``(C) Limitation.--Board members may not serve
simultaneously on more than one Center's oversight
board or serve as a contractor providing services to a
Center.
``(7) Protection of confidential information.--The
Secretary shall ensure that the following are not publically
disclosed:
``(A) Confidential information on the business
operations of--
``(i) a participant under the program; or
``(ii) a client of a Center.
``(B) Trade secrets possessed by any client of a
Center.
``(8) Patent rights.--The provisions of chapter 18 of title
35, United States Code, shall apply, to the extent not
inconsistent with this section, to the promotion of technology
from research by Centers under this section except for
contracts for such specific technology extension or transfer
services as may be specified by statute or by the Director.
``(d) Reporting and Auditing Requirements.--The Director shall
establish procedures regarding Center financial reporting and auditing
to ensure that awards are used for the purposes specified in this
section and are in accordance with sound accounting practices.
``(e) Acceptance of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--In addition to such sums as may be
appropriated to the Secretary and Director to operate the
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Secretary and
Director also may accept funds from other Federal departments
and agencies and, under section 2(c)(7), from the private
sector for the purpose of strengthening United States
manufacturing.
``(2) Allocation of funds.--
``(A) Funds accepted from other federal departments
or agencies.--The Director shall determine whether
funds accepted from other Federal departments or
agencies shall be counted in the calculation of the
Federal share of capital and annual operating and
maintenance costs under subsection (c).
``(B) Funds accepted from the private sector.--
Funds accepted from the private sector under section
2(c)(7), if allocated to a Center, may not be
considered in the calculation of the Federal share
under subsection (c) of this section.
``(f) MEP Advisory Board.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the
Institute a Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board
(in this subsection referred to as the `MEP Advisory Board').
``(2) Membership.--
``(A) In general.--The MEP Advisory Board shall
consist of not fewer than 10 members broadly
representative of stakeholders, to be appointed by the
Director. At least 2 members shall be employed by or on
an advisory board for the Centers, at least 1 member
shall represent a community college, and at least 5
other members shall be from United States small
businesses in the manufacturing sector. No member shall
be an employee of the Federal Government.
``(B) Term.--Except as provided in subparagraph (C)
or (D), the term of office of each member of the MEP
Advisory Board shall be 3 years.
``(C) 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 term.
``(D) Serving consecutive terms.--Any person who
has completed two consecutive full terms of service on
the MEP Advisory Board shall thereafter be ineligible
for appointment during the one-year period following
the expiration of the second such term.
``(3) Meetings.--The MEP Advisory Board shall meet not less
than 2 times annually and shall provide to the Director--
``(A) advice on Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership programs, plans, and policies;
``(B) assessments of the soundness of Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership plans and
strategies; and
``(C) assessments of current performance against
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program
plans.
``(4) Federal advisory committee act applicability.--
``(A) In general.--In discharging its duties under
this subsection, the MEP Advisory Board shall function
solely in an advisory capacity, in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act.
``(B) Exception.--Section 14 of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the MEP
Advisory Board.
``(5) Report.--The MEP Advisory Board shall transmit an
annual report to the Secretary for transmittal to Congress
within 30 days after the submission to Congress of the
President's annual budget request in each year. Such report
shall address the status of the program established pursuant to
this section and comment on the relevant sections of the
programmatic planning document and updates thereto transmitted
to Congress by the Director under subsections (c) and (d) of
section 23.
``(g) Competitive Grant Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish, within
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program of
competitive awards among participants described in paragraph
(2) for the purposes described in paragraph (3).
``(2) Participants.--Participants receiving awards under
this subsection shall be the Centers, or a consortium of such
Centers.
``(3) Purpose.--The purpose of the program under this
subsection is to add capabilities to the Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership, including the development of projects to
solve new or emerging manufacturing problems as determined by
the Director, in consultation with the Director of the Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the MEP Advisory Board,
and small and medium-sized manufacturers.
``(4) Themes.--One or more themes for the competition may
be identified, which may vary from year to year, depending on
the needs of manufacturers and the success of previous
competitions. These themes may include--
``(A) supply chain integration and quality
management;
``(B) the creation of partnerships to encourage the
development of a workforce with the skills necessary to
meet the needs of a region, including the creation of
apprenticeship opportunities and the adoption of
universally recognized credential programs, as
appropriate;
``(C) energy efficiency, including efficient
building technologies and environmentally friendly
materials, products, and processes;
``(D) enhancing the competitiveness of small and
medium-sized manufacturers in the global marketplace;
``(E) the transfer of technology based on the
technological needs of manufacturers and available
technologies from institutions of higher education,
laboratories, and other technology producing entities;
and
``(F) areas that extend beyond traditional areas of
manufacturing extension activities, including projects
related to construction industry modernization.
``(5) Reimbursement.--Centers may be reimbursed for costs
incurred under the program under this subsection.
``(6) Applications.--Applications for awards under this
subsection shall be submitted in such manner, at such time, and
containing such information as the Director shall require, in
consultation with the MEP Advisory Board.
``(7) Selection.--Awards under this subsection shall be
peer reviewed and competitively awarded. The Director shall
endeavor to have broad geographic diversity among selected
proposals. The Director shall select proposals to receive
awards that will--
``(A) utilize innovative or collaborative
approaches to solving the problem described in the
competition;
``(B) improve the competitiveness of industries in
the region in which the Center or Centers are located;
and
``(C) contribute to the long-term economic
stability of that region, including the creation of
jobs or training employees.
``(8) Program contribution.--Recipients of awards under
this subsection shall not be required to provide a matching
contribution.
``(9) Duration.--Awards under this subsection shall last no
longer than 5 years.
``(h) Innovative Services Initiative.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Director, in coordination with
the Advanced Manufacturing Office of the Department of Energy,
shall establish, within the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, an innovative services initiative to assist small
and medium-sized manufacturers in--
``(A) reducing their energy usage, greenhouse gas
emissions, and environmental waste to improve
profitability;
``(B) accelerating the domestic commercialization
of new product technologies, including components for
renewable energy and energy efficiency systems; and
``(C) identifying and diversifying to new markets,
including support for transitioning to the production
of components for renewable energy and energy
efficiency systems.
``(2) Market demand.--The Director may not undertake any
activity to accelerate the domestic commercialization of a new
product technology under this subsection unless an analysis of
market demand for the new product technology has been
conducted.
``(i) Export Assistance to Small and Medium-sized Manufacturers.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall--
``(A) evaluate obstacles that are unique to small
and medium-sized manufacturers that prevent such
manufacturers from effectively competing in the global
market;
``(B) implement a comprehensive export assistance
initiative through the Centers to help small and
medium-sized manufacturers address such obstacles; and
``(C) to the maximum extent practicable, ensure
that the activities carried out under this subsection
are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts
of, other export assistance programs within the Federal
Government.
``(2) Requirements.--The initiative shall include--
``(A) export assistance counseling;
``(B) the development of partnerships that will
provide small and medium-sized manufacturers with
greater access to and knowledge of global markets; and
``(C) improved communication between the Centers to
assist such manufacturers in implementing appropriate,
targeted solutions to such obstacles.
``(j) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Area career and technical education school.--The term
`area career and technical education school' has the meaning
given such term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
``(2) Community college.--The term `community college'
means an institution of higher education (as defined under
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001(a))) at which the highest degree that is predominately
awarded to students is an associate's degree.''.
SEC. 406. BIOSCIENCE MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND STANDARDS.
(a) In General.--The National Institute of Standards and Technology
Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 34,
as added by section 404 of this Act, the following:
``SEC. 35. BIOSCIENCE MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND STANDARDS.
``The Director shall--
``(1) establish a bioscience research program to support
the development of standards and measurements and to create new
data, tools, techniques, and processes necessary to promote new
research and industries at the intersection of the biological,
physical, and information sciences and engineering;
``(2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or
unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to
industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, and government agencies to perform research and
testing related to the biosciences program established under
this section; and
``(3) provide technical expertise to inform the development
of guidelines and safeguards for new products, processes, and
systems that may result from advancements at the intersection
of the biological, physical, and information sciences and
engineering.''.
SEC. 407. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REVIEW.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
shall enter into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to
conduct a single, comprehensive review of the Institute's laboratory
programs. The review shall--
(1) assess the technical merits and scientific caliber of
the research conducted at the laboratories;
(2) examine the strengths and weaknesses of the 2010
laboratory reorganization on the Institute's ability to fulfill
its mission;
(3) evaluate how cross-cutting research and development
activities are planned, coordinated, and executed across the
laboratories; and
(4) assess how the laboratories are engaging industry,
including the incorporation of industry need, into the research
goals and objectives of the Institute.
SEC. 408. IMPROVING NIST COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
Section 8 of the National Bureau of Standards Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 1983 (15 U.S.C. 275b) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ``and with'' after
``performed for''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ``The Secretary may
accept, apply for, use, and spend Federal, State, and non-
governmental acquisition and assistance funds to further the
mission of the Institute without regard to the source or the
period of availability of these funds as well as share
personnel, associates, facilities, and property with these
partner organizations, with or without reimbursement, upon
mutual agreement.''.
SEC. 409. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
(a) Functions and Activities.--Section 15 of the of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278e) is amended--
(1) by striking ``of the Government; and'' and inserting
``of the Government;'';
(2) by striking ``transportation services for employees of
the Institute'' and inserting ``transportation services for
employees, associates, or fellows of the Institute''; and
(3) by striking ``Code.'' and inserting ``Code; and (i) the
protection of Institute buildings and other plant facilities,
equipment, and property, and of employees, associates,
visitors, or other persons located therein or associated
therewith, notwithstanding any other provision of law.''.
(b) Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program.--Section 19 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-2) is amended
to read as follows:
``SEC. 19. POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
``The Director, in conjunction with the National Academy of
Sciences, shall establish and conduct a post-doctoral fellowship
program that shall include not less than 20 new fellows per fiscal
year. In evaluating applications for fellowships under this section,
the Director shall give consideration to the goal of promoting the
participation of underrepresented minorities in research areas
supported by the Institute.''.
TITLE V--INNOVATION
SEC. 501. OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
Section 25 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3720) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) by inserting ``with a Director and
full-time staff'' after ``Office of Innovation and
Entrepreneurship'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
``(3) providing access to relevant data, research, and
technical assistance on innovation and commercialization,
including best practices for university-based incubators and
accelerators;'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as
paragraphs (6) and (7), respectively; and
(C) by inserting the following after paragraph (3):
``(4) overseeing the implementation of the loan guarantee
programs and the Regional Innovation Program established under
sections 26 and 27, respectively;
``(5) developing, within 180 days after the date of
enactment of the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014,
and updating at least every 5 years, a strategic plan to guide
the activities of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
that shall--
``(A) specify and prioritize near-term and long-
term goals, objectives, and policies to accelerate
innovation and advance the commercialization of
research and development, including federally funded
research and development, set forth the anticipated
time for achieving the objectives, and identify metrics
for use in assessing progress toward such objectives;
``(B) describe how the Department of Commerce is
working in conjunction with other Federal agencies to
foster innovation and commercialization across the
United States; and
``(C) provide a summary of the activities,
including the development of metrics to evaluate
regional innovation strategies undertaken through the
Regional Innovation Research and Information Program
established under section 27(e);'';
(3) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
``(c) Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish or
designate an advisory committee, which shall meet at least
twice each fiscal year, to provide advice to the Secretary on
carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Office of
Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
``(2) Report to congress.--The advisory committee shall
prepare a report, to be submitted to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate every 3 years. The first report shall be submitted not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the America
Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014 and shall include--
``(A) an assessment of the strategic plan developed
under subsection (b)(5) and the progress made in
implementing the plan and the duties of the Office of
Innovation and Entrepreneurship;
``(B) an assessment of how the Office of Innovation
and Entrepreneurship is working with other Federal
agencies to meet the goals and duties of the office;
and
``(C) any recommendations for how the Office of
Innovation and Entrepreneurship could be improved.'';
and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015
through 2019 to carry out this section.''.
SEC. 502. FEDERAL LOAN GUARANTEES FOR INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN
MANUFACTURING.
Section 26(t) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3721(t)) is amended by striking ``fiscal years 2011
through 2013'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2014 through 2018''.
SEC. 503. REGIONAL INNOVATION PROGRAM.
Section 27 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3722) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
``(8) Outreach to rural communities.--The Secretary shall
conduct outreach to public and private sector entities in rural
communities to encourage those entities to participate in
regional innovation cluster activities under this subsection.
``(9) Funding.--The Secretary may accept funds from other
Federal agencies to support grants and activities under this
subsection.''; and
(2) in subsection (i), by striking ``fiscal years 2011
through 2013'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2015 through
2019''.
SEC. 504. INNOVATION VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 25 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3720) as amended by section 501 of this Act, is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Innovation Voucher Pilot Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the Office
of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and in conjunction with the
States, shall establish an innovation voucher pilot program to
accelerate innovative activities and enhance the
competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufacturers in the
United States. The pilot program shall--
``(A) foster collaborations between small and
medium-sized manufacturers and research institutions;
and
``(B) enable small and medium-sized manufacturers
to access technical expertise and capabilities that
will lead to the development of innovative products or
manufacturing processes, including through--
``(i) research and development, including
proof of concept, technical development, and
compliance testing activities;
``(ii) early-stage product development,
including engineering design services; and
``(iii) technology transfer and related
activities.
``(2) Award size.--The Secretary shall competitively award
vouchers worth up to $20,000 to small and medium-sized
manufacturers for use at eligible research institutions to
acquire the services described in paragraph (1)(B).
``(3) Streamlined procedures.--The Secretary shall
streamline and simplify the application, administrative, and
reporting procedures for vouchers administered under the
program.
``(4) Regulations.--Prior to awarding any vouchers under
the program, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations--
``(A) establishing criteria for the selection of
recipients of awards under this subsection;
``(B) establishing procedures regarding financial
reporting and auditing--
``(i) to ensure that awards are used for
the purposes of the program; and
``(ii) that are in accordance with sound
accounting practices; and
``(C) describing any other policies, procedures, or
information necessary to implement this subsection,
including those intended to streamline and simplify the
program in accordance with paragraph (3).
``(5) Transfer authority.--The Secretary may transfer funds
appropriated to the Department of Commerce to other Federal
agencies for the performance of services authorized under this
subsection.
``(6) Administrative costs.--All of the amounts
appropriated to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year
shall be used for vouchers awarded under this subsection,
except that the Secretary may set aside a percentage of such
amounts for eligible research institutions performing the
services described in paragraph (1)(B) to defray administrative
costs associated with the services. The Secretary shall
establish a single, fixed percentage for such purposes that
will apply to all eligible research institutions.
``(7) Outreach.--The Secretary may use centers established
under section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) to provide information about
the program established under this subsection and to conduct
outreach to potential applicants, as appropriate.
``(8) Reports to congress.--
``(A) Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the America Competes Reauthorization
Act of 2014, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a
plan that will serve as a guide for the activities of
the program. The plan shall include a description of
the specific objectives of the program and the metrics
that will be used in assessing progress toward those
objectives.
``(B) Outcomes.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of enactment of the America Competes
Reauthorization Act of 2014, the Secretary shall
transmit to Congress a report containing--
``(i) a summary of the activities carried
out under this subsection;
``(ii) an assessment of the impact of such
activities on the innovative capacity of small
and medium-sized manufacturers receiving
assistance under the pilot program; and
``(iii) any recommendations for
administrative and legislative action that
could optimize the effectiveness of the pilot
program.
``(9) Coordination and nonduplication.--To the maximum
extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that the
activities carried out under this subsection are coordinated
with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, other programs
within the Federal Government.
``(10) Eligible research institutions defined.--For the
purposes of this subsection, the term `eligible research
institution' means--
``(A) an institution of higher education, as such
term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a));
``(B) a Federal laboratory;
``(C) a federally funded research and development
center; or
``(D) a Hollings Manufacturing Extension Center
established under section 25 of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k).
``(11) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the
pilot program in this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2015 through 2019.''.
SEC. 505. FEDERAL ACCELERATION OF STATE TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION
PILOT PROGRAM.
The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 28. FEDERAL ACCELERATION OF STATE TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION
PILOT PROGRAM.
``(a) Authority.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a
Federal Acceleration of State Technology Commercialization
Pilot Program or FAST Commercialization Pilot Program to award
grants to States, or consortia thereof, for the purposes
described in paragraph (2). Awards under this section shall be
made through a competitive, merit-based process.
``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the program under this
section is to advance United States productivity and global
competitiveness by accelerating commercialization of innovative
technology by leveraging Federal support for State
commercialization efforts. The program shall provide matching
funds to a State, or consortium thereof, for the acceleration
of commercialization activities and the promotion of small
manufacturing enterprises in the United States.
``(b) Application.--Applications for awards under this section
shall be submitted in such a manner, at such a time, and containing
such information as the Secretary shall require, including--
``(1) a description of the current state of technology
commercialization in the State or States, including successes
and barriers to commercialization; and
``(2) a description of the State's or consortium's plan for
increasing commercialization of new technologies, products,
processes, and services.
``(c) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall establish criteria
for the selection of awardees, which shall consider at a minimum a
review of efforts during the fiscal year prior to submitting an
application to--
``(1) promote manufacturing; and
``(2) commercialize new technologies, products, processes,
and services, including activities to translate federally
funded research and technologies to small manufacturing
enterprises.
``(d) Matching Requirement.--A State or consortium receiving a
grant under this section shall provide non-Federal cash contributions
in an amount equal to 50 percent of the total cost of the project for
which the grant is provided.
``(e) Coordination and Nonduplication.--In carrying out the program
under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants made under
the program are coordinated with, and do not duplicate, the efforts of
other commercialization programs within the Federal Government.
``(f) Evaluation.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014,
the Secretary shall enter into a contract with an independent
entity, such as the National Academy of Sciences, to conduct an
evaluation of the program established under subsection (a).
``(2) Requirements.--The evaluation shall--
``(A) assess whether the program is achieving its
goals;
``(B) include any recommendations for how the
program may be improved; and
``(C) include a recommendation as to whether the
program should be continued or terminated.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `State' has the meaning given that term in
section 3 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3122); and
``(2) the term `commercialization' has the meaning given
that term in section 9(e)(10) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 638(e)(10)).
``(h) Duration.--Each award shall be for a 5-year period.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015
through 2017 to carry out this section.''.
SEC. 506. NATIONAL ACADEMIES REPORT ON UNIVERSITY INCUBATORS AND
ACCELERATORS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Commerce shall enter into a contract with the National
Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on the role of incubators and
accelerators, including university-based incubators and accelerators,
in the commercialization of federally funded research and regional
economic development. The study shall--
(1) examine the effectiveness of incubators and
accelerators in stimulating the creation of start-ups,
including metrics for comparing start-ups that have and have
not completed incubator or accelerator programs, and developing
regional innovation clusters; and
(2) identify best practices in the structure, goals,
operation, management, and funding mechanisms of leading
incubators and accelerators.
TITLE VI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Subtitle A--Office of Science
SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Department of Energy Office of
Science Authorization Act of 2014''.
SEC. 602. DEFINITIONS.
Except as otherwise provided, in this subtitle:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Science.
(3) Office of science.--The term ``Office of Science''
means the Department of Energy Office of Science.
(4) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means
the Under Secretary for Science and Energy.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
SEC. 603. MISSION OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE.
Section 209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C.
7139) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Mission.--The mission of the Office of Science shall be the
delivery of scientific discoveries, capabilities, and major scientific
tools to transform the understanding of nature and to advance the
energy, economic, and national security of the United States.
``(d) Duties.--In support of this mission, the Director shall carry
out programs, including those in basic energy sciences, biological and
environmental research, advanced scientific computing research, fusion
energy sciences, high energy physics, and nuclear physics, through
activities focused on--
``(1) Science for Discovery to unravel nature's mysteries
through activities which range from the study of subatomic
particles, atoms, and molecules that make up the materials of
our everyday world to the study of DNA, proteins, cells, and
entire biological systems;
``(2) Science for National Need by--
``(A) advancing a clean energy agenda through
research on energy production, storage, transmission,
efficiency, and use; and
``(B) advancing our understanding of the Earth and
its climate through research in atmospheric and
environmental sciences and climate change; and
``(3) National Scientific User Facilities to deliver the
21st century tools of science, engineering, and technology and
provide the Nation's researchers with the most advanced tools
of modern science including accelerators, colliders,
supercomputers, light sources and neutron sources, and
facilities for studying complex molecular systems and the
nanoworld.
``(e) Supporting Activities.--The activities described in
subsection (d) shall include providing for relevant facilities and
infrastructure, programmatic analysis, interagency coordination, and
workforce development and outreach activities.
``(f) User Facilities.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out the
construction, operation, and maintenance of user facilities,
including underground research facilities, to support the
activities described in subsection (d). As practicable, these
facilities shall serve the needs of the Department, industry,
the academic community, and other relevant entities for the
purposes of advancing the missions of the Department.
``(2) Coordination with other federal agencies.--The
Director may form partnerships to enhance the utilization of
and ensure access to user facilities, including underground
research facilities, by other Federal agencies.
``(3) Underground research facilities report.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director shall transmit to Congress a report describing the
underground research priorities of the Department, taking into
consideration previous reports by the High Energy Physics
Advisory Panel, the National Research Council, the Department
of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and other
appropriate entities.
``(g) Other Authorized Activities.--In addition to the activities
authorized under the Department of Energy Office of Science
Authorization Act of 2014, the Office of Science shall carry out other
such activities as it is authorized or required to carry out by law.
``(h) Coordination and Joint Activities With Other Department of
Energy Programs.--The Under Secretary shall ensure the coordination of
activities under the Department of Energy Office of Science
Authorization Act of 2014 with the other activities of the Department,
and shall support joint activities among the programs of the
Department.
``(i) Domestic Manufacturing Capability for Office of Science
Facilities Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment
of the Department of Energy Office of Science Authorization Act of
2014, the Secretary shall transmit a report to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. The report
shall--
``(1) assess the current ability of domestic manufacturers
to meet the procurement requirements for major ongoing projects
funded by the Office of Science, including a calculation of the
percentage of equipment acquired from domestic manufacturers
for this purpose; and
``(2) identify steps that can be taken by the Federal
Government and by private industry to increase the capability
of domestic manufacturers to meet procurement requirements of
the Office of Science for major projects.''.
SEC. 604. BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under the
amendment made by section 603, the Director shall carry out a program
in basic energy sciences, including materials sciences and engineering,
chemical sciences, physical biosciences, and geosciences, for the
purpose of providing the scientific foundations for new energy
technologies and addressing scientific grand challenges.
(b) Basic Energy Sciences User Facilities.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a subprogram
to support and oversee the construction, operation, and
maintenance of national user facilities that support the
program under this section. As practicable, these facilities
shall serve the needs of the Department, industry, the academic
community, and other relevant entities to create and examine
new materials and chemical processes for the purposes of
advancing new energy technologies and improving the
competitiveness of the United States. These facilities shall
include--
(A) x-ray light sources;
(B) neutron sources;
(C) nanoscale science research centers; and
(D) other facilities the Director considers
appropriate, consistent with section 209(f) of the
Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C.
7139(f)).
(2) Facility research and development.--The Director shall
carry out research and development on advanced accelerator and
storage ring technologies relevant to the Basic Energy Sciences
user facilities, in consultation with the Office of Science's
High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics programs.
(3) Facility construction and upgrades.--Consistent with
the Office of Science's project management practices, the
Director shall support construction of--
(A) an upgrade of the Advanced Photon Source to
optimize and enhance beam brightness;
(B) a Second Target Station at the Spallation
Neutron Source to double user capacity and expand the
suite of instruments to meet new scientific challenges;
(C) the Linac Coherent Light Source II to expand
the x-ray wavelength range, incorporate high repetition
rate operation for soft and medium energy x-rays, and
increase user capacity of the Linac Coherent Light
Source; and
(D) an upgrade to the Advanced Light Source to
improve brightness and performance.
(c) Energy Frontier Research Centers.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program to
provide awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to
multi-institutional collaborations or other appropriate
entities to conduct fundamental and use-inspired energy
research to accelerate scientific breakthroughs related to
needs identified in--
(A) the Grand Challenges report of the Department's
Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee;
(B) the report of the Department's Basic Energy
Sciences Advisory Committee entitled ``From Quanta to
the Continuum: Opportunities for Mesoscale Science'';
(C) the Basic Energy Sciences Basic Research Needs
workshop report; or
(D) other relevant reports identified by the
Director.
(2) Collaborations.--A collaboration receiving an award
under this subsection may include multiple types of
institutions and private sector entities.
(3) Selection and duration.--
(A) In general.--A collaboration under this
subsection shall be selected for a period of 5 years.
An Energy Frontier Research Center already in existence
and supported by the Director on the date of enactment
of this Act may continue to receive support for a
period of 5 years beginning on the date of
establishment of that center.
(B) Reapplication.--After the end of the period
described in subparagraph (A), an awardee may reapply
for selection for a second period of 5 years on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
(C) Termination.--Consistent with the existing
authorities of the Department, the Director may
terminate an underperforming center for cause during
the performance period.
(4) No funding for construction.--No funding provided
pursuant to this subsection may be used for the construction of
new buildings or facilities.
SEC. 605. BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--As part of the activities authorized under section
209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7139), and
coordinated with the activities authorized under section 604 and
section 606, the Director shall carry out a program of research and
development in the areas of biological systems science and climate and
environmental science, including subsurface science, to support the
energy and environmental missions of the Department.
(b) Biological Systems Science Activities.--
(1) Activities.--As part of the activities authorized under
subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research and
development activities in fundamental, structural,
computational, and systems biology to increase systems-level
understanding of the complex biological systems, which shall
include activities to--
(A) accelerate breakthroughs and new knowledge that
will enable cost-effective sustainable production of--
(i) biomass-based liquid transportation
fuels;
(ii) bioenergy; and
(iii) biobased materials;
(B) improve understanding of the global carbon
cycle, including processes for removing carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere, through photosynthesis and other
biological processes, for sequestration and storage;
and
(C) understand the biological mechanisms used to
transform, immobilize, or remove contaminants from
subsurface environments.
(2) Bioenergy research centers.--
(A) In general.--In carrying out activities under
paragraph (1), the Director shall support at least 3
bioenergy research centers to accelerate advanced
research and development of biomass-based liquid
transportation fuels, bioenergy, or biobased materials
that are produced from a variety of regionally diverse
feedstocks.
(B) Selection and duration.--A center established
under subparagraph (A) shall be selected on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis for a period of 5
years beginning on the date of establishment of that
center. A center already in existence on the date of
enactment of this Act may continue to receive support
for a period of 5 years beginning on the date of
establishment of that center.
(C) Renewal.--After the end of the period described
in subparagraph (B), an awardee may apply for a second
period of 5 years on a merit-reviewed basis.
(D) Termination.--Consistent with the existing
authorities of the Department, the Director may
terminate an underperforming center for cause during
the performance period.
(3) Low dose radiation research program.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall carry out a
research program on low dose radiation. The purpose of
the program is to enhance the scientific understanding
of and reduce uncertainties associated with the effects
of exposure to low dose radiation in order to inform
improved risk management methods.
(B) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term ``low
dose radiation'' means a radiation dose of less than
100 millisieverts.
(C) Study.--Not later than 60 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into
an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a
study assessing the current status and development of a
long-term strategy for low dose radiation research. The
study shall be conducted in coordination with Federal
agencies that perform ionizing radiation effects
research.
(D) Contents.--The study performed under
subparagraph (C) shall--
(i) identify current scientific challenges
for understanding the long-term effects of
ionizing radiation;
(ii) assess the status of current low dose
radiation research in the United States and
internationally;
(iii) formulate overall scientific goals
for the future of low-dose radiation research
in the United States;
(iv) recommend a long-term strategic and
prioritized research agenda to address
scientific research goals for overcoming the
identified scientific challenges in
coordination with other research efforts;
(v) define the essential components of a
research program that would address this
research agenda within the universities and the
National Laboratories; and
(vi) assess the cost-benefit effectiveness
of such a program.
(E) 5-year research plan.--Not later than 90 days
after the completion of the assessment performed under
subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall deliver to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a five-year
research plan that responds to the assessment's
findings and recommendations and identifies and
prioritizes research needs.
(4) Repeal.--Section 977 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16317) is repealed.
(c) Climate and Environmental Science Activities.--
(1) In general.--As part of the activities authorized under
subsection (a), and in coordination with activities carried out
under subsection (b), the Director shall carry out climate and
environmental science research, which shall include activities
to--
(A) understand, observe, and model the response of
Earth's atmosphere and biosphere to increased
concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions and any
associated changes in climate;
(B) understand the processes for immobilization, or
removal of, and understand the movement of, energy
production-derived contaminants such as radionuclides
and heavy metals, and understand the process of
sequestration and transformation of carbon dioxide in
subsurface environments; and
(C) inform potential mitigation and adaptation
options for increased concentrations of greenhouse gas
emissions and any associated changes in climate.
(2) Subsurface biogeochemical research.--
(A) In general.--As part of the activities
described in paragraph (1), the Director shall carry
out research to advance a fundamental understanding of
coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes
for controlling the movement of sequestered carbon and
subsurface environmental contaminants.
(B) Coordination.--
(i) Director.--The Director shall carry out
activities under this paragraph in accordance
with priorities established by the Under
Secretary to support and accelerate the
decontamination of relevant facilities managed
by the Department.
(ii) Under secretary.--The Under Secretary
shall ensure the coordination of activities of
the Department, including activities under this
paragraph, to support and accelerate the
decontamination of relevant facilities managed
by the Department.
(3) Climate and earth modeling.--As part of the activities
described in paragraph (1), the Director, in collaboration with
the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program described in
section 606, shall carry out research to develop, evaluate, and
use high-resolution regional climate, global climate, and Earth
models to inform decisions on reducing the impacts of a
changing climate. Such modeling shall include, among other
critical elements, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and
interaction among human and Earth systems.
SEC. 606. ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--As part of the activities authorized under section
209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7139), the
Director shall carry out a research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application program to advance computational and networking
capabilities for data-driven discovery and to analyze, model, simulate,
and predict complex phenomena relevant to the development of new energy
technologies and the competitiveness of the United States.
(b) Coordination.--The Under Secretary shall ensure the
coordination of the activities of the Department, including activities
under this section, to determine and meet the computational and
networking research and facility needs of the Office of Science and all
other relevant energy technology and energy efficiency programs within
the Department.
(c) Research To Support Energy Applications.--
(1) In general.--As part of the activities authorized under
subsection (a), the program shall support research in high-
performance computing and networking relevant to energy
applications including modeling, simulation, and advanced data
analytics for basic and applied energy research programs
carried out by the Secretary.
(2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the
Congress a plan to integrate and leverage the expertise and
capabilities of the program described in subsection (a), as
well as other relevant computational and networking research
programs and resources supported by the Federal Government, to
advance the missions of the Department's applied energy and
energy efficiency programs.
(d) Applied Mathematics and Software Development for High-End
Computing Systems.--The Director shall carry out activities to develop,
test, and support mathematics, models, and algorithms for complex
systems, as well as programming environments, tools, languages, and
operating systems for high-end computing systems (as defined in section
2 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of
2004 (15 U.S.C. 5541)).
(e) Exascale Computing Program.--Section 3 of the Department of
Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5542)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``program'' and
inserting ``coordinated program across the
Department'';
(B) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph
(1);
(C) by striking the period at the end of paragraph
(2) and inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(3) partner with universities, National Laboratories, and
industry to ensure the broadest possible application of the
technology developed in this program to other challenges in
science, engineering, medicine, and industry.'';
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``vector'' and all
that follows through ``architectures'' and inserting ``computer
technologies that show promise of substantial reductions in
power requirements and substantial gains in parallelism of
multicore processors, concurrency, memory and storage,
bandwidth, and reliability''; and
(3) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
``(d) Exascale Computing Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a
coordinated research program to develop exascale computing
systems to advance the missions of the Department.
``(2) Execution.--The Secretary shall, through competitive
merit review, establish two or more National Laboratory-
industry-university partnerships to conduct integrated
research, development, and engineering of multiple exascale
architectures, and--
``(A) conduct mission-related co-design activities
in developing such exascale platforms;
``(B) develop those advancements in hardware and
software technology required to fully realize the
potential of an exascale production system in
addressing Department target applications and solving
scientific problems involving predictive modeling and
simulation and large-scale data analytics and
management; and
``(C) explore the use of exascale computing
technologies to advance a broad range of science and
engineering.
``(3) Administration.--In carrying out this program, the
Secretary shall--
``(A) provide, on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis, access for researchers in United States
industry, institutions of higher education, National
Laboratories, and other Federal agencies to these
exascale systems, as appropriate; and
``(B) conduct outreach programs to increase the
readiness for the use of such platforms by domestic
industries, including manufacturers.
``(4) Reports.--
``(A) Integrated strategy and program management
plan.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress, not
later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the
Department of Energy Office of Science Authorization
Act of 2014, a report outlining an integrated strategy
and program management plan, including target dates for
prototypical and production exascale platforms, interim
milestones to reaching these targets, functional
requirements, roles and responsibilities of National
Laboratories and industry, acquisition strategy, and
estimated resources required, to achieve this exascale
system capability. The report shall include the
Secretary's plan for Departmental organization to
manage and execute the Exascale Computing Program,
including definition of the roles and responsibilities
within the Department to ensure an integrated program
across the Department. The report shall also include a
plan for ensuring balance and prioritizing across ASCR
subprograms in a flat or slow-growth budget
environment.
``(B) Status reports.--At the time of the budget
submission of the Department for each fiscal year, the
Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that
describes the status of milestones and costs in
achieving the objectives of the exascale computing
program.
``(C) Exascale merit report.--At least 18 months
prior to the initiation of construction or installation
of any exascale-class computing facility, the Secretary
shall transmit a plan to the Congress detailing--
``(i) the proposed facility's cost
projections and capabilities to significantly
accelerate the development of new energy
technologies;
``(ii) technical risks and challenges that
must be overcome to achieve successful
completion and operation of the facility; and
``(iii) an independent assessment of the
scientific and technological advances expected
from such a facility relative to those expected
from a comparable investment in expanded
research and applications at terascale-class
and petascale-class computing facilities,
including an evaluation of where investments
should be made in the system software and
algorithms to enable these advances.''.
(f) Definitions.--Section 2 of the Department of Energy High-End
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5541) is amended by
striking paragraphs (1) through (5) and inserting the following:
``(1) Co-design.--The term `co-design' means the joint
development of application algorithms, models, and codes with
computer technology architectures and operating systems to
maximize effective use of high-end computing systems.
``(2) Department.--The term `Department' means the
Department of Energy.
``(3) Exascale.--The term `exascale' means computing system
performance at or near 10 to the 18th power floating point
operations per second.
``(4) High-end computing system.--The term `high-end
computing system' means a computing system with performance
that substantially exceeds that of systems that are commonly
available for advanced scientific and engineering applications.
``(5) Leadership system.--The term `Leadership System'
means a high-end computing system that is among the most
advanced in the world in terms of performance in solving
scientific and engineering problems.
``(6) Institution of higher education.--The term
`institution of higher education' has the meaning given the
term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15801).
``(7) National laboratory.--The term `National Laboratory'
has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
``(8) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Energy.
``(9) Software technology.--The term `software technology'
includes optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools,
languages, and operating systems for high-end computing
systems.''.
SEC. 607. FUSION ENERGY RESEARCH.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under section
209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7139) and
section 972 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16312), the
Director shall carry out a fusion energy sciences research and enabling
technology development program to effectively address the scientific
and engineering challenges to building a cost-competitive fusion power
plant and a competitive fusion power industry in the United States. As
part of this program, the Director shall carry out research activities
to expand the fundamental understandings of plasmas and matter at very
high temperatures and densities.
(b) ITER.--The Director shall coordinate and carry out the
responsibilities of the United States with respect to the ITER
international fusion project pursuant to the Agreement on the
Establishment of the International Fusion Energy Organization for the
Joint Implementation of the ITER Project.
(c) Identification of Priorities.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the
Congress a report on the Department's proposed research and
development activities in magnetic fusion over the 10 years
following the date of enactment of this Act under at least
three realistic budget scenarios. The report shall--
(A) identify specific areas of fusion energy
research enabling technology development in which the
United States can and should establish or solidify a
lead in the global fusion energy development effort;
and
(B) identify priorities for initiation of facility
construction and facility decommissioning under each of
those scenarios.
(2) Review.--The report shall be reviewed by the Fusion
Energy Sciences Advisory Committee prior to its transmittal to
Congress. The Secretary shall provide the Fusion Energy
Sciences Advisory Committee with the opportunity and sufficient
resources to submit its own recommendations and additional
views on the Department's final report to Congress.
(d) Fusion Materials Research and Development.--As part of the
activities authorized in section 978 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16318), the Director, in coordination with the Assistant
Secretary for Nuclear Energy of the Department, shall carry out
research and development activities to identify, characterize, and
create materials that can endure the neutron, plasma, and heat fluxes
expected in a commercial fusion power plant. As part of the activities
authorized under subsection (c), the Secretary shall--
(1) provide an assessment of the need for a facility or
facilities that can examine and test potential fusion and next
generation fission materials and other enabling technologies
relevant to the development of commercial fusion power plants;
and
(2) provide an assessment of whether a single new facility
that substantially addresses magnetic fusion, inertial fusion,
and next generation fission materials research needs is
feasible, in conjunction with the expected capabilities of
facilities operational as of the date of enactment of this Act.
(e) Inertial Fusion Energy Research and Development Program.--The
Secretary shall carry out a program of research and technology
development in inertial fusion for energy applications, including ion
beam, laser, and pulsed power fusion systems.
SEC. 608. HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--As part of the activities authorized under section
209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7139), the
Director shall carry out a research program on the elementary
constituents of matter and energy and the nature of space and time.
(b) Energy Frontier Research.--As part of the program described in
subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research using high energy
accelerators and advanced detectors to create and study interactions of
novel particles and investigate fundamental forces.
(c) Neutrino Research.--As part of the program described in
subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research activities on
rare decay processes and the nature of the neutrino, which may--
(1) include collaborations with the National Science
Foundation or international collaborations on relevant research
projects; and
(2) utilize components of existing accelerator facilities
to produce neutrino beams of sufficient intensity to explore
research priorities identified by the High Energy Physics
Advisory Panel or the National Academy of Sciences.
(d) Dark Energy and Dark Matter Research.--As part of the program
described in subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research
activities on the nature of dark energy and dark matter. These
activities shall be consistent with the research priorities identified
by the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel or the National Academy of
Sciences, and may include--
(1) collaborations with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Science Foundation, or
international collaborations on relevant research projects; and
(2) the development of space-based, land-based, and
underground facilities and experiments.
(e) Accelerator Research and Development.--As part of the program
described in subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research and
development in advanced accelerator concepts and technologies,
including laser technologies, to reduce the necessary scope and cost
for the next generation of particle accelerators, in coordination with
the Office of Science's Basic Energy Sciences and Nuclear Physics
programs.
(f) International Collaboration.--The Director, as practicable and
in coordination with other appropriate Federal agencies as necessary,
shall ensure the access of United States researchers to the most
advanced accelerator facilities and research capabilities in the world,
including the Large Hadron Collider.
SEC. 609. NUCLEAR PHYSICS PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under section
209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7139), the
Director shall carry out a research program, and support relevant
facilities, to discover and understand various forms of nuclear matter.
(b) Facility Construction.--
(1) In general.--Consistent with the Office of Science's
project management practices, the Director shall continue to
support the construction of the Facility for Rare Isotope
Beams.
(2) Repeal.--Section 981 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16321) is repealed.
(c) Isotope Development and Production for Research Applications.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program for
the production of isotopes that the Director determines are
needed for research and applications, including--
(A) the development of techniques to produce
isotopes; and
(B) support for infrastructure required for isotope
research and production.
(2) Coordination.--In making the determination described in
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
(A) ensure that isotope production activities do
not compete with private industry unless critical
national interests necessitate the Federal Government's
involvement; and
(B) consider any relevant recommendations made by
Federal advisory committees, the National Academies,
and interagency working groups in which the Department
participates.
SEC. 610. SCIENCE LABORATORIES INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--The Director shall carry out a program to improve the
safety, efficiency, and mission readiness of infrastructure at Office
of Science laboratories. The program shall include projects to--
(1) renovate or replace space that does not meet research
needs;
(2) replace facilities that are no longer cost effective to
renovate or operate;
(3) modernize utility systems to prevent failures and
ensure efficiency;
(4) remove excess facilities to allow safe and efficient
operations; and
(5) construct modern facilities to conduct advanced
research in controlled environmental conditions.
(b) Approach.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall
utilize all available approaches and mechanisms, including capital line
items, minor construction projects, energy savings performance
contracts, utility energy service contracts, alternative financing, and
expense funding, as appropriate.
(c) Definition.--The term ``Office of Science laboratory'' means a
subset of National Laboratories as defined in section 2(3) of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801) consisting of subparagraphs
(A), (B), (C), (D), (F), (K), (L), (M), (P), and (Q).
SEC. 611. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the
activities of the Office of Science--
(1) $5,324,550,000 for fiscal year 2015;
(2) $5,590,777,500 for fiscal year 2016;
(3) $5,870,316,375 for fiscal year 2017;
(4) $6,163,832,194 for fiscal year 2018; and
(5) $6,472,023,803 for fiscal year 2019.
Subtitle B--ARPA-E
SEC. 621. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of
2014''.
SEC. 622. ARPA-E AMENDMENTS.
Section 5012 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (n) as subsection (o) and
inserting after subsection (m) the following new subsection:
``(n) Protection of Proprietary Information.--The following
categories of information collected by the Advanced Research Projects
Agency-Energy from recipients of financial assistance awards shall be
considered privileged and confidential and not subject to disclosure
pursuant to section 552 of title 5, United States Code:
``(1) Plans for commercialization of technologies developed
under the award, including business plans, technology to market
plans, market studies, and cost and performance models.
``(2) Investments provided to an awardee from third
parties, such as venture capital, hedge fund, or private equity
firms, including amounts and percentage of ownership of the
awardee provided in return for such investments.
``(3) Additional financial support that the awardee plans
to invest or has invested into the technology developed under
the award, or that the awardee is seeking from third parties.
``(4) Revenue from the licensing or sale of new products or
services resulting from the research conducted under the
award.''; and
(2) in paragraph (2) of subsection (o), as so redesignated
by paragraph (1) of this section, by--
(A) striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph
(D);
(B) striking the period at the end of subparagraph
(E) and inserting a semicolon; and
(C) adding at the end the following:
``(F) $325,000,000 for fiscal year 2015;
``(G) $341,250,000 for fiscal year 2016;
``(H) $358,312,500 for fiscal year 2017;
``(I) $376,228,125 for fiscal year 2018; and
``(J) $395,039,531 for fiscal year 2019.''.
Subtitle C--Energy Innovation
SEC. 641. ENERGY INNOVATION HUBS.
(a) Authorization of Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a
program to enhance the Nation's economic, environmental, and
energy security by making awards to consortia for establishing
and operating Energy Innovation Hubs to conduct and support,
whenever practicable at one centralized location,
multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy
technologies.
(2) Technology development focus.--The Secretary shall
designate for each Hub a unique advanced energy technology
focus.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure the
coordination of, and avoid unnecessary duplication of, the
activities of Hubs with those of other Department of Energy
research entities, including the National Laboratories, the
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Energy Frontier
Research Centers, and within industry.
(b) Consortia.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive an award under
this section for the establishment and operation of a Hub, a
consortium shall--
(A) be composed of no fewer than 2 qualifying
entities; and
(B) operate subject to an agreement entered into by
its members that documents--
(i) the proposed partnership agreement,
including the governance and management
structure of the Hub;
(ii) measures to enable cost-effective
implementation of the program under this
section;
(iii) a proposed budget, including
financial contributions from non-Federal
sources;
(iv) a plan for managing intellectual
property rights; and
(v) an accounting structure that enables
the Secretary to ensure that the consortium has
complied with the requirements of this section.
(2) Application.--A consortium seeking to establish and
operate a Hub under this section, acting through a prime
applicant, shall transmit to the Secretary an application at
such time, in such form, and accompanied by such information as
the Secretary shall require, including a detailed description
of the elements of the consortium agreement required under
paragraph (1)(B). If the consortium members will not be located
at one centralized location, such application shall include a
communications plan that ensures close coordination and
integration of the Hub's activities.
(c) Selection and Schedule.--The Secretary shall select consortia
for awards for the establishment and operation of Hubs through
competitive selection processes. In selecting consortia, the Secretary
shall consider the information a consortium must disclose according to
subsection (b), as well as any existing facilities a consortium will
provide for Hub activities. Awards made to a Hub shall be for a period
not to exceed 5 years, after which the award may be renewed, subject to
a rigorous merit review. A Hub already in existence on the date of
enactment of this Act may continue to receive support for a period of 5
years beginning on the date of establishment of that Hub.
(d) Hub Operations.--
(1) In general.--Each Hub shall conduct or provide for
multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development,
demonstration, and, where appropriate, commercial application
of advanced energy technologies within the technology
development focus designated under subsection (a)(2). Each Hub
shall--
(A) encourage collaboration and communication among
the member qualifying entities of the consortium and
awardees by conducting activities whenever practicable
at one centralized location;
(B) develop and publish on the Department of
Energy's website proposed plans and programs;
(C) submit an annual report to the Secretary
summarizing the Hub's activities, including detailing
organizational expenditures, and describing each
project undertaken by the Hub; and
(D) monitor project implementation and
coordination.
(2) Conflicts of interest.--
(A) Procedures.--Hubs shall maintain conflict of
interest procedures, consistent with those of the
Department of Energy, to ensure that employees and
consortia designees for Hub activities who are in
decisionmaking capacities disclose all material
conflicts of interest.
(B) Disqualification and revocation.--The Secretary
may disqualify an application or revoke funds
distributed to a Hub if the Secretary discovers a
failure to comply with conflict of interest procedures
established under subparagraph (A).
(3) Prohibition on construction.--
(A) In general.--No funds provided pursuant to this
section may be used for construction of new buildings
or facilities for Hubs. Construction of new buildings
or facilities shall not be considered as part of the
non-Federal share of a Hub cost-sharing agreement.
(B) Test bed and renovation exception.--Nothing in
this subsection shall prohibit the use of funds
provided pursuant to this section, or non-Federal cost
share funds, for research or for the construction of a
test bed or renovations to existing buildings or
facilities for the purposes of research if the
Secretary determines that the test bed or renovations
are limited to a scope and scale necessary for the
research to be conducted.
(e) Termination.--Consistent with the existing authorities of the
Department, the Secretary may terminate an underperforming Hub for
cause during the performance period.
(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Advanced energy technology.--The term ``advanced energy
technology'' means--
(A) an innovative technology--
(i) that produces energy from solar, wind,
geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or
other renewable energy resources;
(ii) that produces nuclear energy;
(iii) for carbon capture and sequestration;
(iv) that enables advanced vehicles,
vehicle components, and related technologies
that result in significant energy savings;
(v) that generates, transmits, distributes,
utilizes, or stores energy more efficiently
than conventional technologies, including
through Smart Grid technologies; or
(vi) that enhances the energy independence
and security of the United States by enabling
improved or expanded supply and production of
domestic energy resources, including coal, oil,
and natural gas;
(B) research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application activities necessary to ensure
the long-term, secure, and sustainable supply of energy
critical elements; or
(C) another innovative energy technology area
identified by the Secretary.
(2) Energy critical element.--The term ``energy critical
element'' means any of a class of chemical elements that have a
high risk of a supply disruption and are critical to one or
more new, energy-related technologies such that a shortage of
such element would significantly inhibit large-scale deployment
of technologies that produce, transmit, store, or conserve
energy.
(3) Hub.--The term ``Hub'' means an Energy Innovation Hub
established or operating in accordance with this section,
including any Energy Innovation Hub existing as of the date of
enactment of this Act.
(4) Qualifying entity.--The term ``qualifying entity''
means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an appropriate State or Federal entity,
including the Department of Energy Federally Funded
Research and Development Centers;
(C) a nongovernmental organization with expertise
in advanced energy technology research, development,
demonstration, or commercial application; or
(D) any other relevant entity the Secretary
considers appropriate.
SEC. 642. PARTICIPATION IN THE INNOVATION CORPS PROGRAM.
(a) Agreement.--The Secretary of Energy shall enter into an
agreement with the Director of the National Science Foundation to
enable researchers funded by the Department of Energy to participate in
the Innovation Corps program authorized by section 307.
(b) Authorization.--The Secretary of Energy may also establish a
Department of Energy Innovation Corps program, modeled after the
National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program, to incorporate
experts from the Department of Energy National Laboratories in the
training curriculum of the program.
SEC. 643. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
(a) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report which shall
include--
(1) an assessment of the Department's current ability to
carry out the goals of section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16391), including an assessment of the role and
effectiveness of the Technology Transfer Coordinator position;
and
(2) recommended departmental policy changes and legislative
changes to section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 16391) to improve the Department's ability to
successfully transfer new energy technologies to the private
sector.
(b) Amendments.--Section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 16391) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections
(h) and (i), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsections:
``(f) Agreements for Commercializing Technology.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may permit the directors
of the National Laboratories to exercise Agreements for
Commercializing Technology authority and execute agreements
with non-Federal entities to sponsor research and development
activities at the National Laboratories.
``(2) Eligibility.--When exercising the authority
authorized by this subsection, the Secretary shall permit the
directors of the National Laboratories to execute agreements
with non-Federal entities, including non-Federal entities that
have received Federal funding, provided that the non-Federal
entity uses no funds derived from a current Federal contract or
award to carry out such an agreement.
``(3) Continuation of authority.--The Secretary shall
continue to provide Agreements for Commercializing Technology
authority for at least 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act.
``(4) Report.--Upon completion of the Agreements for
Commercializing Technology pilot program, the Secretary shall
submit a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate that includes the
results of the pilot program and explains the Department's
decision whether or not to continue permitting the directors of
the National Laboratories to exercise Agreements for
Commercializing Technology authority.
``(g) Inclusion of Technology Maturation in Authorized Technology
Transfer Activities.--The Secretary shall permit the directors of the
National Laboratories to use funds authorized to support technology
transfer, following the standard practices of the Department, to carry
out technology maturation activities to identify and improve potential
commercial application opportunities and demonstrate applications of
research and technologies arising from National Laboratory
activities.''.
(c) Delegation of Authority for Technology Transfer Agreements.--
(1) Authority.--The Secretary of Energy shall delegate to
directors of the National Laboratories signature authority for
any technology transfer agreement with a total cost of not more
than $500,000, including both National Laboratory contributions
and the project recipient cost share contribution, if such an
agreement falls within the scope of a strategic plan for the
National Laboratory that has been approved by the Department.
(2) Agreements included.--The agreements to which this
subsection applies include--
(A) Cooperative Research and Development
Agreements; and
(B) non-Federal Work for Others Agreements.
SEC. 644. ELIMINATION OF COST SHARING REQUIREMENT FOR RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY UNIVERSITIES AND
NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS.
Section 988(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16352(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Except as provided in
paragraphs (2) and (3)'' and inserting ``Except as provided in
paragraphs (2), (3) and (4)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) Exemptions.--
``(A) In general.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to
a research or development activity performed by
universities and other nonprofit institutions.
``(B) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term
`nonprofit institution' has the meaning given that term
in section 4(3) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703(3)).''.
SEC. 645. PILOT RACE TO THE TOP FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND GRID
MODERNIZATION PROGRAM.
The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a pilot program to promote
innovative technologies and practices at the State, local, or tribal
level or by electric cooperatives to increase energy efficiency,
increase distributed electricity generation, and modernize the grid.
The Department shall provide--
(1) informational resources as appropriate to potential
applicants; and
(2) technical assistance awards to carry out these
activities on a competitive merit-reviewed basis.
SEC. 646. RENAME UNDER SECRETARY FOR SCIENCE TO UNDER SECRETARY FOR
SCIENCE AND ENERGY.
Section 202 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C.
7132) is amended by striking ``Under Secretary for Science'' each place
it appears and inserting ``Under Secretary for Science and Energy''.
SEC. 647. SPECIAL HIRING AUTHORITY FOR SCIENTIFIC, ENGINEERING, AND
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall have the authority to--
(1) make appointments of scientific, engineering, and
professional personnel, without regard to civil service laws,
to assist the Department in meeting specific project or
research needs;
(2) fix the basic pay of any employee appointed under this
section at a rate to be determined by the Under Secretary at
rates not in excess of the Executive Schedule (EX-II) without
regard to the civil service laws; and
(3) pay any employee appointed under this section payments
in addition to basic pay, except that the total amount of
additional payments paid to an employee under this subsection
for any 12-month period shall not exceed the least of the
following amounts:
(A) $25,000.
(B) The amount equal to 25 percent of the annual
rate of basic pay of that employee.
(C) The amount of the limitation that is applicable
for a calendar year under section 5307(a)(1) of title
5, United States Code.
(b) Term.--
(1) In general.--The term of any employee appointed under
this section shall not exceed 3 years.
(2) Termination.--The Under Secretary shall have the
authority to terminate any employee appointed under this
section at any time based on performance or changing project or
research needs of the Department.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
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