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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1372 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1372

  To provide for a Center for Nanotechnology Research and Engineering.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 11, 2007

   Mr. Pryor introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To provide for a Center for Nanotechnology Research and Engineering.

    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 ``Nanotechnology Infrastructure 
Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and 
        Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) required that 
        interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers be 
        established in geographically diverse locations including 
        institutions located in States participating in the EPSCoR.
            (2) The National Science Foundation funds 16 Nanoscale 
        Science and Engineering Centers and 1 National Nanotechnology 
        Infrastructure Network with 13 nodes that combined involve more 
        than 50 universities and colleges in the United States. The 
        awards for the centers and network were made on the basis of a 
        peer reviewed competition.
            (3) Only 3 EPSCoR States have institutions of higher 
        education with major participation in the programs of the 
        National Science Foundation centers and network described in 
        paragraph (2). Other National Science Foundation programs 
        support 4 additional EPSCoR State grants in the field of 
        nanotechnology.
            (4) The National Science Foundation's EPSCoR is the primary 
        program by which the National Science Foundation seeks to 
        provide an opportunity for States that traditionally have 
        received limited amounts of federal research and development 
        funding to improve the research infrastructure of their 
        academic institutions. EPSCoR is an important component of 
        national efforts to improve science, technology, and 
        engineering education, increase innovation, and enhance 
        competitiveness.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this section:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (2) Epscor.--The term ``EPSCoR'' means the Experimental 
        Program to Stimulate Competitive Research authorized in section 
        113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 
        1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g).

SEC. 4. CENTER FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING.

    (a) Center Established.--From amounts appropriated under subsection 
(e), the Director shall establish a geographically diverse, 
interdisciplinary Center for Nanotechnology Research and Engineering 
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Center'') to focus on--
            (1) the science and engineering of manufacturing at the 
        nanoscale in multiple dimensions; or
            (2) nanotechnology for sustainable energy, water, 
        agriculture, and the environment.
    (b) Center or Node.--The Center may be a Nanoscale Science and 
Engineering Center or a National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network 
node.
    (c) Composition.--The Center--
            (1) shall consist of a lead academic institution located in 
        an EPSCoR State;
            (2) shall consist of at least 1 additional academic 
        institution located in a second EPSCoR State; and
            (3) may include other institutions located within or 
        outside the United States.
    (d) Duties.--The Center shall--
            (1) conduct state-of-the-art research on nanomanufacturing;
            (2) collaborate with other National Science Foundation 
        grantees, and with grantees from other Federal agencies, 
        working on nanomanufacturing;
            (3) share resources with the programs of the grantees 
        described in paragraph (2) for the purpose of mutual advantage; 
        and
            (4) work toward a nanomanufacturing network that encourages 
        extensive industrial collaboration.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry out this 
section $2,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
                                 <all>
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