Next Generation Computing Research and Development Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3284 | Sponsor: Rep. Obernolte, Jay (R-CA)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Next Generation Computing Research and Development Act of 2021
This bill provides for the support of advanced scientific computing programs and activities at the Department of Energy (DOE).
The DOE Office of Science shall carry out a research and development program to advance computational and networking capabilities to analyze and predict complex phenomena relevant to the development of new energy technologies and U.S. competitiveness.
DOE shall
The DOE Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research shall support the development of a computational science workforce.
The DOE Office of Science shall maintain a balanced portfolio within the advanced scientific computing research and development program that supports robust investment in

To provide for fundamental research programs in advanced scientific 
     computing at the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Next Generation Computing Research 
and Development Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--Section 304 of the Department of Energy Research 
and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18642) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
        (c) and (d), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Program.--The Director shall carry out a research, 
development, and demonstration program to advance computational and 
networking capabilities to analyze, model, simulate, and predict 
complex phenomena relevant to the development of new energy 
technologies and the competitiveness of the United States.''.
    (b) Additional Programs.--Section 304 of the Department of Energy 
Research and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18642) is further amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Beyond Exascale Computing Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
        to develop and implement a strategy for achieving computing 
        systems with capabilities beyond exascale computing systems. In 
        establishing this program, the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) maintain foundational research programs in 
                mathematical, computational, and computer sciences 
                focused on new and emerging computing needs within the 
                mission of the Department, including but not limited to 
                post-Moore's law computing architectures, novel 
                approaches to modeling and simulation, artificial 
                intelligence and scientific machine learning, quantum 
                computing, and extreme heterogeneity; and
                    ``(B) retain best practices and maintain support 
                for essential hardware and software elements of the 
                Exascale Computing Project that are necessary for 
                sustaining the vitality of a long-term exascale 
                ecosystem.
            ``(2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of the Next Generation Computing Research and 
        Development Act of 2021, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate, a report on the development and 
        implementation of the strategy outlined in paragraph (1).
    ``(f) Energy Efficient Computing Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall support a program of 
        fundamental research, development, and demonstration of energy 
        efficient computing technologies relevant to advanced computing 
        applications in high performance computing, artificial 
        intelligence, and scientific machine learning.
            ``(2) Execution.--
                    ``(A) Program.--In carrying out the program, the 
                Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) establish a partnership for National 
                        Laboratories, industry partners, and 
                        institutions of higher education for codesign 
                        of energy efficient hardware, technology, 
                        software, and applications across all 
                        applicable program offices of the Department;
                            ``(ii) develop hardware and software 
                        technologies that decrease the energy needs of 
                        advanced computing practices;
                            ``(iii) consider multiple heterogeneous 
                        computing architectures, including neuromorphic 
                        computing, persistent computing, and ultrafast 
                        networking; and
                            ``(iv) provide, as appropriate, on a 
                        competitive, merit-reviewed basis, access for 
                        researchers from institutions of higher 
                        education, National Laboratories, industry, and 
                        other Federal agencies to the energy efficient 
                        computing technologies developed pursuant to 
                        clause (i).
                    ``(B) Selection of partners.--In selecting 
                participants for the partnership established under 
                subparagraph (A)(i), the Secretary shall select 
                participants through a competitive, merit-review 
                process.
            ``(3) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of the Next Generation Computing Research and 
        Development Act of 2021, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate, a report on--
                    ``(A) the activities conducted under paragraph 
                (2)(A); and
                    ``(B) the coordination and management of the 
                Program to ensure an integrated research program across 
                the Department.
    ``(g) Energy Sciences Network.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide for an 
        upgrade to the Energy Sciences Network user facility in order 
        to meet Federal research needs for highly reliable data 
        transport capabilities optimized for the requirements of large-
        scale science.
            ``(2) Capabilities.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall ensure the following capabilities:
                    ``(A) To provide high bandwidth scientific 
                networking across the continental United States and the 
                Atlantic Ocean.
                    ``(B) To maximize network reliability.
                    ``(C) To protect the network and data from cyber-
                attacks.
                    ``(D) To support exponentially increasing levels of 
                data from the Department's scientific user facilities, 
                experiments, and sensors.
                    ``(E) To integrate heterogeneous computing 
                frameworks and systems.
    ``(h) Workforce Development.--The Director of the Office of 
Advanced Scientific Computing Research shall support the development of 
a computational science workforce through a program that--
            ``(1) facilitates collaboration between university students 
        and researchers at the National Laboratories; and
            ``(2) endeavors to advance science in areas relevant to the 
        mission of the Department through the application of 
        computational science.''.
    (c) Computational Science Graduate Fellowship.--
            (1) In general.--Section 304 of the Department of Energy 
        Research and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18642) is further 
        amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Computational Science Graduate Fellowship.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall support the 
        Computational Science Graduate Fellowship program in order to 
        facilitate collaboration between graduate students and 
        researchers at the National Laboratories, and contribute to the 
        development of a computational workforce to help advance 
        research in areas relevant to the mission of the Department.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--Recipients of fellowships under the 
        Computational Science Graduate Fellowship program described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be selected from among citizens, nationals, 
        and lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens of the United 
        States.''.
            (2) Funding.--From the funds authorized to be appropriated 
        for the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program of the 
        Department's Office of Science, the Secretary shall make 
        available for carrying out the activities under section 304(i) 
        of the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act (42 
        U.S.C. 18642(i))--
                    (A) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
                    (B) $22,050,000 for fiscal year 2023;
                    (C) $23,152,500 for fiscal year 2024; and
                    (D) 24,310,125 for fiscal year 2025.
    (d) Applied Mathematics and Software Development.--Section 304(d) 
of the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 
18642(d)), as redesignated by subsection (a)(1), is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(d) Applied Mathematics and Software Development for High-End 
Computing Systems, Computational, and Computer Sciences Research.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out activities 
        to develop, test, and support--
                    ``(A) mathematics, models, statistics, and 
                algorithms for modeling complex systems on advanced 
                computing architectures; and
                    ``(B) tools, languages, programming environments, 
                and operations for high-end computing systems (as 
                defined in section 2 of the American Super Computing 
                Leadership Act (15 U.S.C. 5541)).
            ``(2) Portfolio balance.--The Director shall maintain a 
        balanced portfolio within the advanced scientific computing 
        research and development program established under section 976 
        of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16316) that 
        supports robust investment in--
                    ``(A) applied mathematical, computational, and 
                computer sciences research needs relevant to the 
                mission of the Department, including activities related 
                to data science, artificial intelligence, scientific 
                machine learning, quantum information science, and 
                other emerging areas; and
                    ``(B) associated high-performance computing 
                hardware and facilities.''.
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