Sec. 221. SUPPORT FOR PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE RESEARCH PERFORMED ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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## SEC. 221 SUPPORT FOR PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE RESEARCH PERFORMED ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ###

(a)In General The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, may enter into contracts or other agreements with one or more eligible entities to assist institutions of higher education in protecting sensitive research performed on behalf of the Department of Defense. ###

(b)Activities An eligible entity that enters into a contract or other agreement with the Secretary of Defense under subsection

(a)shall carry out activities to assist institutions of higher education in protecting sensitive research performed on behalf of the Department of Defense. Such activities may include— ####

(1)conducting effective due diligence in vetting visiting scholars; ####

(2)assisting institutions in meeting applicable research security requirements, including through the use of common procedures and practices and shared infrastructure, as appropriate; ####

(3)providing training to employees and offices of the institution that have responsibilities relating to research security; and ####

(4)providing advice and assistance to institutions in establishing and maintaining research security programs. ###

(c)Considerations In selecting an entity to receive a contract or other agreement under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall consider the following: ####

(1)Geographic diversity and the extent to which the entity is able to maximize coverage of different regions of the United States. ####

(2)Any ratings of the entity made by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency as part of the Agency’s annual security vulnerability assessment ratings. ####

(3)Whether and to what extent the entity uses best practices for research security as outlined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. ####

(4)The entity’s demonstrated excellence in security programs, including receipt of awards for excellence in counterintelligence and outstanding achievement in industrial security. ###

(d)Performance Metrics The Secretary of Defense shall establish metrics to measure the performance of each entity with which the Secretary enters into a contract or other agreement under subsection (a). ###

(e)Notification and Report For any year in which the Secretary of Defense exercises the authority provided under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that— ####

(1)identifies each eligible entity with which the Secretary entered into a contract or other agreement under such subsection; and ####

(2)evaluates the performance of the entity. ###

(f)Eligible Entity Defined In this section, the term “eligible entity” means— ####

(1)an entity the Secretary of Defense determines to be eligible to participate in the activities authorized under this section; or ####

(2)a consortium composed of two or more such entities.