To provide for the establishment and operation of Advanced Composites Development Centers.

Summary: Advanced Composites Development Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretaries of Transportation (DOT), Energy (DOE), Defense (DOD), and Homeland Security (DHS), to carry out a program to improve the nation's transportation infrastructure, advance the technologies used to produce alternative energy, enhance our military security, and develop new disaster mitigation systems by making grants to consortia for the establishment and operation of Advanced Composites Development Centers.

Instructs the Secretaries to work with stakeholders to identify problems that can be solved over a period of five years through the development of an advanced composite material.

Requires such Centers, by working with the private sector, to strive to produce new composite materials that are lighter, stronger, and more durable than existing materials and that have an immediate practical application.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Composites Development Act 
of 2011''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED COMPOSITES DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation, the 
        Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, and the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security shall carry out a program to 
        improve our Nation's transportation infrastructure, advance the 
        technologies used to produce alternative energy, enhance our 
        military security, and develop new disaster mitigation systems 
        by making grants to consortia to establish and operate Advanced 
        Composites Development Centers. In doing so, they shall work 
        with stakeholders to identify problems that can be solved over 
        a period of 5 years through the development of an advanced 
        composite material. By working with the private sector and 
        focusing on solutions to problems that can be researched, 
        developed, and demonstrated over a short period of time, each 
        Center will strive to produce new composite materials that are 
        lighter, stronger, and more durable than existing materials and 
        have an immediate practical application.
            (2) Designation of centers.--The Centers shall be 
        designated as follows:
                    (A) The Secretary of Transportation shall designate 
                1 Center for the development of advanced composites in 
                civil infrastructure and transportation.
                    (B) The Secretary of Energy shall designate 1 
                Center for the development of advanced composites in 
                energy technology.
                    (C) The Secretary of Defense shall designate 1 
                Center for the development of advanced composites in 
                military operations.
                    (D) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
                designate 1 Center for the development of advanced 
                composites in disaster prevention and response.
                    (E) Any 2 or more of the Secretaries described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (D) may work together to 
                explore opportunities to designate a single Center that 
                addresses issues of importance to the Departments of 
                each such Secretary.
            (3) Additional collaboration.--Each Secretary designating a 
        Center under paragraph (2) may include reviewers from the 
        Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
        and the Director of the National Science Foundation to leverage 
        work that has been done at facilities supported by each of 
        those agencies.
    (b) Consortia.--
            (1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section for the establishment and operation of a Center, a 
        consortium shall--
                    (A) be composed of qualifying entities, including 
                at least 1 prime applicant and 1 private company;
                    (B) operate subject to a binding agreement entered 
                into by its members that documents--
                            (i) the proposed partnership agreement, 
                        including the governance and management 
                        structure of the Center;
                            (ii) measures to enable cost-effective 
                        implementation of the program under this 
                        section;
                            (iii) a proposed budget, including 
                        financial contributions from non-Federal 
                        sources;
                            (iv) conflict of interest procedures 
                        consistent with subsection (d)(2), all known 
                        material conflicts of interest, and 
                        corresponding mitigation plans; and
                            (v) an accounting structure that enables 
                        the Secretary to ensure that the consortium has 
                        complied with the requirements of this section; 
                        and
                    (C) operate as a nonprofit organization.
            (2) Application.--A consortium seeking to establish and 
        operate a Center under this section, acting through a prime 
        applicant, shall transmit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such form, and accompanied by such information as 
        the Secretary shall require, including a detailed description 
        of the elements of the consortium agreement required under 
        paragraph (1)(B). If the consortium members will not be located 
        at one centralized location, such application shall include a 
        communications plan that ensures close coordination and 
        integration of the Center's activities.
    (c) Selection and Schedule.--
            (1) Selection.--The Secretary shall select consortia for 
        grants for the establishment and operation of Centers through 
        competitive selection processes. In selecting consortia, the 
        Secretary shall consider--
                    (A) the information a consortium must disclose 
                according to subsection (b);
                    (B) any existing facilities a consortium will 
                provide for Center activities;
                    (C) experience in design, prototyping, and testing 
                advanced composites;
                    (D) existing ISO 17025 certification;
                    (E) experience and achievements working with the 
                private sector and commercializing composite materials 
                technologies; and
                    (F) opportunities to leverage previous support that 
                a member of the consortium has received from the 
                Department or Departments awarding the grant, the 
                National Institute of Standards and Technology, or the 
                National Science Foundation to research, develop, 
                demonstrate, or commercialize an advanced composite.
            (2) Schedule.--Grants made for the establishment and 
        operation of a Center shall be for a period not to exceed 5 
        years, after which the grant may be renewed, subject to a 
        competitive selection process.
    (d) Center Operations.--
            (1) In general.--Centers shall conduct or provide for 
        multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application of advanced 
        composites technologies within the technology development focus 
        area or areas designated for the Center by the Secretary under 
        subsection (a)(2). Each Center shall--
                    (A) encourage collaboration and communication among 
                the member qualifying entities of the consortium and 
                awardees by conducting activities whenever practicable 
                at one centralized location;
                    (B) develop and publish on the website of the 
                Department or Departments of the designating Secretary 
                proposed plans and programs;
                    (C) submit an annual report to the Secretary 
                summarizing the Center's activities, including 
                detailing organizational expenditures and describing 
                each project undertaken by the Center; and
                    (D) monitor project implementation and 
                coordination.
            (2) Conflicts of interest.--
                    (A) Procedures.--Centers shall establish conflict 
                of interest procedures, consistent with those of the 
                Department or Departments of the designating Secretary, 
                to ensure that employees and consortia designees for 
                Center activities who are in decisionmaking capacities 
                disclose all material conflicts of interest, including 
                financial, organizational, and personal conflicts of 
                interest.
                    (B) Disqualification and revocation.--The Secretary 
                may disqualify an application or revoke funds 
                distributed to a Center if the Secretary discovers a 
                failure to comply with conflict of interest procedures 
                established under subparagraph (A).
    (e) Oversight Board.--Each Secretary described in subsection (a)(1) 
shall establish and maintain within its Department an Oversight Board 
to oversee the progress of Centers.
    (f) Priority Consideration.--The Secretary shall give priority 
consideration to applications in which 1 or more of the institutions 
comprising the applicant consortium are 1890 Land Grant Institutions 
(as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7061)), Predominantly Black 
Institutions (as defined in section 318 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059e)), Tribal Colleges or Universities (as defined in 
section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1059c(b)), or Hispanic Serving Institutions (as defined in section 318 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059e)).
    (g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Advanced composites.--The term ``advanced composites'' 
        means polymer matrix composite materials, including synthetic 
        and natural fibers, as well as synthetic and bio-based resins, 
        used in structural, load-bearing applications. These materials 
        may be enhanced with nano-additives, and may be used in 
        combination with traditional and other advanced materials.
            (2) Center.--The term ``Center'' means an Advanced 
        Composites Development Center established in accordance with 
        this section.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (4) Prime applicant.--The term ``prime applicant'' means an 
        institution of higher education serving as the lead entity 
        applying for a grant under this section.
            (5) Qualifying entity.--The term ``qualifying entity'' 
        includes--
                    (A) an appropriate State or Federal entity;
                    (B) a nonprofit nongovernmental organization with 
                expertise in advanced composites technology research, 
                development, demonstration, or commercial application;
                    (C) any other relevant entity the Secretary 
                considers appropriate; or
                    (D) a United States private company with expertise 
                in advanced composites technology research, 
                development, demonstration, or commercial application.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        or Secretaries designating a Center under subsection (a)(2).
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to each of the Secretaries described in subsection (a)(1) 
to carry out this section--
            (1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            (2) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
            (3) $17,500,000 for fiscal year 2014;
            (4) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
            (5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.