Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 121.djvu/614

 PUBLIC LAW 110–69—AUG. 9, 2007

121 STAT. 593

SEC. 3011. REPORT ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN EARLY CAREER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.

Not later than 3 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall submit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories and joint institutes. The report shall include— (1) a description of National Institute of Standards and Technology policies and procedures, including financial incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for independent research, access to equipment or facilities, and other forms of recognition, designed to attract and retain young scientists and engineers; (2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the careers of young scientists and engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and also on the quality of the research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s laboratories and in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s programs; (3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers, including limited availability of full time equivalent positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading systems; and (4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and retain young researchers and the source of such funds. SEC. 3012. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAM.

(a) REPEAL OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.—Section 28 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n) is repealed. (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAM.— The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 27 the following: ‘‘SEC. 28. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAM.

15 USC 278n.

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‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the Institute a program linked to the purpose and functions of the Institute, to be known as the ‘Technology Innovation Program’ for the purpose of assisting United States businesses and institutions of higher education or other organizations, such as national laboratories and nonprofit research institutions, to support, promote, and accelerate innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need. ‘‘(b) EXTERNAL FUNDING.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall award competitive, merit-reviewed grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to— ‘‘(A) eligible companies that are small-sized businesses or medium-sized businesses; or ‘‘(B) joint ventures. ‘‘(2) SINGLE COMPANY AWARDS.—No award given to a single company shall exceed $3,000,000 over 3 years.

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