S.Amdt. 1531

1. Adds SEC. 1044. STUDY ON ROLE AND MISSION OF THE DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY at the end of subtitle D of title X

   Adds a section

   In S. 1042 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (8) Recommendations by the Comptroller General for addressing any shortfalls or areas of potential improvement identified in the review for purposes of the report.

   Inserted: SEC. 1044. STUDY ON ROLE AND MISSION OF THE DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY.

   Inserted: (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a study of the role and mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

   Inserted: (b) Content of Study.--The study under subsection (a) shall include the following:

   Inserted: (1) An examination of unique mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency at the time of its establishment, and whether there has been a significant change in the need for an organization filling such mission, including an assessment of the current need for the Department of Defense--

   Inserted: (A) to ensure that the United States maintains clear leadership in all significant areas of basic and applied research having potential relevance to the national security of the United States for the foreseeable future;

   Inserted: (B) to ensure United States leadership in key areas, such as advanced mathematics or revolutionary materials, not adequately addressed by other departments or agencies of the Federal Government;

   Inserted: (C) to explore revolutionary approaches to difficult, but critical problems that would not be attempted by research programs with near-term and mid-term development goals;

   Inserted: (D) to create and foster research teams and partnerships crossing disciplinary lines, including a linkage of academic and private sector entities that would be unlikely to form through traditional research practices; and

   Inserted: (E) to protect the unique research capacity of research groups in institutions of higher education and ensure that perspectives and insights from research conducted by institutions of higher education continuously stimulate advances in defense research.

   Inserted: (2) An analysis of whether the mission of the Agency can be fulfilled by other components of the Department of Defense engaged in defense research.

   Inserted: (3) An identification of recommendations for ensuring that the Agency is capable of carrying out the unique functions assigned to it, which recommendations shall be based on an assessment of whether--

   Inserted: (A) the Agency is assig11ed a position in the Department of Defense best suited to ensuring that it is evaluated with respect to the mission referred to in paragraph (1);

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   Inserted: (B) the tests applied to the Agency ensure a focus by the Agency on projects relevant to the security interests of the United States without forcing the Agency to engage in projects with immediate relevance to defense applications in the near term;

   Inserted: (C) the classification of research limits access to key research assets in institutions of higher education and elsewhere, including work by noncitizens;

   Inserted: (D) the hiring practices for program managers of the Agency ensure that the Agency hires the most qualified individuals and ensures that hired individuals maintain their positions long enough to achieve significant progress complex areas of research;

   Inserted: (E) the performance review cycles of the Agency hold researchers to the highest standards without requiring fixed, near-term performance requirements that can compromise a focus on breakthrough technologies;

   Inserted: (F) the Agency--

   Inserted: (i) under takes appropriate steps to survey all potential areas where revolutionary or breakthrough research may yield critical results; and

   Inserted: (ii) undertakes adequate methods for establishing priorities;

   Inserted: (G) the Agency has developed adequate strategies for transferring successful breakthrough research to other research organizations in the Department of Defense or other private or public research organizations; and

   Inserted: (H) the Agency takes adequate steps to ensure that its priorities and management strategies are held to the highest standards by an independent review group committed to the unique mission of the Agency and capable of ensuring that the Agency remain focused on topics that meet meaningful standards for importance and difficulty.

   Inserted: (c) Report.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Not later than February 1, 2007, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the results of the study under subsection (a).

   Inserted: (2) Recommendations.--The report shall include recommendations regarding--

   Inserted: (A) the appropriate mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and

   Inserted: (B) whether or not modifications are required for the authorities and resources applicable to the Agency in order to ensure that such mission can be executed with utmost efficiency.

   Inserted: (d) Role of Defense Science Board.--The Secretary shall act through the Defense Science Board in carrying out the study under subsection (a) and preparing the report under subsection (c).

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle D of title X, add the following:

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As printed