[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3724 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3724
To enhance scientific research and competitiveness through the
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 25, 2006
Mr. Rockefeller (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Cochran, and
Mr. Johnson) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance scientific research and competitiveness through the
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, 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.
This Act may be cited as the ``EPSCoR Research and Competitiveness
Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Ensuring regional diversity in research funding is an
essential strategy in strengthening international
competitiveness.
(2) Economic development in high technology fields is often
advanced by industrial partnerships with near by strong
research institutions from which companies can acquire
intellectual property, highly trained staff, and vital
resources.
(3) The National Science Foundation is an independent
Federal agency created by Congress in 1950 ``to promote the
progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity
and welfare, and to secure the national defense''.
(4) Congress has subsequently directed that, ``it shall be
an objective of the Foundation to strengthen research and
education in the sciences and engineering, including
independent research by individuals, throughout the United
States, and to avoid undue concentration of such research and
education''.
(5) Currently, Foundation research investments are
concentrated in a small number of States. In contrast, 25 other
States together receive less than 10 percent of the
Foundation's research funding, yet these States are home to 20
percent of the population, 25 percent of doctoral/research
universities, and 18 percent of academic scientists and
engineers.
(6) Insufficient research infrastructure diminishes the
ability of many universities to compete effectively for
research funding, and thereby limits their contributions to
regional economic development and international
competitiveness.
(7) The Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, is the primary program by
which the Foundation seeks to improve the research
infrastructure of institutions in States that presently receive
small portions of Foundation funding. EPSCoR is thus an
important component of national efforts to increase innovation
and improve competitiveness.
SEC. 3. FUNDING.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation for
EPSCoR--
(1) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
(2) for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011, an amount
equal to the sum of--
(A) $125,000,000; and
(B) $125,000,000 multiplied by a percentage equal
to the percentage by which the Foundation's budget
request for such fiscal year exceeds the total amount
appropriated to the Foundation for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.
(a) In General.--In the administration of the Foundation's research
infrastructure improvement grant program, the Director shall authorize
States participating in the grant program to include partnerships with
out-of-State research institutions if the amount of funding transferred
to another State does not exceed 5 percent of the amount of the grant
in any fiscal year.
(b) Authorization Level.--From amounts appropriated pursuant to
section 3, the Director shall make available to the research
infrastructure improvement grant program--
(1) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
(2) for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011, an amount
equal to the sum of--
(A) $75,000,000; and
(B) $75,000,000 multiplied by a percentage equal to
the percentage by which the Foundation's budget request
for such fiscal year exceeds the total amount
appropriated to the Foundation for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 5. CO-FUNDING.
(a) In General.--For each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, the
Director shall obligate and expend not less than 20 percent of the
amount available for EPSCoR on co-funding projects that are ranked, by
a peer-review process, in the top 20 percent of all proposals submitted
in response to an announced competition.
(b) Annual Report.--The Director shall submit an annual report to
the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the
House of Representatives Committee on Science that provides information
about--
(1) co-funded projects on a State-by-State basis for the
preceding year; and
(2) the amount and use of co-funding by each of the
Foundation's directorates for that year.
SEC. 6. CYBER INFRASTRUCTURE.
Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director, through the Office of Cyber Infrastructure, shall develop and
publish a plan enabling States participating in EPSCoR to participate
fully in the Foundation's Cyber Infrastructure Initiative.
SEC. 7. MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION.
Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director, through the Office of Major Research Instrumentation, shall
develop and publish a plan enabling States participating in EPSCoR to
develop partnerships and participate fully in the Foundation's major
research instrumentation program.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(2) EPSCoR.--The term ``EPSCoR'' means the Experimental
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research authorized by section
113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of
1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g).
(3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation.D23/
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