text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``EPSCoR Research and Competitiveness 
  Act of 2006''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) Ensuring regional diversity in research funding is an 
          essential strategy in strengthening international 
          competitiveness.
              (2) Economic development in high technology fields is often 
          advanced by industrial partnerships with near by strong 
          research institutions from which companies can acquire 
          intellectual property, highly trained staff, and vital 
          resources.
              (3) The National Science Foundation is an independent 
          Federal agency created by Congress in 1950 ``to promote the 
          progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity 
          and welfare, and to secure the national defense''.
              (4) Congress has subsequently directed that, ``it shall be 
          an objective of the Foundation to strengthen research and 
          education in the sciences and engineering, including 
          independent research by individuals, throughout the United 
          States, and to avoid undue concentration of such research and 
          education''.
              (5) Currently, Foundation research investments are 
          concentrated in a small number of States. In contrast, 25 other 
          States together receive less than 10 percent of the 
          Foundation's research funding, yet these States are home to 20 
          percent of the population, 25 percent of doctoral/research 
          universities, and 18 percent of academic scientists and 
          engineers.
              (6) Insufficient research infrastructure diminishes the 
          ability of many universities to compete effectively for 
          research funding, and thereby limits their contributions to 
          regional economic development and international 
          competitiveness.
              (7) The Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate 
          Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, is the primary program by 
          which the Foundation seeks to improve the research 
          infrastructure of institutions in States that presently receive 
          small portions of Foundation funding. EPSCoR is thus an 
          important component of national efforts to increase innovation 
          and improve competitiveness.
  
  SEC. 3. FUNDING.
  
      There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation for 
  EPSCoR--
              (1) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
              (2) for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011, an amount 
          equal to the sum of--
                      (A) $125,000,000; and
                      (B) $125,000,000 multiplied by a percentage equal 
                  to the percentage by which the Foundation's budget 
                  request for such fiscal year exceeds the total amount 
                  appropriated to the Foundation for fiscal year 2007.
  
  SEC. 4. RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.
  
      (a) In General.--In the administration of the Foundation's research 
  infrastructure improvement grant program, the Director shall authorize 
  States participating in the grant program to include partnerships with 
  out-of-State research institutions if the amount of funding transferred 
  to another State does not exceed 5 percent of the amount of the grant 
  in any fiscal year.
      (b) Authorization Level.--From amounts appropriated pursuant to 
  section 3, the Director shall make available to the research 
  infrastructure improvement grant program--
              (1) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
              (2) for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011, an amount 
          equal to the sum of--
                      (A) $75,000,000; and
                      (B) $75,000,000 multiplied by a percentage equal to 
                  the percentage by which the Foundation's budget request 
                  for such fiscal year exceeds the total amount 
                  appropriated to the Foundation for fiscal year 2007.
  
  SEC. 5. CO-FUNDING.
  
      (a) In General.--For each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, the 
  Director shall obligate and expend not less than 20 percent of the 
  amount available for EPSCoR on co-funding projects that are ranked, by 
  a peer-review process, in the top 20 percent of all proposals submitted 
  in response to an announced competition.
      (b) Annual Report.--The Director shall submit an annual report to 
  the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
  House of Representatives Committee on Science that provides information 
  about--
              (1) co-funded projects on a State-by-State basis for the 
          preceding year; and
              (2) the amount and use of co-funding by each of the 
          Foundation's directorates for that year.
  
  SEC. 6. CYBER INFRASTRUCTURE.
  
      Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
  Director, through the Office of Cyber Infrastructure, shall develop and 
  publish a plan enabling States participating in EPSCoR to participate 
  fully in the Foundation's Cyber Infrastructure Initiative.
  
  SEC. 7. MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION.
  
      Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
  Director, through the Office of Major Research Instrumentation, shall 
  develop and publish a plan enabling States participating in EPSCoR to 
  develop partnerships and participate fully in the Foundation's major 
  research instrumentation program.
  
  SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
          the National Science Foundation.
              (2) EPSCoR.--The term ``EPSCoR'' means the Experimental 
          Program to Stimulate Competitive Research authorized by section 
          113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 
          1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g).
              (3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National 
          Science Foundation.D23/
target: EPSCoR Research and Competitiveness Act of 2006 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
  
  Requires the Director of the NSF: (1) in the administration of the NSF's research infrastructure improvement grant program, to authorize states participating in the grant program to include partnership with out-of-state research institutions if the amount of funding transferred to another state does not exceed 5% of the amount of the grant in any fiscal year; and (2) from the amounts appropriated pursuant to this Act, to make available specified amounts for FY2007-FY2011 to such grant program.
  
  Requires the Director to obligate and spend not less than 20% of the amount available for EPSCoR on co-funding projects that are ranked by a peer-review process in the top 20% of all proposals submitted in response to an announced competition. Requires the submission of annual reports providing information concerning: (1) co-funded projects on a state-by-state basis; and (2) the amount and use of co-funding by each of the NSF's directorates.
  
  Requires the Director: (1) through the Office of Cyber Infrastructure, to develop and publish a plan enabling states participating in EPSCoR to develop partnerships and participate fully in the NSF's Cyber Infrastructure Initiative; and (2) through the Office of Major Research Instrumentation, to develop and publish a plan enabling states participating in EPSCoR to develop partnerships and participate fully in the NSF's major research instrumentation program.
feat_title: A bill to enhance scientific research and competitiveness through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and for other purposes.