Sec. 225. International collaboration on research and development
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Congress finds the following: Innovation in artificial intelligence and other emerging technology domains has become increasingly global. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, worldwide spending on research and development more than tripled between 2000 and 2020. The United States accounted for almost 70 percent of such spending in 1960, but less than 1/3 in 2018. Many allies and partners of the United States are technological powers in their own right, with robust research and development activities and world-leading capabilities in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, robotics, and biotechnology.
Adversaries of the United States, including the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and Iran, also emphasize technology and innovation in their geopolitical strategies. In particular, the Chinese Communist Party believes innovation is essential to its continued rule and is investing heavily in research and development as part of a strategy to leapfrog the United States into global leadership. The United States and its allies and partners collectively control a much larger share of research and development activity than the People's Republic of China.
Together, the United States and 6 like-minded countries, namely, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India, France, and the United Kingdom, account for more than 1/2 of global spending on research and development, while the People's Republic of China accounts for approximately 1/4 . The National Science Board’s Vision 2030 report, issued in May 2020, states, Staying at the frontiers of discovery requires leaning into internationalism, particularly given the nation’s falling share of global knowledge production, paired with the rising importance and impact of international collaboration and knowledge- and technology-intensive industries. .
Previously, in 2008, the National Science Board reported, The U.S. Government could play a more effective role in supporting international S&E (science and engineering) partnerships by developing a coherent international S&E strategy to coordinate the activities and objectives of the various Federal agencies that play a role in such partnerships. … No single U.S. agency is responsible for coordinating or supporting international S&E partnerships, and few U.S. agencies that do S&E work have explicit missions in international relations. .
As of March 2022, numerous Federal departments and offices administer joint research and development activities with international partners, including the Office of International Science and Engineering within the National Science Foundation, the Division of International Relations within the National Institutes of Health, and the Office of International Science & Technology Cooperation within the Department of Energy. It is the sense of Congress that— international collaboration on research and development is critical to maintaining United States leadership in artificial intelligence and other critical technologies; and Federal initiatives related to international collaboration on research and development should be— consistently and adequately funded; and coordinated across agencies to increase impact, minimize undue duplication, and ensure alignment with policies and strategic objectives of the United States.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall prepare and release to the public a report that— enumerates and describes all significant Federal initiatives related to international collaboration on research and development in emerging technologies in existence as of the date on which the report is released; assesses whether those initiatives are equipped to achieve their stated goals; assesses whether those initiatives are properly managed and coordinated within and across Federal agencies; and recommends appropriate actions with respect to paragraphs
(1)through (3). Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall seek to enter into a contract with an appropriately qualified independent research entity, such as a federally funded research and development center or other nonprofit organization, to produce a report on Federal activities related to international collaboration on research and development. The report described in paragraph
(1)shall— assess the effectiveness of Federal activities related to international collaboration conducted as of the date on which the report is produced; identify key opportunities for enhanced collaboration on research and development with allies and partners of the United States; identify key challenges to United States collaboration on research and development with allies and partners; propose a Federal strategy and corresponding implementation plan for future Federal activities related to international collaboration on research and development; and recommend other appropriate actions for the Secretary of State, other officials of the Department of State, Congress, and other relevant governmental and nongovernmental actors, and identify any additional resources or legal authorities necessary to carry out such actions. The contract described in paragraph
(1)shall require delivery of the report described in that paragraph not later than 1 year after the date on which the contract is executed. The Secretary of State shall make the report described in paragraph
(1)available on a publicly accessible website.