42 U.S.C. § 18644 — Biological and environmental research

Page 9178 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 start of full operations of the facility de- scribed in subparagraph (A) occurs before December 31, 2030. (E) Funding Out of funds authorized to be appropriated under subsection (k), there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out construction of the facility described in subparagraph (A)— (i) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; (ii) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (iii) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; (iv) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and (v) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2027. (h) Accelerator and detector upgrades The Director shall upgrade accelerator facili- ties and detectors, as necessary and appropriate, to increase beam power, sustain high reliability, and improve precision measurement to advance the highest priority particle physics research programs. In carrying out facility upgrades, the Director shall continue to work with inter- national partners, when appropriate and in the United States’ interest, to leverage investments and expertise in critical technologies to help build and upgrade accelerator and detector fa- cilities in the United States. (i) Accelerator and detector research and devel- opment As part of the program described in subsection (b), the Director shall carry out research and de- velopment in particle beam physics, accelerator science and technology, and particle and radi- ation detection with relevance to the specific needs of the High Energy Physics program, in coordination with the Accelerator Research and Development program authorized under section 18648 of this title. (j) Underground science The Director shall— (1) support an underground science program consistent with the missions of the Depart- ment and the scientific needs of the High En- ergy Physics program, including those articu- lated in the most recent report of the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel, that leverages the capabilities of relevant under- ground science and engineering facilities; (2) carry out a competitive grant program to award scientists and engineers at institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and National Laboratories to conduct research in underground science and engineering; and (3) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report on the inventory of underground mines in the United States that may be suitable for future devel- opment of underground science and engineer- ing facilities and any anticipated challenges associated with repurposing, repair, facility siting, or construction. (k) Authorization of appropriations Out of funds authorized to be appropriated for the Office of Science in a fiscal year, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the activities described in this sec- tion— (1) $1,159,520,000 for fiscal year 2023; (2) $1,289,891,200 for fiscal year 2024; (3) $1,428,284,672 for fiscal year 2025; (4) $1,499,881,752 for fiscal year 2026; and (5) $1,554,874,657 for fiscal year 2027. (Pub. L. 115–246, title III, § 305, Sept. 28, 2018, 132 Stat. 3147; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title I, § 10106, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1445.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10106(a)(2), added subsecs. (b) and (c). Former subsecs. (b) and (c) redesignated (d) and (e), respectively. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10106(a)(1), (b), redesig- nated subsec. (b) as (d), struck it out, and added a new subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘The Director, as practicable and in coordination with other appropriate Federal agencies as necessary, shall ensure the access of United States researchers to the most advanced accelerator facilities and research capa- bilities in the world, including the Large Hadron Collider.’’ Former subsec. (d) redesignated (f). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10106(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (c) as (e). Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10106(a)(1), (c), redesig- nated subsec. (d) as (f), struck it out, and added a new subsec. (f). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘The Director shall carry out research activities on the nature of dark energy and dark matter, which may in- clude collaborations with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or the National Science Founda- tion; or international collaborations.’’ Subsecs. (g) to (k). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10106(d), added subsecs. (g) to (k). § 18644. Biological and environmental research (a) Program As part of the duties of the Director author- ized under section 7139 of this title, and coordi- nated with the activities authorized under sec- tions 18641 and 18642 of this title, the Director shall carry out a program of research and devel- opment in the areas of biological systems science and climate and environmental science, including subsurface science, relevant to the de- velopment of new energy technologies and to support the energy, environmental, and national security missions of the Department. (b) Biological systems The Director shall carry out research and de- velopment activities in genomic science includ- ing fundamental research on plants and mi- crobes to increase systems-level understanding of the complex biological systems, which may include activities— (1) to provide a fundamental understanding of the biology of plants, fungi, and microbes as a basis for developing innovative processes for bioenergy and bioproducts and accelerate breakthroughs and new knowledge that would enable the cost-effective, sustainable produc- tion of— (A) advanced biofuels; (B) bioenergy; and (C) biobased materials; (2) to conduct foundational functional sys- tems biology research— Page 9179 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 (A) to support expanded biosystems design research; and (B) to understand— (i) fundamental genome structure; and (ii) phenomes, including functional genomics of gene products at genome scale; (3) to develop biosystems designs and syn- thetic biology approaches for new nonfood plant-derived and microbially derived bioprod- ucts as a basis for new bioeconomy and bio- technology applications in bioproducts pro- duction, resource recovery, recycling, and upcycling ventures; (4) to better understand the behavior of microbiomes in the environment and the interdependencies between plants and mi- crobes in a sustainable ecosystem; (5) to improve fundamental understanding of plant and microbial processes impacting the global carbon cycle, including processes for re- moving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, through photosynthesis and other biological processes, for sequestration, storage, and utili- zation; (6) to understand the microbiome mecha- nisms and microbiota used to transform, im- mobilize, or remove contaminants from sub- surface environments and that affect the cy- cling and disposition of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in the environment; (7) to develop the computational approaches and integrated platforms for open access col- laborative science; (8) to leverage tools and approaches across the Office of Science to expand research to in- clude novel processes, methods, and science to develop bio-based chemicals, polymers, inor- ganic materials, including research— (A) to advance fungal, microbial, and plant biosystems design research to advance the understanding of how CRISPR tools and other gene editing tools and technologies work in nature, in the laboratory, and in practice; (B) to deepen genome-enabled knowledge of the roles of microbes and microbial com- munities, including fungi, in— (i) supporting plant and tree growth, pro- ductivity, performance, adaptation, and resilience in changing environmental con- ditions; and (ii) optimizing end uses of biomass; (C) to develop biosystems design methods and tools to increase the efficiency of photo- synthesis in plants; and (D) to increase the scale and pace of char- acterizing the functions and physical char- acteristics of microbes and microbial com- munities to improve biosystems design; (9) to conduct research focused on devel- oping analysis techniques and simulation ca- pabilities, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, on high-performance com- puting platforms to accelerate collaborative and reproducible systems biology research; (10) to develop and improve new technologies for bioimaging, measurement, and character- ization purposes to understand the structural, spatial, and temporal relationships of meta- bolic processes governing phenotypic expres- sion in plants and microbes; (11) to conduct research focused on geno- type-to-phenotype translations to develop a predictive understanding of cellular function under a variety of relevant environmental and bioenergy-related conditions; (12) to conduct metagenomic and metadata assembly research sequencing and analysis; and (13) to develop other relevant methods and processes as determined by the Director. (c) Biomolecular characterization and imaging science The Director shall carry out research and de- velopment activities in biomolecular character- ization and imaging science, including develop- ment of new and integrative imaging and anal- ysis platforms and biosensors to understand the expression, structure, and function of genome information encoded within cells and for real- time measurements in ecosystems and field sites of relevance to the mission of the Department. (d) Limitation for research funds The Director shall not approve new climate science-related initiatives without making a de- termination that such work is well-coordinated with any relevant work carried out by other Federal agencies. (e) Low-dose radiation research program (1) In general The Secretary shall carry out a research program on low-dose and low dose-rate radi- ation to— (A) enhance the scientific understanding of, and reduce uncertainties associated with, the effects of exposure to low-dose and low dose-rate radiation; and (B) inform improved risk-assessment and risk-management methods with respect to such radiation. (2) Program components In carrying out the program required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— (A) support and carry out the directives under section 106(b) of the American Innova- tion and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 6601 note), except that such section shall be treated for purposes of this subsection as ap- plying to low dose and low-dose rate radi- ation research, in coordination with the Physical Science Subcommittee of the Na- tional Science and Technology Council; (B) identify and, to the extent possible, quantify, potential monetary and health-re- lated impacts to Federal agencies, the gen- eral public, industry, research communities, and other users of information produced by such research program; (C) leverage the collective body of knowl- edge from existing low-dose and low dose- rate radiation research; (D) engage with other Federal agencies, re- search communities, and potential users of information produced under this section, in- cluding institutions performing or utilizing radiation research, medical physics, radi- ology, health physics, and emergency re- sponse measures; and Page 9180 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 (E) support education and outreach activi- ties to disseminate information and promote public understanding of low-dose radiation, with a focus on non-emergency situations such as medical physics, space exploration, and naturally occurring radiation. (3) Research plan (A) Not later than 90 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall enter into an agree- ment with the National Academy of Sciences to develop a long-term strategic and prioritized research agenda for the program described in paragraph (2); (B) Not later than one year after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall transmit this re- search plan developed in subparagraph (A) to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re- sources of the Senate. (4) GAO study Not later than 3 years after December 27, 2020, the Comptroller General shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re- sources of the Senate, a report on: (A) an evaluation of the program activities carried out under this section; (B) the effectiveness of the coordination and management of the program; and (C) the implementation of the research plan outlined in paragraph (3). (5) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Low-dose radiation The term ‘‘low-dose radiation’’ means a ra- diation dose of less than 100 millisieverts. (B) Low dose-rate radiation The term ‘‘low dose-rate radiation’’ means a radiation dose rate of less than 5 millisieverts per hour. (6) Rule of construction Nothing in this subsection shall be con- strued to subject any research carried out by the Secretary for the program under this sub- section to any limitations described in section 16317(e) of this title. (7) Funding For purposes of carrying out this subsection, the Secretary is authorized to make available from funds provided to the Biological and En- vironmental Research Program— (A) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; (B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; (C) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; (D) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (E) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; (F) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and (G) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2027. (f) Low-dose radiation and space radiation re- search program (1) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the Ad- ministrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall carry out a basic research program on the similarities and dif- ferences between the effects of exposure to low-dose radiation on Earth, in low Earth orbit, and in the space environment. (2) Purpose The purpose of the program described in paragraph (1) is to accelerate breakthroughs in low-dose and low dose-rate radiation re- search and development as described in sub- section (e) and to inform the advancement of new tools, technologies, and advanced mate- rials needed to facilitate long-duration space exploration. (g) Earth and environmental systems sciences activities (1) In general As part of the activities authorized under subsection (a), and in coordination with ac- tivities carried out under subsection (b), the Director shall coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Environ- mental Protection Agency, the National Aero- nautics and Space Administration, the Depart- ment of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and any other relevant agencies to carry out activities relating to Earth and en- vironmental systems science research, which may include activities— (A) to understand, observe, measure, and model the response of Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere to changing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions and any associated changes in climate, including frequency and intensity of extreme weather events; (B) to understand the coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes to trans- form, immobilize, remove, or move carbon, nitrogen, and other energy production-de- rived contaminants such as radionuclides and heavy metals, and understand the proc- ess of sequestration and transformation of these, carbon dioxide, and other relevant molecules in subsurface environments; (C) to understand, observe, and model the cycling of water, carbon, and nutrients in terrestrial systems across spatiotemporal scales; (D) to understand the biological, biogeo- chemical, and physical processes across the multiple scales that control the flux of envi- ronmentally relevant compounds between the terrestrial surface and the atmosphere; and (E) to understand and predict interactions among natural and human systems to in- form potential mitigation and adaptation options for increased concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions and any associated changes in climate. (2) Prioritization In carrying out the program authorized under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize— (A) the development of software and algo- rithms to enable the productive application of environmental systems and extreme weather in climate and Earth system pre- Page 9181 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 diction models in high-performance com- puting systems; and (B) capabilities that support the Depart- ment’s mission needs for energy and infra- structure security, resilience, and reli- ability. (3) Environmental systems science research (A) In general As part of the activities described in para- graph (1), the Director shall carry out re- search to advance an integrated, robust, and scale-aware predictive understanding of en- vironmental systems, including the role of hydrobiogeochemistry, from the subsurface to the top of the vegetative canopy that con- siders effects of seasonal to interannual var- iability and change. (B) Clean water and watershed research As part of the activities described in sub- paragraph (A), the Director shall— (i) support interdisciplinary research to significantly advance our understanding of water availability, quality, and the impact of human activity and a changing climate on urban and rural watershed systems, in- cluding in freshwater environments; (ii) consult with the Interagency Re- search, Development, and Demonstration Coordination Committee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability es- tablished under section 16183 of this title on energy-water nexus research activities; (iii) engage with representatives of re- search and academic institutions, non- profit organizations, State, territorial, local, and Tribal governments, and indus- try, who have expertise in technologies, technological innovations, or practices re- lating to the energy-water nexus, as appli- cable; and (iv) coordinate with the National Oce- anic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Environ- mental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the De- partment of the Interior, and any other relevant agency. (C) Coordination (i) Director The Director shall carry out activities under this paragraph in accordance with priorities established by the Secretary to support and accelerate the decontamina- tion of relevant facilities managed by the Department. (ii) Secretary The Secretary shall ensure the coordina- tion of activities of the Department, in- cluding activities under this paragraph, to support and accelerate the decontamina- tion of relevant facilities managed by the Department. (4) Climate and Earth modeling As part of the activities described in para- graph (1), the Director, in collaboration with the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program described in section 18642 of this title and other programs carried out by the Depart- ment, as applicable, and in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- istration, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration, and other relevant agencies, shall carry out research to develop, evaluate, and use high-resolution regional climate, global climate, Earth system, and other relevant models to inform decisions on reducing green- house gas emissions and the resulting impacts of a changing global climate. Such modeling shall include— (A) integrated capabilities for modeling multisectoral interactions, including the im- pacts of climate policies on human systems and the interdependencies and risks at the energy-water-land nexus; (B) greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, energy supply and demand, and other crit- ical elements; and (C) interaction among human and Earth systems informed by interdisciplinary re- search, including the economic and social sciences. (5) Midscale funding mechanism (A) In general Any of the activities authorized in this subsection may be carried out, in lieu of in- dividual research grants— (i) by competitively selected midscale, multi-institutional research centers; (ii) by large-scale experiments or user fa- cilities; or (iii) through existing facilities and sys- tems of the Department or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (B) Consideration The Biological and Environmental Re- search Advisory Committee shall provide recommendations to the Director on projects most suitable for the research cen- ters described in subparagraph (A). (6) Atmospheric Systems and Sciences Re- search Program (A) In general As part of the activities carried out under paragraph (1), the Director shall carry out a program, to be known as the ‘‘Atmospheric Systems and Sciences Research Program’’, to use observations to improve under- standing of atmospheric processes, under which the Director, in coordination, and as appropriate, collaboration, with the Na- tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion and other relevant Federal agencies conducting research under the topics de- scribed in this subparagraph, shall conduct research relating to— (i) better understanding the atmosphere and the interaction of the atmosphere with the surface of the Earth; (ii) understanding sources of uncertainty in Earth system models, including with re- spect to the interdependence of clouds, at- mospheric aerosols, radiation processes, and precipitation; Page 9182 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 (iii) understanding the radiative balance and hydrological cycle of Earth; (iv) demonstrating the improved predict- ability of regional and global atmospheric models due to improved process-level un- derstanding; (v) atmospheric regimes with large un- certainties in earth system prediction, aerosol processes, warm boundary-layer processes, convective processes, and high- latitude processes; (vi) reduced uncertainty and improved simulation capability of earth system models of the atmospheric system in a ho- listic, comprehensive fashion; and (vii) understanding and modeling rep- resentation of priority research areas, in- cluding aerosol, warm boundary layer, convective, and high-latitude processes. (B) Activities In carrying out the Atmospheric Systems and Sciences Research Program, the Direc- tor shall, in coordination, and as appro- priate, in collaboration, with other relevant Federal agencies— (i) collect data and conduct research to advance atmospheric and Earth system modeling capabilities; (ii) develop or participate in existing or future integrated, scalable test-beds that— (I) incorporate process-level under- standing of the life cycles of aerosols, clouds, and precipitation; and (II) can be incorporated into other models; (iii) improve data, analysis, and pre- diction systems in marine, littoral, terres- trial, and arctic environments, including those environments sensitive to changes in the climate, relating to the energy and science mission of the Department; and (iv) support the development of tech- nologies relating to— (I) more accurate cloud, aerosol, and other atmospheric sensors; (II) observing sensor networks; and (III) computational predictive mod- eling. (C) Use of Atmospheric Radiation Measure- ment Program facilities and infrastruc- ture To support the Atmospheric Systems and Sciences Research Program and, in coordi- nation, and as appropriate, in collaboration, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant Federal agencies, to improve fundamental under- standing of the physical and chemical proc- esses that impact the formation, life cycle, and radiative impacts of cloud and aerosol particles, atmospheric processes, and surface or subsurface phenomena, the Director shall use the facilities and infrastructure of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement User Facility, the Global Monitoring Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or other Earth and Environ- mental Systems Sciences User Facilities— (i) to provide support to environmental scientists by collecting high-quality and well-characterized in-situ, remote-sensing, and aircraft observations of— (I) the microphysical properties of clouds and atmospheric aerosols; (II) the coincident and highly detailed dynamical and thermodynamic prop- erties of the atmospheric environment that contains those clouds and aerosols; (III) the properties of precipitation; (IV) the properties of radiation and the background environment; and (V) the properties of surface or sub- surface phenomena; (ii) to carry out laboratory studies and ground-based and airborne field campaigns to target specific atmospheric and surface or subsurface processes relating to the en- ergy and science mission of the Depart- ment in different locations and across a range of environments, including by devel- oping technologies to assist in advancing predictive capabilities; (iii) to build data sets that can be incor- porated into atmospheric models; and (iv) to enhance observations by using modeling and simulations that test the ac- curacy of climate model parameterizations. (h) Biological and environmental research user facilities (1) In general The Director shall carry out a program for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of user facilities to enhance the collection and analysis of observational data related to complex biological, climate, and en- vironmental systems. (2) Selection (A) In general The Director shall select user facilities under paragraph (1) on a competitive, merit- reviewed basis. (B) Applicants In selecting user facilities under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider applications from the National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, multi-institutional col- laborations, and other appropriate entities. (3) Facility requirements To the maximum extent practicable, the user facilities developed, constructed, oper- ated, or maintained under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) distributed field research and observa- tion platforms for understanding earth sys- tem processes; (B) analytical techniques, instruments, and modeling resources, including high- throughput molecular phenotyping, for un- derstanding and predicting the functional processes of biological and environmental systems; (C) integrated high-throughput sequenc- ing, advanced bioanalytic techniques, DNA design and synthesis, metabolomics, and computational analysis; and (D) such other facilities as the Director considers appropriate, consistent with sec- tion 7139 of this title. Page 9183 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 (4) Existing facilities In carrying out the program established under paragraph (1), the Director is encour- aged to evaluate the capabilities of existing user facilities and, to the maximum extent practicable, invest in modernization of those capabilities to address emerging research pri- orities. (5) Earth and environmental systems sciences user facilities In carrying out the program established under paragraph (1), the Director shall operate at least 1 user facility to advance the collec- tion, validation, and analysis of atmospheric data, including through activities— (A) to advance knowledge of the Earth and environmental systems and improve model representations; and (B) to measure the impact of atmospheric gases, aerosols, and clouds on the Earth and environmental systems. (6) Microbial molecular phenotyping capability project (A) In general The Secretary shall provide for the expan- sion of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, or subsequent facility successor, to advance high-throughput mi- crobial plant and molecular phenotyping ca- pability to accelerate discovery of new pro- tein functions and metabolic pathways in microbial systems. (B) Capabilities In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Sec- retary shall ensure the following capabili- ties: (i) Coupled high-throughput autonomous experimental and multimodal analytical capabilities. (ii) Direct integration of automated multiomics analyses, biomolecular and cellular imaging, and functional biological assays with high-throughput microbial culturing and cultivation capabilities at timescales relevant to biological processes under natural and perturbed environ- mental conditions. (C) Data coordination In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Sec- retary shall ensure integration and coordi- nation with existing data platforms and user facilities of the Department. (D) Start of operations Subject to the availability of appropria- tions, the Secretary shall begin carrying out subparagraph (A) not later than September 29, 2027. (E) Funding Of the funds authorized to be appropriated under subsection (k) for a fiscal year, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec- retary to carry out this paragraph— (i) $550,000 for fiscal year 2023; (ii) $29,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (iii) $32,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; (iv) $30,500,000 for fiscal year 2026; and (v) $27,500,000 for fiscal year 2027. (7) User facilities integration and collaboration program (A) In general The Director shall support a program of collaboration between user facilities to en- courage and enable researchers to more readily integrate the tools, expertise, re- sources, and capabilities of multiple Office of Science user facilities (as described in subsection (d) of section 7139 of this title) to further research and advance emerging tech- nologies. (B) Activities The program shall advance the integration of automation, robotics, computational biol- ogy, bioinformatics, biosensing, cellular platforms and other relevant emerging tech- nologies as determined by the Director to enhance productivity and scientific impact of user facilities. (8) Coordination In carrying out the program authorized under paragraph (1), the Director shall ensure that the Office of Science coordinates with— (A) the National Oceanic Atmospheric Ad- ministration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Agri- culture, the Department of the Interior, and any other relevant Federal agency on the collection, validation, and analysis of at- mospheric data; and (B) relevant stakeholders, including insti- tutions of higher education, nonprofit re- search institutions, industry, State, terri- torial, local, and Tribal governments, and other appropriate entities to ensure access to the best available relevant atmospheric and historical weather data. (i) Terrestrial-aquatic interface research initia- tive (1) In general The Director shall carry out a research pro- gram to enhance the understanding of terres- trial-aquatic interface. In carrying out the program, the Director shall prioritize efforts to enhance the collection of observational data, and shall develop models to analyze the natural and human processes that interact in littoral zones. (2) Littoral data collection system The Director shall establish an integrated system of geographically diverse field research sites in order to improve the scientific under- standing and predictability of the major land water interfaces of the United States through improved data quantity and quality, including in— (A) the Great Lakes region; (B) the Pacific coast; (C) the Atlantic coast; (D) the Arctic; (E) the Gulf coast; and (F) the coasts of United States territories and freely associated States. (3) Existing infrastructure In carrying out the programs and estab- lishing the field research sites under para- Page 9184 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18644 graphs (1) and (2), the Secretary shall leverage existing research and development infrastruc- ture supported by the Department, including the Department’s existing marine and coastal research lab. (4) Coordination For the purposes of carrying out the pro- grams and establishing the field research sites under paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary may enter into agreements with Federal de- partments and agencies with complementary capabilities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and any other relevant Federal agency as appropriate. (5) Report Not earlier than 2 years after August 9, 2022, the Director shall provide to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Com- mittee on Natural Resources, and the Com- mittee on Appropriations of the House of Rep- resentatives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, a report exam- ining whether the system described in para- graph (2) should be established as a National User Facility within the Department or as a research facility within another Federal agen- cy. (6) Interoperability (A) In general The Director shall ensure that activities carried out under paragraphs (1) and (2), in- cluding observation, data collection, moni- toring, and model development and enhance- ments, are interoperable and may be inte- grated with existing related systems at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- tration and other relevant Federal agencies, as practicable. (B) Resources In carrying out subparagraph (A), in sup- port of interoperability, as practicable, the Director may make available to other Fed- eral agencies high performance computing resources. (C) NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall integrate the data col- lected under the programs carried out under paragraphs (1) and (2) into relevant data sys- tems and models, as practicable. (j) Engineered ecosystems initiative (1) In general The Secretary shall establish within the Bi- ological and Environmental Research program an initiative focused on the development of engineered ecosystems through the applica- tion of artificial intelligence, novel sensing capabilities, and other emerging technologies. (2) Interagency coordination The Secretary shall coordinate with the Di- rector of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At- mospheric Administration, the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Secretary of Agri- culture, and other relevant officials to avoid duplication of research and observational ac- tivities and to ensure that activities carried out under the initiative established under paragraph (1) are complimentary to activities being undertaken by other agencies. (3) Report Not later than 180 days after August 9, 2022, 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 Sen- ate a report on the activity authorized under this subsection. (k) Authorization of appropriations Out of funds authorized to be appropriated for the Office of Science in a fiscal year, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the activities described in this sec- tion— (1) $885,420,000 for fiscal year 2023; (2) $946,745,200 for fiscal year 2024; (3) $1,001,149,912 for fiscal year 2025; (4) $1,068,818,907 for fiscal year 2026; and (5) $1,129,948,041 for fiscal year 2027. (l) Definitions In this section: (1) Advanced biofuel The term ‘‘advanced biofuel’’ has the mean- ing given the term in section 8101 of title 7. (2) Bioenergy The term ‘‘bioenergy’’ means energy derived from biofuels. (3) Biomass The term ‘‘biomass’’ has the meaning given the term in section 15852(b) of this title. (4) Bioproduct The term ‘‘bioproduct’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘biobased product’’ in section 8101 of title 7. (Pub. L. 115–246, title III, § 306, Sept. 28, 2018, 132 Stat. 3148; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title XI, § 11001, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2610; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title I, § 10103(a)–(d), Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1420–1423.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 106(b) of the American Innovation and Com- petitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 6601 note), referred to in sub- sec. (e)(2)(A), is section 106(b) of Pub. L. 114–329, title I, Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2986, which is set out in a note under section 6601 of this title. AMENDMENTS 2022—Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(a)(3), added subsecs. (a) to (c) and struck out former subsec. (a) which related to research and development activi- ties of complex biological systems. Former subsecs. (b) and (c) redesignated (d) and (e), respectively. Subsec. (c)(5) to (8). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(a)(1), prior to redesignation of subsec. (c) as (e), redesignated pars. (6) to (8) as (5) to (7), respectively. Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(a)(2), redesig- nated subsecs. (b) and (c) as (d) and (e), respectively. Former subsec. (d) redesignated (f). Subsec. (e)(7)(E) to (G). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(b), which directed amendment of subsec. (e)(8) by adding Page 9185 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18645 1 So in original. Probably should be ‘‘subsection (r),’’. See Ref- erences in Text note below. subpars. (E) to (G), was executed by making the addi- tion to subsec. (e)(7) to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the successive redesignations of subsec. (c)(8) as (c)(7) and then (e)(7) by Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(a)(1), (2). See notes above. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(a)(2), (c), redesig- nated subsec. (d) as (f) and amended it generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘The Secretary of Energy, shall continue and strengthen collaboration with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on basic research to under- stand the effects and risks of human exposure to ion- izing radiation in low Earth orbit, and in the space en- vironment.’’ Subsecs. (g) to (k). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(d), added subsecs. (g) to (k). Subsec. (l). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10103(a)(4), added subsec. (l). 2020—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–260, § 11001(a), amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) related to the establishment and purpose of a low-dose radiation research program. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–260, § 11001(b), added subsec. (d). § 18645. Fusion energy (a) Program As part of the activities authorized under sec- tion 7139 of this title and section 16312 of this title, the Director shall carry out a fusion en- ergy sciences research and enabling technology development program to effectively address the scientific and engineering challenges to building a cost competitive fusion power plant and to support the development of a competitive fusion power industry in the United States. As part of this program, the Director shall carry out re- search activities to expand the fundamental un- derstandings of plasma and matter at very high temperatures and densities for fusion applica- tions and for other engineering and plasma science applications. (b) Fusion materials research and development (1) In general As part of the activities authorized in sec- tion 16318 of this title— (A) the Director, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy of the Department, shall carry out research and development activities to identify, char- acterize, and demonstrate materials that can endure the neutron, plasma, and heat fluxes expected in a fusion power system; and (B) the Director shall provide an assess- ment of— (i) the need for one or more facilities that can examine and test potential fusion and next generation fission materials and other enabling technologies relevant to the development of fusion power; and (ii) whether a single new facility that substantially addresses magnetic fusion and next generation fission materials re- search needs is feasible, in conjunction with the expected capabilities of facilities operational as of September 28, 2018. (2) Authorization of appropriations Out of funds authorized to be appropriated under subsection (q),1 there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out ac- tivities described in paragraph (1) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. (c) Tokamak research and development The Director shall support research and devel- opment activities and facility operations to op- timize the tokamak approach to fusion energy. (d) Inertial fusion research and development (1) In general The Director shall carry out a program of re- search and technology development in inertial fusion for energy applications, including ion beam, laser, and pulsed power fusion systems. (2) Activities As part of the program described in para- graph (1), the Director shall support activities at and partnerships with universities and the National Laboratories to— (A) develop novel target designs; (B) support modeling of various inertial fu- sion energy concepts and systems; (C) develop diagnostic tools; and (D) improve inertial fusion energy driver technologies. (3) Authorization of appropriations Out of funds authorized to be appropriated under subsection (q),1 there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the activities described in this subsection $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2027. (e) Alternative and enabling concepts (1) In general The Director shall support research and de- velopment activities and facility operations at institutions of higher education, National Laboratories, and private facilities in the United States for a portfolio of alternative and enabling fusion energy concepts that may provide solutions to significant challenges to the establishment of a commercial magnetic fusion power plant, prioritized based on the ability of the United States to play a leader- ship role in the international fusion research community. (2) Activities Fusion energy concepts and activities ex- plored under paragraph (1) may include— (A) alternative fusion energy concepts, in- cluding— (i) advanced stellarator concepts; (ii) non-tokamak confinement configura- tions operating at low magnetic fields; (iii) magnetized target fusion energy concepts; or (iv) other promising fusion energy con- cepts identified by the Director; (B) enabling fusion technology develop- ment activities, including— (i) high magnetic field approaches facili- tated by high temperature super- conductors; (ii) liquid metals to address issues asso- ciated with fusion plasma interactions with the inner wall of the encasing device; and