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Director may renew support for the center, on a 
merit-reviewed basis, for a period of not more than 
5 years. 
(6) TERMINATION.—Consistent with the exist-
ing authorities of the Department, the Director may 
terminate an underperforming center for cause dur-
ing the performance period. 
(d) LOW DOSE RADIATION RESEARCH PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle G of title IX of the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16311 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 977 the 
following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 977A. LOW-DOSE RADIATION RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
basic research program on low-dose radiation to— 
‘‘(1) enhance the scientific understanding of, 
and reduce uncertainties associated with, the effects 
of exposure to low-dose radiation; and 
‘‘(2) inform improved risk-assessment and risk- 
management methods with respect to such radiation. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—In carrying out the 
program required under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(1) formulate scientific goals for low-dose radi-
ation basic research in the United States; 
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‘‘(2) identify ongoing scientific challenges for 
understanding the long-term effects of ionizing radi-
ation on biological systems; 
‘‘(3) 
develop 
a 
long-term 
strategic 
and 
prioritized basic research agenda to address such 
scientific challenges in coordination with other re-
search efforts; 
‘‘(4) leverage the collective body of knowledge 
from existing low-dose radiation research; and 
‘‘(5) engage with other Federal agencies, re-
search communities, and potential users of informa-
tion produced under this section, including institu-
tions concerning radiation research, medical physics, 
radiology, health physics, and emergency response. 
‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the program, 
the Secretary, in coordination with the Physical Science 
Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology 
Council, shall— 
‘‘(1) support the directives under section 106 of 
the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act 
(42 U.S.C. 6601 note); 
‘‘(2) ensure that the Office of Science of the 
Department of Energy consults with the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National 
Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection 
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Agency, the Department of Defense, the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, and the Department of 
Homeland Security; 
‘‘(3) advise and assist the National Science and 
Technology Council on policies and initiatives in ra-
diation biology, including enhancing scientific knowl-
edge of the effects of low-dose radiation on biological 
systems to improve radiation risk-assessment and 
risk-management methods; and 
‘‘(4) identify opportunities to stimulate inter-
national cooperation relating to low-dose radiation 
and leverage research and knowledge from sources 
outside of the United States. 
‘‘(d) RESEARCH PLAN.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a 4-year 
research plan that identifies and prioritizes basic research 
needs relating to low-dose radiation. In developing such 
plan, the Secretary shall incorporate the components de-
scribed in subsection (b). 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION
OF LOW-DOSE RADIATION.—In 
this section, the term ‘low-dose radiation’ means a radi-
ation dose of less than 100 millisieverts. 
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‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to subject any research carried out 
by the Secretary for the program under this section to 
any limitations described in 977(e) of the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16317(e)). 
‘‘(g) FUNDING.—From within funds authorized to be 
appropriated under section 11 of the Department of En-
ergy Science and Innovation Act of 2018, for Biological 
and Environmental Research, the Secretary make avail-
able to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; and 
‘‘(2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2019.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 
contents for subtitle G of title IX of the Energy Pol-
icy Act of 2005 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 977 the following: 
‘‘977A. Low-dose radiation research program.’’. 
(e) MODELING RESEARCH.—As part of the activities 
described in subsection (a), the Director is authorized to 
carry out research to develop multiscale computational 
models that incorporate and examine interactions among 
human and earth systems. 
(f) LIMITATION FOR RESEARCH FUNDS.—The Direc-
tor shall not approve new climate science-related initia-
tives without making a determination that such work is 
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well-coordinated with any relevant work carried out by 
other Federal agencies. 
SEC. 8. FUSION ENERGY. 
(a) PROGRAM.—The Director shall carry out a fusion 
energy sciences research program to expand the under-
standing of plasmas and matter at very high temperatures 
and densities and build the science and engineering foun-
dation needed to develop a fusion energy source. 
(b) INERTIAL FUSION ENERGY RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
program of research and technology development in iner-
tial fusion for energy applications, including ion beam, 
laser, and pulsed power fusion systems. 
(c) TOKAMAK RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall support 
research and development activities and facility oper-
ations to optimize the tokamak approach to fusion 
energy. 
(2) INTERNATIONAL THERMONUCLEAR EXPERI-
MENTAL REACTOR CONSTRUCTION.—Section 972 of 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16312) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(7) ITER CONSTRUCTION.— 
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—There is authorized 
United States participation in the construction 
and operations of the ITER project, as agreed 
to under the April 25, 2007 ‘Agreement on the 
Establishment of the ITER International Fu-
sion Energy Organization for the Joint Imple-
mentation of the ITER Project.’. 
‘‘(B) FACILITY REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that the mission-oriented 
user facility will enable the study of a burning 
plasma, and shall be built to have the following 
characteristics in its full configuration: 
‘‘(i) A tokamak device with a plasma 
radius of 6.2 meters and a magnetic field 
of 5.3 T. 
‘‘(ii) Capable of creating and sus-
taining a 15-million-Ampere plasma cur-
rent for greater than 300 seconds. 
‘‘(C) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—From within funds authorized to be 
appropriated under section 11 of the Depart-
ment of Energy Science and Innovation Act of 
2018, for Fusion Energy Sciences, there is au-
thorized for in-kind contributions under this 
paragraph— 
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‘‘(i) $122,000,000 for fiscal year 
2018; and 
‘‘(ii) $163,000,000 for fiscal year 
2019. 
‘‘(D) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—From within funds authorized to be 
appropriated under section 11 of the Depart-
ment of Energy Science and Innovation Act of 
2018, for Fusion Energy Sciences, there is au-
thorized for cash contributions under this para-
graph— 
‘‘(i) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; 
and 
‘‘(ii) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 
2019.’’. 
(d) ALTERNATIVE AND ENABLING CONCEPTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As part of the program de-
scribed in subsection (a), the Director shall support 
research and development activities and facility oper-
ations at United States universities, national labora-
tories, and private facilities for a portfolio of alter-
native and enabling fusion energy concepts that may 
provide solutions to significant challenges to the es-
tablishment of a commercial magnetic fusion power 
plant, prioritized based on the ability of the United 
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States to play a leadership role in the international 
fusion research community. Fusion energy concepts 
and activities explored under this paragraph may in-
clude— 
(A) high magnetic field approaches facili-
tated by high temperature superconductors; 
(B) advanced stellarator concepts; 
(C) non-tokamak confinement configura-
tions operating at low magnetic fields; 
(D) magnetized target fusion energy con-
cepts; 
(E) liquid metals to address issues associ-
ated with fusion plasma interactions with the 
inner wall of the encasing device; 
(F) immersion blankets for heat manage-
ment and fuel breeding; 
(G) advanced scientific computing activi-
ties; and 
(H) other promising fusion energy con-
cepts identified by the Director. 
(2) COORDINATION WITH ARPA–E.—The Under 
Secretary and the Director shall coordinate with the 
Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency– 
Energy (in this paragraph referred to as ‘‘ARPA– 
E’’) to— 
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(A) assess the potential for any fusion en-
ergy project supported by ARPA–E to rep-
resent a promising approach to a commercially 
viable fusion power plant; 
(B) determine whether the results of any 
fusion energy project supported by ARPA–E 
merit the support of follow-on research activi-
ties carried out by the Office of Science; and 
(C) avoid unintentional duplication of ac-
tivities. 
(e) FAIRNESS IN COMPETITION FOR SOLICITATIONS 
FOR INTERNATIONAL PROJECT ACTIVITIES.—Section 33 
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2053) is 
amended by inserting before the first sentence the fol-
lowing: ‘‘In this section, with respect to international re-
search projects, the term ‘private facilities or laboratories’ 
means facilities or laboratories located in the United 
States.’’. 
(f) IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITIES.— 
(1) REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
fusion energy research and development activi-
ties that the Department proposes to carry out 
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over the 10-year period following the date of 
the report under not fewer than three realistic 
budget scenarios, including a scenario based on 
3-percent annual growth in the non-ITER por-
tion of the budget for fusion energy research 
and development activities. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The report required 
under subparagraph (A) shall— 
(i) identify specific areas of fusion en-
ergy research and enabling technology de-
velopment, including activities to advance 
inertial and alternative fusion energy con-
cepts, in which the United States can and 
should establish or solidify a lead in the 
global fusion energy development effort; 
(ii) identify priorities for initiation of 
facility construction and facility decommis-
sioning under each of the three budget sce-
narios described in subparagraph (A); and 
(iii) assess the ability of the fusion 
workforce of the United States to carry out 
the activities identified under clauses (i) 
and (ii), including the adequacy of pro-
grams at institutions of higher education 
in the United States to train the leaders 
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