NIST

The National Science Foundation would get a massive new technology directorate, and a new name, under a bipartisan bill unveiled this week that envisions pumping $100 billion into the agency over five years.

Federal research facilities across the U.S. have been forced to close as government officials escalate their efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Trump administration proposes to cut the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s budget by a third and reorient its research portfolio toward supporting “Industries of the Future,” including through a “grand challenge” initiative to build out quantum networking capabilities.

The budget for the National Institute of Standards and Technology is increasing by 5% to just over $1 billion in fiscal year 2020, with much of the additional funding directed toward priority research areas and facility construction projects.

A new National Academies study will consider the challenges the U.S. is facing in maintaining its global leadership position in science and technology. It will encompass such matters as protecting research from exploitation, managing international exchanges, and promoting domestic technology commercialization.

Both the House and Senate are seeking to increase the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s budget by about 5% to $1.04 billion for fiscal year 2020. Most of the new resources would go toward quantum information science, artificial intelligence, and facility construction projects.

The White House convened a roundtable of federal agency and university leaders last week to discuss how best to structure new research centers and workforce development efforts created through the National Quantum Initiative.