Sec. 709. Restoring NASA’s commitment to engineering research
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It is the sense of Congress that engineering excellence has long been a hallmark of NASA’s ability to make significant advances in aeronautics and space exploration. However, as has been noted in recent National Academies reports, increasingly constrained funding and competing priorities have led to an erosion of NASA’s commitment to basic engineering research, the research that provides the basis for the technology development that enables NASA’s many challenging missions to succeed.
If current trends continue, NASA’s ability to attract and maintain the best and brightest engineering workforce at the NASA Centers as well as its ability to remain on the cutting edge of aeronautical and space technology will continue to erode and will threaten NASA’s ability to be a world leader in aeronautics research and development and space exploration. The Administrator shall develop a plan for restoring a meaningful basic engineering research program at the NASA Centers, including, as appropriate, collaborations with industry, universities, and other relevant organizations.
The plan shall identify the organizational approach to be followed, an initial set of basic research priorities, and a proposed budget. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit the plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.