View all text of Chapter 16 [§ 1861 - § 1887]
§ 1862s–2. Oversight of NSF major multi-user research facility projects
(a) Facilities oversight
(1) In general
(2) RequirementsIn carrying out paragraph (1), the Director shall—
(A) prioritize the scientific outcomes of a major multi-user research facility project and the internal management and financial oversight of the major multi-user research facility project;
(B) clarify the roles and responsibilities of all organizations, including offices, panels, committees, and directorates, involved in supporting a major multi-user research facility project, including the role of the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Panel;
(C) establish policies and procedures for the planning, management, and oversight of a major multi-user research facility project at each phase of the life-cycle of the major multi-user research facility project;
(D) ensure that policies for estimating and managing costs and schedules are consistent with the best practices described in the Government Accountability Office Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide, the Government Accountability Office Schedule Assessment Guide, and the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Guidance (2 C.F.R. Part 200);
(E) establish the appropriate project management and financial management expertise required for Foundation staff to oversee each major multi-user research facility project effectively, including by improving project management training and certification;
(F) coordinate the sharing of the best management practices and lessons learned from each major multi-user research facility project;
(G) continue to maintain a Large Facilities Office to support the research directorates in the development, implementation, and oversight of each major multi-user research facility project, including by—
(i) serving as the Foundation’s primary resource for all policy or process issues related to the development, implementation, and oversight of a major multi-user research facility project;
(ii) serving as a Foundation-wide resource on project management, including providing expert assistance on nonscientific and nontechnical aspects of project planning, budgeting, implementation, management, and oversight;
(iii) coordinating and collaborating with research directorates to share best management practices and lessons learned from prior major multi-user research facility projects; and
(iv) assessing each major multi-user research facility project for cost and schedule risk; and
(H) appoint a senior agency official whose responsibility is oversight of the development, construction, and operations of major multi-user research facilities across the Foundation.
(b) Facilities full life-cycle costs
(1) In general
(2) Implementation
(c) Cost oversight
(1) Pre-award analysis
(A) In generalThe Director of the Foundation and the National Science Board may not approve or execute any agreement to start construction on any proposed major multi-user research facility project unless—
(i) an external analysis of the proposed budget has been conducted to ensure the proposal is complete and reasonable;
(ii) the analysis under clause (i) follows the Government Accountability Office Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide;
(iii) except as provided under subparagraph (C), an analysis of the accounting systems has been conducted;
(iv) an independent cost estimate of the construction of the project has been conducted using the same detailed technical information as the project proposal estimate to determine whether the estimate is well-supported and realistic; and
(v) the Foundation and the National Science Board have considered the analyses under clauses (i) and (iii) and the independent cost estimate under clause (iv) and resolved any major issues identified therein.
(B) Audits
(C) Exception
(2) Construction oversightThe Director of the Foundation shall require for each major multi-user research facility project—
(A) periodic external reviews on project management and performance;
(B) adequate internal controls, policies, and procedures, and reliable accounting systems in preparation for the incurred cost audits under subparagraph (D);
(C) annual incurred cost submissions of financial expenditures; and
(D) an incurred cost audit of the major multi-user research facility project in accordance with Government Accountability Office Government Auditing Standards—
(i) at least once during construction at a time determined based on risk analysis and length of the award, except that the length of time between audits may not exceed 3 years; and
(ii) at the completion of the construction phase.
(3) Operations cost analysis
(d) Contingency
(1) In general
(2) RequirementsIn carrying out paragraph (1), the Director of the Foundation shall—
(A) only include contingency amounts in an award in accordance with section 200.433 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to contingency provisions), or any successor regulation;
(B) retain control over funds budgeted for contingency, except that the Director may disburse budgeted contingency funds incrementally to the awardee to ensure project stability and continuity;
(C) track contingency use; and
(D) ensure that contingency amounts allocated to the performance baseline are reasonable and allowable.
(e) Use of fees
(1) Sense of CongressIt is the sense of Congress that—
(A) the use of taxpayer-funded award fees should be transparent and explicable; and
(B) the Foundation should implement an award fee policy that ensures more transparency and accountability in the funding of necessary and appropriate expenses directly related to the construction and operation of major multi-user research facilities.
(2) Reporting and recordkeeping
(f) Oversight implementation progressThe Director of the Foundation shall—
(1) not later than 90 days after January 6, 2017, and periodically thereafter until the completion date, provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on the response to or progress made toward implementation of—
(A) this section;
(B) all of the issues and recommendations identified in cooperative agreement audit reports and memoranda issued by the Inspector General of the Foundation in the last 5 years; and
(C) all of the issues and recommendations identified by a panel of the National Academy of Public Administration in the December 2015 report entitled “National Science Foundation: Use of Cooperative Agreements to Support Large Scale Investment in Research”; and
(2) not later than 1 year after January 6, 2017, notify the appropriate committees of Congress when the Foundation has implemented the recommendations identified in a panel of the National Academy of Public Administration report issued December 2015.
(g) DefinitionsIn this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of Congress
(2) Major multi-user research facility project
(Pub. L. 114–329, title I, § 110, Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2988; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title II, § 267, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3502.)