Sec. 3. National Science Foundation
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The Director of the National Science Foundation, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other relevant agencies, as appropriate, shall award basic research grants to increase the understanding of cyber and other threats to voting systems and to inform the development of technologies, processes, and policies that contribute to more secure, fair, and accessible elections, including research on— the cybersecurity of different components of such systems; end-to-end verifiable systems; the risks and benefits of internet-enabled voting; the human-technology interface, including the usability, accessibility, and comprehensibility of ballot design, ballot marking devices, and other components of such systems; voter privacy and data protection; voter practices regarding the verification of ballots generated by ballot marking devices and the likelihood that voters, both with and without disabilities, will recognize errors or omissions with respect to such ballots; and such other topics as the Director determines to be appropriate and related to the integrity of elections.
The Director of the National Science Foundation, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, shall award grants to institutions of higher education or eligible nonprofit organizations (or consortia thereof) to establish at least one multidisciplinary center for elections systems research and education. A consortia receiving an award under this subsection may include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, private sector entities, and State and local election officials.
The purpose of a center established with a grant awarded under this subsection shall be to— conduct basic research to advance understanding of cyber and other threats to election systems and the conduct of secure, fair, and accessible elections; conduct research that may inform the development of technologies, processes, and policies that contribute to more secure, fair, and accessible elections; educate and train students studying in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to conduct research relevant to election systems; design curricula that address the growing organizational management and information technology needs of the election community; and foster collaboration among academic researchers, private sector vendors of election technology, and State and local election officials.
An institution of higher education or an eligible nonprofit organization (or a consortium thereof) seeking funding under this subsection shall submit an application to the Director of the National Science Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require. Each application under subparagraph
(A)shall include a description of— how the center established with a grant awarded under this subsection will work with other research institutions, industry partners, and State and local election officials to identify research needs and leverage the expertise of election practitioners; and how the center will promote active collaboration among researchers in multiple disciplines involved in elections systems security, including computer science, data science, and social and behavioral sciences. Each center established with a grant awarded under this section is authorized to carry out activities for a period of 5 years, renewable for an additional 5 years at the discretion of the Director. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025.