Sec. 314. Advanced Research Projects Agency–Oceans
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Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Administrator shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct the comprehensive assessment under subsection (b). Under an agreement between the Administrator and the National Academy of Sciences under this section, the National Academy of Sciences shall conduct a comprehensive assessment of the need for and feasibility of establishing an Advanced Research Projects Agency–Oceans (ARPA–O). The comprehensive assessment carried out pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall include— an assessment of how an ARPA–O could help overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of ocean technologies, with the goal of enhancing the economic, ecological, and national security of the United States through the rapid development of technologies that result in— improved data collection, monitoring, and prediction of the ocean environment, including sea ice conditions; overcoming barriers to the application of new and improved technologies, such as high costs and scale of operational missions; improved management practices for protecting ecological sustainability; improved national security capacity; improved technology for fishery population assessments; expedited processes between and among Federal agencies to successfully identify, transition, and coordinate research and development output to operations, applications, commercialization, and other uses; and ensuring that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced ocean technologies; an evaluation of the organizational structures under which an ARPA–O could be organized, which takes into account— best practices for new research programs; metrics and approaches for periodic program evaluation; capacity to fund and manage external research awards; and options for oversight of the activity through a Federal agency, an interagency organization, nongovernmental organization, or other institutional arrangement; and an estimation of the scale of investment necessary to pursue high priority ocean technology projects. Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the comprehensive assessment conducted under subsection (b). In this section, the term Administrator means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in the Under Secretary’s capacity as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.