Overview
Purpose
"A bill to establish a new Directorate for Technology in the redesignated National Science and Technology Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub program, to require a strategy and report on economic security, science, research, and innovation, and for other purposes."
Primary Sponsors
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) / Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Todd Young (R-IN)
Summary of Selected Provisions
Selected provisions in bill as introduced
- Renames the National Science Foundation as the National Science and Technology Foundation to reflect the addition of a directorate focused on translating research advances into new technologies
- Requires the new directorate to focus on no more than 10 “key technology areas” that are determined by the NSTF director and refreshed every four years in consultation with an advisory board
- Establishes an initial list of key technology areas, which include AI, high performance computing, quantum information systems, robotics, manufacturing, communications, cybersecurity, biotechnology, energy, materials science, and “natural or anthropogenic disaster prevention”
- Recommends Congress provide the directorate $2 billion in fiscal year 2021, ramping up to $35 billion in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, with a total five year budget of $100 billion
- Stipulates that the directorate apportion its budget between university technology centers, fellowships, testbeds, a lab-to-market program, and other NSTF directorates
- Prevents the technology directorate from receiving any funds if the budget allocated to the rest of the agency declines year over year in inflation-adjusted terms
- Directs the Commerce Department to create a program focused on catalyzing R&D partnerships in areas that are not already leading centers of innovation, with a recommend budget of $10 billion over five years
Actions
Actions on the House bill
Bill introduced
05/22/2020
Actions on the Senate bill
Bill introduced
05/21/2020
Other versions
Relevant FYI Bulletins