agency-unique compliance and reporting requirements 
on researchers and research institutions; 
(4) facilities and administration costs at re-
search universities can exceed 50 percent of the total 
value of Federal research grants, and it is estimated 
that nearly 30 percent of the funds invested annually 
in federally funded research is consumed by paper-
work and other administrative processes required by 
Federal agencies; and 
(5) it is a matter of critical importance to Amer-
ican competitiveness that administrative costs of fed-
erally funded research be streamlined so that a higher 
proportion of taxpayer dollars flow into direct re-
search activities. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall establish a working group 
under the authority of the National Science and Technology 
Council, to include the Office of Management and Budget. 
The working group shall be responsible for reviewing Fed-
eral regulations affecting research and research universities 
and making recommendations on how to— 
(1) harmonize, streamline, and eliminate dupli-
cative Federal regulations and reporting require-
ments; 
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(2) minimize the regulatory burden on United 
States institutions of higher education performing 
federally funded research while maintaining account-
ability for Federal tax dollars; and 
(3) identify and update specific regulations to 
refocus on performance-based goals rather than on 
process while still meeting the desired outcome. 
(c) STAKEHOLDER INPUT.—In carrying out the re-
sponsibilities under subsection (b), the working group shall 
take into account input and recommendations from non- 
Federal stakeholders, including federally funded and non-
federally funded researchers, institutions of higher edu-
cation, scientific disciplinary societies and associations, 
nonprofit research institutions, industry, including small 
businesses, federally funded research and development cen-
ters, and others with a stake in ensuring effectiveness, effi-
ciency, and accountability in the performance of scientific 
research. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, 
the Director shall report to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
of the Senate on what steps have been taken to carry out 
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the recommendations of the working group established 
under subsection (b). 
SEC. 303. COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE 
AND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall establish a body under 
the National Science and Technology Council with the re-
sponsibility to identify and coordinate international science 
and technology cooperation that can strengthen the United 
States science and technology enterprise, improve economic 
and national security, and support United States foreign 
policy goals. 
(b) NSTC BODY LEADERSHIP.—The body established 
under subsection (a) shall be co-chaired by senior level offi-
cials from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and 
the Department of State. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The body established under 
subsection (a) shall— 
(1) plan and coordinate interagency inter-
national science and technology cooperative research 
and training activities and partnerships supported or 
managed by Federal agencies and work with other 
National Science and Technology Council committees 
to help plan and coordinate the international compo-
nent of national science and technology priorities; 
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(2) establish Federal priorities and policies for 
aligning, as appropriate, international science and 
technology cooperative research and training activi-
ties and partnerships supported or managed by Fed-
eral agencies with the foreign policy goals of the 
United States; 
(3) identify opportunities for new international 
science and technology cooperative research and train-
ing partnerships that advance both the science and 
technology and the foreign policy priorities of the 
United States; 
(4) in carrying out paragraph (3), solicit input 
and recommendations from non-Federal science and 
technology stakeholders, including universities, sci-
entific and professional societies, industry, and rel-
evant organizations and institutions; and 
(5) identify broad issues that influence the abil-
ity of United States scientists and engineers to col-
laborate with foreign counterparts, including barriers 
to collaboration and access to scientific information. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy shall transmit a report, 
to be updated every 2 years, to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology and the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee 
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on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. The report shall 
also be made available to the public on the reporting agen-
cy’s website. The report shall contain a description of— 
(1) the priorities and policies established under 
subsection (c)(2); 
(2) the ongoing and new partnerships established 
since the last update to the report; 
(3) the means by which stakeholder input was 
received, as well as summary views of stakeholder 
input; and 
(4) the issues influencing the ability of United 
States scientists and engineers to collaborate with for-
eign counterparts. 
(e) ADDITIONAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Direc-
tor of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall 
transmit, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act and annually thereafter, to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on For-
eign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, a report 
that lists and describes all foreign travel by Office of Science 
and Technology Policy staff and detailees. Each report shall 
specify the dates of each trip, the purpose of the trip, Office 
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of Science and Technology Policy participants on the trip, 
total Office of Science and Technology Policy costs associ-
ated with the trip, and details of all international meetings, 
including meeting participants and topics addressed. 
SEC. 304. ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH FUNDING MODELS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The heads of Fed-
eral science agencies, in consultation with the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall conduct 
appropriate pilot programs to validate alternative research 
funding models, including— 
(1) scientific breakthrough prize programs that 
are of strategic importance to the Nation and have 
the capacity to spur new economic growth; and 
(2) novel mechanisms of funding including ob-
taining non-Federal funds through crowd source fund-
ing. 
(b) NON-FEDERAL PARTNERS.—A pilot program may 
be conducted under this section through an agreement, 
grant, or contractual relationship with a non-Federal enti-
ty regarding the design, administration, and funding of the 
program. 
(c) PRIZE COMPETITION JUDGES.— 
(1) REQUIREMENTS.—Judges for a prize com-
petition carried out under this section shall not be re-
quired to be Federal employees. An individual who 
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serves as a judge for a prize competition carried out 
under this section who is not a Federal employee shall 
be required to sign an agreement, developed by the Of-
fice of Science and Technology Policy, with respect to 
nondisclosure, conflict of interest, and judging code of 
conduct requirements. 
(2) DISCLOSURE
OF
PERSONAL
FINANCIAL
IN-
TERESTS.—A judge for a prize competition with a 
total purse of $10,000 or more, or for an aggregate of 
prize competitions with a total purse of $50,000 or 
more, shall be required to disclose all personal finan-
cial interests. 
(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 
days after the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
completes development of an agreement under para-
graph (1), it shall transmit a report to Congress de-
scribing the requirements of such agreement. 
(d) PUBLIC NOTICE.—The heads of Federal science 
agencies shall widely advertise prize competitions to be con-
ducted under this section to ensure maximum participa-
tion. 
(e) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 
term ‘‘Federal science agency’’ means— 
(1) the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-
istration; 
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(2) the National Science Foundation; 
(3) the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology; and 
(4) the National Weather Service. 
(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually there-
after as part of the annual budget submission to Congress, 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
shall transmit to the Congress a report on programs identi-
fied and conducted under subsection (a). 
SEC. 305. AMENDMENTS TO PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
Section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Inno-
vation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘competition’’ after ‘‘sec-
tion, a prize’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘types’’ after ‘‘following’’; 
and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘prizes’’ 
and inserting ‘‘prize competitions’’; 
(2) in subsection (f)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘in the Federal Register’’ 
and inserting ‘‘on a publicly accessible Govern-
ment website, such as www.challenge.gov,’’; and 
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(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘prize’’ 
and inserting ‘‘cash prize purse’’; 
(3) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘prize’’ and in-
serting ‘‘cash prize purse’’; 
(4) in subsection (h), by inserting ‘‘prize’’ before 
‘‘competition’’ both places it appears; 
(5) in subsection (i)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting 
‘‘prize’’ before ‘‘competition’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting 
‘‘prize’’ before ‘‘competition’’ both places it ap-
pears; 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (4); and 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) WAIVER.—An agency may waive the re-
quirement under paragraph (2). The annual report 
under subsection (p) shall include a list of such waiv-
ers granted during the preceding fiscal year, along 
with a detailed explanation of the reasons for grant-
ing the waivers.’’; 
(6) in subsection (k)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting 
‘‘prize’’ before ‘‘competition’’; and 
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(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘prize’’ 
before ‘‘competitions’’ both places it appears; 
(7) in subsection (l), by striking all after ‘‘may 
enter into’’ and inserting ‘‘a grant, contract, coopera-
tive agreement, or other agreement with a private sec-
tor for-profit or nonprofit entity to administer the 
prize competition, subject to the provisions of this sec-
tion.’’; 
(8) in subsection (m)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Support for a prize competi-
tion under this section, including financial support 
for the design and administration of a prize competi-
tion or funds for a cash prize purse, may consist of 
Federal appropriated funds and funds provided by 
private sector for-profit and nonprofit entities. The 
head of an agency may accept funds from other Fed-
eral agencies, private sector for-profit entities, and 
nonprofit entities to support such prize competitions. 
The head of an agency may not give any special con-
sideration to any private sector for-profit or nonprofit 
entity in return for a donation.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘prize 
awards’’ and inserting ‘‘cash prize purses’’; 
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(b) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date on which the National Research Council enters into 
the arrangement required by subsection (a), the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall submit 
to Congress a report on the study conducted under such sub-
section. 
TITLE IV—NATIONAL INSTITUTE 
OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY 
SEC. 401. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2016.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
$933,700,000 for the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology for fiscal year 2016. 
(2) SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount au-
thorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $744,700,000 shall be for scientific and 
technical research and services laboratory activi-
ties; 
(B) $59,000,000 shall be for the construc-
tion and maintenance of facilities; and 
(C) $130,000,000 shall be for industrial 
technology 
services 
activities, 
of 
which 
$125,000,000 shall be for the Manufacturing Ex-
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tension Partnership program under sections 25 
and 26 of the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278I) 
and $5,000,000 shall be for the Network for Man-
ufacturing Innovation Program under section 34 
of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278s). 
(b) FISCAL YEAR 2017.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
$933,700,000 for the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology for fiscal year 2017. 
(2) SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount au-
thorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $744,700,000 shall be for scientific and 
technical research and services laboratory activi-
ties; 
(B) $59,000,000 shall be for the construc-
tion and maintenance of facilities; and 
(C) $130,000,000 shall be for industrial 
technology 
services 
activities, 
of 
which 
$125,000,000 shall be for the Manufacturing Ex-
tension Partnership program under sections 25 
and 26 of the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278I) 
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