[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1908 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1908

  To authorize the Under Secretary of Technology of the Department of 
   Commerce to award grants to establish up to eight Nanoscience to 
 Commercialization Institutes throughout the United States to develop 
              commercial applications for nanotechnology.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 21, 2005

Mr. Smith (for himself and Ms. Cantwell) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Under Secretary of Technology of the Department of 
   Commerce to award grants to establish up to eight Nanoscience to 
 Commercialization Institutes throughout the United States to develop 
              commercial applications for nanotechnology.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Nanoscience to Commercialization 
Institutes Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. NANOSCIENCE TO COMMERCIALIZATION INSTITUTES.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary of Technology of the 
        Department of Commerce (referred to in this Act as the ``Under 
        Secretary'') is authorized to award grants to eligible entities 
        to establish up to 8 Nanoscience to Commercialization 
        Institutes (referred to in this Act as ``Institutes'') 
        throughout the United States to assist in the commercialization 
        of nanotechnology.
            (2) Maximum amount.--The Under Secretary shall not award a 
        grant under this section in an amount which exceeds $1,500,000 
        for any year of the grant period.
            (3) Duration.--The Under Secretary shall award grants under 
        this section for a period not to exceed 3 years.
            (4) Location.--The Under Secretary shall ensure that each 
        Institute is located at either a public university or Federal 
        laboratory.
    (b) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (a) 
        shall be used to establish at least 1 Institute in each of the 
        following areas of nanotechnology or microtechnology:
                    (A) Energy, including clean coal liquification, 
                gasification, and filtration, nuclear energy, biofuels, 
                or fuel processing.
                    (B) Printable electronics, including electronic 
                displays.
                    (C) Medical, including diagnostics, imaging, or 
                medical devices.
                    (D) Transportation, including materials or 
                coatings.
                    (E) Textiles, including heat resistance, 
                waterproofing, insulation, or fireproofing.
                    (F) Agriculture.
            (2) Limitation.--Not more than 20 percent of each grant 
        award may be used for administrative expenses or other overhead 
        costs.
            (3) Matching requirement.--For-profit manufacturing 
        companies conducting research and development in micro- and 
        nanotechnologies shall provide--
                    (A) not less than 20 percent of the funding for 
                each Institute; and
                    (B) in addition to the funding under subparagraph 
                (A), in-kind contributions equal to not less than 15 
                percent of the operating costs of the Institute.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each entity desiring a grant under this 
        section shall submit an application to the Under Secretary at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the Under Secretary may reasonably require.
            (2) Collaboration.--The application submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include a business plan that--
                    (A) describes how each grant recipient will 
                collaborate with the private sector entities that will 
                contribute expertise and matching funds; and
                    (B) includes goals for the first year of the grant 
                period.
            (3) Ineligible entities.--Any institution of higher 
        education that has a federally funded nanotechnology center or 
        is the primary lead of a nanotechnology center is not eligible 
        for a grant under this section.
            (4) Peer review committee.--The Under Secretary shall 
        establish a peer review committee, consisting of 
        representatives from the micro- and nanotechnology industry and 
        early stage venture capital firms, to review the goals and 
        progress made by each Institute during the grant period.
            (5) Renewal of grants.--
                    (A) Each entity that receives an initial 1-year 
                grant under this section shall, as a condition of 
                continued grant funding, submit a report, not later 
                than 1 year after the beginning of the grant period and 
                annually for the next 2 years, to the peer review 
                committee established under paragraph (4).
                    (B) The report submitted under subparagraph (A) 
                shall describe the Institute's accomplishments during 
                the preceding year and the Institute's goals for the 
                subsequent year.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $24,000,000 during the 3-
year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act to carry out 
the provisions of this Act.
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