Sec. 303. Management and oversight of large facilities
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The Director shall maintain a Large Facilities Office within the Foundation. The functions of the Large Facilities Office shall be to support the research directorates in the development and implementation of major research facilities, including by— serving as the Foundation’s primary resource for all policy or process issues related to the development and implementation of major research facilities; 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; and coordinating and collaborating with research directorates to share best management practices and lessons learned from prior projects.
The Director shall appoint a senior agency official within the Office of the Director whose primary responsibility is oversight of major research facilities. The duties of this official shall include— oversight of the development, construction, and operation of major research facilities across the Foundation; in collaboration with the directors of the research directorates and other senior agency officials as appropriate, ensuring that the requirements of section 14(a) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 are satisfied; serving as a liaison to the National Science Board for approval and oversight of major research facilities; and periodically reviewing and updating as necessary Foundation policies and guidelines for the development and construction of major research facilities.
The Director shall ensure that the Foundation’s policies for developing and managing major research facility construction costs are consistent with the best practices described in the March 2009 General Accountability Office Report GAO–09–3SP. Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report describing the Foundation’s policies for developing and managing major research facility construction costs, including a description of any aspects of the policies that diverge from the best practices recommended in General Accountability Office Report GAO–09–3SP.