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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3293 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3293

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 11, 2016

     Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
To provide for greater accountability in Federal funding for scientific 
research, to promote the progress of science in the United States that 
                     serves that national interest.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Scientific Research in the National 
Interest Act''.

SEC. 2. GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR RESEARCH.

    (a) Standard for Award of Grants.--The National Science Foundation 
shall award Federal funding for basic research and education in the 
sciences through a new research grant or cooperative agreement only if 
an affirmative determination is made by the Foundation under subsection 
(b) and written justification relating thereto is published under 
subsection (c).
    (b) Determination.--A determination referred to in subsection (a) 
is a justification by the responsible Foundation official as to how the 
research grant or cooperative agreement promotes the progress of 
science in the United States, consistent with the Foundation mission as 
established in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 
1861 et seq.), and further--
            (1) is worthy of Federal funding;
            (2) is consistent with established and widely accepted 
        scientific methods applicable to the field of study of 
        exploration;
            (3) is consistent with the definition of basic research as 
        it applies to the purpose and field of study; and
            (4) is in the national interest, as indicated by having the 
        potential to achieve--
                    (A) increased economic competitiveness in the 
                United States;
                    (B) advancement of the health and welfare of the 
                American public;
                    (C) development of an American STEM workforce, 
                including computer science and information technology 
                sectors, that is globally competitive;
                    (D) increased public scientific literacy and public 
                engagement with science and technology in the United 
                States;
                    (E) increased partnerships between academia and 
                industry in the United States;
                    (F) support for the national defense of the United 
                States; or
                    (G) promotion of the progress of science for the 
                United States.
    (c) Written Justification.--Public announcement of each award of 
Federal funding described in subsection (a) shall include a written 
justification from the responsible Foundation official as to how a 
grant or cooperative agreement meets the requirements of subsection 
(b).
    (d) Implementation.--A determination under subsection (b) shall be 
made after a research grant or cooperative agreement proposal has 
satisfied the Foundation's reviews for Merit and Broader Impacts. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed as altering the Foundation's 
intellectual merit or broader impacts criteria for evaluating grant 
applications.
    (e) Clarification.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
impact Federal funding for research grants or cooperative agreements 
awarded by the National Science Foundation prior to the date of 
enactment of this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives February 10, 2016.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.
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