H. R. 4346—212 
businesses and other for-profit entities, Federal or State agen-
cies, local or Tribal governments, civil society organizations, 
other Foundation directorates, national labs, field stations and 
marine laboratories, and, as appropriate, international entities 
and binational research and development foundations and 
funds, excluding foreign entities of concern; 
(4) partner with other directorates and offices of the 
Foundation for specific projects or research areas including— 
(A) to pursue basic questions about natural, human, 
and physical phenomena that could enable advances in 
the challenges and key technology focus areas under section 
10387; 
(B) to study questions that could affect the design 
(including human interfaces), safety, security, operation, 
deployment, or the social and ethical consequences of tech-
nologies and innovations in the challenges and key tech-
nology focus areas under section 10387, including the 
development of technologies and innovations that com-
plement or enhance the abilities of workers and impact 
of specific innovations on domestic jobs and equitable oppor-
tunity; and 
(C) to further the creation of a domestic workforce 
capable of advancing, using, and adapting to the key tech-
nology focus areas; 
(5) build capacity and infrastructure for use-inspired and 
translational research at institutions of higher education across 
the United States, including by making awards to support 
administrative activities that advance development, operation, 
integration, deployment, and sharing of innovation; 
(6) support the education, mentoring, and training of under-
graduate 
students, 
graduate 
students, 
and 
postdoctoral 
researchers, to both advance use-inspired and translational 
research and to address workforce challenges, through scholar-
ships, fellowships, and traineeships; and 
(7) identify social, behavioral, and economic drivers and 
consequences of technological innovations that could enable 
advances in the challenges and key technology focus areas 
under section 10387. 
SEC. 10384. REQUIREMENTS. 
In carrying out the activities under the Directorate, the Director 
shall ensure the programmatic work of the Directorate and Founda-
tion— 
(1) utilizes the full potential of the United States workforce 
by avoiding undue geographic concentration of research and 
development and education funding across the United States, 
and encourages broader participation in the key technology 
focus area workforce by populations historically underrep-
resented in STEM; and 
(2) incorporates a worker perspective through participation 
by labor organizations and workforce training organizations. 
SEC. 10385. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall appoint an Assistant 
Director responsible for the management of the Directorate estab-
lished under this subtitle, in the same manner as other Assistant 
Directors of the Foundation are appointed.
H. R. 4346—213 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Assistant Director shall be an indi-
vidual, who by reason of professional background and experience, 
is specially qualified to— 
(1) advise the Director on all matters pertaining to use- 
inspired and translational research, development, and commer-
cialization at the Foundation, including partnership with the 
private sector and other users of Foundation funded research; 
and 
(2) develop and implement the necessary policies and proce-
dures to promote a culture of use-inspired and translational 
research within the Directorate and across the Foundation 
and carry out the responsibilities under subsection (c). 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibilities of the Assistant 
Director shall include— 
(1) advising the Director on all matters pertaining to use- 
inspired and translational research and development activities 
at the Foundation, including effective practices for convergence 
research, and the potential impact of Foundation research on 
United States societal, national and geostrategic challenges; 
(2) identifying opportunities for and facilitating coordina-
tion and collaboration, where appropriate, on use-inspired and 
translational research, development, adoption, and commer-
cialization— 
(A) among the offices, directorates, and divisions within 
the Foundation; and 
(B) between the Foundation and stakeholders in aca-
demia, the private sector, including non-profit entities, 
labor organizations, Federal or State agencies, and inter-
national entities, as appropriate; 
(3) ensuring that the activities carried out under this sub-
title do not substantially and unnecessarily duplicate activities 
supported by other parts of the Foundation or other relevant 
Federal agencies; 
(4) approving all new programs within the Directorate; 
(5) developing and testing diverse merit-review models and 
mechanisms for selecting and providing awards for use-inspired 
and translational research and development at different scales, 
from individual investigator awards to large multi-institution 
collaborations; 
(6) assessing the success of programs; 
(7) administering awards to achieve the purposes described 
in section 10382; and 
(8) performing other such duties pertaining to the purposes 
in section 10382 as are required by the Director. 
(d) RELATIONSHIP TO THE DIRECTOR.—The Assistant Director 
shall report to the Director. 
(e) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROGRAMS.—No other directorate 
within the Foundation shall report to the Assistant Director. 
SEC. 10386. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) the Director shall establish an advisory 
committee to assess, and make recommendations regarding, the 
activities carried out under this subtitle. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The advisory committee members shall—
H. R. 4346—214 
(1) be individuals with relevant experience or expertise, 
including individuals from industry and national labs, edu-
cators, academic subject matter experts, including individuals 
with knowledge of key technology focus areas and their impact 
on United States national security and geostrategic leadership, 
the technical and social dimensions of science and technology, 
technology transfer experts, labor organizations, representa-
tives of civil society, and other nongovernmental organizations; 
and 
(2) consist of at least 10 members broadly representative 
of stakeholders, including no less than 3 members from the 
private sector, none of whom shall be an employee of the 
Federal Government, and no less than 1 member with signifi-
cant expertise in United States national security and economic 
competitiveness. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Committee’s responsibilities shall 
include— 
(1) reviewing and advising on activities carried out under 
this subtitle; 
(2) proposing strategies for fulfilling the purposes in section 
10382; 
(3) proposing potential areas of research, particularly as 
relevant to United States societal, national, and geostrategic 
challenges; and 
(4) other relevant issues as determined by the Director. 
SEC. 10387. CHALLENGES AND FOCUS AREAS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with the Assistant Director, 
the Board, and the interagency working group established under 
subtitle F of title VI, the Director shall identify, and annually 
review and update as appropriate, a list of— 
(1) not more than 5 United States societal, national, and 
geostrategic challenges that may be addressed by technology 
to guide activities under this subtitle; and 
(2) not more than 10 key technology focus areas to guide 
activities under this subtitle. 
(b) INITIAL LIST OF SOCIETAL, NATIONAL, AND GEOSTRATEGIC 
CHALLENGES.—The initial list of societal, national, and geostrategic 
challenges are the following: 
(1) United States national security. 
(2) United States manufacturing and industrial produc-
tivity. 
(3) United States workforce development and skills gaps. 
(4) Climate change and environmental sustainability. 
(5) Inequitable access to education, opportunity, or other 
services. 
(c) INITIAL LIST OF KEY TECHNOLOGY FOCUS AREAS.—The initial 
list of key technology focus areas are the following: 
(1) Artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, and 
related advances. 
(2) High performance computing, semiconductors, and 
advanced computer hardware and software. 
(3) Quantum information science and technology. 
(4) Robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing. 
(5) Natural and anthropogenic disaster prevention or miti-
gation.
H. R. 4346—215 
(6) Advanced communications technology and immersive 
technology. 
(7) Biotechnology, medical technology, genomics, and syn-
thetic biology. 
(8) Data storage, data management, distributed ledger tech-
nologies, and cybersecurity, including biometrics. 
(9) Advanced energy and industrial efficiency technologies, 
such as batteries and advanced nuclear technologies, including 
but not limited to for the purposes of electric generation (con-
sistent with section 15 of the National Science Foundation 
Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1874). 
(10) Advanced materials science, including composites 2D 
materials, other next-generation materials, and related manu-
facturing technologies. 
(d) 
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
UNITED
STATES
SOCIETAL, 
NATIONAL, AND GEOSTRATEGIC CHALLENGES AND KEY TECHNOLOGY 
FOCUS AREAS.— 
(1) In updating the list under subsection (a)(1), the Director 
shall evaluate national and global technology trends. 
(2) In updating the list under subsection (a)(2), the Director 
shall consider the impact of the selected technologies on United 
States societal, national, and geostrategic challenges. 
(3) The list under subsection (a)(2) may, but is not required 
to, align directly with the list under subsection (a)(1). 
(4) Nothing under this section shall prevent the Director 
from making limited investments in technologies or areas not 
identified in subsection (a)(1) or subsection (a)(2). 
(e) REVIEW AND UPDATES.—The Director, in coordination with 
the interagency working group established under subtitle F of title 
VI and in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence 
and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall 
annually review and update as appropriate, the list of key tech-
nology focus areas for purposes of this division. As part of the 
annual review, the Director— 
(1) shall consider input from relevant industries and stake-
holders; 
(2) may consider the challenges and recommendations 
identified in the reports required by sections 206 and 206B 
of the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, 
and Priorities Act of 1976, as added by section 10611 and 
10613 of this division and in other relevant reports, such as 
technology and global trend reports from the defense and intel-
ligence communities; 
(3) shall consider the potential impact of the key technology 
focus areas on addressing societal, national, and geostrategic 
challenges; and 
(4) subject to the limitation under subsection (a), may 
add or delete key technology focus areas in light of shifting 
national needs or competitive threats to the United States 
(including for reasons of the United States or other countries 
having advanced or fallen behind in a technological area). 
(f) REPORTING.—At the conclusion of the annual review and 
update process required by subsection (e), the Director, in consulta-
tion with other Federal research agencies, as appropriate, shall 
deliver a report to Congress detailing— 
(1) the key technology focus areas and rationale for their 
selection;