I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5357 
To authorize the National Science Foundation and the research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application programs of the Department 
of Energy to provide grants to early career researchers to conduct high- 
risk, high-return research in areas relevant to industry. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2006 
Mr. MCCAUL of Texas (for himself, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. 
CALVERT, Mr. EHLERS, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, 
and Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Science 
A BILL 
To authorize the National Science Foundation and the re-
search, development, demonstration, and commercial ap-
plication programs of the Department of Energy to pro-
vide grants to early career researchers to conduct high- 
risk, high-return research in areas relevant to industry. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Research for Competi-
tiveness Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION INDUSTRIALLY- 
RELEVANT RESEARCH AWARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall carry out a program to award 
competitive grants to scientists and engineers at the early 
stage of their careers at institutions of higher education 
and research institutions to conduct high-risk, high-return 
research in areas relevant to industry. 
(b) SIZE AND DURATION OF AWARD.—The duration 
of awards under this section shall be 5 years, and the 
amount per year shall be $50,000. Additionally, if an 
award recipient receives funding from United States in-
dustry for work in the area described in the recipient’s 
application for the award, then up to an additional 
$50,000 may be provided each year as a one-to-one match 
to such industry funding. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—Award recipients shall be individ-
uals who are employed in a tenure-track position as an 
assistant professor or equivalent title, or who hold an 
equivalent position, at— 
(1) an institution of higher education in the 
United States; or 
(2) an organization in the United States that is 
a nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organiza-
tion such as a museum, observatory, or research lab-
oratory. 
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(d) APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) 
INITIAL
APPLICATION.—Applicants 
for 
awards under this section shall submit to the Direc-
tor— 
(A) a curriculum vitae or resume, includ-
ing a list of publications and a description of 
any activities demonstrating leadership or edu-
cational activities; 
(B) a description of research areas of in-
terest; 
(C) letters of recommendation; and 
(D) any other materials the Director re-
quires. 
(2) FURTHER
CONSIDERATION
AND
SELEC-
TION.—The Director shall convene review panels to 
make recommendations, based on application mate-
rials received under paragraph (1), of which can-
didates are qualified to be finalists for the award. 
Based on these recommendations, the Director shall 
select finalists, who shall then be interviewed by 
panels of experts who shall make recommendations 
to the Director on the recipients of the awards. The 
Director shall make awards based on these rec-
ommendations. 
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(e) COMPOSITION OF REVIEW PANELS.—The panels 
reviewing applications and interviewing finalists as de-
scribed in subsection (d) shall include representatives from 
a range of industries. 
(f) CRITERIA FOR AWARDS.—In establishing criteria 
for evaluation of applications for grants under this section, 
the Director shall include— 
(1) the potential of the applicant for leadership 
at the frontiers of knowledge; 
(2) the potential innovative or transformative 
nature of research in the areas of interest described 
in the application; 
(3) the creativity demonstrated in the appli-
cant’s past research activities; and 
(4) the potential relevance to industry of re-
search in the areas of interest described in the appli-
cation. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation to carry out this section— 
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(2) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
(3) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
(4) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and 
(5) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2011. 
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SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY INDUSTRIALLY-REL-
EVANT RESEARCH AWARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary for Science 
of the Department of Energy shall carry out a program 
to award competitive grants to scientists and engineers at 
the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher 
education and research institutions to conduct high-risk, 
high-return research in areas relevant to energy produc-
tion, storage, and use. 
(b) PARTICIPATION OF DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 
ORGANIZATIONS.—The research, development, demonstra-
tion, and commercial application programs of the Office 
of Science, the Office of Nuclear Energy Research and De-
velopment, the Office of Fossil Energy, and the Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewables may participate in the 
program established under subsection (a). 
(c) SIZE AND DURATION OF AWARD.—The duration 
of awards under this section shall be up to 5 years, and 
the amount per year shall be $50,000. Additionally, if an 
award recipient receives funding from United States in-
dustry for work in the area described in the recipient’s 
application for the award, then up to an additional 
$50,000 may be provided each year as a one-to-one match 
to such industry funding. 
(d) ELIGIBILITY.—Award recipients shall be individ-
uals who are employed in a tenure-track position as an 
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assistant professor or equivalent title, or who hold an 
equivalent position, at— 
(1) an institution of higher education in the 
United States; or 
(2) an organization in the United States that is 
a nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organiza-
tion such as a museum, observatory, or research lab-
oratory. 
(e) APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) 
INITIAL
APPLICATION.—Applicants 
for 
awards under this section shall submit to the Under 
Secretary— 
(A) a curriculum vitae or resume, includ-
ing a list of publications and a description of 
any activities demonstrating leadership or edu-
cational activities; 
(B) a description of research areas of in-
terest; 
(C) letters of recommendation; and 
(D) any other materials the Under Sec-
retary requires. 
(2) FURTHER
CONSIDERATION
AND
SELEC-
TION.—The Under Secretary shall convene review 
panels to make recommendations, based on applica-
tion materials received under paragraph (1), of 
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which candidates are qualified to be finalists for the 
award. Based on these recommendations, the Under 
Secretary shall select finalists, who shall then be 
interviewed by panels of experts who shall make rec-
ommendations to the Under Secretary on the recipi-
ents of the awards. The Under Secretary shall make 
awards based on these recommendations. 
(f) COMPOSITION OF REVIEW PANELS.—The panels 
reviewing applications and interviewing finalists as de-
scribed in subsection (e) shall include representatives from 
a range of industries. 
(g) CRITERIA FOR AWARDS.—In establishing criteria 
for evaluation of applications for the grants awarded 
under section (a), the Under Secretary shall include— 
(1) the potential for leadership at the frontiers 
of knowledge by the applicant; 
(2) the potential innovative or transformative 
nature of research in the areas of interest described 
in the application; 
(3) the creativity demonstrated in the appli-
cant’s past research activities; and 
(4) the potential relevance to industry of re-
search in the areas of interest described in the appli-
cation. 
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(h) COLLABORATION
WITH
NATIONAL
LABORA-
TORIES.—In awarding grants under this section, the 
Under Secretary may give priority to applications in which 
the proposed work includes collaboration with the Depart-
ment of Energy National Laboratories. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy to carry out this section— 
(1) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
(3) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
(4) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and 
(5) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2011. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘institution of higher edu-
cation’’ has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
Æ 
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