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(11) Many of the complex problems and chal-
lenges facing the Nation increasingly require the col-
laboration of multiple scientific disciplines. The 
Foundation should continue to emphasize cross-di-
rectorate research collaboration and activities to ad-
dress these issues and encourage interdisciplinary re-
search. 
(12) The Foundation should meet the highest 
standards of efficiency, transparency, and account-
ability in its stewardship of public funds. 
(13) The Foundation is charged with the re-
sponsibilities— 
(A) to develop and encourage the pursuit 
of a national policy for the promotion of basic 
research and education in the sciences; 
(B) to initiate, support, and conduct basic 
scientific research and to appraise the impact of 
research on industrial development and the gen-
eral welfare; 
(C) to initiate, support, and conduct sci-
entific research activities in connection with 
matters relating to the national defense, at the 
request of the Secretary of Defense; 
(D) to award scholarships and graduate 
fellowships in the sciences; 
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(E) to foster the interchange of scientific 
information among scientists and across sci-
entific disciplines; 
(F) to evaluate scientific research pro-
grams undertaken by agencies of the Federal 
Government, and to correlate the Foundation’s 
scientific research with that undertaken by indi-
viduals and by public and private research 
groups; 
(G) to communicate effectively to Amer-
ican citizens the relevance of public investments 
in scientific discovery and technological innova-
tion to the Nation’s security, prosperity, and 
welfare; and 
(H) to establish such special commissions 
as the Board considers necessary. 
(14) The emerging global economic, scientific, 
and technical environment challenges long standing 
assumptions about domestic and international policy, 
requiring the Foundation to play a more proactive 
role in sustaining the competitive advantage of the 
United States through superior research capabilities. 
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SEC. 103. POLICY OBJECTIVES. 
In allocating resources made available under this 
title, the Foundation shall have the following policy objec-
tives: 
(1) To renew and maintain the Nation’s inter-
national leadership in science and technology by— 
(A) increasing the national investment in 
basic scientific research and increasing inter-
disciplinary investment in strategic areas vital 
to the national interest; 
(B) balancing the Nation’s research port-
folio among the life sciences, mathematics, the 
physical sciences, computer and information 
science, geosciences, engineering, and social, be-
havioral, and economic sciences, all of which are 
important for the continued development of en-
abling technologies necessary for sustained eco-
nomic competitiveness; 
(C) encouraging investments in potentially 
transformative scientific research to benefit our 
Nation and its citizens; 
(D) expanding the pool of scientists and 
engineers in the United States, including among 
segments of the population that have been his-
torically underrepresented in STEM fields; and 
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(E) modernizing the Nation’s research in-
frastructure and establishing and maintaining 
cooperative international relationships with pre-
mier research institutions. 
(2) To increase overall workforce skills by— 
(A) improving the quality of STEM edu-
cation and tools provided both inside and out-
side of the classroom, including in kindergarten 
through grade 12; and 
(B) expanding STEM training opportuni-
ties at institutions of higher education. 
(3) To strengthen innovation by expanding the 
focus of competitiveness and innovation at the re-
gional and local level. 
SEC. 104. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Na-
tional Science Board. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Foundation. 
(3) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ 
means the National Science Foundation established 
under section 2 of the National Science Foundation 
Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861). 
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(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means one of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or 
possession of the United States. 
(6) 
UNITED
STATES.—The 
term 
‘‘United 
States’’ means the several States, the District of Co-
lumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Vir-
gin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any 
other territory or possession of the United States. 
SEC. 105. ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) sustained, predictable Federal funding is es-
sential to United States leadership in science and 
technology; 
(2) building understanding of and confidence in 
investments in basic research are essential to public 
support for sustained, predictable Federal funding; 
and 
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(3) the Foundation should commit itself fully to 
transparency and accountability and to clear, con-
sistent public communication regarding the national 
interest for each Foundation-awarded grant and co-
operative agreement. 
SEC. 106. GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY IN FEDERAL FUND-
ING FOR RESEARCH. 
(a) STANDARD FOR AWARD OF GRANTS.—The Foun-
dation shall award Federal funding for basic research and 
education in the sciences through a new research grant 
or cooperative agreement only if an affirmative determina-
tion is made by the Foundation under subsection (b) and 
written justification relating thereto is published under 
subsection (c). 
(b) DETERMINATION.—A determination referred to 
in subsection (a) is a justification by the responsible Foun-
dation official as to how the research grant or cooperative 
agreement promotes the progress of science in the United 
States, consistent with the Foundation mission as estab-
lished in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 
U.S.C. 1861 et seq.), and further— 
(1) is worthy of Federal funding; and 
(2) is in the national interest, as indicated by 
having the potential to achieve— 
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(A) increased economic competitiveness in 
the United States; 
(B) advancement of the health and welfare 
of the American public; 
(C) development of an American STEM 
workforce that is globally competitive; 
(D) increased public scientific literacy and 
public engagement with science and technology 
in the United States; 
(E) increased partnerships between aca-
demia and industry in the United States; 
(F) support for the national defense of the 
United States; or 
(G) promotion of the progress of science in 
the United States. 
(c) WRITTEN
JUSTIFICATION.—Public announce-
ment of each award of Federal funding described in sub-
section (a) shall include a written justification from the 
responsible Foundation official as to how a grant or coop-
erative agreement meets the requirements of subsection 
(b). 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION.—A determination under sub-
section (b) shall be made after a research grant or cooper-
ative agreement proposal has satisfied the Foundation’s 
reviews for Merit and Broader Impacts. Nothing in this 
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section shall be construed as altering the Foundation’s in-
tellectual merit or broader impacts criteria for evaluating 
grant applications. 
SEC. 107. OBLIGATION OF MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT 
AND FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION FUNDS. 
No funds may be obligated for a fiscal year for a con-
struction project for the Foundation that has not com-
menced before the date of enactment of this Act until 30 
days after the report required with respect to each such 
fiscal year under section 14(a)(2) of the National Science 
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n– 
4(a)(2)) is transmitted to the Congress. 
SEC. 108. MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF LARGE FA-
CILITIES. 
(a) LARGE FACILITIES OFFICE.—The Director shall 
maintain a Large Facilities Office within the Office of the 
Director. The functions of the Large Facilities Office shall 
be to support the research directorates in the development, 
implementation, and assessment of major multi-user re-
search facilities, including by— 
(1) serving as the Foundation’s primary re-
source for all policy or process issues related to the 
development and implementation of major multi-user 
research facilities; 
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(2) serving as a Foundation-wide resource on 
project management, including providing expert as-
sistance on nonscientific and nontechnical aspects of 
project planning, budgeting, implementation, man-
agement, and oversight; 
(3) coordinating and collaborating with research 
directorates to share best management practices and 
lessons learned from prior projects; and 
(4) assessing projects during preconstruction 
and construction phases for cost and schedule risk. 
(b) OVERSIGHT OF LARGE FACILITIES.—The Direc-
tor shall appoint a senior agency official within the Office 
of the Director whose primary responsibility is oversight 
of major multi-user research facilities. The duties of this 
official shall include— 
(1) oversight of the development, construction, 
and operation of major multi-user research facilities 
across the Foundation; 
(2) in collaboration with the directors of the re-
search directorates and other senior agency officials 
as appropriate, ensuring that the requirements of 
section 14(a) of the National Science Foundation 
Authorization Act of 2002 are satisfied; 
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(3) serving as a liaison to the National Science 
Board for approval and oversight of major multi- 
user research facilities; and 
(4) periodically reviewing and updating as nec-
essary Foundation policies and guidelines for the de-
velopment and construction of major multi-user re-
search facilities. 
(c) POLICIES FOR LARGE FACILITY COSTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall ensure 
that the Foundation’s policies for developing and 
managing major multi-user research facility con-
struction costs are consistent with the best practices 
described in the March 2009 Government Account-
ability Office Report GAO–09–3SP, or any successor 
report thereto. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
submit to Congress the results of a study and a re-
port reforming the Foundation’s policies on financial 
management of major multi-user research facilities, 
including a description of any aspects of the policies 
that diverge from the best practices recommended in 
Government Accountability Office Report GAO–09– 
3SP and the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Part 200. 
(3) MANAGEMENT FEES.— 
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(A) DEFINITION.—In this paragraph, the 
term ‘‘management fee’’ means a portion of an 
award made by the Foundation for the purpose 
of covering ordinary and necessary business ex-
penses necessary to maintain operational sta-
bility which are not otherwise allowable under 
Cost Principles Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR 
part 200, Subpart E, or any successor regula-
tion thereto. 
(B) LIMITATION.—The Foundation may 
provide management fees under an award only 
if the awardee has demonstrated that it has 
limited or no other financial resources available 
for covering the expenses for which the manage-
ment fees are sought. 
(C) 
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION.—The 
Foundation shall require award applicants to 
provide income and financial information cov-
ering a period of no less than 3 prior years (or 
in the case of an entity established less than 3 
years prior to the entity’s application date, the 
period beginning on the date of establishment 
and ending on the application date), including 
cash on hand and net asset information, in sup-
port of a request for management fees. The 
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