Sec. 605. Biological and environmental research
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As part of the activities authorized under section 209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act ( 42 U.S.C. 7139 ), and coordinated with the activities authorized under section 604 and section 606, the Director shall carry out a program of research and development in the areas of biological systems science and climate and environmental science, including subsurface science, to support the energy and environmental missions of the Department. As part of the activities authorized under subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research and development activities in fundamental, structural, computational, and systems biology to increase systems-level understanding of the complex biological systems, which shall include activities to— accelerate breakthroughs and new knowledge that will enable cost-effective sustainable production of— biomass-based liquid transportation fuels; bioenergy; and biobased materials; improve understanding of the global carbon cycle, including processes for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, through photosynthesis and other biological processes, for sequestration and storage; and understand the biological mechanisms used to transform, immobilize, or remove contaminants from subsurface environments.
In carrying out activities under paragraph (1), the Director shall support at least 3 bioenergy research centers to accelerate advanced research and development of biomass-based liquid transportation fuels, bioenergy, or biobased materials that are produced from a variety of regionally diverse feedstocks. A center established under subparagraph
(A)shall be selected on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis for a period of 5 years beginning on the date of establishment of that center. A center already in existence on the date of enactment of this Act may continue to receive support for a period of 5 years beginning on the date of establishment of that center. After the end of the period described in subparagraph (B), an awardee may apply for a second period of 5 years on a merit-reviewed basis. Consistent with the existing authorities of the Department, the Director may terminate an underperforming center for cause during the performance period. The Director shall carry out a research program on low dose radiation. The purpose of the program is to enhance the scientific understanding of and reduce uncertainties associated with the effects of exposure to low dose radiation in order to inform improved risk management methods. In this paragraph, the term low dose radiation means a radiation dose of less than 100 millisieverts. Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a study assessing the current status and development of a long-term strategy for low dose radiation research. The study shall be conducted in coordination with Federal agencies that perform ionizing radiation effects research. The study performed under subparagraph
(C)shall— identify current scientific challenges for understanding the long-term effects of ionizing radiation; assess the status of current low dose radiation research in the United States and internationally; formulate overall scientific goals for the future of low-dose radiation research in the United States; recommend a long-term strategic and prioritized research agenda to address scientific research goals for overcoming the identified scientific challenges in coordination with other research efforts; define the essential components of a research program that would address this research agenda within the universities and the National Laboratories; and assess the cost-benefit effectiveness of such a program. Not later than 90 days after the completion of the assessment performed under subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall deliver to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a five-year research plan that responds to the assessment’s findings and recommendations and identifies and prioritizes research needs. Section 977 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 16317 ) is repealed. As part of the activities authorized under subsection (a), and in coordination with activities carried out under subsection (b), the Director shall carry out climate and environmental science research, which shall include activities to— understand, observe, and model the response of Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere to increased concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions and any associated changes in climate; understand the processes for immobilization, or removal of, and understand the movement of, energy production-derived contaminants such as radionuclides and heavy metals, and understand the process of sequestration and transformation of carbon dioxide in subsurface environments; and inform potential mitigation and adaptation options for increased concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions and any associated changes in climate. As part of the activities described in paragraph (1), the Director shall carry out research to advance a fundamental understanding of coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes for controlling the movement of sequestered carbon and subsurface environmental contaminants. The Director shall carry out activities under this paragraph in accordance with priorities established by the Under Secretary to support and accelerate the decontamination of relevant facilities managed by the Department. The Under Secretary shall ensure the coordination of activities of the Department, including activities under this paragraph, to support and accelerate the decontamination of relevant facilities managed by the Department. As part of the activities described in paragraph (1), the Director, in collaboration with the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program described in section 606, shall carry out research to develop, evaluate, and use high-resolution regional climate, global climate, and Earth models to inform decisions on reducing the impacts of a changing climate. Such modeling shall include, among other critical elements, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and interaction among human and Earth systems.
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