American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

American Innovation and Competitiveness Act This bill calls on the National Science Foundation (NSF) to maintain the intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria as the basis for evaluating grant proposals in the merit review process. The NSF shall issue and periodically update policy guidance for both NSF staff and other NSF merit review process participants, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability of the outcomes made through such process. The bill renames the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research as the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and revises program requirements. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall: (1) research information systems for future cybersecurity needs; and (2) develop a process to research and identify, or if necessary, develop cryptography standards and guidelines for future cybersecurity needs, including quantum-resistant cryptography standards. The bill renames the National High Performance Computing Program as the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program and revises program requirements. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) shall define and coordinate federal research in high-energy physics. NIST shall implement a comprehensive strategic plan for laboratory programs expanding interactions with academia, internati…

Congressional Research Service · 2016-06-22