Sec. 405. Biological and environmental research
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Section 306 of the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18644 ) is amended to read as follows: The Director shall carry out a program of basic research in the areas of biological systems science and environmental science relevant to the development of new energy technologies and to support Department missions in energy, environment, and national security. 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 may include activities— to accelerate breakthroughs and new knowledge that would enable the cost-effective, sustainable production of— biomass-based liquid transportation fuels; bioenergy; and biobased materials; to 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 to understand the biological mechanisms used to transform, immobilize, or remove contaminants from subsurface environments.
The Director shall not approve new climate science-related initiatives without making a determination that such work is well-coordinated with any relevant work carried out by other Federal agencies. In carrying out activities under subsection (a), the Director shall select and establish up to four bioenergy research centers to conduct basic and fundamental research in plant and microbial systems biology, bio imaging and analysis, and genomics to inform the production of fuels, chemicals from sustainable biomass resources, and to facilitate the translation of basic research results to industry.
The Director shall select centers under paragraph
(1)on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. The Director shall consider applications from National Laboratories, multi-institutional collaborations, and other appropriate entities. A center established under this subsection shall receive support for a period of not more than 5 years, subject to the availability of appropriations. The Director may select a center for participation under this subsection that is in existence, or undergoing a renewal process, on the date of enactment of this Act. Such center shall be eligible to receive support for the duration the 5-year period beginning on the date of establishment of such center. Upon the expiration of any period of support of a center under this subsection, the Director may renew support for the center, on a merit-reviewed basis, for a period of not more than 5 years. Consistent with the existing authorities of the Department, the Director may terminate an underperforming center for cause during the performance period. The Secretary shall carry out a research program on low-dose and low dose-rate radiation to— enhance the scientific understanding of, and reduce uncertainties associated with, the effects of exposure to low-dose and low dose-rate radiation; and inform improved risk-assessment and risk-management methods with respect to such radiation. In carrying out the program required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— support and carry out the directives under section 106(b) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6601 note), except that such section shall be treated for purposes of this subsection as applying to low dose and low-dose rate radiation research, in coordination with the Physical Science Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council; identify and, to the extent possible, quantify, potential monetary and health-related impacts to Federal agencies, the general public, industry, research communities, and other users of information produced by such research program; leverage the collective body of knowledge from existing low-dose and low dose-rate radiation research; engage with other Federal agencies, research communities, and potential users of information produced under this section, including institutions performing or utilizing radiation research, medical physics, radiology, health physics, and emergency response measures; and support education and outreach activities to disseminate information and promote public understanding of low-dose radiation, with a focus on non-emergency situations such as medical physics, space exploration, and naturally occurring radiation. Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Energy Act of 2020 , the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to develop a long-term strategic and prioritized research agenda for the program described in paragraph (2); Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the Energy Act of 2020 , the Secretary shall transmit this research plan developed in subparagraph
(A)to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Energy Act of 2020 , the Comptroller General shall transmit 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 report on: an evaluation of the program activities carried out under this section; the effectiveness of the coordination and management of the program; and the implementation of the research plan outlined in paragraph (3). In this subsection: The term low-dose radiation means a radiation dose of less than 100 millisieverts. The term low dose-rate radiation means a radiation dose rate of less than 5 millisieverts per hour. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to subject any research carried out by the Secretary for the program under this subsection to any limitations described in section 977(e) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 16317(e) ). For purposes of carrying out this subsection, the Secretary is authorized to make available from funds provided to the Biological and Environmental Research Program— $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2024. $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2028; $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2029; $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2031. The Director shall carry out a program of fundamental research to develop high-resolution Earth system modeling, analysis, and intercomparison capabilities, in order to further the understanding of the biological, biogeochemical, and physical processes across the multiple scales that control the flux of environmentally relevant compounds between the terrestrial surface and the atmosphere. In carrying out the program authorized under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize— the development of software and algorithms to enable the productive application of environmental systems and extreme weather prediction models in high-performance computing systems; and capabilities that support the Department’s mission needs for energy and infrastructure security, resilience, and reliability. In carrying out the activities authorized under paragraph (1), the Director shall establish and operate user facilities to advance the collection, validation, and analysis of atmospheric data, including activities to advance knowledge and improve model representations and measure the impact of atmospheric gases, aerosols, and clouds on earth and environmental systems. To the maximum extent practicable, the Director shall utilize existing facilities to carry out this subsection. The Director shall select user facilities under paragraph
(1)on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. The Director shall consider applications from the National Laboratories, institutes of higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and other appropriate entities. Consistent with the existing authorities of the Department, the Director may terminate an underperforming user facility for cause during the performance period. In carrying out the program authorized in paragraph (1), the Director shall ensure that the Office of Science— consults and coordinates with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any other relevant Federal agency on the collection, validation, and analysis of atmospheric data; and coordinates with relevant stakeholders, including institutes of higher education, nonprofit research institutions, industry, State, local, and tribal governments, and other appropriate entities to ensure access to the best available relevant atmospheric and environmental data, including historical weather data. The Director shall carry out a basic research program to enhance the understanding of coastal ecosystems. In carrying out this program, the Director shall prioritize efforts to enhance the collection of observational data, and shall develop models to analyze the ecological, biogeochemical, hydrological and physical processes that interact in coastal zones. The Director shall establish an integrated system of field research sites in order to improve the quantity and quality of observational data, and that encompass at least three of the major land-water interfaces of the United States, including— the Great Lakes region; the Pacific coast; the Atlantic coast; the Arctic; and the Gulf coast. In carrying out the programs and establishing the field research sites under paragraph
(1)and (2), the Secretary shall leverage existing Department of Energy infrastructure, including the Department’s existing marine sciences lab. For the purposes of carrying out the programs and establishing the field research sites under the Initiative, the Secretary may enter into agreements with Federal Departments and agencies with complementary capabilities. Not less than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report examining whether the system described in this section should be established as a National User Facility. The Director shall carry out a program for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of user facilities to enhance the collection and analysis of observational data related to complex biological, earth, and environmental systems. To the maximum extent practicable, the user facilities developed, constructed, operated, or maintained under paragraph
(1)shall include— distributed field research and observation platforms for understanding earth system processes; instruments and modeling resources for understanding the physical, chemical, and cellular processes of biological and environmental systems; integrated high-throughput sequencing, DNA design and synthesis, metabolomics and computational analysis; and such other facilities as the Director considers appropriate, consistent with section 209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act ( 42 U.S.C. 7139 ). In carrying out the program established in paragraph (1), the Director is encouraged to evaluate the capabilities of existing user facilities and, to the maximum extent practicable, invest in modernization of those capabilities to address emerging research priorities. The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall carry out a basic research program on the similarities and differences between the effects of exposure to low dose radiation on Earth, in low Earth orbit, and in the space environment. The purpose of this program is to accelerate breakthroughs in low dose and low-dose rate radiation research and development as described in section
(e)and to inform the advancement of new tools, technologies, and advanced materials needed to facilitate long-duration space exploration. The Secretary shall establish within the Biological and Environmental Research program an initiative focused on the development of engineered ecosystems through the application of artificial intelligence, novel sensing capabilities, and other emerging technologies. The Secretary shall coordinate with the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and other relevant officials to avoid duplication of research and observational activities and to ensure that activities carried out under this initiative are complimentary to those currently being undertaken by other agencies. Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, on the activity mandated in subsection (j). The Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the National Science Foundation and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall carry out a research program to leverage the Federal Government’s innovative analytical resources and tools, user facilities, and advanced computational and networking capabilities in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emerging infectious diseases, including COVID–19. The Secretary shall carry out this program through a competitive, merit reviewed process, and consider applications from National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, industry partners and other appropriate entities. In carrying out the program established under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to determine a comprehensive set of technical milestones for these research activities and prioritize the following objectives— supporting fundamental research and development in advanced analytics, experimental studies, materials synthesis, high-performance computing technologies needed to characterize, model, simulate, and predict complex phenomena and biological materials related to emerging infectious diseases, including COVID–19 mitigation challenges, including a focus on bioinformatics, epidemiology, and molecular modeling; using expertise from the private sector and institutions of higher education, and the National Laboratories to develop computational software and capabilities that prospective users may accelerate emerging infectious diseases research and development; increasing the utility of the research infrastructure of the Department, including scientific computing user facilities, x-ray light sources, neutron scattering facilities, nanoscale science research centers, and sequencing and bio-characterization facilities by coordinating with the Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, and Biological and Environmental Research programs within the Office of Science; leveraging experience from existing modeling and simulation research and work sponsored by the Department and promoting collaboration and data sharing between National Laboratories, research entities, and user facilities of the Department by providing the necessary access and secure data transfer capabilities; and ensuring that new experimental and computational tools are accessible to relevant research communities, including private sector entities engaged in technology development to address emerging infectious diseases, including COVID–19 challenges. In carrying out these programs, the Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, coordination of these activities with the Department of Energy National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and the private sector. The Secretary in coordination with the Director of the National Science Foundation and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish and operate an Emerging Infectious Diseases High Performance Computing Research Consortium (referred to in this section as the Consortium ), in order to support the program under paragraph
(1)by providing, to the extent practicable, a centralized location for multidisciplinary, collaborative, emerging infectious disease research and development through high performance computing and advanced data analytics technologies and processes. The members of such consortium shall be representatives from relevant Federal agencies, the private sector, institutions of higher education, which can each contribute relevant compute time, capabilities, or other resources. The Consortium shall— match applicants with available Federal and private sector computing resources; consider supplemental awards for computing partnerships with Consortium members to qualifying entities on a competitive merit-review basis; encourage collaboration and communication among member representatives of the consortium and awardees; make available the high-performance computing capabilities, expertise, and user facilities of the Department and the National Laboratories; and submit an annual report to the Secretary summarizing the activities of the Consortium, including— describing each project undertaken by the Consortium; detailing organizational expenditures; and evaluating contribution to the achievement of technical milestones as determined in paragraph (1). The Secretary shall ensure the coordination of, and avoid unnecessary duplication of, the activities of the Consortium with the activities of other research entities of the Department, institutions of higher education and the private sector. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report detailing the effectiveness of— the interagency coordination between each Federal agency involved in the research program carried out under this section; the collaborative research achievements of the program, including the achievement of the technical milestones determined under paragraph (1); and potential opportunities to expand the technical capabilities of the Department. No funds allocated to the program described in paragraph
(1)may be obligated or expended for commercial application of technology. From within funds authorized to be appropriated for the Department’s Office of Science, there shall be made available to the Secretary to carry out the activities under this subsection, $50,000,000 for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. .
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