42 USC 6604 - Interagency working group on research regulation

Collapse to view only § 6604. Interagency working group on research regulation

§ 6601. Congressional findings; priority goals
§ 6602. Congressional declaration of policy
§ 6603. Sense of Congress on innovation acceleration research
§ 6604. Interagency working group on research regulation
§ 6605. Disclosure of funding sources in applications for Federal research and development awards

§ 6601. Congressional findings; priority goals

(a) The Congress, recognizing the profound impact of science and technology on society, and the interrelations of scientific, technological, economic, social, political, and institutional factors, hereby finds and declares that—

(1) the general welfare, the security, the economic health and stability of the Nation, the conservation and efficient utilization of its natural and human resources, and the effective functioning of government and society require vigorous, perceptive support and employment of science and technology in achieving national objectives;

(2) the many large and complex scientific and technological factors which increasingly influence the course of national and international events require appropriate provision, involving long-range, inclusive planning as well as more immediate program development, to incorporate scientific and technological knowledge in the national decisionmaking process;

(3) the scientific and technological capabilities of the United States, when properly fostered, applied, and directed, can effectively assist in improving the quality of life, in anticipating and resolving critical and emerging international, national, and local problems, in strengthening the Nation’s international economic position, and in furthering its foreign policy objectives;

(4) Federal funding for science and technology represents an investment in the future which is indispensable to sustained national progress and human betterment, and there should be a continuing national investment in science, engineering, and technology which is commensurate with national needs and opportunities and the prevalent economic situation;

(5) the manpower pool of scientists, engineers, and technicians, constitutes an invaluable national resource which should be utilized to the fullest extent possible; and

(6) the Nation’s capabilities for technology assessment and for technological planning and policy formulation must be strengthened at both Federal and State levels.

(b) As a consequence, the Congress finds and declares that science and technology should contribute to the following priority goals without being limited thereto:

(1) fostering leadership in the quest for international peace and progress toward human freedom, dignity, and well-being by enlarging the contributions of American scientists and engineers to the knowledge of man and his universe, by making discoveries of basic science widely available at home and abroad, and by utilizing technology in support of United States national and foreign policy goals;

(2) increasing the efficient use of essential materials and products, and generally contributing to economic opportunity, stability, and appropriate growth;

(3) assuring an adequate supply of food, materials, and energy for the Nation’s needs;

(4) contributing to the national security;

(5) improving the quality of health care available to all residents of the United States;

(6) preserving, fostering, and restoring a healthful and esthetic natural environment;

(7) providing for the protection of the oceans and coastal zones, and the polar regions, and the efficient utilization of their resources;

(8) strengthening the economy and promoting full employment through useful scientific and technological innovations;

(9) increasing the quality of educational opportunities available to all residents of the United States;

(10) promoting the conservation and efficient utilization of the Nation’s natural and human resources;

(11) improving the Nation’s housing, transportation, and communication systems, and assuring the provision of effective public services throughout urban, suburban, and rural areas;

(12) eliminating air and water pollution, and unnecessary, unhealthful, or ineffective drugs and food additives; and

(13) advancing the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space.

(Pub. L. 94–282, title I, § 101, May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 459.)

§ 6602. Congressional declaration of policy

(a) Principles

In view of the foregoing, the Congress declares that the United States shall adhere to a national policy for science and technology which includes the following principles:

(1) The continuing development and implementation of strategies for determining and achieving the appropriate scope, level, direction, and extent of scientific and technological efforts based upon a continuous appraisal of the role of science and technology in achieving goals and formulating policies of the United States, and reflecting the views of State and local governments and representative public groups.

(2) The enlistment of science and technology to foster a healthy economy in which the directions of growth and innovation are compatible with the prudent and frugal use of resources and with the preservation of a benign environment.

(3) The conduct of science and technology operations so as to serve domestic needs while promoting foreign policy objectives.

(4) The recruitment, education, training, retraining, and beneficial use of adequate numbers of scientists, engineers, and technologists, and the promotion by the Federal Government of the effective and efficient utilization in the national interest of the Nation’s human resources in science, engineering, and technology.

(5) The development and maintenance of a solid base for science and technology in the United States, including: (A) strong participation of and cooperative relationships with State and local governments and the private sector; (B) the maintenance and strengthening of diversified scientific and technological capabilities in government, industry, and the universities, and the encouragement of independent initiatives based on such capabilities, together with elimination of needless barriers to scientific and technological innovation; (C) effective management and dissemination of scientific and technological information; (D) establishment of essential scientific, technical and industrial standards and measurement and test methods; and (E) promotion of increased public understanding of science and technology.

(6) The recognition that, as changing circumstances require periodic revision and adaptation of this subchapter, the Federal Government is responsible for identifying and interpreting the changes in those circumstances as they occur, and for effecting subsequent changes in this subchapter as appropriate.

(b) Implementation

To implement the policy enunciated in subsection (a) of this section, the Congress declares that:

(1) The Federal Government should maintain central policy planning elements in the executive branch which assist Federal agencies in (A) identifying public problems and objectives, (B) mobilizing scientific and technological resources for essential national programs, (C) securing appropriate funding for programs so identified, (D) anticipating future concerns to which science and technology can contribute and devising strategies for the conduct of science and technology for such purposes, (E) reviewing systematically Federal science policy and programs and recommending legislative amendment thereof when needed. Such elements should include an advisory mechanism within the Executive Office of the President so that the Chief Executive may have available independent, expert judgment and assistance on policy matters which require accurate assessments of the complex scientific and technological features involved.

(2) It is a responsibility of the Federal Government to promote prompt, effective, reliable, and systematic transfer of scientific and technological information by such appropriate methods as programs conducted by nongovernmental organizations, including industrial groups and technical societies. In particular, it is recognized as a responsibility of the Federal Government not only to coordinate and unify its own science and technology information systems, but to facilitate the close coupling of institutional scientific research with commercial application of the useful findings of science.

(3) It is further an appropriate Federal function to support scientific and technological efforts which are expected to provide results beneficial to the public but which the private sector may be unwilling or unable to support.

(4) Scientific and technological activities which may be properly supported exclusively by the Federal Government should be distinguished from those in which interests are shared with State and local governments and the private sector. Among these entities, cooperative relationships should be established which encourage the appropriate sharing of science and technology decisionmaking, funding support, and program planning and execution.

(5) The Federal Government should support and utilize engineering and its various disciplines and make maximum use of the engineering community, whenever appropriate, as an essential element in the Federal policymaking process.

(6) Comprehensive legislative support for the national science and technology effort requires that the Congress be regularly informed of the condition, health and vitality, and funding requirements of science and technology, the relation of science and technology to changing national goals, and the need for legislative modification of the Federal endeavor and structure at all levels as it relates to science and technology.

The Congress declares that, in order to expedite and facilitate the implementation of the policy enunciated in subsection (a) of this section, the following coordinate procedures are of paramount importance:

(1) Federal procurement policy should encourage the use of science and technology to foster frugal use of materials, energy, and appropriated funds; to assure quality environment; and to enhance product performance.

(2) Explicit criteria, including cost-benefit principles where practicable, should be developed to identify the kinds of applied research and technology programs that are appropriate for Federal funding support and to determine the extent of such support. Particular attention should be given to scientific and technological problems and opportunities offering promise of social advantage that are so long range, geographically widespread, or economically diffused that the Federal Government constitutes the appropriate source for undertaking their support.

(3) Federal promotion of science and technology should emphasize quality of research, recognize the singular importance of stability in scientific and technological institutions, and for urgent tasks, seek to assure timeliness of results. With particular reference to Federal support for basic research, funds should be allocated to encourage education in needed disciplines, to provide a base of scientific knowledge from which future essential technological development can be launched, and to add to the cultural heritage of the Nation.

(4) Federal patent policies should be developed, based on uniform principles, which have as their objective the preservation of incentives for technological innovation and the application of procedures which will continue to assure the full use of beneficial technology to serve the public.

(5) Closer relationships should be encouraged among practitioners of different scientific and technological disciplines, including the physical, social, and biomedical fields.

(6) Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities should assure efficient management of laboratory facilities and equipment in their custody, including acquisition of effective equipment, disposal of inferior and obsolete properties, and cross-servicing to maximize the productivity of costly property of all kinds. Disposal policies should include attention to possibilities for further productive use.

(7) The full use of the contributions of science and technology to support State and local government goals should be encouraged.

(8) Formal recognition should be accorded those persons whose scientific and technological achievements have contributed significantly to the national welfare.

(9) The Federal Government should support applied scientific research, when appropriate, in proportion to the probability of its usefulness, insofar as this probability can be determined; but while maximizing the beneficial consequences of technology, the Government should act to minimize foreseeable injurious consequences.

(10) Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities should establish procedures to insure among them the systematic interchange of scientific data and technological findings developed under their programs.

(Pub. L. 94–282, title I, § 102, May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 460.)

§ 6603. Sense of Congress on innovation acceleration research

(a) Sense of Congress on support and promotion of innovation in the United States

It is the sense of Congress that each Federal research agency should strive to support and promote innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward basic research projects that—

(1) meet fundamental technological or scientific challenges;

(2) involve multidisciplinary work; and

(3) involve a high degree of novelty.

(b) Sense of Congress on setting annual funding goals for basic research

In this section:

(1) Basic research

(2) Executive agency

(Pub. L. 110–69, title I, § 1008, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 581; Pub. L. 114–329, title II, § 204(a)(2), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2998.)

§ 6604. Interagency working group on research regulation

(a) Short title

(b) Findings

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Scientific and technological advancement have been the largest drivers of economic growth in the last 50 years, with the Federal Government being the largest investor in basic research.

(2) Substantial and increasing administrative burdens and costs in Federal research administration, particularly in the higher education sector where most federally funded research is performed, are eroding funds available to carry out basic scientific research.

(3) Federally funded grants are increasingly competitive, with the Foundation funding only approximately 1 in every 5 grant proposals.

(4) Progress has been made over the last decade in streamlining the pre-award grant application process through the Federal Government’s Grants.gov website.

(5) Post-award administrative costs have increased as Federal research agencies have continued to impose agency-unique compliance and reporting requirements on researchers and research institutions.

(6) Researchers spend as much as 42 percent of their time complying with Federal regulations, including administrative tasks such as applying for grants or meeting reporting requirements.

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) administrative burdens faced by researchers may be reducing the return on investment of federally funded research and development; and

(2) it is a matter of critical importance to United States competitiveness that administrative costs of federally funded research be streamlined so that a higher proportion of federal funding is applied to direct research activities.

(d) Establishment

(e) Responsibilities

(1) In general

The Working Group shall—

(A) regularly review relevant, administration-related regulations imposed on federally funded researchers;

(B) recommend those regulations or processes that may be eliminated, streamlined, or otherwise improved for the purpose described in subsection (d);

(C) recommend ways to minimize the regulatory burden on United States institutions of higher education performing federally funded research while maintaining accountability for federal funding; and

(D) recommend ways to identify and update specific regulations to refocus on performance-based goals rather than on process while achieving the outcome described in subparagraph (C).

(2) Grant review

(A) In general

The Working Group shall—

(i) conduct a comprehensive review of Federal science agency grant proposal documents; and

(ii) develop, to the extent practicable, a simplified, uniform grant format to be used by all Federal science agencies.

(B) Considerations

In developing the uniform grant format, the Working Group shall consider whether to implement—

(i) procedures for preliminary project proposals in advance of peer-review selection;

(ii) increased use of “Just-In-Time” procedures for documentation that does not bear directly on the scientific merit of a proposal;

(iii) simplified initial budget proposals in advance of peer review selection; and

(iv) detailed budget proposals for applicants that peer review selection identifies as likely to be funded.

(3) Centralized researcher profile database

(A) Establishment

(B) Considerations

(D) Requirements

Each investigator shall—

(i) be responsible for ensuring the investigator’s profile is current and accurate; and

(ii) be assigned a unique identifier linked to the database and accessible to all Federal funding agencies.

(4) Centralized assurances repository

The Working Group shall—

(A) establish a central repository for all of the assurances required for Federal research grants; and

(B) provide guidance to institutions of higher education and Federal science agencies on the use of the centralized assurances repository.

(5) Comprehensive review

(A) In general

The Working Group shall—

(i) conduct a comprehensive review of the mandated progress reports for federally funded research; and

(ii) develop a strategy to simplify investigator progress reports.

(B) Considerations

(f) Consultation

In carrying out its responsibilities under subsection (e)(1), the Working Group shall consult with academic researchers outside the Federal Government, including—

(1) federally funded researchers;

(2) non-federally funded researchers;

(3) institutions of higher education and their representative associations;

(4) scientific and engineering disciplinary societies and associations;

(5) nonprofit research institutions;

(6) industry, including small businesses;

(7) federally funded research and development centers; and

(8) members of the public with a stake in ensuring effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in the performance of scientific research.

(g) Reports

(Pub. L. 114–329, title II, § 201, Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2995.)

§ 6605. Disclosure of funding sources in applications for Federal research and development awards

(a) Disclosure requirementEach Federal research agency shall require, as part of any application for a research and development award from such agency—

(1) that each covered individual listed on the application—

(A) disclose the amount, type, and source of all current and pending research support received by, or expected to be received by, the individual as of the time of the disclosure;

(B) certify that the disclosure is current, accurate, and complete; and

(C) agree to update such disclosure at the request of the agency prior to the award of support and at any subsequent time the agency determines appropriate during the term of the award; and

(2) that any entity applying for such award certify that each covered individual who is employed by the entity and listed on the application has been made aware of the requirements under paragraph (1).

(b) Consistency

(1) Rejection for violation of law or agency terms

(2) Enforcement for noncomplianceSubject to paragraph (3), in the event that a covered individual listed on an entity’s application for a research and development award knowingly fails to disclose information under subsection (a), a Federal research agency may take one or more of the following actions:

(A) Reject the application.

(B) Suspend or terminate a research and development award made by that agency to the individual or entity.

(D) Temporarily or permanently suspend or debar the individual or entity in accordance with part 180 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations, any successor regulation, or any other appropriate law or regulation, from receiving government funding.

(E) Refer the failure to disclose under subsection (a) to the Inspector General of the agency concerned for further investigation or to Federal law enforcement authorities to determine whether any criminal or civil laws were violated.

(F) Place the individual or entity in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System for noncompliance to alert other agencies.

(G) Take such other actions against the individual or entity as are authorized under applicable law or regulations.

(3) Special rule for enforcement against entitiesAn enforcement action described in paragraph (2) may be taken against an entity only in a case in which—

(A) the entity did not meet the requirements of subsection (a)(2);

(B) the entity knew that a covered individual failed to disclose information under subsection (a)(1) and the entity did not take steps to remedy such nondisclosure before the application was submitted; or

(i) the entity is owned, controlled, or substantially influenced by a covered individual; and

(ii) such individual knowingly failed to disclose information under subsection (a)(1).

(4) Notice

(5) Evidentiary standards

(d) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) The term “covered individual” means an individual who—

(A) contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of a research and development project proposed to be carried out with a research and development award from a Federal research agency; and

(B) is designated as a covered individual by the Federal research agency concerned.

(2) The term “current and pending research support”—

(A) means all resources made available, or expected to be made available, to an individual in support of the individual’s research and development efforts, regardless of—

(i) whether the source of the resource is foreign or domestic;

(ii) whether the resource is made available through the entity applying for a research and development award or directly to the individual; or

(iii) whether the resource has monetary value; and

(B) includes in-kind contributions requiring a commitment of time and directly supporting the individual’s research and development efforts, such as the provision of office or laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees, or students.

(3) The term “entity” means an entity that has applied for or received a research and development award from a Federal research agency.

(4) The term “Federal research agency” means any Federal agency with an annual extramural research expenditure of over $100,000,000.

(5) The term “research and development award” means support provided to an individual or entity by a Federal research agency to carry out research and development activities, which may include support in the form of a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other such transaction. The term does not include a grant, contract, agreement or other transaction for the procurement of goods or services to meet the administrative needs of a Federal research agency.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title II, § 223, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3470.)