15 U.S.C. § 7501 — National Nanotechnology Program

Page 2369 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 7501 consensus-based technical standards, best prac- tices, benchmarks, methodologies, metrology, testbeds, and conformance criteria for identity management, taking into account appropriate user concerns to— (1) improve interoperability and portability among identity management technologies; (2) strengthen identity proofing and verification methods used in identity manage- ment systems commensurate with the level of risk, including identity and attribute valida- tion services provided by Federal, State, and local governments; (3) improve privacy protection in identity management systems; and (4) improve the accuracy, usability, and inclusivity of identity management systems. (b) Digital identity technical roadmap The Director, in consultation with other rel- evant Federal agencies and stakeholders from the private sector, shall develop and maintain a technical roadmap for digital identity manage- ment research and development focused on ena- bling the voluntary use and adoption of modern digital identity solutions that align with the four criteria in subsection (a). (c) Digital identity management guidance (1) In general The Director shall develop, and periodically update, in collaboration with other public and private sector organizations, common defini- tions and voluntary guidance for digital iden- tity management systems, including identity and attribute validation services provided by Federal, State, and local governments. (2) Guidance The Guidance shall— (A) align with the four criteria in sub- section (a), as practicable; (B) provide case studies of implementation of guidance; (C) incorporate voluntary technical stand- ards and industry best practices; and (D) not prescribe or otherwise require the use of specific technology products or serv- ices. (3) Consultation In carrying out this subsection, the Director shall consult with— (A) Federal and State agencies; (B) industry; (C) potential end-users and individuals that will use services related to digital iden- tity verification; and (D) experts with relevant experience in the systems that enable digital identity verification, as determined by the Director. (Pub. L. 113–274, title V, § 504, Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 2987; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title II, § 10225, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1478.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Pub. L. 117–167 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to Director’s continu- ance of program to support development of voluntary and cost-effective technical standards, metrology, testbeds, and conformance criteria, taking into ac- count appropriate user concerns. CHAPTER 101—NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Sec. 7501. National Nanotechnology Program. 7502. Program coordination. 7503. Advisory Panel. 7504. Quadrennial external review of the National Nanotechnology Program. 7505. Authorization of appropriations. 7506. Department of Commerce programs. 7507. Department of Energy programs. 7508. Additional centers. 7509. Definitions. § 7501. National Nanotechnology Program (a) National Nanotechnology Program The President shall implement a National Nanotechnology Program. Through appropriate agencies, councils, and the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office established in section 7502 of this title, the Program shall— (1) establish the goals, priorities, and metrics for evaluation for Federal nanotechnology research, development, and other activities; (2) invest in Federal research and develop- ment programs in nanotechnology and related sciences to achieve those goals; and (3) provide for interagency coordination of Federal nanotechnology research, develop- ment, and other activities undertaken pursu- ant to the Program. (b) Program activities The activities of the Program shall include— (1) developing a fundamental understanding of matter that enables control and manipula- tion at the nanoscale; (2) providing grants to individual investiga- tors and interdisciplinary teams of investiga- tors; (3) establishing a network of advanced tech- nology user facilities and centers; (4) establishing, on a merit-reviewed and competitive basis, interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers, which shall— (A) interact and collaborate to foster the exchange of technical information and best practices; (B) involve academic institutions or na- tional laboratories and other partners, which may include States and industry; (C) make use of existing expertise in nanotechnology in their regions and nation- ally; (D) make use of ongoing research and de- velopment at the micrometer scale to sup- port their work in nanotechnology; and (E) to the greatest extent possible, be es- tablished in geographically diverse loca- tions, encourage the participation of His- torically Black Colleges and Universities that are part B institutions as defined in section 1061(2) of title 20 and minority insti- tutions (as defined in section 1067k(3) of title 20), and include institutions located in States participating in the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR); Page 2370 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 7501 1 So in original. The word ‘‘and’’ probably should not appear. (5) ensuring United States global leadership in the development and application of nanotechnology; (6) advancing the United States productivity and industrial competitiveness through stable, consistent, and coordinated investments in long-term scientific and engineering research in nanotechnology; (7) accelerating the deployment and applica- tion of nanotechnology research and develop- ment in the private sector, including startup companies; (8) encouraging interdisciplinary research, and ensuring that processes for solicitation and evaluation of proposals under the Pro- gram encourage interdisciplinary projects and collaborations; (9) providing effective education and train- ing for researchers and professionals skilled in the interdisciplinary perspectives necessary for nanotechnology so that a true inter- disciplinary research culture for nanoscale science, engineering, and technology can emerge; (10) ensuring that ethical, legal, environ- mental, and other appropriate societal con- cerns, including the potential use of nanotechnology in enhancing human intel- ligence and in developing artificial intel- ligence which exceeds human capacity, are considered during the development of nanotechnology by— (A) establishing a research program to identify ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal concerns related to nanotechnology, and ensuring that the re- sults of such research are widely dissemi- nated; (B) requiring that interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers established under paragraph (4) include activities that address societal, ethical, and environmental concerns; (C) insofar as possible, integrating re- search on societal, ethical, and environ- mental concerns with nanotechnology re- search and development, and ensuring that advances in nanotechnology bring about im- provements in quality of life for all Ameri- cans; and (D) providing, through the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office estab- lished in section 7502 of this title, for public input and outreach to be integrated into the Program by the convening of regular and on- going public discussions, through mecha- nisms such as citizens’ panels, consensus conferences, and educational events, as ap- propriate; and (11) encouraging research on nanotechnology advances that utilize existing processes and technologies. (c) Program management The National Science and Technology Council shall oversee the planning, management, and co- ordination of the Program. The Council, itself or through an appropriate subgroup it designates or establishes, shall— (1) establish goals and priorities for the Pro- gram, based on national needs for a set of broad applications of nanotechnology; (2) establish program component areas, with specific priorities and technical goals, that re- flect the goals and priorities established for the Program; (3) oversee interagency coordination of the Program, including with the activities of the Defense Nanotechnology Research and Devel- opment Program established under section 246 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authoriza- tion Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–314) and the National Institutes of Health; (4) develop, not later than 5 years after the date of the release of the most-recent stra- tegic plan, and update every 5 years there- after, a strategic plan to guide the activities described under subsection (b) that describes— (A) the near-term and long-term objectives for the Program; (B) the anticipated schedule for achieving the near-term objectives; and 1 (C) the metrics that will be used to assess progress toward the near-term and long- term objectives; (D) how the Program will move results out of the laboratory and into application for the benefit of society; (E) the Program’s support for long-term funding for interdisciplinary research and development in nanotechnology; and (F) the allocation of funding for inter- agency nanotechnology projects; (5) propose a coordinated interagency budget for the Program to the Office of Management and Budget to ensure the maintenance of a balanced nanotechnology research portfolio and an appropriate level of research effort; (6) exchange information with academic, in- dustry, State and local government (including State and regional nanotechnology programs), and other appropriate groups conducting re- search on and using nanotechnology; (7) develop a plan to utilize Federal pro- grams, such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Research Program, in support of the activity stated in subsection (b)(7); (8) identify research areas that are not being adequately addressed by the agencies’ current research programs and address such research areas; (9) encourage progress on Program activities through the utilization of existing manufac- turing facilities and industrial infrastructures such as, but not limited to, the employment of underutilized manufacturing facilities in areas of high unemployment as production engineer- ing and research testbeds; and (10) in carrying out its responsibilities under paragraphs (1) through (9), take into consider- ation the recommendations of the Advisory Panel, suggestions or recommendations devel- oped pursuant to subsection (b)(10)(D), and the views of academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups conducting research on and using nanotechnology. (d) Annual report The Council shall prepare an annual report, to be submitted to the Senate Committee on Com- Page 2371 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 7503 merce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Science, and other appropriate committees, at the time of the President’s budget request to Congress, that includes— (1) the Program budget, for the current fis- cal year, for each agency that participates in the Program, including a breakout of spending for the development and acquisition of re- search facilities and instrumentation, for each program component area, and for all activities pursuant to subsection (b)(10); (2) the proposed Program budget for the next fiscal year, for each agency that participates in the Program, including a breakout of spend- ing for the development and acquisition of re- search facilities and instrumentation, for each program component area, and for all activities pursuant to subsection (b)(10); (3) an analysis of the progress made toward achieving the goals and priorities established for the Program; (4) an analysis of the extent to which the Program has incorporated the recommenda- tions of the Advisory Panel; and (5) an assessment of how Federal agencies are implementing the plan described in sub- section (c)(7), and a description of the amount of Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research funds supporting the plan. (Pub. L. 108–153, § 2, Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1923; Pub. L. 114–329, title II, § 204(b)(1), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2999.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 246 of the Bob Stump National Defense Au- thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, referred to in sub- sec. (c)(3), is section 246 of Pub. L. 107–314, which is set out as a note under section 2358 of Title 10, Armed Forces. AMENDMENTS 2017—Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 114–329 amended par. (4) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (4) read as follows: ‘‘develop, within 12 months after December 3, 2003, and update every 3 years thereafter, a strategic plan to guide the activities described under subsection (b), meet the goals, priorities, and anticipated outcomes of the participating agencies, and describe— ‘‘(A) how the Program will move results out of the laboratory and into application for the benefit of so- ciety; ‘‘(B) the Program’s support for long-term funding for interdisciplinary research and development in nanotechnology; and ‘‘(C) the allocation of funding for interagency nanotechnology projects;’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Committee on Science of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology of House of Representatives by House Resolu- tion No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011. SHORT TITLE Pub. L. 108–153, § 1, Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1923, provided that: ‘‘This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Devel- opment Act’.’’ § 7502. Program coordination (a) In general The President shall establish a National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, with a Di- rector and full-time staff, which shall— (1) provide technical and administrative sup- port to the Council and the Advisory Panel; (2) serve as the point of contact on Federal nanotechnology activities for government or- ganizations, academia, industry, professional societies, State nanotechnology programs, in- terested citizen groups, and others to ex- change technical and programmatic informa- tion; (3) conduct public outreach, including dis- semination of findings and recommendations of the Advisory Panel, as appropriate; and (4) promote access to and early application of the technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Program activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal Gov- ernment, and to United States industry, in- cluding startup companies. (b) Funding The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall be funded through interagency fund- ing in accordance with section 631 of Public Law 108–7. (c) Report Within 90 days after December 3, 2003, the Di- rector of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House of Representatives Committee on Science on the funding of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office. The report shall include— (1) the amount of funding required to ade- quately fund the Office; (2) the adequacy of existing mechanisms to fund this Office; and (3) the actions taken by the Director to en- sure stable funding of this Office. (Pub. L. 108–153, § 3, Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1926.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 631 of Public Law 108–7, referred to in subsec. (b), is section 631 of Pub. L. 108–7, div. J, title VI, Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 471, which is not classified to the Code. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Committee on Science of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology of House of Representatives by House Resolu- tion No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011. § 7503. Advisory Panel (a) In general The President shall establish or designate a National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel.