IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3598 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 12, 2004 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To establish an interagency committee to coordinate Federal 
manufacturing research and development efforts in man-
ufacturing, strengthen existing programs to assist manu-
facturing innovation and education, and expand outreach 
programs for small and medium-sized manufacturers, 
and for other purposes.
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(D) developing and transmitting to Con-
gress an annual report on the Federal programs 
involved in manufacturing research, develop-
ment, technical training, standards, and inte-
gration, their funding levels, and their impacts 
on United States manufacturing competitive-
ness, including the identification and analysis of 
the manufacturing research and development 
problems that require additional attention, and 
recommendations of how Federal programs 
should address those problems. 
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS AND VIEWS.—In car-
rying out its functions under paragraph (2), the 
Interagency Committee shall consider the rec-
ommendations of the Advisory Committee and the 
views of academic, State, industry, and other entities 
involved in manufacturing research and develop-
ment. 
(b) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(1) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—Not 
later 
than 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
President shall establish or designate an advisory 
committee to provide advice and information to the 
Interagency Committee.
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(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall assist the Interagency Committee by 
providing it with recommendations on— 
(A) the goals and priorities for manufac-
turing research and development; 
(B) the strategic plan, including proposals 
on how to strengthen research and development 
to help manufacturing; and 
(C) other issues it considers appropriate. 
(3) REPORT.—The Advisory Committee shall 
provide an annual report to the Interagency Com-
mittee and the Congress that shall assess— 
(A) the progress made in implementing the 
strategic plan and challenges to this progress; 
(B) the effectiveness of activities under the 
strategic plan in improving United States man-
ufacturing competitiveness; 
(C) the need to revise the goals and prior-
ities established by the Interagency Committee; 
and 
(D) new and emerging problems and op-
portunities affecting the manufacturing re-
search community, research infrastructure, and 
the measurement and statistical analysis of
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manufacturing that may need to be considered 
by the Interagency Committee. 
(4) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT AP-
PLICATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory Com-
mittee. 
SEC. 3. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH 
PILOT GRANTS. 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the first section 32 as sec-
tion 34 and moving it to the end of the Act; and 
(2) by inserting before the section moved by 
paragraph (1) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 33. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH 
PILOT GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall es-
tablish a pilot program of awards to partnerships 
among participants described in paragraph (2) for 
the purposes described in paragraph (3). Awards 
shall be made on a peer-reviewed, competitive basis. 
‘‘(2) PARTICIPANTS.—Such partnerships shall 
include at least—
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‘‘(A) 1 manufacturing industry partner; 
and 
‘‘(B) 1 nonindustry partner. 
‘‘(3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the program 
under this section is to foster cost-shared collabora-
tions among firms, educational institutions, research 
institutions, State agencies, and nonprofit organiza-
tions to encourage the development of innovative, 
multidisciplinary manufacturing technologies. Part-
nerships receiving awards under this section shall 
conduct applied research to develop new manufac-
turing processes, techniques, or materials that would 
contribute to improved performance, productivity, 
and competitiveness of United States manufacturing, 
and build lasting alliances among collaborators. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM CONTRIBUTION.—Awards under this 
section shall provide for not more than one-third of the 
costs of a partnership. Not more than an additional one- 
third of such costs may be obtained directly or indirectly 
from other Federal sources. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—Applications for awards under 
this section shall be submitted in such manner, at such 
time, and containing such information as the Director 
shall require. Such applications shall describe at a min-
imum—
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‘‘(1) how each partner will participate in devel-
oping and carrying out the research agenda of the 
partnership; 
‘‘(2) the research that the grant would fund; 
and 
‘‘(3) how the research to be funded with the 
award would contribute to improved performance, 
productivity, and competitiveness of the United 
States manufacturing industry. 
‘‘(d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting applica-
tions for awards under this section, the Director shall con-
sider at a minimum— 
‘‘(1) the degree to which projects will have a 
broad impact on manufacturing; 
‘‘(2) the novelty and scientific and technical 
merit of the proposed projects; and 
‘‘(3) the demonstrated capabilities of the appli-
cants to successfully carry out the proposed re-
search. 
‘‘(e) DISTRIBUTION.—In selecting applications under 
this section the Director shall ensure, to the extent prac-
ticable, a distribution of overall awards among a variety 
of manufacturing industry sectors and a range of firm 
sizes.
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‘‘(f) DURATION.—In carrying out this section, the Di-
rector shall run a single pilot competition to solicit and 
make awards. Each award shall be for a 3-year period.’’. 
SEC. 4. MANUFACTURING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. 
Section 18 of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g–1) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before 
‘‘The Director is authorized’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) MANUFACTURING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—To promote the devel-
opment of a robust research community working at 
the leading edge of manufacturing sciences, the Di-
rector shall establish a program to award— 
‘‘(A) postdoctoral research fellowships at 
the Institute for research activities related to 
manufacturing sciences; and 
‘‘(B) senior research fellowships to estab-
lished researchers in industry or at institutions 
of higher education who wish to pursue studies 
related to the manufacturing sciences at the In-
stitute. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for an 
award under this subsection, an individual shall sub-