Sec. 106. Scientific and technical conferences
307 words·~1 min read·
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Congress finds the following: Cooperative research and development activities, including collaboration between domestic and international government, industry, and academic science and engineering organizations, are important to promoting innovation and knowledge creation. Scientific and technical conferences and trade events support the sharing of information, processes, and data within the scientific and engineering communities. In hosting and attending scientific and technical conferences and trade events, Federal agencies— gain greater access to top researchers and to new and potentially transformative ideas; keep abreast of developments relevant to their respective missions, as is relevant for future program planning; help disseminate Federal research results; provide opportunities both for employee professional development and for recruiting new employees; participate in scientific peer review; and support the reputation, visibility, and leadership both of the specific agency and of the United States.
For those Federal agencies that provide financial support for external research and development activities, participation in scientific and technical conferences can help ensure that funds are directed toward the most promising ideas, thereby maximizing the Federal investment. To the extent practicable given budget, security, and other constraints, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy, in addition to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, should support Federal employee and contractor attendance at scientific and technical conferences and trade events as relevant both to employee and contractor duties and to the agency's mission.
Consistent with other relevant law, the Federal agencies, through appropriate oversight, shall aim to minimize the costs to the Federal Government related to conference and trade event attendance, through methods such as— ensuring that related fees collected by the Federal agency help offset total costs to the Federal Government; developing or maintaining procedures for investigating unexpected increases in related costs; and strengthening policies and training relevant to conference and trade event planning and participation.