Engineering Biology Research and Development Act of 2015

Summary: Engineering Biology Research and Development Act of 2015 Directs the President to implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Program to advance societal well-being, national security, and economic productivity and competitiveness through:   advancing areas of research at the intersection of the biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering; supporting social science research that advances the field of engineering biology and contributes to the adoption of new products, processes, and technologies; expanding the number of researchers, educators, and students with engineering biology training; accelerating the translation and commercialization of engineering biology research and development by the private sector; and  improving the interagency planning and coordination of federal government activities related to engineering biology.  Directs the President to designate an interagency committee on engineering biology to oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the Program.  Requires the President to designate an advisory committee on engineering biology research and development to assess the progress being made in implementing the Program.  Directs the National Science Foundation to contract with the National Academies to convene a workshop to review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and development.  Requires the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out specified research activities as part of the Program. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Engineering Biology Research and 
Development Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Cellular and molecular processes may be used, mimicked, 
        or redesigned to develop new products, processes, and systems 
        that improve societal well-being, strengthen national security, 
        and contribute to the economy.
            (2) Engineering biology relies on scientists and engineers 
        with a diverse and unique set of skills combining the 
        biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering.
            (3) Long-term research and development is necessary to 
        create breakthroughs in engineering biology. Such research and 
        development requires government investment as the benefits are 
        too distant or uncertain for industry to support alone.
            (4) The Federal Government can play an important role by 
        facilitating the development of tools and technologies to 
        further advance engineering biology, including multiple user 
        facilities that the Federal Government is uniquely able to 
        support.
            (5) Since other countries are investing significant 
        resources in engineering biology, the United States is at risk 
        of losing its competitive lead in this emerging area if it does 
        not invest the necessary resources and have a national 
        strategy.
            (6) A National Engineering Biology Initiative can serve to 
        establish new research directions and technology goals, improve 
        interagency coordination and planning processes, drive 
        technology transfer, and help ensure optimal returns on the 
        Federal investment.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Advisory Committee'' means the advisory 
        committee designated under section 5;
            (2) the term ``biomanufacturing'' means the manufacturing 
        of products using biological manufacturing technologies;
            (3) the term ``engineering biology'' means the science and 
        engineering of cellular and molecular processes to advance 
        fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and to 
        develop new and advance existing products, processes, and 
        systems that will contribute significantly to societal well-
        being, national security, and the economy;
            (4) the term ``Interagency Committee'' means the 
        interagency committee designated under section 4(e); and
            (5) the term ``Program'' means the National Engineering 
        Biology Research and Development Program established under 
        section 4.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The President shall implement a National 
Engineering Biology Research and Development Program to advance 
societal well-being, national security, and economic productivity and 
competitiveness through--
            (1) advancing areas of research at the intersection of the 
        biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering;
            (2) supporting social science research that advances the 
        field of engineering biology and contributes to the adoption of 
        new products, processes, and technologies;
            (3) expanding the number of researchers, educators, and 
        students with engineering biology training;
            (4) accelerating the translation and commercialization of 
        engineering biology research and development by the private 
        sector; and
            (5) improving the interagency planning and coordination of 
        Federal Government activities related to engineering biology.
    (b) Program Activities.--The activities of the Program shall 
include--
            (1) sustained support for engineering biology research and 
        development through--
                    (A) grants to individual investigators and 
                interdisciplinary teams of investigators;
                    (B) projects funded under joint solicitations by a 
                collaboration of no fewer than two agencies 
                participating in the Program; and
                    (C) interdisciplinary research centers that are 
                organized to investigate basic research questions and 
                carry out technology development and demonstration 
                activities;
            (2) education and training of undergraduate and graduate 
        students in research at the intersection of biological, 
        physical, and information sciences and engineering;
            (3) activities to develop robust mechanisms for tracking 
        and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of 
        engineering biology; and
            (4) activities to accelerate the translation and 
        commercialization of new products, processes, and technologies 
        by--
                    (A) identifying precompetitive research 
                opportunities;
                    (B) facilitating public-private partnerships in 
                engineering biology research and development;
                    (C) connecting researchers, graduate students, and 
                postdoctoral fellows with entrepreneurship education 
                and training opportunities; and
                    (D) supporting proof of concept activities and the 
                formation of startup companies including through 
                programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research 
                Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer 
                Program.
    (c) Expanding Participation.--The Program shall include, to the 
maximum extent practicable, outreach to primarily undergraduate and 
minority-serving institutions about Program opportunities, and shall 
encourage the development of research collaborations between research-
intensive universities and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving 
institutions.
    (d) Ethical, Legal, Environmental, and Societal Issues.--Program 
activities shall take into account ethical, legal, environmental, and 
other appropriate societal issues, including the need for safeguards 
and monitoring systems to protect society against the unintended 
release of engineered materials produced, by--
            (1) supporting research, including in the social sciences, 
        and other activities addressing ethical, legal, environmental, 
        and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering 
        biology, including integrating research on these topics with 
        the research and development in engineering biology, and 
        ensuring that the results of such research are widely 
        disseminated, including through interdisciplinary engineering 
        biology research centers described in subsection (b)(1); and
            (2) ensuring, through the agencies and departments that 
        participate in the Program, that public input and outreach are 
        integrated into the Program by the convening of regular and 
        ongoing public discussions through mechanisms such as citizen 
        panels, consensus conferences, and educational events, as 
        appropriate.
    (e) Interagency Committee.--The President shall designate an 
interagency committee on engineering biology, which shall include 
representatives from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the 
National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any 
other agency that the President considers appropriate. The Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall select a chairperson 
from among the members of the Interagency Committee. The Interagency 
Committee shall oversee the planning, management, and coordination of 
the Program. The Interagency Committee shall--
            (1) provide for interagency coordination of Federal 
        engineering biology research, development, and other activities 
        undertaken pursuant to the Program;
            (2) establish and periodically update goals and priorities 
        for the Program;
            (3) develop, not later than 12 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and update every 5 years, a strategic 
        plan to guide the activities of the Program and meet the goals 
        and priorities established under paragraph (2) and describe--
                    (A) the Program's support for long-term funding for 
                interdisciplinary engineering biology research and 
                development;
                    (B) the Program's support for education and public 
                outreach activities;
                    (C) the Program's support for research and other 
                activities on ethical, legal, environmental, and other 
                appropriate societal issues related to engineering 
                biology; and
                    (D) how the Program will move results out of the 
                laboratory and into application for the benefit of 
                society and United States competitiveness;
            (4) propose an annually coordinated interagency budget for 
        the Program that will ensure the maintenance of a robust 
        engineering biology research and development portfolio and 
        ensure that the balance of funding across the Program is 
        sufficient to meet the goals and priorities established for the 
        Program;
            (5) develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, such as the 
        Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small 
        Business Technology Transfer Program, in support of the goal 
        described in subsection (b)(4); and
            (6) in carrying out its responsibilities under this 
        section, take into consideration the recommendations of the 
        Advisory Committee, the results of the workshop convened under 
        section 6, existing reports on related topics, and the views of 
        academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups.
    (f) Annual Report.--The Interagency Committee shall prepare an 
annual report, to be submitted to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 90 
days after submission of the President's annual budget request, that 
includes--
            (1) the Program budget for the fiscal year to which such 
        budget request applies, and for the then current fiscal year, 
        including a breakout of spending for each agency participating 
        in the Program, and for the development and acquisition of any 
        research facilities and instrumentation; and
            (2) an assessment of how Federal agencies are implementing 
        the plan described in subsection (e)(5), and a description of 
        the amount and number of Small Business Innovation Research and 
        Small Business Technology Transfer awards made in support of 
        the Program.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The President shall designate an advisory 
committee on engineering biology research and development with at least 
12 members, including representatives of research and academic 
institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are qualified 
to provide advice on the Program.
    (b) Assessment.--The Advisory Committee shall assess--
            (1) progress made in implementing the Program;
            (2) the need to revise the Program;
            (3) the balance of activities and funding across the 
        Program;
            (4) whether the Program priorities and goals developed by 
        the Interagency Committee are helping to maintain United States 
        leadership in engineering biology;
            (5) the management, coordination, implementation, and 
        activities of the Program; and
            (6) whether ethical, legal, environmental, and other 
        appropriate societal issues are adequately addressed by the 
        Program.
    (c) Reports.--The Advisory Committee shall report within 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and thereafter not less 
frequently than once every 5 years, to the President, the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, on 
its findings of the assessment carried out under this section and its 
recommendations for ways to improve the Program.
    (d) Federal Advisory Committee Act Application.--Section 14 of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Advisory Committee.

SEC. 6. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIETAL 
              ISSUES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies to convene a 
workshop to review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other 
appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and 
development. The goals of the workshop shall be to--
            (1) assess the current research on such issues;
            (2) evaluate the research gaps relating to such issues; and
            (3) provide recommendations on how the Program can address 
        the research needs identified.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a summary report containing the 
findings of the workshop convened under this section.

SEC. 7. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.

    (a) National Science Foundation.--As part of the Program, the 
National Science Foundation shall--
            (1) support basic research at the intersection of the 
        biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering 
        through individual grants and through interdisciplinary 
        research centers;
            (2) support research on the environmental and social 
        effects of engineering biology;
            (3) provide research instrumentation support for 
        engineering biology disciplines; and
            (4) award grants, on a competitive basis, to enable 
        institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral 
        fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research 
        in an industry setting.
    (b) Department of Commerce.--As part of the Program, the Director 
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall--
            (1) establish a bioscience research program to advance the 
        development of standard reference materials and measurements 
        and to create new data tools, techniques, and processes 
        necessary to advance engineering biology and biomanufacturing;
            (2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or 
        unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to 
        industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit 
        organizations, and government agencies to perform research and 
        testing; and
            (3) provide technical expertise to inform the development 
        of guidelines and safeguards for new products, processes, and 
        systems of engineering biology.
    (c) Department of Energy.--As part of the Program, the Secretary of 
Energy shall--
            (1) conduct and support basic research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application activities in 
        engineering biology disciplines, including in the areas of 
        synthetic biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased 
        materials, and environmental remediation; and
            (2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or 
        unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources, as 
        appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher education, 
        nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform 
        research and testing.
    (d) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.--As part of the 
Program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall--
            (1) conduct and support basic and applied research in 
        engineering biology fields, including in the field of synthetic 
        biology, and related to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, 
        space technology, and space exploration and experimentation, 
        consistent with the priorities established in the National 
        Academies' decadal surveys; and
            (2) award grants, on a competitive basis, that enable 
        institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral 
        fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research 
        in an industry setting.
    (e) Environmental Protection Agency.--As part of the Program, the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall support research on how products, 
processes, and systems of engineering biology will affect the 
environment.