Leveraging our National Labs to Develop Tomorrow's Technology Leaders Act

To direct the Secretary of Energy to award grants to establish Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Leveraging our National Labs to Develop Tomorrow’s Technology Leaders Act 2. Lab-embedded entrepreneurship program (a) In general The Secretary of Energy shall award grants to eligible entities under subsection (b) for the purpose of establishing or maintaining programs, to be known as Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs, to provide entrepreneurial fellowships, with access to the research facilities, lab expertise, and mentorship opportunities of a National Laboratory, to perform research and development and gain expertise that may be required or beneficial for the commercial application of research ideas. (b) Entrepreneurial fellowships An entrepreneurial fellow participating in a program described in subsection (a) shall be provided with— (1) opportunities for entrepreneurial training, professional development, and networking through exposure to leaders from academia, industry, government, and finance who may serve as advisors to or partners of the fellow; (2) financial and technical support for research and development activities; (3) fellowship awards to cover costs of living, health insurance, and travel stipends for the duration of the fellowship; and (4) and any other resources determined appropriate by the Secretary of Energy. (c) Eligible entities The entities eligible to receive grants under subsection (a) include— (1) a National Laboratory; (2) a nonprofit organization; (3) an institution of higher education; (4) a federally owned corporation; and (5) any other entity or entities that the Secretary of Energy deems appropriate. (d) Evaluation (1) Metrics The Secretary of Energy shall develop metrics to assess the effectiveness of each program receiving a grant under subsection (a) in achieving the purposes of this section. (2) Assessments; report Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall— (A) conduct assessments, at least biennially, of each program receiving a grant under subsection (a) based on the metrics developed pursuant to paragraph (1); and (B) submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report summarizing the findings of these assessments. (e) Coordination The Secretary of Energy shall oversee the planning and coordination of grants under subsection (a) and shall identify and disseminate best practices for achieving the purpose of this section. (f) Interagency coordination The Secretary of Energy shall coordinate with other executive branch agencies, including the Department of Defense, regarding opportunities to partner with programs receiving a grant under subsection (a). (g) National laboratory defined In this section, the term National Laboratory 42 U.S.C. 15801(3)

Summary: Leveraging our National Labs to Develop Tomorrow's Technology Leaders Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs within the Department of Energy (DOE). Under the programs, DOE must provide grants for entrepreneurial fellowships, with access to the research facilities, lab expertise, and mentorship opportunities of a National Laboratory, to perform research and development and gain expertise in the commercial application of research ideas.