[Senate Hearing 116-573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                        S. Hrg. 116-573

                        INDUSTRIES OF THE FUTURE

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                         COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                      SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION
                               __________

                            JANUARY 15, 2020
                               __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation
                             
                             
                 [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                  

                Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
                
                             __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                    
52-611 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2023                 
                

       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                  ROGER WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, 
ROY BLUNT, Missouri                      Ranking
TED CRUZ, Texas                      AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
CORY GARDNER, Colorado               TOM UDALL, New Mexico
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee          GARY PETERS, Michigan
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia  TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
MIKE LEE, Utah                       TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               JON TESTER, Montana
TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona
RICK SCOTT, Florida                  JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
                       John Keast, Staff Director
                  Crystal Tully, Deputy Staff Director
                      Steven Wall, General Counsel
                 Kim Lipsky, Democratic Staff Director
              Chris Day, Democratic Deputy Staff Director
                      Renae Black, Senior Counsel

                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Hearing held on January 15, 2020.................................     1
Statement of Senator Wicker......................................     1
Statement of Senator Cantwell....................................     2
Statement of Senator Blackburn...................................    43
Statement of Senator Blumenthal..................................    45
Statement of Senator Peters......................................    47
Statement of Senator Tester......................................    49
Statement of Senator Young.......................................    51
Statement of Senator Rosen.......................................    53
Statement of Senator Udall.......................................    55
Statement of Senator Cruz........................................    60

                               Witnesses

Hon. Michael Kratsios, Chief Technology Officer of the United 
  States, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy....     4
    Prepared statement...........................................     5
Hon. Dr. Walter Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards 
  and Technology and Director, National Institute of Standards 
  and Technology.................................................    11
    Prepared statement...........................................    13
Hon. Dr. France Cordova, Director, National Science Foundation...    21
    Prepared statement...........................................    23
Hon. Michael O'Rielly, Commissioner, Federal Communications 
  Commission.....................................................    31
    Prepared statement...........................................    33
Hon. Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner, Federal Communications 
  Commission.....................................................    36
    Prepared statement...........................................    37

                                Appendix

Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Michael Kratsios 
  by:
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    65
    Hon. Dan Sullivan............................................    66
    Hon. Mike Lee................................................    67
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    68
Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Dr. Walter Copan 
  by:
    Hon. Roy Blunt...............................................    69
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    70
    Hon. Dan Sullivan............................................    72
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    73
    Hon. Tammy Duckworth.........................................    74
Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Dr. France 
  Cordova by:
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    75
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    77
    Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................    80
Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Michael O'Rielly 
  by:
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    81
    Hon. Mike Lee................................................    81
Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Jessica 
  Rosenworcel by:
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    82
    Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................    83

 
                        INDUSTRIES OF THE FUTURE

                              ----------                              


                      WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020

                                       U.S. Senate,
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:28 a.m. in 
room SH-216, Hart Senate Office Building, Hon. Roger Wicker, 
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
    Present: Senators Wicker, Blunt, Cruz, Gardner, Blackburn, 
Young, Scott, Cantwell, Blumenthal, Udall, Peters, Baldwin, 
Tester, and Rosen.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

    The Chairman. As our witnesses come up to the table, let me 
convene this hearing with my colleague, Senator Cantwell. And I 
want to thank Senator Cantwell and her team for agreeing to 
this as the first hearing of the new year because I think it is 
such a forward-thinking topic to talk about, Industries of the 
Future, and that future is upon us.
    We have with us today Mr. Michael Kratsios, Chief 
Technology Officer of the United States, Office of Science and 
Technology Policy; Dr. Walter Copan, Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Standards and Technology, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology; Dr. France Cordova, Director, 
National Science Foundation; Mr. Michael O'Rielly, 
Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; and Ms. 
Jessica Rosenworcel also of the FCC.
    The focus of this hearing is on the Federal Government's 
role in promoting the advancement of emerging technologies that 
will revolutionize the global economy such as driver-less cars, 
real-time language translation, and personalized medicine. 
Artificial intelligence, AI, quantum information science, 
advanced manufacturing, and the next generation of wireless 
communications technology all promise to fuel American 
prosperity, improve quality of life, promote national security, 
and create jobs.
    Innovations in AI are changing the way we access 
information, diagnose and treat illnesses, grow our food, power 
our homes, travel, and manufacture and deliver new products. 
American leadership in AI is critical to maintaining our 
economic and national security. Creating global standards to 
ensure AI systems are reliable, safe, fair, and accurate 
presents an ongoing challenge that our witnesses should 
discuss.
    Advances in new production methods enable the United States 
to retain and create jobs. Last year, this committee reported 
S. 1427, the Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Act of 
2019, which became law.
    I hope our witnesses, at least some of them, will address 
the implementation of this law and other ongoing and expected 
administration efforts to promote advanced manufacturing.
    The prospects for quantum computing are exciting. 
Advancements in quantum science have significant implications 
for the U.S. economy and national defense, including 
biotechnology, next generation military applications, and 
cybersecurity systems.
    The Committee would also benefit from an update on the 
implementation of the National Quantum Initiative Act and to 
hearing what more needs to be done on this issue.
    Establishing a strong, reliable, and secure communications 
network to support these industries of the future is essential 
to realizing the economic and social promise of next generation 
technologies. 5G, the fifth generation of wireless 
communications technology, is expected to usher in a new era of 
connectivity that will support significantly faster broadband 
speeds and higher data capacity. 5G will be fundamental to 
advancing developments in AI, quantum computing, and other 
groundbreaking innovations. I expect our witnesses from the FCC 
will want to address those and other issues regarding the role 
of 5G networks in facilitating these applications.
    The NSF turns 70 years old this year, and I am not far 
behind. Investments in basic and applied research, 
infrastructure, and education have made the United States the 
global leader in science and technology. Those investments have 
driven economic growth and competitiveness in the United States 
for decades.
    This Committee is also dedicated to promoting American 
leadership in emerging science and technology. This week, along 
with Senators Baldwin, Gardner, and Peters, I introduced 
legislation directing the administration to develop a plan to 
double the baseline investment in Federal Government industries 
of the future programs by 2022 and to increase civilian 
spending on industries of the future to $10 billion by 2025.
    I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on what we can 
do to ensure the United States remains a world leader in 
science and technology and how that will drive future advances 
for our citizens and the economy.
    Senator Cantwell.

               STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON

    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
for holding this important hearing.
    I want to begin by recognizing Dr. Cordova, who after 6 
years will soon be stepping down as the head of the National 
Science Foundation. Dr. Cordova, thank you for your service and 
your leadership in science. Under your tenure, NSF has 
increased transparency and improved communications so the 
public can better understand our investments in basic research, 
which is so critical to our economy, public health, and 
security. So thank you.
    Today's hearing is about the industries of the future. In 
my state, I feel like more advances in these key areas are 
happening every single day. Having seen the advancements in our 
state on very important issues, all of which the Chairman just 
mentioned, everything from AI to quantum to 5G to advanced 
manufacturing and many other issues, particularly in the energy 
area, I could not speak more highly of the need for us to 
continue our investment.
    The United States has traditionally funded research and 
development in cutting-edge technologies, which results in U.S. 
researchers and companies leading the way in these particular 
areas. However, other nations, particularly China, are 
investing billions of dollars in these areas, so we must step 
up the challenge and focus on some of the issues that we face. 
The Chairman mentioned 5G, for example. To me the most 
important issue for 5G right now would be uniting the global 
community around the fact that no technology platform should 
become the standard platform if it allows for a government back 
door. We have to communicate the technology of the future must 
also protect us from the threats of cybersecurity and from 
invasion. And so the United States has a very loud voice here 
that should be listened to.
    If the United States does not commit to robust investments 
in technology research and development, we will fall behind. 
And we all know, as I just mentioned, the grave consequences 
from that on a security level. And at the same time, we need to 
balance the R&D portfolio in order to fuel the innovation and 
discovery of the next generation of game-changing technologies.
    That is why it is so important, I believe, in making sure 
that AI and the important issue of combating deep fake photos 
and videos is such an issue. The University of Washington, in 
partnership with Washington State University, is studying how 
technology will impact elections and society and how these 
threats magnify our challenges and importance to Federal 
agencies like our intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and 
our ability to detect these deep fakes.
    I say that this is important because I feel like this era 
is already upon us and we need to make sure that we are going 
to continue our leadership. So I am proud that the University 
of Washington, along with a coalition of people who are 
supporting stabilizing the free media in the United States of 
America, are taking on this issue in an unprecedented way.
    A study done by the University of Oxford found that AI 
continues to advance. Approximately 47 percent of the jobs in 
the United States could be at risk of automation. That does not 
mean that is all related to AI, but a 2016 study by the White 
House Council suggests that there would be some increases in 
AI-related jobs. There are still going to be impacts. So my 
colleague, Senator Young, and I have introduced in the past 
legislation to try to analyze what the impacts of that are and 
better prepare the U.S. Government to respond. I thank Senator 
Young for his leadership with me on that issue.
    So, Mr. Chairman, I look forward to hearing and discussing 
the many important issues from the witnesses today, and thank 
you for your leadership in getting this hearing underway.
    The Chairman. And thank you, Senator Cantwell.
    We will begin down at this end of the table and just work 
our way down. Mr. Kratsios.

              STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL KRATSIOS,

         CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES,

                 WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF SCIENCE

                     AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY

    Mr. Kratsios. Good morning. Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member 
Cantwell, members of the Committee, it is a privilege to be 
here with you today to discuss U.S. leadership in the 
industries of the future, an administration priority since 
inauguration.
    Key emerging technologies, including artificial 
intelligence, quantum information science, 5G, biotech, and 
advanced manufacturing will shape the U.S. workforce, sustain 
our nation?s prosperity, strengthen our national security, and 
make all Americans safer, healthier, and better off.
    When the U.S. leads in the industries of the future, all 
Americans can reap the benefits of these emerging technologies. 
Our leadership means that the United States will continue to 
set the standard for how these technologies are developed on 
the global stage. American values of civil liberties, privacy, 
human rights, and free market innovation must be at the 
foundation of these industries of the future.
    I am pleased to see the Industries of the Future Act, 
introduced by Senators Wicker, Gardner, Baldwin, and Peters 
yesterday. Importantly, the bill recognizes that the industries 
of the future are interconnected and builds upon work already 
underway.
    Over the past 3 years, the Trump administration has drafted 
and executed national strategies, released Presidential 
actions, signed into law bipartisan legislation, and spoken out 
internationally to secure America's future global leadership in 
the industries of the future. It is critical that we continue 
to coordinate Federal efforts, and I very much welcome 
legislation that helps drive our whole-of-government approach.
    Additionally, in order to ensure American leadership in 
industries of the future, we need significant, sustained R&D 
investment. I look forward to working with Congress in the 
coming months to increase R&D funding in these critical 
technologies.
    Our goal is simple. We want to support American innovation 
built by American workers and shaped by American values for the 
health, prosperity, and security of the American people.
    We have leveraged the United States' unparalleled 
innovation ecosystem comprised of industry, academia, and the 
Federal Government. Every step of the way, we ask the same 
basic question. How can the Federal Government contribute most 
effectively to supercharge the innovation ecosystem and ensure 
America's technological dominance?
    To this end, we have identified four key pillars that 
underpin our efforts across all of the industries of the 
future: fundamental research and development, workforce 
development, light-touch regulation, and international 
engagement.
    The Federal Government has a central role in supporting R&D 
in areas where there is little or no commercial incentive. My 
colleagues here today, Dr. Cordova and Dr. Copan, are integral 
to U.S. R&D efforts and have done incredible work on behalf of 
the American people, making sure taxpayer dollars are used as 
wisely as possible to improve R&D in the areas that need it 
most.
    Thanks to the bipartisan efforts of this committee, in 
December 2018 President Trump signed the National Quantum 
Initiative Act, which authorized robust funding for QIS 
research and development activities across the Federal 
Government. This includes investing in quantum consortia, 
research centers where industry, government, and academia can 
come together to advance QIS.
    Further, in February 2019, the President launched the 
American AI Initiative, the U.S. national strategy for 
artificial intelligence, which includes research and 
development as its first area of emphasis.
    To build and prepare the American workforce of the future, 
the Trump administration has placed important emphasis of STEM 
education, Pell Grant reform, apprenticeships, and reskilling 
and upskilling opportunities. Through the National Council for 
the American Worker, we have partnered with private sector 
leaders to support the 21st century workforce, and the Pledge 
to America's Workers has secured over 14 million career and 
training opportunities since its inception in 2018.
    For American innovation to flourish, the Federal Government 
must remove barriers, streamline processes, and be careful not 
to impose overly burdensome or preemptive regulation. That is 
why the President has taken action to eliminate hurdles to 5G 
and rural broadband deployment and create opportunities to 
enable new types of commercial drone operations so that they 
can legally develop, test, and deploy their innovations here in 
the United States. As part of the American AI Initiative, the 
White House proposed regulatory guidance principles for AI 
technologies, which reflect our values of freedom, human 
rights, and civil liberties. The initiative also created a plan 
for Federal engagement in the development of AI technical 
standards.
    On the international stage, we have worked with our global 
partners to advance R&D innovation underpinned by our shared 
values. Demonstrating our commitment, the U.S. joined our 
global partners in the OECD to reach consensus on international 
principles supporting the trustworthy development of AI. And 
just last month, the United States joined the Government of 
Japan in signing a cooperative research agreement to advance 
quantum information science.
    I am thrilled to discuss with you all the administration's 
proud record of achievement in advancing emerging technologies 
and answering your questions.
    As the future takes shape, our work is never complete. The 
priorities I have outlined today are bipartisan. We look 
forward to continuing to work with this committee to accomplish 
our shared goals for U.S. leadership in industries of the 
future.
    Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Kratsios follows:]

 Prepared Statement of Hon. Michael Kratsios, Chief Technology Officer 
  of the United States, White House Office of Science and Technology 
                                 Policy
    Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members of the 
Committee, it is a privilege to be here with you today to discuss U.S. 
leadership in the Industries of the Future.
    From the earliest days of the Trump Administration, the White House 
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has recognized the 
profound importance of what we call Industries of the Future. Key 
emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum 
information science (QIS), 5G, biotechnology, and advanced 
manufacturing will shape the U.S. workforce, sustain our Nation's 
prosperity, strengthen our national security, and make all Americans 
safer, healthier, and better off.
    In the summer of 2017, the White House held its first event on 
American Leadership in Emerging Technologies, gathering our Nation's 
brightest academic minds and top industry leaders to discuss 
opportunities and challenges to advancing innovation. This kicked off 
an effort that has spanned the nearly three years since and resulted in 
the development and execution of bipartisan legislation, national 
strategies, and presidential actions and initiatives.
    When the U.S. leads in the Industries of the Future, all Americans 
can reap the benefits of these emerging technologies. And as we look at 
the international landscape, American leadership in technologies like 
AI, QIS, and 5G have never been more of an imperative.
    Our work leverages the United States' unparalleled innovation 
ecosystem comprised of industry, academia, non-profit research 
institutions and science philanthropies, and the Federal Government. 
And every step of the way, we have asked the same basic question: How 
can the Federal Government contribute most effectively to supercharge 
the innovation ecosystem and ensure America's technological dominance?
    To this end, we identified four key pillars that underpin our 
efforts across AI, 5G, QIS, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing--
fundamental research and development (R&D), workforce development, 
light-touch regulation, and international engagement.
    The Federal Government has a central role in supporting research 
and development in areas where there is little or no commercial 
incentive. My colleagues here today representing the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST) are integral to U.S. R&D efforts and have done incredible work 
on behalf of the American people--making sure taxpayer dollars are used 
as effectively as possible to improve R&D in the areas that need it the 
most.
    Thanks to the bipartisan efforts of this Committee, in December 
2018 the President signed the National Quantum Initiative Act, which 
established a National Quantum Coordination Office and authorized 
robust funding for QIS R&D activities across the Federal Government. 
This includes investing in quantum consortia--research centers where 
industry, government, non-profits, and academia can come together to 
advance QIS.
    Further, in February of 2019, the President launched the American 
AI Initiative--the U.S. national strategy for AI--which includes R&D as 
its first area of emphasis.
    To build and prepare the American workforce of the future, the 
Trump Administration has placed important emphases on STEM education, 
Pell Grant reform, apprenticeships, and reskilling and upskilling 
opportunities. Through the National Council for the American Worker, 
we've partnered with private sector leaders to support the 21st century 
workforce.
    For American innovation to flourish, the Federal Government must 
remove barriers, streamline processes, and be careful to not impose 
burdensome or preemptive regulation. That's why the President has taken 
action to eliminate hurdles to 5G deployment and create opportunities 
to enable new types of commercial drone operations so that they can 
legally develop, test and deploy their innovations in America. As part 
of the American AI Initiative, the White House recently proposed 
regulatory guidance principles for AI technologies which reflect our 
values of freedom, human rights, and civil liberties, and created a 
plan for Federal engagement in the development of AI technical 
standards.
    On the international stage we have worked with our global partners 
to advance R&D and innovation underpinned by shared values. 
Demonstrating our commitment, the United States joined our global 
partners in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 
(OECD) to reach consensus on international principles supporting the 
trustworthy development of AI. And just last month, the United States 
joined the Government of Japan in signing a cooperative research 
agreement to advance QIS and technology for economic, societal, and 
security benefits.
    I am thrilled to discuss with you the Administration's proud record 
of achievement in advancing emerging technologies that underpin the 
Industries of the Future.
                                  ###
Artificial Intelligence
    Over the past several decades, AI has advanced tremendously and 
today promises better, more accurate healthcare; enhanced national 
security; improved transportation; and more effective education, to 
name just a few benefits.
    To ensure America's continued global leadership in AI, nearly a 
year ago the White House unveiled the American AI Initiative--our 
Nation's AI strategy--which has resulted in significant progress over 
the past year. First, the Initiative prioritizes investments in AI R&D, 
as demonstrated in the President's FY2020 Budget request that included 
nearly $1 billion in non-defense AI R&D. A detailed agency-by-agency 
breakdown of these AI investments was provided in the Networking and 
Information Technology Research and Development Program (NITRD) 
Supplement to the President's FY 2020 Budget--the first ever such 
reporting of non-defense AI R&D investments. This reporting process 
provides an important mechanism and baseline for tracking U.S. AI R&D 
spending moving forward. The 2016-2019 Progress Report on Advancing AI 
R&D shows the breadth and depth of Federal investments in AI that are 
transforming the state of the field. These investments are focused on 
key areas of strategic priority, as outlined in the Administration's 
June 2019 National AI R&D Strategic Plan.
    Examples of impactful R&D investments include the Defense Advanced 
Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) $2 billion AI Next Campaign 
(September 2018); NSF's launching of the National AI Research 
Institutes Program in collaboration with the Department of Homeland 
Security, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (October 
2019); the release of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's AI Strategy (November 2019); the National Institutes 
of Health's Strategic Plan for Data Science (June 2018); and 
establishment of the Department of Defense (DOD) Joint AI Center (June 
2018). To ensure strong coordination of these Federal activities in AI 
R&D, the White House chartered the Select Committee on AI (May 2018), 
which meets regularly to oversee and prioritize Federal R&D activities 
in AI.
    Second, the AI Initiative is unleashing Federal resources for AI 
R&D, including improved public access to high quality Federal data that 
can drive even more AI research and testing. To gather public input on 
this process, the White House issued a request for information on 
Federal data and models for AI R&D and testing (July 2019). This 
feedback is now being used to pursue opportunities for increased access 
and use of Federal data and models, while also protecting safety, 
security, privacy, and confidentiality.
    Third, the Initiative is removing barriers to AI innovation. On 
January 13, 2020, the White House issued a request for public comment 
on proposed guidance to Federal agencies on regulatory and non-
regulatory policies to govern the development and use of AI in the 
private sector. When finalized, the guidance will ensure that agencies 
consider ways to reduce barriers to the development and adoption of AI 
before regulating technologies and industrial sectors that are 
empowered or enabled by AI. The White House's draft guidance also sets 
out these policy principles for the stewardship of AI applications that 
support American innovation while appropriately protecting privacy, 
civil liberties, and American values and while allowing for sector-and 
application-specific approaches. The principles promote the development 
of trustworthy AI, and require regulators to consider fairness, 
transparency, safety, and security when considering any action related 
to AI.
    Additionally, the American AI Initiative led to the release by NIST 
of the Plan for Federal Engagement in Developing Technical Standards 
and Related Tools (August 2019), which focuses on the development of 
technical standards that are necessary for achieving trustworthy AI.
    Fourth, the Initiative focuses on the importance of the American 
worker by directing Federal agencies to prioritize AI in their grants 
and their fellowships. The Administration is also helping Americans 
gain AI relevant skills through apprenticeships, workforce training, 
STEM education, and other learning opportunities. The AI workforce 
development efforts support and leverage other Presidential workforce 
initiatives, especially the National Council for the American Worker 
and the Pledge to America's Workers, which are preparing America's 
workforce for the jobs of today and the future.
    Finally, the AI Initiative promotes an international environment 
supportive of American AI innovation. In May 2019, the Trump 
Administration joined together with democracies of the world that share 
common values by signing an international consensus document on AI 
Principles at the OECD in Paris. The U.S. joined with other G20 
countries to adopt similar principles (June 2019), and collaborates 
with the G7 nations to support increasing trust in and adoption of AI. 
The Administration continues to advocate for the development of new AI 
technologies in a way that advances innovation, promotes public trust, 
protects civil liberties, and remains consistent with American values.
Quantum Information Science
    QIS offers a foundation for new technologies that will have broad 
applications, including quantum computing, quantum networking, and 
quantum sensing. Each uses quantum effects to enable new and often more 
efficient applications across national security, health care, 
communications, manufacturing, and more.
    In December 2018, President Trump signed the National Quantum 
Initiative Act (NQIA) into law. This landmark bipartisan legislation, 
which originated in this committee, supercharges U.S. quantum R&D and 
advances our leadership in this critical Industry of the Future. Over 
the past year since it was signed, OSTP has been charged with its 
implementation.
    In response to the NQIA, the Administration launched the National 
Quantum Coordination Office, which serves to coordinate Federal R&D 
efforts across government. The legislation also authorized significant 
R&D funding and called for the creation of quantum consortia. Last 
month marked important progress, with the inclusion of funding for 
quantum R&D and the research centers included in the Fiscal Year 2020 
appropriation package the President signed into law in December 2019.
    NSF and the Department of Energy (DOE) are working now to set up 
the QIS Centers called for in the NQIA. NSF is currently reviewing full 
proposals for Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes, while the DOE has just 
released a Funding Opportunity Announcement for larger QIS Centers. NSF 
and DOE, through a formal agreement, are working to ensure a 
coordinated review and implementation of these new QIS Centers to 
promote American leadership in QIS and quantum technologies.
    NIST has convened a quantum consortium through its Other 
Transaction Authority (OTA) from the NQIA. This Quantum Economic 
Development Consortium (QED-C) is identifying the critical needs of the 
growing QIS industry. Over 80 companies have signed letters of intent 
and are participating in the ongoing QED-C activities, including a 
recent workshop on cryogenics. This represents the first of several 
industry-driven efforts to ensure American leadership in quantum 
technologies. The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) has also become heavily 
involved in the QED-C as part of its QIS-based efforts.
    We've also made important QIS progress internationally. In December 
2019, the United States and the Government of Japan announced the Tokyo 
Statement on Quantum Cooperation in support of continued collaboration 
in research and development between the two nations. The statement 
encourages increased engagement in quantum through international 
conferences and events; supports cooperative efforts to prepare the 
next generation of scientists and engineers; and promotes the sharing 
of research methodologies, infrastructure, and data.
5G and Advanced Communications
    To keep America's edge, we must accelerate our development and 
deployment of 5G and beyond--the next generations of wireless networks 
that can move massive amounts of data at exponentially faster speeds 
than existing 4G LTE networks. The United States is investing in state-
of-the-art means and methods to use spectrum efficiently and reap the 
benefits of the advanced technologies that 5G and future generations of 
wireless technologies will support: automated vehicles, telemedicine, 
emergency communications, and untold next-generation technologies that 
will result from increased data capacity and connectivity.
    The Trump Administration is committed to making sure America wins 
the global race to 5G and future generations of wireless technologies, 
and is coordinating all related efforts through an interagency group 
led by Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council. In 
October 2018, President Trump directed the development of a National 
Spectrum Strategy to establish a balanced, forward-looking, flexible, 
and sustainable approach to spectrum management. As part of that 
initiative, OSTP issued the R&D Priorities for American Leadership in 
Wireless Communications and the Emerging Technologies and Their 
Expected Impact on Non-Federal Spectrum Demand to address how the 
United States can lead the world in sharing Federal spectrum with 
commercial users. Applying AI to spectrum sharing, DARPA awarded prizes 
to the top performers in the Spectrum Collaboration Challenge. In its 
second year, the NSF Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) 
program launched the POWDER-RENEW mid-band 5G wireless test bed in Salt 
Lake City, UT; supported construction on the COSMOS high-band 5G 
wireless test bed in New York, NY; and started construction on the 
AERPAW aerial 5G wireless test bed to accelerate the integration of 
unmanned aerial vehicles into the national air-space. NSF also took 
delivery of the Colosseum test bed from the above-mentioned DARPA 
challenge, making it a national resource for 5G wireless research and 
beyond.
    The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration continues to collaborate with the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC) to make spectrum available for 5G and 
other advanced wireless services. The FCC concluded two high-band 
spectrum auctions and is in the midst of a third, so far receiving 
close to $10 billion in bids in these three auctions. As a result, the 
U.S. currently leads the world in allocation and use of high-band 
spectrum, with nearly 5 GHz of spectrum awarded or in the process of 
being auctioned. This spectrum provides incredibly fast speeds, low 
latency, and device density. The U.S. is also on par with the rest of 
world in the total allocation and use of spectrum in low-and mid-bands 
for 5G.
    Additionally, working through the American Broadband Initiative, 
the White House continues to coordinate the efforts of our Federal 
agencies working to lower barriers to broadband deployment to ensure 
that broadband, including 5G networks, can be stretched more 
effectively across rural America. While America strives to be a leader 
in 5G and advanced communications, the Administration is also committed 
to a more prosperous rural America. Underpinning that mission is access 
to reliable, secure, high speed internet. With that in mind, in January 
2018 President Trump directed the General Services Administration (GSA) 
to examine the effectiveness of the form used to locate communications 
facilities on Federal property. GSA collected feedback and is currently 
working with the USDA/U.S. Forest Service as well as OMB, to make 
improvements to the form. In addition, the Department of Interior was 
tasked with developing a plan to increase access to tower facilities to 
facilitate broadband deployment. The White House continues to build on 
these two Executive actions through the American Broadband Initiative, 
and collectively the Administration is making significant progress in 
removing barriers to broadband deployment and making it easier to build 
networks in rural communities. Finally, NSF is now collaborating with 
USDA on the aforementioned PAWR program to support a fourth advanced 
wireless test bed focused on affordable, high-speed, rural broadband 
connectivity.
    Along with future wireless technology comes a more complex 
technical environment that presents a critical challenge to the 
security of America's communications networks. In order to meet this 
challenge head on, last year President Trump signed the Securing the 
Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain 
Executive Order and signed the John S. McCain National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 into law. President Trump has 
kept his promise to do what it takes to keep America safe--we will no 
longer use Federal funding to pay for insecure and untrusted network 
equipment. In November, 2019, the FCC adopted rules to prevent taxpayer 
dollars from being used to purchase equipment or services from 
companies that pose a national security threat to the integrity of 
American communications networks or the communications supply chain.
    Modern communications networks are highly interconnected and global 
in scope. Earlier in 2019 the United States, along with like-minded 
partners, met to develop a set of proposals to govern safety, security, 
and freedom, to create what is known as the Prague Proposals. The 
Administration welcomes and fully supports these proposals, such as 
following the rule of law, respecting individual rights, and supporting 
innovation. Thanks to the work of this Committee and the 
Administration, we are taking action to address wireless security.
Biotechnology
    The Administration recognizes the potential of biotechnology 
innovation to drive economic growth and improve lives in the United 
States. Biotechnology outputs are incredibly diverse, and future 
applications are limitless in both potential and value, including new 
ways to treat cancer; manufacture products that are safer, more 
sustainable, and novel; create pest and disease resistant crops; and 
support DNA-based information systems. Advances realized over the past 
two decades have resulted from the unique U.S. innovation ecosystem and 
the convergence between biology and other disciplines and sectors, such 
as nanotechnology and computer science.
    By identifying R&D in the biological sciences and biotechnology as 
a top priority for Federal investment in the Administration's FY 2021 
R&D Budget Priorities Memo, the Trump Administration has taken 
seriously the rapid advances in the life sciences and the technical 
applications that are transforming the way we solve problems for the 
American public.
    Take, for example, CAR-T--an amazing new way that we are able to 
treat cancer. Traditionally, the only way to battle cancer was surgery, 
chemotherapy, and radiation. With CAR-T, we can develop a biologically 
engineered and individually tailored treatment from the patient's own 
immune cells. Under the Trump Administration, the Food and Drug 
Administration approved for the first time CAR-T cells to help treat 
children with acute leukemia and adults with advanced lymphomas. We 
still have a long way to go, but this therapy is brimming with 
potential and bringing hope to patients.
    Likewise, DOD has identified biotechnology as one of its 
modernization priorities in support of the National Defense Strategy; 
is partnering with industry under the BioFabUSA to make practical the 
large-scale manufacturing of engineered tissues and tissue-related 
technologies for our warfighters; is working to establish a Synthetic 
Biology Manufacturing Innovation Institute (SynBio MII) in support of 
the U.S. biomanufacturing ecosystem; and DARPA's ``Living Foundries: 
1000 Molecules'' program has demonstrated a biologically-based way to 
grow a manufacturing pipeline and deliver versatile molecules and 
materials that could secure joints on airplanes through novel adhesives 
that previously would have required welding, improve optics for 
machinery, provide high-efficiency fuel sources, enable flexible 
electronics, and even deliver cells for use as medicines.
    Additionally, DOE has announced the Innovation XLab for 
Biomanufacturing aimed at showcasing how U.S. industry can leverage 
world-leading national laboratory bioscience capabilities, like Agile 
BioFoundry, to bridge the gap between research and commercialization 
and pave the way for a stronger bioeconomy. USDA Biotechnology Risk 
Assessment Research Grants (BRAG) will help to prioritize opportunities 
for direct dialogue between regulators and the agricultural innovative 
community to advance regulatory science for biotechnology products.
    Last year, President Trump signed an Executive Order to streamline 
the regulatory process and promote innovation biotechnology in 
agriculture. The White House also hosted a summit bringing together the 
Nation's foremost biotechnology leaders across industry, academia, and 
government to discuss U.S. bioeconomy leadership challenges and 
opportunities. The Administration updated the Coordinated Framework for 
the Regulation of Biotechnology (2017), delivered the National 
Biodefense Strategy (2018) to strengthen our Nation's defense, and 
produced the Executive Order to Modernize Influenza Vaccines in The 
United States to Promote National Security and Public Health (2019).
    American leadership in biotechnology rests on our ability to 
maintain science-and risk-based review and regulation of biotechnology 
products, promote and safeguard critical biotechnology infrastructure 
and data, and prepare the next generation of biotechnology scientists, 
engineers, and innovators. We look forward to continued efforts across 
the Federal Government, the private sector, and the academic community 
in partnership with Congress to inform our policies on biotechnology 
leadership and advancement for the American people.
Advanced Manufacturing
    Advanced Manufacturing is an engine of America's economic power and 
a pillar of its national security. Advances in manufacturing enable the 
economy to continuously improve as new technologies and innovations 
increase productivity, enable new products, and create entirely new 
industries. Manufacturing is among the highest paying sectors of the 
economy, and has a broad impact on jobs in other sectors. Advances in 
manufacturing--and America's ability to translate those advances into 
products, processes, and services--make R&D a key element of the 
Administration's overall manufacturing strategy.
    In the face of intense global competition, President Trump unveiled 
a Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing (October 
2018) that focuses on defending the economy, expanding manufacturing 
employment, and ensuring a strong manufacturing and defense industrial 
base and a resilient supply chain. Federal investments are focused on 
key areas of strategic priority, including smart and digital 
manufacturing and advanced industrial robotics, especially systems 
enabled by the industrial Internet of things, machine learning, and Al.
    The Federal network of Manufacturing USA institutes brings together 
industry, academia and Federal partners within a network of advanced 
manufacturing institutes to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness 
and promote a robust and sustainable national manufacturing R&D 
infrastructure. The most recent Manufacturing USA annual report details 
some of the institutes' successes in developing world-changing 
manufacturing technology and equipping the U.S. manufacturing workforce 
with the high-value skills needed to make tomorrow's products. In 
Fiscal Year 2018 alone, the institutes engaged more than 1,937 member 
organizations, sponsored more than 475 R&D projects, and helped more 
than 200,000 workers, students, and educators through institute 
workforce efforts.
    The Administration recognizes the irreplaceable value of the 
American worker, and has acted to address the workforce changes caused 
by advanced manufacturing and other Industries of the Future. Since the 
advancement of new manufacturing technologies requires new skill sets 
for the U.S. workforce, Presidential workforce initiatives, such as the 
National Council for the American Worker and the Pledge to America's 
Workers, seeks to expand programs that educate, train, and reskill 
American workers from high-school age to near-retirement. By ensuring 
skills-based training, advancing opportunities for lifelong learning, 
and promoting multiple pathways to family-sustaining careers, all 
Americans can benefit from the Nation's historic economic boom and 
record low unemployment rates.
                                  ###
    The priorities I've outlined today are bipartisan. We look forward 
to continuing to work with this committee to accomplish our shared 
goals for U.S. leadership in the Industries of the Future.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and for your support 
of this initiative. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may 
have.

    The Chairman. And you yielded back 2 seconds. Very good, 
Mr. Kratsios.
    It goes without saying that the entire statements will be 
placed in the record at this point. And thank you for limiting 
your remarks to 5 minutes.
    Dr. Copan, you are recognized.

              STATEMENT OF HON. DR. WALTER COPAN,

           UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR STANDARDS

        AND TECHNOLOGY AND DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE

                  OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

    Dr. Copan. Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and 
members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to 
testify today on NIST's role to support the Industries of the 
Future. Over the past years, NIST has prioritized the work of 
its IOTF-related programs, and I would like to express my 
thanks to this committee for your work on behalf of NIST, its 
people, programs, and facilities. Also thank the Chair and 
Ranking Member of our Appropriations Subcommittee, Senators 
Moran and Shaheen, for their support of funding in the Fiscal 
Year 2020 appropriations bill for NIST's part in the Industries 
of the Future.
    Since its founding more than a century ago, NIST has solved 
the most pressing measurement and technical challenges the 
Nation has faced. NIST must continue to reinforce its core 
competencies and grow new capabilities over the next decade, 
advancing technology transfer and U.S. innovation. The 
Industries of the Future have been defined as technological 
domains that will transform U.S. manufacturing, communications, 
health care, transportation, and much more.
    I would like to highlight NIST's plans and accomplishments 
in each of these technology domains, and I would refer you to 
more detail in my written testimony.
    NIST is a recognized world leader in the field of quantum 
science and technology, as was recognized in the National 
Quantum Initiative already mentioned. The expertise of NIST 
scientists and the unique capabilities of our facilities are 
leveraged closely with partners in academia through NIST's 
network of joint institutes in Colorado and Maryland.
    Last year, NIST established the Quantum Economic 
Development Consortium, the QEDC, in partnership with SRI 
International, which brings together industry to expand U.S. 
leadership in global quantum R&D and the emerging quantum 
industry in computing, communications, and sensing.
    An important goal for NIST is to develop the foundations 
for confidence and trust in artificial intelligence toward new 
research outcomes and an expanded commercial marketplace. Today 
NIST's efforts in AI are focused along three primary areas of 
effort. First, NIST is addressing fundamental questions about 
the use of AI to ensure that it is trustworthy and explainable. 
Second, NIST is broadly engaging in using AI across its 
research portfolio in areas including biometrics, imaging, 
advanced materials, smart manufacturing, design, and 
characterization of engineered biological systems.
    And finally, we are working with industry, government, and 
academia to establish the governing principles, standards, 
tools, and best practices for the design, construction, and use 
of AI systems.
    NIST's programs in advanced communications and 5G support 
secure, reliable, high speed wireless, as well as wireline 
communications critical to U.S. economic competitiveness, as 
well as safety and security.
    NIST's measurement science research and our support for the 
development of standards accelerates the deployment of next 
generation communications technologies, including 5G. We are 
committed to solving the measurement and deployment challenges 
that we face in this fast-moving field to help the U.S. achieve 
and maintain global leadership in these areas, and to help U.S. 
industry to establish manufacturing capabilities needed for 
domestic market supply.
    Our broad portfolio in advanced communications includes the 
National Advanced Spectrum and Communication Test Network, as 
well as the Public Safety Communications Research program, 
supported by spectrum auction funds.
    NIST's measurement research and manufacturing processes in 
advanced materials provides the foundation that helps the 
nation's manufacturers to invent, innovate, and to create new 
processes, products, and services more rapidly and more 
efficiently than their global competitors.
    The NIST laboratory programs invest heavily in support of 
advanced manufacturing domains. Manufacturing USA and its 
recent reauthorization helps U.S. industry develop and 
implement new technologies making them more competitive in the 
global economy.
    To support the bio-economy, NIST is building next 
generation, measurement science capabilities and engineering 
biology labs to accelerate biotech innovation. Along with basic 
R&D, NIST facilitates the translation of technologies to scale 
through global standardization, industry partnerships, and 
technology transfer. The Manufacturing USA Institutes and their 
participants benefit directly from all of this work.
    We have launched the NIST Living Measurement Systems 
Foundry to advance U.S. synthetic and engineering biology 
efforts. The Genome in a Bottle Consortium, Gene Editing 
Consortium, and support for the regenerative medicine industry 
are examples of our important collaborative work.
    I trust that the examples that I have shared here today and 
in my written testimony will highlight both the importance of 
the Industries of the Future to the economic and national 
security of the U.S., as well as the critical roles that NIST 
is playing to help American innovation and competitiveness.
    I am happy to answer any questions the Committee may have. 
Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Dr. Copan follows:]

    Prepared Statement of Hon. Dr. Walter Copan, Under Secretary of 
     Commerce for Standards and Technology; and Director, National 
                 Institute of Standards and Technology
Introduction
    Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the 
Committee thank you for the opportunity to testify today before the 
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the role 
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 
promoting U.S. leadership in the ``Industries of the Future.'' NIST's 
core mission is to promote
    U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness. We constantly 
target our research programs towards the emerging technologies that 
will have the greatest impact in advancing the competitive position of 
the United States. As such, over the past years NIST has prioritized 
the work of its programs in Quantum Information Science, Artificial 
Intelligence, 5G, Advanced Manufacturing, and Biotechnology, the areas 
that today are collectively referred to as the Industries of the 
Future. Today, I look forward to highlighting the unique mission and 
role that NIST plays in all of these areas to meet our Nation's 
measurement and technology needs of the future. As I begin, I would 
also express my thanks to this Committee for your work on behalf of 
NIST, its people, programs, and facilities.
Preparing for the Future
    Since its founding more than a century ago, NIST has solved the 
most pressing measurement and technical challenges the Nation has 
faced. From helping standardization of methods and materials for mass 
production techniques introduced during World War I to the invention of 
the world's first atomic clock to studying the collapse of the World 
Trade Centers on 9/11, NIST has advanced U.S. industry and security. 
Today, NIST is providing measurement tools and standards to strengthen 
our Nation's competitiveness and security in areas that affect 
Americans' daily lives.
    To continue to be a bedrock of innovation, NIST must continue to 
reinforce its core competencies and grow new capabilities over the next 
decade. In planning for the capabilities that NIST will need to best 
support the Nation over the next 10-15 years, we have examined a number 
of societal trends and potential emerging technological disruptions 
that could impact the competitiveness of the U.S. What systems will 
emerge that will require expanded cybersecurity and privacy 
capabilities? What technologies are likely to change the way 
cryptography works? What novel products will U.S. manufacturers make, 
and what new technologies must they use to be competitive? What 
technological advances will NIST be able to capitalize on to transform 
and enhance its mission delivery? These questions have shaped NIST's 
planning and programmatic investments for the future.
    NIST worked with stakeholders across government, industry, and 
academia to find opportunities for greatest impact. The Industries of 
the Future (specifically Quantum Information Science, Artificial 
Intelligence, 5G, Advanced Manufacturing, and Biotechnology) were all 
identified as technological domains that have the potential to 
transform U.S. manufacturing, communications, health care, 
transportation, and beyond. These areas will also present NIST new 
challenges and opportunities to develop new measurement capabilities 
and other methods to secure and protect the Nation's economic and 
national security. In addition, NIST is leading a national initiative, 
in coordination with all Federal science and technology agencies, 
toward modernizing how we transfer technologies arising from federally 
funded research at this Nation's research institutes and universities. 
In this era of global competition, it is imperative that the U.S. must 
create even greater impacts for our citizens and the American economy 
from the Nation's research enterprise.
    This work on the NIST Return on Investment Initiative is summarized 
in our Green Paper issued in April 2019. I am grateful to this 
Committee for your support to ensure the U.S. ultimately leads in the 
Industries of the Future. Today, I look forward to highlighting NIST's 
plans and accomplishments in each of the critical technology domains:
Quantum Information Science
    Advances in quantum technologies, including quantum information 
science, have the potential to transform and revolutionize computing, 
medicine, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, communications, 
national defense, and more. Capturing these economic and national 
security opportunities will require continued sustained investment and 
improved technology transfer efficiency to ensure U.S. leadership, 
especially given that other nations have stepped up their quantum-
focused programs and investments as well. NIST plays a central role in 
this critical race for quantum leadership.
    NIST is a recognized world leader in the field of quantum science 
and technology, including four Nobel Prizes awarded to NIST scientists 
for their discoveries in this field. NIST has been a strong contributor 
in the National Quantum Initiative. Our expertise in quantum draws 
directly from our mission to make the most precise and accurate 
physical measurements possible. Over the last quarter century, NIST has 
shaped an entire generation of quantum science. A significant portion 
of today's quantum scientists have trained in NIST laboratories. NIST's 
research to develop a measurement infrastructure has enabled quantum 
information science to advance to where we are today. Consider just a 
few recent NIST achievements:

   development of a quantum logic clock;

   demonstration of near quantum-limited amplification of weak 
        signals;

   creation of new measurement and error protocols for 
        characterizing quantum many-body systems; and

   pioneering work in quantum simulation.

    This past summer--for the first time in history--NIST scientists 
teleported a computer circuit instruction between two separated ions. 
This foundational work opens the door to quantum computer programs that 
can carry out tasks in future large-scale quantum networks.
    The expertise of NIST scientists and the unique capabilities of our 
facilities are leveraged closely with partners in academia through 
NIST's network of joint institutes--with JILA, our joint institute at 
the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as the Joint Quantum 
Institute (JQI) and the Joint Center for Quantum Information and 
Computer Science (QuICS) with the University of Maryland. These 
institutes have driven numerous breakthroughs in fundamental quantum 
research and have helped trained the next generation of researchers in 
this emerging field. Together these capabilities make NIST a true hub 
of quantum-based innovation.
    As the U.S. research enterprise works to realize the potential 
breakthroughs of quantum information science, opportunities for new 
quantum technologies are emerging that take advantage of the unusual 
rules that govern the behavior of the fundamental components of matter. 
NIST is developing robust quantum engineering capabilities for 
researchers to rapidly create, test, and validate the performance of 
quantum technology platforms. Building on our expertise in quantum 
science, nanoscale fabrication, and semiconductor characterization, 
NIST is focused on creating these measurement capabilities to serve as 
the building blocks and the basis of standards for future quantum 
technologies that the U.S. requires to achieve and to lead the world in 
``quantum supremacy.''
    Building out this quantum engineering infrastructure will require 
close partnership and collaboration with industry. To further these 
efforts, last year NIST established the Quantum Economic Development 
Consortium (QEDC) in partnership with SRI International, headquartered 
in Menlo Park, CA. The QEDC brings together players from across 
industry with the goal to expand U.S. leadership in global quantum R&D 
and the emerging quantum industry in computing, communications, and 
sensing.
    With funding from both the government and private-sector member 
organizations, the QEDC will:

   determine workforce needs essential to the development of 
        quantum technologies;

   provide efficient public-private sector coordination;

   identify technology solutions for filling gaps in research 
        or infrastructure;

   highlight use cases and grand challenges to accelerate 
        development efforts; and

   foster access to intellectual property, efficient supply 
        chains, technology forecasting, quantum literacy and workforce 
        development.

    Looking forward, over the coming years NIST will focus a portion of 
its quantum research portfolio on the grand challenge of quantum 
networking. Serving as the basis for secure and highly efficient 
quantum information transmission that links together multiple quantum 
devices and sensors, quantum networks will be a key element in the 
long-term evolution of quantum technologies.
Artificial Intelligence
    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been a strategic priority for 
NIST, also representing a toolkit to remarkably enhance productivity 
across all areas of our research and development, as well as toward 
advanced manufacturing applications. An important goal for NIST is to 
develop the foundation for confidence and trust in AI that results in 
new research outcomes and an expanded commercial marketplace. 
International investment in AI is also exploding, and companies, 
governments and policy makers around the globe are seeking answers that 
can provide greater confidence in AI technologies. NIST's study and 
deployment of AI methods, tools, and standards can provide the basis 
for confidence and trust that is essential for adoption of these 
technologies.
    NIST has made significant contributions to the fields of machine 
learning (ML) and AI over the years. For example, the MNIST database, a 
dataset of handwritten digits, is among the most widely used 
standardized datasets in the U.S. and around the world for training and 
testing AI systems. NIST scientists worked with the Defense Advanced 
Research Projects Agency to develop and deploy smartphone-based systems 
that enabled U.S. marines to seamlessly converse with native Pashto 
speaking Afghans. These technology developments have also facilitated 
rapid commercialization of phone-based voice translation systems such 
as Microsoft Bing and Google Translate.
    Today, NIST's efforts in AI are focused along three primary areas 
of effort:

    First, NIST is addressing fundamental questions about the use of 
AI. NIST has launched an effort to convene the community around key 
concepts of trustworthy AI, seeking to develop ways to measure, define, 
and characterize concepts around the accuracy, reliability, privacy, 
robustness, and explainability of AI systems. Some examples of NIST 
work in this space include:

   In November, the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of 
        Excellence (NCCoE) issued a draft NIST Internal Report, ``A 
        Taxonomy and Terminology of Adversarial Machine Learning.''

   In December, NIST issued a report on the performance of face 
        recognition software tools in identifying people of varied sex, 
        age and racial backgrounds: ``Face Recognition Vendor Test 
        (FRVT) Part 3: Demographic Effects'' (NISTIR 8280). Such data 
        is intended to provide valuable insights to policymakers, 
        developers and end users about the limitations and appropriate 
        uses of currently available AI tools.

   NIST and its NCCoE are planning to launch a testbed to 
        evaluate AI vulnerabilities.

   Later in January, NIST intends to release a set of draft 
        ``Principles of Explainable AI'' for public comment.

   NIST is organizing a workshop to convene stakeholders to 
        explore issues of bias in machine-learning based face and 
        speech recognition algorithms.

    Secondly, NIST is heavily engaged in using AI across its research 
portfolio in a host of areas including biometrics, advanced materials 
discovery, smart manufacturing systems, and the design and 
characterization of engineered biological systems as just a few 
examples. Additionally, the outputs of NIST research in general, 
especially in the terms of well-characterized data sets, as well as our 
work in advanced microelectronic systems, will help advance the field 
of AI. These tools will enable researchers to better train and 
understand AI systems, including the design and manufacture of next-
generation hardware required to reliably and safely run AI systems. 
Some recent examples of NIST effort in this space include:

   NIST researchers are working on ways to utilize AI to 
        automate vulnerability assessments for digital infrastructure 
        and to produce vulnerability ratings using the industry-
        standard Common Vulnerability Scoring System.

   In advanced materials discovery, NIST has created a high-
        fidelity database, Joint Automated Repository for Various 
        Integrated Simulations, density functional theory (JARVIS-DFT), 
        with more than 30,000 materials and 500,000 properties to be 
        used as training data that will help accelerate the development 
        of new materials.

   In wireless spectrum analysis, NIST is creating a curated 
        radio frequency (RF) signal database to aid in the development 
        of machine learning models for signal detection and 
        classification. These datasets, which include radar signals 
        similar to those planned for the 3.5 GHz band and include noise 
        and interference, can be used to train and evaluate AI 
        detectors to enable federal-commercial spectrum sharing.

   In manufacturing, NIST is applying AI in its study of 
        agility performance of robotic systems in manufacturing 
        environments so that robots can ``learn'' behaviors to operate 
        effectively in today's factories. Later this month, NIST will 
        launch our fourth annual Agile Robotics for Industrial 
        Automation Competition, offering cash prizes to the teams whose 
        robots perform the best in a simulated environment.

    Finally, standards engagement is a key element of NIST's mission, 
and we are deeply involved in multiple standards development bodies 
around the world. We are working with industry, government, and 
academia to establish governing principles and develop standards and 
identify best practices for the design, construction, and use of AI 
systems. It is vitally important for the U.S. to have a strong, 
persuasive, and consistent voice with the relevant standards 
organizations around the world.

   In August 2019, NIST released the report ``U.S. Leadership 
        in AI: A Plan for Federal Engagement in Developing Technical 
        Standards and Related Tools'' in response to the Executive 
        Order (EO) 13859 directing NIST to issue a plan for Federal 
        engagement in the development of technical standards and 
        related tools in support of reliable, robust, and trustworthy 
        systems that use AI technologies. The plan identifies nine 
        areas of focus for AI standards and urges that the Federal 
        Government commit to deeper, consistent, long-term engagement 
        in AI standards development.

   Twelve NIST experts are currently involved in the joint 
        International Standards Organization (ISO)/International 
        Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) Joint Technical Committee JTC 
        1, Subcommittee (SC) 42 on Artificial Intelligence, and NIST is 
        the convener for the Big Data work effort in SC 42. NIST works 
        with many companies (including Google, Intel, Microsoft, and 
        Oracle), other Federal agencies, and academia to develop U.S. 
        consensus positions on the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for SC 
        42, supported by the International Committee for Information 
        Technology Standards.

   NIST staff are participating in over a dozen other AI 
        standards activities in various standards development 
        organizations, including the American Society for Mechanical 
        Engineers (ASME), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics 
        Engineers (IEEE), and ISO/IEC. These activities cover topics 
        such as computational modeling for advanced manufacturing, 
        ontologies for robotics and automation, personal data privacy, 
        and algorithmic bias.

    NIST's capabilities, ranging from fundamental research to the 
delivery of the technical foundations of emerging technologies, make it 
a valuable asset in establishing and maintaining U.S. leadership in AI 
technologies.
5G and Advanced Communication
    Advanced communications are enabling dramatic changes in how 
consumers, manufacturers, governments and others provide and consume 
information, transact business, provide and use essential services, and 
shop, among other tasks. Gartner, a leading research an analytics 
company forecasted that there will be over 20 billion connected devices 
by 2020, and other forecasts have projected continued growth with 
numbers ranging from 60 to75 billion connected devices by 2025. This 
insatiable societal demand for connectivity will require significant 
advancements in communication technologies.
    The Administration's multifaceted 5G efforts are being led by 
Director Larry Kudlow of the National Economic Council, and within that 
framework, NIST is playing a vital role. NIST's programs in advanced 
communications support secure, reliable, high-speed wireless, and 
wireline communications critical to U.S. economic competitiveness, 
safety, and security. NIST measurement science research and support for 
the development of standards accelerates the deployment of next-
generation communication technologies that promise to be faster and 
more reliable, including fifth-generation wireless networks. These 
technologies will support self-driving cars, Internet of things (IoT) 
applications, drones, and future AI systems. NIST is committed to 
solving the measurement and deployment challenges of this fast-moving 
field to help the U.S. achieve and maintain global leadership in these 
areas, and also to help U.S. industry establish manufacturing 
capabilities needed for domestic market supply. The NIST portfolio of 
activities focused on advanced communications includes:

   the National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test 
        Network (NASCTN), which is a national network of federal, 
        academic and commercial test facilities that provides the 
        testing, modeling and analyses needed to develop and deploy 
        spectrum-sharing facilities;

   the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program, 
        which is leading the development of standards and performing 
        the associated research, development and testing to provide the 
        public safety community access to a dedicated, nationwide LTE 
        broadband network (FirstNet);

   developing and improving the measurement tools and 
        technologies to improve spectrum utilization, and novel 
        spectrum sharing techniques to address the current spectrum 
        crunch; and

   providing the measurements and data needed for the 
        development of the next generation of wireless communications 
        systems and improved optical communications technologies.

    Some examples of how NIST is driving strengthened national 
capabilities in the areas of 5G and other advanced communications 
technologies include:

   Industry consortia, like the 5G Millimeter-Wave Channel 
        Model Alliance. This is a NIST-sponsored international research 
        consortium working to advance breakthrough measurement, 
        calibration and channel modeling approaches for millimeter and 
        submillimeter wave frequencies. Effective use of this 
        wavelength spectrum represents a key enabler for applications 
        related to IoT, virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, and 
        ubiquitous small cell connectivity, a key element of 5G 
        deployment. Launched in 2015 the Alliance has since grown to 
        include nearly 80 organizations.

   NIST experts are participating in 5G standards development 
        activities in multiple fora including IEEE and the Third 
        Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) where they are working on 
        issues of security and radio access.

   Unique NIST facilities like the Large Antenna Positioning 
        System. This facility provides measurement capabilities to 
        pioneer new antenna measurement methods for future 5G wireless 
        communications systems. These systems will operate at higher 
        frequencies and offer more than 100 times the data-carrying 
        capacity of today's cellphones, while connecting billions of 
        mobile broadband users in complex, crowded signal environments. 
        However, their higher frequency signals are more easily 
        distorted and more likely to be affected by physical barriers 
        such as walls or buildings. The unique measurement capabilities 
        developed by NIST will be important in helping industry develop 
        technical solutions such as steerable beam antenna arrays and 
        performance optimizations through artificial intelligence.

   NIST continues to make a significant impact in driving 
        forward innovation in public safety communications 
        technologies. Through PSCR, NIST has engaged numerous groups 
        from both the private and public sectors to address technology 
        challenges faced by the public safety community. These efforts 
        have helped drive advances in everything from the development 
        of security standards for 5G devices and reliable mission 
        critical voice technologies to enabling first responders to 
        take advantage of new performance and safety enhancing 
        technologies like haptics. A key example of the output of this 
        work was on display at the 2019 Boston Marathon. The SiFi 
        router developed by Spectronn, as a result of funding and 
        participation in the NIST Public Safety Innovation Accelerator 
        Program, provided public safety with critical communication and 
        computing capabilities without access to the internet, enabling 
        first responders to always have a backup line of communication 
        and computing if their local network failed either partially or 
        completely.
Advanced Manufacturing
    A strong U.S. manufacturing sector is essential to our economic 
security and national security. As the Trump Administration's National 
Security Strategy \1\ states, ``Support for a vibrant domestic 
manufacturing sector, a solid defense industrial base, and resilient 
supply chains is a national priority.'' American manufacturers 
contributed $2.18 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2016. Manufacturing 
plays an outsized role in our economy because of its high economic 
multiplier effect: U.S. manufacturing supports trillions of dollars of 
production in other parts of the economy by purchasing from and selling 
to over 80 other industries.
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    \1\ National Security Strategy published December 2017 https://
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-
0905.pdf.
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    A partner to the U.S. manufacturing sector for more than a century, 
NIST has a proven track record in delivering useful tools and technical 
assistance that both existing manufacturers and aspiring start-ups 
value. NIST's measurement research in manufacturing processes and 
advanced materials provides a foundation that helps the Nation's 
manufacturers to invent, innovate and create new products and services 
more rapidly and more efficiently than their competitors around the 
world. Through targeted research across a broad portfolio of 
technologies impacting manufacturing from advanced materials to smart 
manufacturing systems, NIST helps ensure that the U.S. remains a 
competitive force in advanced manufacturing to ensure our economic and 
national security. Our partnerships with large and small manufacturers, 
Federal agencies, and academic institutions help us anticipate and meet 
the needs of rapidly evolving manufacturing industries.
    The NIST laboratory programs in support of advanced manufacturing, 
ranging from work on materials design and discovery to the use of 
collaborative robots in factories, to biomanufacturing and standards 
for data exchange and processing information. Examples of some of 
NIST's work include:

   NIST develops standards and test methods to help industry 
        take advantage of the latest manufacturing robotics 
        technologies. This work includes technical standards for 
        exoskeletons that can dramatically improve the performance of 
        workers on manufacturing floors, warfighters, and the mobility-
        impaired.

   NIST partners with the pharmaceutical industry to develop 
        widely available reference materials and measurement methods. 
        For example, NIST's monoclonal antibody reference material 
        provides a benchmark for companies to ensure quality 
        measurements of their biological drugs and to spur 
        biopharmaceutical innovations.

   NIST supports large-scale manufacturing needs by developing 
        laser-based measurement techniques to ensure large objects such 
        as aircraft wings are the right size for proper assembly and 
        function.

   NIST is developing approaches to overcoming technical 
        barriers to the adoption of additive manufacturing (also known 
        as 3D printing), such as surface quality, part accuracy, 
        material properties, real-time monitoring, and process 
        modeling.

    In addition to the output of NIST's research programs, NIST's 
extramural programs, which include Manufacturing USA help U.S. industry 
develop and implement new technology, develop robust supply chains, and 
refine their systems for efficiency and effectiveness, all while making 
them more competitive in the global economy.

   Manufacturing USA is a network of 14 manufacturing 
        innovation institutes located across the country where 
        companies, universities, community colleges, and entrepreneurs 
        develop new manufacturing technologies with broad applications. 
        The primary goal of the network, which is planned to expand to 
        17 institutes over the next year, is to ensure that American 
        innovations and inventions currently going offshore for 
        production in competitor nations are scaled up from lab 
        experiments to products and processes that can be used by U.S. 
        manufacturers. Manufacturing USA institutes collectively 
        represent two-thirds of Fortune 50 U.S. manufacturers, over 500 
        small manufacturers, and eight of the 10 top-ranked research 
        and engineering universities. Nonfederal funding matches 
        Federal funding at a 2 to 1 ratio, exceeding the original 1 to 
        1 goal and demonstrating the value of the network to industry, 
        academia, and the states. Manufacturing USA education and 
        workforce training programs have reached nearly 200,000 
        individuals and include programs focused on training veterans 
        in advanced manufacturing skills.

    As a whole, this suite of programs and investments across our 
laboratory research and extramural programs is an essential set of 
resources for the Nation's advanced manufacturing enterprise.
Biotechnology
    In August 2019, the President named the bioeconomy as one of the 
three R&D priorities for FY2021 under the main priority of American 
Heath & Bioeconomic Innovation.
    A key factor in unleashing the full potential of the bioeconomy 
will be the ability to harness the power of complex biological systems 
(primarily cells) in a predictable and safe way for the manufacture of 
advanced therapeutics, sustainable fuels, chemical feedstocks, and 
advanced materials. Remarkable progress has been made in this field 
throughout the last decade, particularly with respect to genome read, 
write, and edit technologies, but there is still a widely recognized 
need for measurements and standards to enable better predictive 
engineering, and to support reliable and safe translation of engineered 
biological systems into products and other use cases.
    To support the U.S. bioeconomy, NIST is building next-generation 
measurement science (biometrology) capabilities and engineering biology 
laboratories for accelerating responsible biotechnology innovations. 
Along with supporting basic technology research and development, NIST 
helps facilitate the translation of technologies to scale through 
global standardization efforts and partnerships with industry. As 
metrology is central and essential to all engineering biology research, 
NIST also plays a significant role in convening stakeholders to discuss 
challenges and solutions as the field moves forward. NIST plays a key 
role in developing techniques, standards and reference materials used 
as benchmarks for manufacturing process control and product quality 
assurance, in order to facilitate commerce for the bioeconomy. The 
National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals 
(NIIMBL), the Manufacturing USA institute sponsored by NIST with the 
University of Delaware, and its participants benefit directly from this 
work. Recent highlights of NIST work in this field include:

   The launch of the NIST Living Measurement Systems Foundry to 
        advance U.S. synthetic and engineering biology efforts. The 
        foundry enables the engineering of cells for reliable and safe 
        use in dynamic and unpredictable environments for applications 
        such as living therapeutics, environmental sensing, and 
        structured materials fabrication. An automated facility for 
        high throughput testing and measuring of engineering microbes, 
        the foundry provides a mechanism for partnership with other 
        organizations developing measurement approaches.

   The production of world-leading measurements, standards, 
        technologies, and data needed to drive advances in biosciences 
        and biotechnology.

     The NIST Genome in a Bottle Consortium brings together 
            over 100 industry and academic partners to develop 
            reference standards, methods, and data to enable the 
            translation of whole human genome sequencing to clinical 
            practice. NIST human genome reference standards have helped 
            the Food and Drug Administration approval of diagnostics, 
            provided confidence to enable rapid response of global 
            health issues, accelerated the development of next-gen 
            measurement capabilities, and provided high confidence data 
            underpinning global biological research related to 
            sequencing.

     The NIST Gene Editing Consortium brings together 32 
            leading industry, academic, and government partners to 
            identify pre-competitive standards and measurements to meet 
            the needs of the gene-editing field. NIST leads the 
            Measurement Working Group of this consortium and our 
            researchers are actively developing new capabilities for 
            assessing genome editing outcomes based on the inputs of 
            this group. Working with its partners, NIST recently 
            released a list of lexicons as a unified standard set of 
            terms and definitions serving the needs of the genome 
            editing community. This will provide critical support to 
            various scientific and policy discussions.

     NIST is assisting the growing regenerative medicine 
            industry to meet their measurement assurance and other 
            challenges. NIST has been working with companies and other 
            Federal agencies to develop measurement assurance 
            strategies for quantitative measurement of living systems 
            needed for translation and commercialization of advanced 
            therapies, including cell therapy, gene therapy, and tissue 
            engineered products.

     NIST is developing key microbiome measurements needed 
            to accelerate the availability of microbiome diagnostics 
            and to enable manufacturing of microbiome therapeutics. 
            Researchers are also developing measurements and standards 
            for pathogen detection in biodefense and infectious disease 
            diagnostics.

    With increased support NIST can continue to provide the necessary 
measurement and standards capabilities and infrastructure that will be 
required to unlock the full potential of the U.S. bioeconomy.
Summary
    I trust that the examples I have shared today clearly highlight 
both the importance of the Industries of the Future to our economic and 
national security, as well as the critical roles that NIST is playing 
to enable U.S. competitiveness. NIST must continue to play these roles 
effectively in partnership with industry, academia, and Federal 
Government agencies to help ensure that the U.S. is best positioned to 
take full advantage of the transformational potential represented by 
Quantum Information Science, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Advanced 
Manufacturing, and Biotechnology. With NIST's dedicated technical 
staff, one-of-a-kind facilities, and non-regulatory role, we are well 
positioned to have an outsized impact in each of these critical areas 
that promise significant benefit to the U.S. economy, our quality of 
life, and national security. With the continued support of this 
Committee, NIST will continue to thrive in its important mission to 
promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness. Thank you and I 
would be happy to answer any questions the Committee Members may have.
                                 ______
                                 
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                                 
                            Walter G. Copan
       Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology 
                           and NIST Director
EDUCATION
B.S./B.A. degrees in chemistry and music from Case Western Reserve 
University, 1975

Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Case Western Reserve University, 1982

    Dr. Walter G. Copan was confirmed by Congress as Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director on October 5, 
2017.
    As NIST Director, Dr. Copan provides high-level oversight and 
direction for NIST.
    He has had a distinguished and diverse career as a science and 
technology executive in large and small corporations, U.S. government, 
nonprofit and other public-sector settings.
    Dr. Copan formerly served as president and CEO of the IP 
Engineering Group Corporation, providing services in intellectual 
property strategy, technology commercialization and innovation. Until 
June 2017, he was founding CEO and chairman of Impact Engineered Wood 
Corporation, an advanced materials technology company. He also is a 
founding board member of Rocky Mountain Innovation Partners, where he 
led technology transfer programs and innovation services on behalf of 
the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Federal labs and academic institutions 
and helped foster entrepreneurial businesses in the Rocky Mountain 
West. He also served with the National Advisory Council to the Federal 
Laboratory Consortium for more than 5 years, providing industry inputs 
to advance the U.S. economic impacts of the Federal laboratory system.
    From 2010-2013, Dr. Copan served as managing director of Technology 
Commercialization and Partnerships at DOE's Brookhaven National 
Laboratory (BNL). Among his accomplishments were leading the creation 
and implementation of the new DOE technology transfer mechanism, 
``Agreement for Commercializing Technology'' (ACT), to facilitate 
collaborations between the Federal labs and U.S. corporations. He led 
the ``Startup America'' initiative on behalf of DOE for entrepreneurial 
business creation, and he initiated the DOE's new Small Business 
Innovation Research--Technology Transfer (SBIR-TT) program, which built 
upon the experiences of NIST. He served as founding partner and board 
member of the ``Accelerate Long Island'' alliance for innovation, 
economic development and early stage investment.
    From 2005-2010, Dr. Copan was executive vice president and chief 
technology officer at Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc., an international 
technology development and licensing firm. He spearheaded the company's 
transformation, growth and listing on NASDAQ (CDTI), as well as the 
company's subsequent merger. Prior to joining CDTI, Dr. Copan served at 
the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as Principal 
Licensing Executive, Technology Transfer. There, he led organizational 
changes that strengthened relationships with industry and the 
investment community and led to the more productive commercialization 
of energy-related technologies.
    After earning dual B.S./B.A. degrees in chemistry and music from 
Case Western Reserve University in 1975, Dr. Copan began his career in 
chemicals and materials research at the Lubrizol Corporation (now part 
of the Berkshire Hathaway Group). He earned a Ph.D. in physical 
chemistry from Case Western in 1982, and subsequently held leadership 
positions at Lubrizol in research and development, strategy, business 
unit management, venture capital, and mergers, acquisitions and 
strategic alliances in the U.S. and abroad. As managing director, 
Technology Transfer and Licensing, from 1999-2003, he was responsible 
for Lubrizol's corporate venturing and open innovation, technology 
strategy, business development, intellectual assets and the technology 
licensing business.

    The Chairman. Thank you very much.
    Dr. Cordova.

   STATEMENT OF HON. DR. FRANCE CORDOVA, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL 
                       SCIENCE FOUNDATION

    Dr. Cordova. Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and 
members of the Committee, thank you for your strong support of 
the National Science Foundation and the U.S. science and 
engineering enterprise. From the American Innovation and 
Competitiveness Act to the National Quantum Initiative to the 
Building Blocks of STEM to the Industries of Future Act, your 
work is essential to the U.S.'s global leadership and 
innovation.
    Today the National Science Board and NSF are releasing the 
2020 Science and Engineering Indicators, which speak to the 
global investment in research and development. This report 
reconfirms the U.S.'s leading position in research and 
development and its position as the largest R&D performer in 
the world. Yet, it also reports that other nations are 
increasing their investments and catching up. This underscores 
the importance of the Federal investment in basic research, 
which is the fountainhead of technology and innovation and 
leads to the industries of the future.
    As noted by Chairman Wicker, this is NSF's 70th 
anniversary. As we celebrate, it is important to acknowledge 
the foresight and wisdom of those who intentionally shaped NSF 
to foster basic research. NSF's mission is unique. It is the 
only Federal agency charged with supporting basic research 
across all areas of science, engineering, and STEM education. 
Over the past 70 years, that focus has allowed the Nation to 
harness ingenuity, foster innovation, grow STEM talent, improve 
health, strengthen security, and reap economic growth. Every 
day Americans benefit from NSF-funded advances, from the 
technology that powers and connects our smartphones to improved 
weather forecasts to medical devices. Some of the most 
innovative and well-known companies of today like Google and 
Qualcomm have received startup support from NSF.
    But what about the companies of tomorrow? The 
administration's emphasis on AI, quantum information science, 
advanced manufacturing, advanced wireless, and biotechnology is 
critical to ensuring continued American scientific leadership 
and is central to our long-term economic and national security.
    NSF has been working closely with OSTP to coordinate our 
efforts across the government. Additional details are included 
in my written testimony. Here I would like to highlight just a 
few key initiatives.
    NSF recently announced an effort to establish national 
artificial intelligence research institutes. These institutes 
will serve as hubs to advance AI research and workforce 
development. With coordination from the White House, we have 
identified key sectors at the intersection of AI and the 
economy and have partnered with the Departments of Agriculture, 
Transportation, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. NSF is 
also making significant investments through partnerships across 
the government and with industry to understand how AI will 
impact workers and how to address potential risks such as 
algorithmic biases and job loss.
    NSF will also establish quantum leap challenge institutes, 
an investment aligned with the National Quantum Initiative. 
These institutes will be large-scale, interdisciplinary centers 
that will foster scientific, technological, and educational 
workforce development goals across all areas of quantum 
information science.
    NSF's investments are also integrating data science, AI, 
robotics, and cybersecurity into modern manufacturing systems, 
creating partnerships between academia, government, and 
industry to study dynamic spectrum allocation and sharing, and 
supporting work on future bio-based microelectronics to foster 
completely new technologies and bio-based manufacturing.
    Perhaps most importantly, NSF is investing in the workforce 
of the future. The industries of the future will not thrive 
without a workforce ready to tackle them. NSF invests in 
research to support students of all ages from pre-K through 
adult retraining and places a heavy emphasis on broadening 
participation in STEM fields. Our future depends on our 
investment in teachers and students in STEM.
    By setting the strategic framework for investing in 
science, as we have done with the 10 Big Ideas for Future NSF 
Investments and by supporting the most talented researchers and 
their promising work, NSF lays the foundation for tomorrow?s 
industries of the future.
    For instance, the opportunity before us to advanced quantum 
technologies draws from decades of NSF-supported research that 
has been recognized through more than 40 Nobel prizes for 
quantum alone. Likewise, the 2018 Turing Award, often referred 
to as the Nobel prize for computing, was awarded to three 
researchers who have been funded by NSF for pioneering 
breakthroughs in deep learning, which is powering much of 
today's AI revolution.
    In the pages of this notebook, I have examples of how 
scientists in every state represented by this committee are 
using their curiosity and ingenuity to expand the base of human 
knowledge in the industries of the future. In doing so, they 
move us all one-step closer to the next great breakthrough.
    Again, I would like to thank you for your strong support of 
NSF and your work in these critical areas of research. It will 
take all of us working together to realize the full potential 
of these advancements and what they hold for the American 
people. Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Dr. Cordova follows:]

       Prepared Statement of Hon. Dr. France Cordova, Director, 
                      National Science Foundation
Introduction
    Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members of the 
Committee, it is a privilege to be before you today to discuss the 
Industries of the Future and how basic research supported by the 
National Science Foundation (NSF) has not only fostered their 
development but will ensure American leadership into the future.
    Established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (P.L. 
81-507), NSF is an independent Federal agency whose mission is ``to 
promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, 
prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other 
purposes.'' NSF is unique in carrying out its mission by supporting 
fundamental research across all fields of science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and all levels of STEM education. 
NSF is also committed to the development of a future-focused science 
and engineering workforce that draws on the talents of all Americans. 
NSF accounts for approximately 25 percent of the total Federal budget 
for basic research conducted at U.S. colleges and universities and has 
been vital to many discoveries that impact our daily lives and drive 
the economy.
    A vibrant scientific workforce and breakthrough discoveries enabled 
by NSF investments sustain, accelerate, and transform America's 
globally preeminent innovation ecosystem. A long-term vision, belief in 
the promise of fundamental research, and commitment to pursuing risky, 
yet potentially extraordinary discoveries are the hallmarks of NSF. 
NSF's investments empower discoverers to ask the questions and develop 
the technologies that lead to the next big breakthroughs. Since its 
creation in 1950, NSF has supported 242 Nobel Laureates at some point 
in their careers.
    This year, NSF celebrates its 70th Anniversary. In doing so, we 
will also celebrate the wisdom and foresight of Vannevar Bush and his 
colleagues, and all those in Congress and the Executive Branch who made 
the creation of NSF a national priority and a reality. Over the past 70 
years, NSF has allowed the Nation to harness ingenuity, foster 
innovation, and reap the benefits of the economic growth and progress 
that come with doing so. In fact, many of today's industries are rooted 
in basic research, with companies such as Google and Qualcomm having 
received start-up funding from NSF. Every day, the American people 
benefit directly from NSF-funded advances, from the technology that 
powers our smartphones and the capabilities that connect them, to 
improved weather forecasts, to medical devices for diagnosis and 
rehabilitation.
    Fundamental research supported by NSF and other Federal agencies 
builds the foundation for progress. Often, this occurs over decades, 
where the achievements of a generation are built upon by the next. 
Occasionally, breakthroughs allow it to happen more rapidly. 
Ultimately, progress is driven by curious minds pushing the boundaries 
of knowledge and stretching the canvas of discovery. The United States' 
leadership in scientific research and development is built upon a 
uniquely American system where sustained investment in fundamental 
research is paired with a strong partnership among government, 
academia, and industry. This public-private partnership has allowed the 
United States to be the world leader in discovery and innovation for 
decades and will propel American leadership into the future. Fields 
such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum information science 
(QIS) hold the promise of unparalleled job growth, continued 
prosperity, and strengthened homeland and national security. A strong 
and sustained commitment to this American system of innovation through 
basic research will be crucial as we compete for preeminence in these 
and other fields.
NSF and the Industries of the Future
    Since its creation, NSF has been the foundation for tomorrow's 
industries of the future. NSF's mission is to stay at the forefront of 
science--to fund the high-risk, high-reward research that has the 
potential to bring the world new discoveries. NSF funds thousands of 
researchers each year to build the base of human knowledge and in doing 
so, their work results in innovations in all aspects of our daily 
lives. They have revolutionized our wireless networks, developed life-
saving medical diagnostics, ushered in the age of autonomous vehicles 
and 3D printing, and brought digital agriculture to our farmers. To 
catalyze research around some of the most challenging and promising 
areas of scientific research, NSF has established a set of Big Ideas 
that range from predicting how an organism will develop observable 
characteristics to understanding the origins of the universe. The Big 
Ideas will play significant roles in not only advancing AI, QIS, and 
other potential industries of the future, but in identifying the yet 
unknown transformative technologies that will emanate from today's 
investments in basic research.
    The Administration's emphasis on AI, QIS, advanced manufacturing, 
advanced wireless, and biotechnology as today's Industries of the 
Future is not only critical to ensuing American scientific leadership 
in the decades to come, it is also central to our long-term economic 
success and national security. NSF and our fellow agencies, including 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Department of Energy 
have been working closely with the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy (OSTP) in the White House to coordinate our efforts and 
collaborate extensively in each of these areas of research and 
development.
Artificial Intelligence
    Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly and holds the 
potential to vastly transform our lives. NSF invests nearly $500 
million annually in AI research--the largest non-defense Federal 
investment--supporting exploration in machine learning, natural 
language processing, knowledge representation and reasoning, and 
computer vision, along with the safety, security, robustness, and 
explainability of AI systems. In addition to foundational research in 
these areas, a key to harnessing the promise of AI is translational 
research that links AI and economic sectors such as agriculture, 
manufacturing, transportation, and personalized medicine. Equally 
important is the investment in education and learning, including 
growing the human capital and institutional capacity needed to nurture 
the next generation of AI researchers and practitioners.
    NSF has a long and rich history of supporting transformative 
research in AI and machine learning, along with the closely related 
areas of robotics and data science. Through collaboration and 
coordination with OSTP, NSF leadership is helping to drive and 
coordinate AI research and development efforts across the Federal 
Government. As NSF Director, I co-chair the National Science and 
Technology Council's (NSTC) Select Committee on AI, which advises the 
White House on interagency AI research and development priorities and 
establishes structures to improve government planning and coordination.
    NSF's ability to bring together numerous fields of scientific 
inquiry--from computer information science to engineering and 
economics--uniquely positions the agency to lead the Nation in 
expanding the frontiers of AI. That is why NSF has embarked upon an 
effort to establish National Artificial Intelligence Research 
Institutes. With NSTC coordination, NSF is partnering with four other 
Federal agencies representing key sectors at the intersection of AI and 
our Nation's economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security's Science & Technology Directorate, the U.S. Department of 
Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, and the U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs have all joined NSF in this important 
initiative. NSF anticipates an investment of approximately $200 million 
over the next six years in these AI Institutes. We are launching this 
effort this Fiscal Year and plan to support up to six 
multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research institutes that will 
serve as national hubs for universities, Federal agencies, industry, 
and nonprofits to advance AI research and workforce development in key 
areas while addressing grand challenges. While this year's effort is a 
collaboration among Federal agencies, NSF anticipates engaging other 
stakeholders in the future, including via private-public partnerships 
and expanding the topic areas supported.
    AI technologies also pose potential challenges, such as the 
possibility of jobs lost to automation, new security threats, and the 
potential for algorithmic biases. NSF's Big Idea on The Future of Work 
at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF) is one mechanism by which NSF 
is responding to these challenges while enhancing opportunities for the 
future of jobs and work. Specifically, the FW-HTF Big Idea will advance 
our understanding of how technology and people interact, distribute 
tasks, cooperate, and complement each other in different specific work 
contexts. We have also developed initiatives with industry to address 
potential biases in AI systems with the goal of contributing to 
trustworthy AI systems that are readily accepted and deployed to tackle 
grand challenges facing society.
    The possibilities for implementing AI and improving lives are 
boundless. For example, NSF-funded researchers at Mississippi State 
University and Indiana University are working with patients and 
clinicians in the design of a socially assistive robot to aid in the 
treatment of depression. NSF-funded researchers at the University of 
Colorado are examining how augmented reality and AI can enable more 
efficient, safe, and high-quality construction, which accounts for a 
significant portion of the U.S. economy. Finally, a large, multi-
institutional team of researchers funded by NSF and led by Cornell 
University is using AI algorithms to devise sustainable solutions to 
environmental, societal, and economic challenges, from creating new 
materials for solar panels and fuel cells to designing farm irrigation 
strategies that simultaneously increase yields, reduce water use, and 
benefit migrating waterfowl.
Quantum Information Science
    Research in QIS examines uniquely quantum phenomena that can be 
harnessed to advance information processing, transmission, measurement, 
and fundamental understanding in ways that classical approaches can 
only do much less efficiently, or not at all. NSF-supported quantum 
projects are opening new opportunities in the QIS arena, such as new 
materials, circuits, and algorithms that enable powerful computers, 
incredibly precise sensors and detectors, and secure digital 
communications.
    As with AI, NSF has a long history of investment in QIS research, 
with NSF-funded researchers paving the way for modern-day technologies 
and positioning the country for major breakthroughs. This was most 
recently highlighted in October 2019, when Google announced that a 
quantum computer had accomplished a task not yet possible on a 
classical device. When verified, this may prove to be a milestone 
moment, one that builds on more than three decades of continuous NSF 
investment in the fundamental physics, computer science, materials 
science, and engineering that underlies many of today's quantum 
computing developments--and NSF has supported the researchers behind 
them, including five of the co-authors who helped create Google's 
system.
    NSF's Quantum Leap (QL) Big Idea builds upon and extends our 
existing knowledge of the quantum world to observe, manipulate, and 
control the behavior of particles at atomic and subatomic scales. The 
Quantum Leap will enable discoveries in both naturally-occurring and 
engineered quantum systems and will develop next-generation quantum 
technologies and devices for sensing, information processing, 
communications, and computing. NSF's investment in the QL Big Idea is 
strongly aligned with Administration priorities and the National 
Quantum Initiative Act and will consolidate and expand the United 
States' world-leading position in fundamental quantum research while 
delivering proof-of-concept devices, applications, tools, and systems 
with a demonstrable advantage over their classical counterparts.
    Under the umbrella of the QL Big Idea, NSF has several programs 
focused on harnessing the intellectual power of the United States to 
unleash the potential of the Nation's quantum-based scientific 
enterprise and to enhance the Nation's well-being, economy, and 
security. For example, The Quantum Idea Incubator for Transformational 
Advances in Quantum Systems (QII-TAQS) program supports 
interdisciplinary teams exploring innovative, original ideas in quantum 
science and engineering. These projects cover a broad spectrum of 
scientific and engineering approaches and have the potential to deliver 
new concepts, new platforms, and/or new approaches that will accelerate 
the development and application of quantum technologies. In FY 2019, 
NSF made nineteen QII-TAQS awards. These pioneering projects focus on 
quantum functionality and aim to make transformative advances towards 
quantum systems through experimental demonstrations and proof-of-
concept validations. For example, a transdisciplinary team of 
researchers from the University of Massachusetts are designing and 
fabricating new quantum systems where the quantum states are resilient 
to changes in the local environments, advancing us closer to the 
reality of a quantum computer. As with this award, our Quantum Idea 
Incubator program aims to facilitate the process of translating such 
ideas into reality, fostering breakthroughs in quantum sensing, quantum 
communications, quantum simulations, and quantum computing systems.
    NSF is also embarking on center-scale research in QIS. In 2019, NSF 
awarded the first grants towards establishing Quantum Leap Challenge 
Institutes (QLCI). The first phase was a call for proposals to support 
the formation of broadly convergent research teams with each developing 
a compelling and comprehensive vision for a Challenge Institute. A 
total of 18 such awards were made. The second phase of this process, 
the submission of full Institute proposals, is ongoing, with the first 
anticipated awards in FY 2020. These Institutes will be large-scale 
interdisciplinary research projects that aim to advance the frontiers 
of quantum information science and engineering. Research at these 
Institutes will span the focus areas of quantum computation, quantum 
communication, quantum simulation and/or quantum sensing. The 
Institutes are expected to foster multidisciplinary approaches to 
specific scientific, technological, and educational workforce 
development goals in these fields.
Advanced Wireless
    Working with other Federal partners, including the Federal 
Communications Commission and NIST, and in collaboration with industry 
partners, NSF supports fundamental research on advanced wireless 
technology and is engaged in the overall 5G effort led by Director 
Larry Kudlow of the National Economic Council. NSF has a proven track 
record of investment in fundamental research on wireless technologies. 
For example, today's fifth-generation (``5G'') wireless networks have 
been enabled by NSF's seminal investments in ground-breaking 
millimeter-wave research dating back to 2004. Looking forward, NSF-
supported research will innovate in areas critical to future 
generations of wireless networks, such as wireless devices, circuits, 
protocols, and systems; mobile edge computing; distributed machine 
learning and inference on mobile devices; and dynamic spectrum 
allocation and sharing. This work will offer new insights capable of 
making wireless communication faster, smarter, more responsive, and 
more robust--with profound implications for science and society. NSF's 
leadership in wireless research has three intertwined components:

   Supporting fundamental research enabling advanced wireless 
        technologies;

   Establishing advanced wireless research testing platforms, 
        in collaboration with industry, to experiment with new 
        approaches at scale; and

   Catalyzing academic, industry, and community leaders to work 
        together to prototype innovative wireless approaches to address 
        societal challenges.

    An example of this convergent approach to advanced wireless 
research is NSF's Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) 
program, a $100 million public-private partnership comprising $50 
million of NSF investment paired with $50 million in cash and in-kind 
contributions from a wireless consortium of more than 30 companies and 
associations. PAWR platforms in Salt Lake City, New York City, and 
North Carolina's Research Triangle are helping to build core wireless 
capabilities through creative university partnerships, attracting 
government and corporate research funding as well as local wireless 
jobs, and utilizing advanced wireless capabilities to enhance city 
services and economic development. For example, in North Carolina, the 
NSF-funded PAWR platform will enable research on how to accelerate the 
integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national air-space, 
as well as how to enable new advanced wireless features such as flying 
base stations for hot spot wireless connectivity.
    NSF also recognizes that access to spectrum is crucial to the 
continued development of wireless systems that can meet the 
requirements of future technologies and applications in a secure 
manner. In October, NSF launched a new program on Machine Learning for 
Wireless Networking Systems (MLWiNS) in partnership with Intel 
Corporation to accelerate fundamental, broad-based research on 
wireless-specific machine learning techniques. This program will 
support new wireless system and architecture designs that can 
dynamically access shared spectrum, efficiently operate with limited 
radio and network resources, and scale to address the diverse and 
stringent quality-of-service requirements of future wireless 
applications. For example, MLWiNS projects may pursue novel methods to 
support coexistence between commercial (e.g., cellular, Wi-Fi), Federal 
(e.g., U.S. Navy radar), and astronomical (e.g., passive radio 
astronomy observations) users of spectrum. In addition, earlier this 
month, NSF released a new solicitation for Spectrum and Wireless 
Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT). The SWIFT program 
focuses on effective spectrum utilization and coexistence technologies, 
which will become more critical as the demands of advanced wireless 
techniques on a finite spectrum continue to increase.
    Just as today's wireless systems have made significant advances 
possible, research in advanced wireless promises to do the same. For 
the sciences, advanced wireless can improve the flow and latency of 
data and create new possibilities for conducting research. Advanced 
wireless also holds the promise of continuing the economic growth we 
have seen in the mobile, e-commerce, digital agriculture, and other 
sectors of the economy. The ability to communicate is central to human 
society, and NSF-supported researchers are at the forefront of bringing 
even greater advances to the American people.
Biotechnology
    Over billions of years, life has evolved a vast diversity of 
innovations--solutions to overcome environmental challenges. Until 
recently, our ability to understand and exploit these innovations has 
been limited. But new capabilities to read and edit genomes, new means 
of sensing biological processes at multiple scales, and new 
computational and AI approaches in bioinformatics and modeling have 
vastly improved our ability to understand life's deepest mysteries. NSF 
investments in genomics, cellular, organismal, and developmental 
biology, and in bioinformatics spur advances in synthetic biology and 
enhance biotechnology beyond the current state-of-the-art. The 
accelerating power of this biotechnology promises to sustain U.S. 
economic growth and innovation across multiple sectors that together 
constitute the bioeconomy.
    Biotechnology and synthetic biology are producing extremely fast 
economic growth and hold immense potential for transformative change 
across many commercial sectors. Advances in these fields are leading to 
novel bio-materials; transforming the food, agriculture, and 
pharmaceutical industries; enabling new capabilities for information 
storage and renewable energy; and creating new kinds of targeted 
medical therapies. These bio-industries are driven by fundamental 
science in biology, which aims to understand and predict the function 
of living systems, design complex biological systems for useful 
function, and achieve convergence of insight from engineering, biology, 
chemistry, physics, and ethics.
    To sustain and expand the bioeconomy, we must invest in fundamental 
research to reveal the underlying basis for the diversity of life's 
innovations. For example, while we have the capability to sequence the 
genome of any organism, we do not understand the function of 80 percent 
of that sequence for even the best studied species. Advancing our 
understanding of this unknown code is likely key to predicting genome 
regulation, which is necessary if we are to open up new opportunities 
in bio-manufacturing, medicine and agriculture. Further, we have 
explored the genomic basis for key innovations in only a tiny fraction 
of species. There is an incredible wealth of biological innovation yet 
to be discovered and tapped for applications. Finally, a key to rapid 
discovery is facilitating open and efficient access to bio-data and the 
bioinformatic tools and cyberinfrastructure necessary to retrieve and 
analyze big data sets.
    NSF has current initiatives to address scientific challenges and 
foster new applications that will accelerate the U.S. bioeconomy. With 
a new suite of investments within the Understanding the Rules of Life 
Big Idea, NSF-funded research seeks to develop a predictive 
understanding of biological systems at all scales. This knowledge is 
what drives advances in understanding the human body and improving 
health, and will permit sustainable, efficient food production. 
Likewise, biological principles and biomaterials can drive next-
generation information storage technologies that will be the basis for 
future devices and systems in AI, QIS, Advanced Manufacturing, and 
Advanced Wireless. NSF's Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for 
Information Storage and Retrieval (SemiSynBio) program is supporting 
work on future bio-based microelectronics. These and other NSF 
investments will enable us to harness biological systems and 
construction of synthetic living systems to foster completely new 
technologies and bio-based manufacturing.
    In addition, to accelerate the adoption biotechnology products and 
ensure their socially responsible use, NSF supports research on ethical 
questions and impacts arising from innovative new technologies and 
their integration into society. For example, NSF's Science and 
Technology Studies program and Ethical and Responsible Research program 
fund workshops and studies investing in a range of topics, from 
societal and social justice issues in synthetic biology to ethics and 
responsible innovation in genome engineering. NSF is also investing in 
predictive modeling that is critical to measuring environmental risks 
related to genomic manipulation of organisms and to aspects of 
biosecurity.
Advanced Manufacturing
    NSF has played a leading role in fostering the development of 
advanced manufacturing and making revolutionary processes like 3D 
printing a reality. NSF's Advanced Manufacturing program continues to 
support the fundamental research needed to revitalize American 
manufacturing to grow the economy and the workforce, and to reshape our 
strategic industries. NSF research accelerates advances in 
manufacturing technologies with an emphasis on multidisciplinary 
research that fundamentally alters and transforms manufacturing 
capabilities, methods, and practices.
    We are currently entering the 4th industrial revolution, where 
computing and networking are integrated into factory floor operations 
to improve productivity and quality while reducing cost. NSF-funded 
research on model-based smart manufacturing is transforming static 
manufacturing systems into adaptive, ``smart'' systems, powered by 
artificial intelligence, that can sense and adapt to changing 
environments, and optimize performance. These smart systems can 
schedule required maintenance of machines in a predictive fashion, 
reducing downtime due to unexpected failures, and react to changing 
plans when new products are introduced into the factory.
    NSF's investments touch on numerous aspects of advanced 
manufacturing. Cyber-manufacturing advances will enable small-scale 
producers to cooperate with large-volume factories, leveraging high-
throughput and high-quality production lines. Novel sensing systems 
such as laser scanners and computer vision can be integrated into 
factory floors to improve production quality, detecting potential 
failures in-line and thereby reducing scrap. Advanced semiconductor, 
quantum, and optical device design, fabrication and processing will be 
used for applications in biomedical, alternative energy, 
communications, computing, and sensing systems.
    Through our Engineering Research Centers (ERC), NSF supports 
collaboration among researchers in different scientific disciplines and 
partnerships between industry and universities. These collaborations 
produce both technological innovations that strengthen the competitive 
position of industry and engineering graduates who will be creative 
innovators in a global economy. For example, the Cell Manufacturing 
Technologies ERC at the Georgia Institute of Technology (in partnership 
with the University of Georgia, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 
and the University of Puerto Rico) enables robust, scalable, low-cost 
biomanufacturing of high-quality therapeutic cells to bring affordable, 
curative therapies for incurable chronic diseases. And the 
Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy 
Technologies ERC at the University of Texas at Austin (in partnership 
with the University of New Mexico and the University of California, 
Berkeley) is exploring manufacturing processes to revolutionize future-
generation mobile computing and energy devices.
    The Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) 
program also enables university researchers to collaborate with 
industry partners to conduct use-inspired research. For example, the 
Center for Advanced Design and Manufacturing of Integrated 
Microfluidics (CADMIM), which is currently composed of sites at the 
University of California, Irvine and the University of Illinois at 
Chicago is developing low-power, automated, self-contained, mass-
produced microdevices capable of multi-step biochemical assessments. 
CADMIM's research will support the development of diagnostics 
critically needed for the environment, food supply, and medical 
situations enabling these diagnostics to be done inexpensively, 
quickly, and accurately on the spot.
    The U.S. government has also made significant investments in the 
Manufacturing USA institutes. NSF participates in all these institutes, 
inviting our researchers to propose projects that could result in 
industrial implementation. All these institutes also have significant 
investments in workforce development, which complements NSF's program 
in Advanced Technological Education (ATE). The ATE Center for Advanced 
Automotive Technology in Macomb, Michigan, which helps train workers 
for the auto industry, is a prime example of how coupling industries 
with local workforce development benefits communities, industry, and 
the Nation.
    NSF's investments in advanced manufacturing, including the 
integration of data science, AI, robotics, and cybersecurity into 
modern manufacturing systems, will increase the efficiency and 
sustainability of the production of the next generation of products and 
services across nearly every sector of the economy. These developments 
will yield advantages such as reduced time to market, new performance 
attributes, improved small-batch production, cost savings, energy 
savings, and reduced environmental impact.
Training the Next Generation Workforce
    For the United States to continue global leadership in these and 
other areas, we must also develop the next generation of the STEM 
workforce. Our future depends on our investment in inclusion, in 
diversity, in training of STEM teachers, and in inspiring the next 
generations through formal and informal learning. Continued global 
leadership also requires investment in the next generation of 
scientists trained to pursue questions beyond the traditional 
scientific disciplines. NSF is investing in education research across 
all levels of learning--from preK-12 through graduate education and 
beyond--which then informs education and training programs to better 
develop skill sets in cutting-edge technologies, promote highly 
collaborative team science, and foster greater diversity in the 
workforce. Programs such as Computer Science for All (CSforAll), 
Discovery Research K-12, and Research Assistantships for High School 
Students (RAHSS) train the next generation of researchers to be nimble, 
multifaceted scientists with the ability to harness the tools of 
innovation across multiple fields.
    NSF prepares K-12 students for the industries of the future through 
its education research and development programs such as Innovative 
Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST). Early, 
positive engagement in STEM is very important for students to pursue 
fields such as computer science and ultimately be prepared for 
technological jobs. Through the ITEST program, researchers at the 
University of Washington are examining how stereotypes influence 8-12-
year-old girls' motivation to study computer science. These researchers 
are comparing interest stereotypes--stereotypes about whether girls or 
boys like computer science more--to ability stereotypes--stereotypes 
about whether girls or boys have higher aptitudes in computer science. 
The results of their research will lay the groundwork for future 
interventions that directly target interest stereotypes to boost girls' 
motivation to pursue computer science education and technological jobs 
that will be in high demand.
    Broadening participation in STEM fields to ensure a diverse pool of 
future STEM degree holders is a major priority for NSF. The INCLUDES 
(Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of 
Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) Big Idea is a 
comprehensive national initiative designed to catalyze the STEM 
enterprise to collaboratively work for inclusive change, resulting in a 
STEM workforce that reflects the population of the Nation. In doing so, 
we will enhance U.S. leadership in STEM discoveries and innovations by 
drawing youth from every part of the country into the STEM fields.
Conclusion
    The Industries of the Future are cross-cutting, convergent, and 
interdependent fields of research that collectively offer enormous 
economic potential and are critical to the Nation's long-term economic 
and national security. We cannot focus on dominance in only one area, 
as advances across the spectrum of the science and engineering 
disciplines are needed to harness the potential of these promising 
fields. Just as our ability to advance machine learning across sectors 
of the economy will be improved by advances in quantum computing, the 
biotechnology economy will be buoyed by breakthroughs in advanced 
manufacturing. Advanced wireless capabilities hold the potential to 
improve how we collect, transmit, and analyze data across all fields of 
science, and how we integrate new technologies and advances across 
industries and throughout our communities. Finally, we must also ensure 
that we support the socio-economic research needed to understand how 
humans interact with and are impacted by these advanced systems.
    NSF has also put an emphasis on supporting researchers as 
entrepreneurs, and to take their ideas to the marketplace. NSF's I-
Corps program provides entrepreneurial education that equips scientists 
with the tools needed to transform research and discoveries into 
innovative technologies. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 
program helps startups develop their ideas and bring them to market. 
From 2007 to 2016, NSF's SBIR program funded roughly 400 companies each 
year. Any one of these companies could be the next groundbreaker to 
usher in a new era of advancement.
    Just as the convergence of the NSF-funded page-rank algorithm, 
wireless devices, touchscreen interfaces, and other innovations 
catalyzed unanticipated industries and U.S. dominance in mobility and 
e-commerce, there is similar opportunity for advances at the 
intersection of Al, QIS, Advanced Wireless, Advanced Manufacturing, and 
Biotechnologies to lead to revolutionary new industries of the future.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. With the 
support of this Committee and the Congress, NSF will continue to invest 
in the fundamental research and the talented people who improve our 
daily lives and transform our future.
                                 ______
                                 
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                                 
                           France A. Cordova
                               Biography
    The Honorable France A. Cordova is an astrophysicist and the 14th 
director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cordova was 
nominated to this position by the President of the United States in 
2013 and subsequently confirmed by the U.S. Senate. NSF is a $8.3B 
independent Federal agency; it is the only government agency charged 
with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological 
innovation, STEM education, and STEM workforce development.
    Cordova has been a leader in science, engineering and education for 
more than three decades. She has a distinguished career in both higher 
education and government; her contributions in multi-spectrum research 
on x-ray and gamma ray sources and space-borne instrumentation have 
made her an internationally recognized astrophysicist.
    She is the only woman to serve as president of Purdue University, 
where she led the university to record levels of research funding, 
reputational rankings, and student retention and graduation rates. She 
focused her tenure on launching tomorrow's leaders, translating 
research to application and meeting global challenges. She established 
a new College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue, as well as a new 
Global Research Policy Institute, and participated in state-wide 
initiatives to boost public-private research collaborations.
    Cordova is also chancellor emerita of the University of California, 
Riverside, where she was a distinguished professor of physics and 
astronomy. There she laid the foundation for a new medical school, 
California's first public medical school in over 40 years, and focused 
on student diversity and inclusion. At the University of California, 
Santa Barbara, where Cordova was vice chancellor for research and 
professor of physics, she led a campus-wide effort to support 
convergence in blue-sky research areas.
    Previously, Cordova served as NASA's chief scientist, representing 
NASA to the larger scientific community and infusing the activities of 
the agency--including the International Space Station, then under 
construction--with the scientific goals of the broader community. She 
was the youngest person and first woman to serve as NASA's chief 
scientist and was awarded the agency's highest honor, the Distinguished 
Service Medal.
    Prior to joining NASA, she was on the faculty of the Pennsylvania 
State University where she headed the department of astronomy and 
astrophysics. Cordova was also deputy group leader in the Earth and 
space sciences division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She received 
her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and her doctorate 
in physics from the California Institute of Technology.
    More recently, Cordova served as chair of the Board of Regents of 
the Smithsonian Institution and on the board of trustees of Mayo 
Clinic. She also served as a member of the National Science Board 
(NSB), where she chaired the Committee on Strategy and Budget. As NSF 
director, she is an ex officio member of the NSB.
    Cordova's scientific contributions have been in the areas of 
observational and experimental astrophysics, multi-spectral research on 
x-ray and gamma ray sources and space-borne instrumentation. She has 
published more than 150 scientific papers. She was co-principal 
investigator for a telescope experiment that is currently flying on the 
satellite XMM-Newton, a cornerstone mission of the European Space 
Agency.
    For her scientific contributions, Cordova has been awarded several 
honorary doctorates, including ones from Purdue, Duke and Dartmouth 
Universities. She was honored as a Kilby Laureate, recognized for 
``significant contributions to society through science, technology, 
innovation, invention and education.'' Cordova was elected to the 
American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is a National Associate of 
the National Academies and an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish 
Academy. She is also a fellow of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Association for Women in Science 
(AWIS).
    Cordova is married to Christian J. Foster, a science educator, and 
they have two adult children and a grandchild.

    The Chairman. Thank you, Dr. Cordova, and thank you for 
your entire career and we very much appreciate that.
    Mr. O'Rielly.

   STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL O'RIELLY, COMMISSIONER, FEDERAL 
                   COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

    Mr. O'Rielly. Good morning. Chairman Wicker and Ranking 
Member Cantwell, thank you for inviting me to join this 
important hearing.
    I will focus my comments on next generation wireless 
services, unlicensed wireless opportunities, infrastructure, 
and a few other related issues.
    Sound FCC policy in these areas will provide a solid 
foundation; enable additional platforms for many other non-FCC-
regulated technologies and industries to flourish. I truly 
believe that 5G has the opportunity to revolutionize wireless 
communications and, for that matter, the entire communications 
landscape. Rather than being one among many consumer purchases, 
future wireless services have the potential to be ingrained 
within almost every aspect of American life.
    In terms of functionality, it is estimated that wireless 
speeds will improve by 5 to 20 times over 4G; capacity will 
increase by 100-fold; and average latency will drop from 40 to 
50 milliseconds to 1.
    Moreover, these advancements will have far-reaching 
economic impact. A recent Qualcomm-initiated study estimated 
that 5G would generate $13.2 trillion in economic benefits in 
2035, support 22.3 million jobs, and produce economic global 
growth of $2.1 trillion, an amount equivalent to Italy's 
current economy.
    To ensure U.S. wireless providers and potential new 
entrants have sufficient wireless spectrum to offer 5G, the 
Commission has been aggressive in identifying, allocating, and 
licensing for this purpose.
    Some critics have asserted that the Commission has failed 
to make mid-band spectrum available. As someone who has been 
actively and aggressively working to make these frequencies 
available, I strongly disagree with this assessment. To 
facilitate an effective 5G mid-band play, the Commission does 
have work ahead of it to complete the CBRS priority access, 
license auction, the reallocation of a good portion of the C-
band, and convert a portion of the 3.1 to 3.55 gigahertz band 
for commercial services. At the same time, we will need a 
concerted effort to bypass attempts by rogue, local, and state 
governments to extract untenable monies from new technology 
users or drag out siting reviews due to ineptitude or attempts 
to preserve power. In many suburban and rural markets, 5G 
offerings will rely on equipment attached to macro towers, and 
the Commission will need to be aggressive to ensure that that 
siting process is not impeded.
    Equally important, the Commission needs to address the 
critical need for more unlicensed spectrum. Over the last many 
years, unlicensed technologies have experienced a vast amount 
of innovation, leading to amazing new consumer products and 
immeasurable economic benefits. Yet, the current unlicensed 
spectrum workhorses, 2.5 and 5 gigahertz, are facing 
saturation.
    I firmly believe that the Commission needs to move forward 
expeditiously to open 5.9 and 6-gigahertz bands for unlicensed 
use. In both instances, incumbent provider services can be 
properly protected or accommodated as needed to prevent harmful 
interference while allowing these benefits of unlicensed 
technologies to flourish.
    The deployment and maintenance of infrastructure used to 
provide 5G services will require huge numbers of American 
workers with the requisite skill sets. Industry is likely to 
require a systemic plan of action potentially leveraging the 
assistance of the Federal Government than in past technological 
evolutions. I would humbly suggest that this endeavor is not 
necessarily within the expertise of the FCC but better suited 
to other agencies and departments, and we stand ready to assist 
them in any way possible.
    In terms of a relatively new innovation issue, I believe 
that wireless power may be vital for the success of future 
connectivity and productivity. Specifically, with billions upon 
billions and perhaps trillions of additional wireless devices 
expected to be deployed over the next few years, the race will 
be on to produce and deploy wireless power technology with 
multiple players already in the market and I am sure more to 
come.
    On the international front, I suggest the recently 
concluded WRC-19 was a mixed result, and its future as a valued 
conference is questionable. In particular, it was very evident 
that certain foreign delegations were sent with clear 
directions to oppose the United States and other forward-
thinking nations. The U.S. is not without options if certain 
member nations of the ITU continue to disrupt existing 
processes and slow progress toward the next generation wireless 
world.
    In conclusion, innovation and thus the industries of 
tomorrow will only happen if there is a right environment for 
it to develop. This hearing is a positive step for the purpose.
    I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have on 
this issue or any others. And I thank the chair.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. O'Rielly follows:]

      Prepared Statement of Hon. Michael O'Rielly, Commissioner, 
                   Federal Communications Commission
    Good morning. Let me start by extending my deep appreciation to 
Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell for inviting me to join 
this important hearing on the future of innovation.
    While I hold views on many of the technology advancements likely to 
be discussed by my fellow panelists, I intend to focus my comments 
today on the development and deployment of those within the 
jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In this 
case, key topics include next-generation wireless services (more 
commonly referred to as 5G), unlicensed wireless opportunities, 
spectrum policy in general, and other related issues. Sound FCC policy 
in these areas will provide a solid foundation and enable additional 
platforms for many other non-FCC regulated technologies to flourish. 
Moreover, past and future FCC decisions will have considerable positive 
impact on the U.S. economy and workforce. I would be pleased to answer 
any questions you may have on these matters or any others.
5G Wireless
    From my previous positions as Congressional staff to my current 
perch at the FCC, I have witnessed multiple migrations from one 
wireless generation to the next. I truly believe that 5G has the 
opportunity to revolutionize wireless communications and, for that 
matter, the entire communications landscape. While I try not to 
overhype the technology and believe we must have realistic expectations 
regarding deployment and adoption timelines, its potential to transform 
not only consumer products but also the industrial sector is clear. 
Rather than being one among many consumer purchases, future wireless 
services have the potential to be ingrained within almost every aspect 
of American life.
    In terms of functionality, 5G is expected to far exceed current 
wireless metrics. Specifically, it is estimated that speed will improve 
by 5 to 20 times over 4G; capacity will increase by 100-fold; and 
average latency will drop from 40 to 50 milliseconds to one. This will 
open the door to fully operational wireless platforms that are on par 
with current fiber network offerings, erasing the need for many legacy 
regulations and policies. While many American consumers already 
substitute wireless broadband experiences for wired ones, 5G will bring 
about the realization of what many, including myself, have referred to 
as ``wireless fiber.''
    Moreover, these advancements will have far-reaching economic 
impact. A recent Qualcomm-initiated study estimated that 5G would 
generate $13.2 trillion in economic benefit by 2035, support 22.3 
million jobs, and produce economic global growth of $2.1 trillion--an 
amount equivalent to Italy's current economy.\1\ Similarly, a 2018 CTIA 
report suggests the U.S. impact alone to be $275 billion in investment, 
leading to $500 billion in economic growth and three million new 
American jobs.\2\
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    \1\ https://www.qualcomm.com/media/documents/files/ihs-5g-economic-
impact-study-2019.pdf
    \2\ https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Race-to-5G-
Report.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    It is important to note that the network architecture for 5G is 
different from that of prior generations. Whereas past technologies 
were designed to eventually replace earlier versions, 5G is intended to 
work in partnership with existing 4G wireless networks. That means, 5G 
can be deployed more incrementally without the dramatic effect of 
completely leaving consumers behind the curve.
Spectrum Resources & Agenda
    To ensure U.S. wireless providers and potential new entrants have 
sufficient wireless spectrum to offer 5G, the Commission has been 
aggressive in identifying, allocating, and licensing for this purpose. 
But, the spectrum allocation process requires long lead times and 
extensive preparations. Consider that the Commission started working on 
many of the high-bands targeted for 5G services (e.g., 37 and 39 GHz) 
around the time I arrived at the Commission in 2013,\3\ and, yet, we 
are just getting to the auctions now. There are multiple reasons for 
the time lag, but none involve political influence or lack of interest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Spectrum Frontiers Notice of Inquiry, https://docs.fcc.gov/
public/attachments/FCC-14-154A1.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Some critics have asserted that the Commission has failed to make 
mid-band spectrum available for advanced wireless services, including 
5G. As someone who has been actively and aggressively working to make 
these frequencies available, I strongly disagree with this assessment. 
My efforts on the 3.5 GHz band, or CBRS, along with those of the 
Chairman and his team, demonstrate that our high-band efforts did not 
divert attention from the mid bands. The past administration had 
focused on the millimeter-wave bands, so these efforts were further 
along. Moreover, our work to reform the 3.5 GHz band market sizes and 
other previously misaligned decisions did not delay the availability of 
this spectrum. Instead, ensuring the functionality of the protection 
mechanisms (e.g., SASs and ESCs), enabling spectrum sharing with U.S. 
Navy radar systems, took longer than expected, and the software needed 
to provide a fair and transparent auction for a greater number of 
licenses required considerable time to develop.
    Additionally, for almost four years, I have served as a lead 
champion to reallocate the C-Band for new commercial wireless services. 
Such efforts have required considerable work to convince the current 
satellite users to shrink their spectrum footprint for the betterment 
of our spectrum policy objectives. This also required extensive 
consideration into how to accommodate and protect existing services and 
users, as well as working through the different mechanisms and 
components needed to execute a fair and transparent auction process. 
While I certainly wish this process could have concluded earlier, the 
most important thing now is getting it done.
    Along with C-Band and CBRS, the other immediate mid-band priority 
is the 3.1 to 3.55 GHz Band. Congress has been clear in enacted 
legislation that it expects the appropriate Federal Government agencies 
to conduct an honest and fair assessment of sharing this specific band 
with commercial wireless providers for new advanced wireless services. 
Yet, it is my understanding that the applicable agencies are only 
looking at one portion, 3.45 to 3.55 GHz, for this purpose, rather than 
the entire band. Given its location and the need for more mid-band 
spectrum, I suggest that the proper course of action should be to free 
the top 100 megahertz for exclusive, commercial use and open a 
considerable amount of the remaining 350 MHz for sharing. Even if you 
disagree with this approach, allowing Federal agencies to ignore the 
law and spectrum realities should not be tolerated.
Macro Towers
    Facilitating 5G deployment requires more than just sound spectrum 
policy. It will need a concerted effort to bypass attempts by rogue 
local and state governments to extract untenable riches from new 
technology users or drag out siting reviews due to ineptitude or 
attempts to preserve power. This is not a new phenomenon, and it is why 
legislation on the topic, like the Thune-Schatz bill, would be so 
helpful.
    While considerable attention is paid to small cell design and 
installation, in many suburban and rural markets, 5G offerings will 
rely on equipment attached to macro towers. The Commission will need to 
be aggressive to ensure the siting process is not impeded, and I am 
hopeful we will take new action on macros in the very near future.
Unlicensed Spectrum Opportunities
    While considerable work has been done to open new bands for 
licensed services, it is equally important to address the critical need 
for more unlicensed spectrum. Over the last many years, unlicensed 
technologies have experienced a vast amount of innovation, leading to 
amazing new consumer products and immeasurable economic benefits. Yet, 
the current unlicensed spectrum workhorses, 2.4 and 5 GHz, are facing 
saturation, meaning that congestion is preventing optimal performance 
and the deployment of new services. Thus, unlicensed users are seeking 
a mid-band allocation to enable their next-generation standard that 
calls for wider channels, allowing far greater speeds, capacity, and 
functionality.
    To accomplish this and realize further unlicensed innovation, the 
Commission must allocate additional bands for unlicensed use, which is 
something Commissioner Rosenworcel and I have pursued for quite a 
while. Debate will likely continue in the coming weeks and months over 
how best to accomplish this, but I firmly believe that the Commission 
needs to move forward expeditiously to open 5.9 and 6 GHz for 
unlicensed use. In both instances, incumbent provider services can be 
properly protected or accommodated, as needed, to prevent harmful 
interference while allowing the benefits of unlicensed technologies to 
flourish.
Communications Workforce
    The deployment and maintenance of infrastructure used to provide 5G 
services will require a plethora of American workers with the requisite 
skill sets. While much attention has rightfully been paid to the need 
for more tower installation crews, job growth in additional fields, 
including radio frequency management, communications engineering, and 
other related skills, is similarly needed. While some of these 
positions can be filled in the regular course and with on-the-job 
training, others will require more extensive efforts. In other words, 
industry is likely to require a more systemic plan of action, 
potentially leveraging the assistance of the Federal Government, than 
in past technological evolutions. I would humbly suggest that this 
endeavor is not necessarily within the expertise of the FCC, but better 
suited to other agencies and departments. In particular, the Department 
of Labor, given its vast resources, may be better positioned to exert 
some leadership in this area, and I understand it has announced new 
grant monies for apprenticeship programs that include 
telecommunications and broadband services.
Wireless Power
    In terms of a relatively new innovation issue, I believe that 
wireless power may be vital for the success of future connectivity and 
productivity. Specifically, with billions upon billions--and perhaps 
trillions--of additional wireless devices expected to be deployed over 
the next few years, be it smartphones, IoT sensors, automated equipment 
and the like, providing sustainable and reliable power will be a 
challenge. I suggest to you that power is likely to be delivered 
differently in the future, as outlets with plugs and disposable 
batteries are likely to be replaced by wireless power. This is not only 
because of the nightmare of trying to provide electrical service to 
such a mass of devices and equipment, but also simply a matter of 
reducing weight and improving functionality.
    Specifically, obtaining sufficient components to manufacture enough 
wiring and long-lasting batteries to meet overall demand will be 
difficult, if not impossible. And, this is without even taking into 
account the shortage of rare earth elements and the geopolitical fight 
developing in that area. So, the race will be on to produce and deploy 
wireless power technology, with multiple players already in the market 
and I'm sure more to come.
    Undoubtably, we are fairly early in the process, but we'd better 
figure out all of the regulatory complications and barriers before the 
device explosion occurs. The Commission may be the right entity to 
guide, design, or manage the transition to wireless power.
World Radiocommunication Conference
    On the international front, the WRC is a roughly month-long event 
held every three to four years by the International Telecommunication 
Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, for the 
primary purpose of harmonizing spectrum use among the member nations. 
After my participation at WRC-19 in Egypt, I suggest that its outcome 
was mixed, and its future is questionable. While the conference 
achieved some objectives in various, muddied forms, the process was 
severely lacking.
    Despite meeting some of our goals to a certain extent, WRC-19, like 
WRC-15, raised some fundamental concerns that ultimately call into 
question the continued value of future conferences. In particular, it 
was very evident that certain foreign delegations were sent with clear 
directions to oppose the United States and other forward-thinking 
nations. This appeared, from my viewpoint, motivated by larger geo-
political purposes and to protect domestic industries from competition 
from U.S.-based companies. Such conduct went far beyond normal 
negotiation strategy, serving to further sour many other participants' 
perspectives regarding the value of WRC and, more fundamentally, the 
ITU itself.
    The U.S. is not without options if certain member nations of the 
ITU continue to disrupt existing processes and slow progress towards a 
next-generation wireless world. Ultimately, we should not let ourselves 
be obstructed by rogue nations that have little interest in global 
wireless development or are willing to undermine progress for purposes 
of a larger self-interested agenda. This is one reason I think the U.S. 
should explore the formation of a G7-like organization or loose 
coalition of leading wireless nations, as an alternative to the ITU. 
Near-global harmonization could be achieved through agreement of the 
largest, leading wireless nations of the world. To some degree, this is 
why the private standard-setting organizations--i.e., those outside the 
ITU--have become more prominent and why I have also spent considerable 
time ensuring these entities are not sidelined by certain nations' 
political agendas.
                                 * * *
    In the end, innovation--and thus the industries of tomorrow--will 
only happen if there is the right environment for it to develop. This 
hearing is a positive step for that purpose.

    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. O'Rielly.
    Commissioner Rosenworcel.

 STATEMENT OF HON. JESSICA ROSENWORCEL, COMMISSIONER, FEDERAL 
                   COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

    Ms. Rosenworcel. Thank you. Good morning, Chairman Wicker, 
Ranking Member Cantwell, members of the Committee.
    I believe the future belongs to the connected. No matter 
who you are or where you live, you need access to modern 
communications to have a fair shot at 21st century success.
    That is because we live in what Thomas Friedman calls the 
Age of Acceleration thanks to the exponential improvements in 
software, storage, processing, and networking all around us. 
But if you want an object lesson in just how fast 
communications technology is changing, consider what life was 
like back at the start of the last decade. The smart phone 
revolution was just getting underway. Voice assistants like 
Siri were still the stuff of science fiction. Humans could 
reliably beat computers in Jeopardy, and watching what you 
wanted meant loading a silvery disc into a big, rectangular 
device.
    We have come a long way. Over the past 10 years, we have 
witnessed a 25-fold increase in the amount of digital data, a 
100-fold increase in wireless speeds, and a billion-fold 
increase in computing power. These are the forces behind so 
much that is changing industries like manufacturing, 
agriculture, transportation, health care, and more. And they 
are not stopping. So we need to harness this energy and plan 
for the future, and here are three ideas to do just that.
    First, we need a plan to deploy 5G technology to everyone 
everywhere in the United States. 5G networks are going to 
kickstart the next big digital transformation, drive the future 
of industry, and expand the potential for artificial 
intelligence.
    But in the United States, we have made a series of choices 
that have put us behind when it comes to freeing key airwaves 
for 5G. We have aggressively focused our early efforts on 
bringing only high-band spectrum to market. We have yet to 
auction a single megahertz of mid-band spectrum, and this is a 
mistake. That is because while these high-band airwaves have 
substantial capacity, their signals do not travel far. As a 
result, commercializing them is expensive, and the sheer volume 
of antenna facilities required to make the service viable will 
limit deployment to urban areas. That is only going to deepen 
the digital divide we already have. And that is not right.
    Meanwhile, at least 16 other countries have already 
auctioned mid-band spectrum and have a head start. But do not 
take my word for it. Last year, the Defense Innovation Board 
found that the country that owns 5G will own innovation, and 
that country is not likely to be the United States. Why is 
that? As the board suggested, the early release of high-band 
airwaves over mid-band airwaves is a fundamentally flawed 
focus. I agree.
    So the FCC needs to change course, make it a priority to 
auction mid-band spectrum, and develop a national plan for 5G 
service. The bipartisan leadership of four Senate committees 
wrote the White House late last year expressing concern that we 
do not have a coordinated national strategy in place for 5G and 
we need one. They are right.
    Second, we need a plan to invest in training for the jobs 
of the future. In the near term, in the United States we are 
going to have to train another 20,000 tower climbers to help 
install 5G. But the Department of Labor currently does not list 
5G jobs as a priority in its apprenticeship programs. We need 
to fix this.
    In the longer term, we are going to need to encourage more 
investment in our workers, and I think the right way to do this 
is to explore a human capital tax credit to offset a portion of 
new training activities to support the future of work.
    Third, we need a plan for both device and network security. 
Our 5G future will feature billions of connected devices in the 
Internet of Things. They are going to make us more efficient 
and more effective, but they are also going to expand our 
vulnerability to cyber-attack.
    So here is what the FCC can do. Every device that emits 
radio frequency at some point passes through the agency before 
it is marketed or imported in the United States. And this 
routine authorization process--it takes place totally behind 
the scenes. But if the FCC were to revisit it, it could explore 
how it could be used to encourage device manufacturers to build 
security in new products. And to do this, we could build on the 
NIST draft set of security recommendations for devices in the 
Internet of Things. But the most important thing is that we get 
started right now.
    At the same time, we are going to have to focus on the 
security of our networks themselves. So far, our efforts have 
been centered around improving 5G supply chain security through 
discouraging the use of insecure Chinese network equipment. We 
are going to have to expand that effort and improve security by 
working on unlocking radio access networks through software 
virtualization. That is called O-RAN, and the FCC can help 
expedite the deployment of O-RAN by expanding its work with 5G 
testbeds in New York and Salt Lake City to include this new 
technology.
    Thank you for this opportunity to offer my views, and I 
look forward to any questions you may have.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Rosenworcel follows:]

     Prepared Statement of Hon. Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner, 
                   Federal Communications Commission
    Good morning, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members 
of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you 
today.
    I believe the future belongs to the connected. No matter who you 
are or where you live, you need access to modern communications to have 
a fair shot at 21st century success. Communications technology is 
changing at a breakneck pace and this has extraordinary consequences--
for individuals, communities, and nations.
    In fact, we live in what Thomas Friedman calls the ``Age of 
Acceleration'' thanks to the exponential improvements in software, 
storage, processing, and networking all around us. But if you want an 
object lesson in just how fast communications technology is changing, 
consider what life was like at the start of the last decade, just ten 
years ago. The smartphone revolution was just getting underway. Voice 
assistants like Siri were still the stuff of science fiction. Humans 
could reliably beat computers in Jeopardy. And watching what you wanted 
meant loading a silvery disc into a big, rectangular device. Plus, 
space technology was out of reach for everyone but the world's 
superpowers. Only about one-third of the world was online.
    We've come a long way. Over the past ten years, we've witnessed a 
25-fold increase in the amount of digital data on the planet, a 100-
fold increase in wireless speeds, and a billion-fold increase in 
computational power. These developments are like currents that are 
supercharging our economy and the field of artificial intelligence. 
They are the forces behind so much that is changing in industries like 
manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, healthcare and more. And 
they are not stopping. So we need to harness this energy and plan for 
this future--and here are three ideas to do just that.
    First, we need a plan to deploy 5G technology to everyone, 
everywhere in the United States. Right now, we don't have one. As a 
result, we risk falling behind our global peers in the next generation 
of wireless leadership.
    The stakes are high. With speeds as much as 100 times faster than 
present networks and much lower latency, these networks will kickstart 
the next big digital transformation. They will connect more things in 
more places, fostering all kinds of new economic activity. This in 
turn, will drive the future of industry and expand the potential for 
machine learning and the possibilities of artificial intelligence. 
Connecting the physical world around us will not only change industry, 
it will change the way we work, and even what work entails.
    But to lead in this next generation of connectivity, we need 
smarter spectrum policy. The truth is we have made a series of choices 
that have put us behind when it comes to freeing key airwaves we need 
for 5G. That's because to date the United States has aggressively 
focused its early efforts to support 5G wireless service by bringing 
only high-band spectrum to market. We have yet to auction a single 
megahertz of mid-band spectrum.
    This is a mistake. The rest of the world does not have this 
singular focus on high-band, millimeter wave frequencies. At least 
sixteen countries have auctioned mid-band spectrum specifically for 5G, 
starting as far back as two years ago. That means they have a head 
start on developing a 5G ecosystem in mid-band airwaves.
    Meanwhile, our focus on millimeter wave spectrum is threatening to 
create 5G haves and have-nots in the United States. That's because 
while these airwaves have substantial capacity, their signals do not 
travel far. As a result, commercializing them is costly--especially in 
rural areas. The sheer volume of antenna facilities required to make 
this service viable will limit deployment to the most populated urban 
areas. This will deepen the digital divide that already plagues too 
many rural communities nationwide. That's not right.
    But don't take my word for it. Last year the Defense Innovation 
Board--the United States military's premier advisory board of academic 
researchers and private sector technologists--surveyed the state of 
next-generation 5G networks and issued a sober warning. They found that 
``the country that owns 5G will own innovation and set the standards 
for the rest of the world'' and ``that country currently is not likely 
to be the United States.'' Why? As the experts on the board suggested, 
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is prioritizing the early 
release of high-band airwaves over mid-band airwaves and this is a 
``fundamentally flawed focus.'' I agree.
    So the FCC needs to change course, make it a priority to auction 
mid-band spectrum, and also develop a national plan for 5G service. The 
bipartisan leadership of four Senate Committees--Intelligence, Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Armed 
Services--wrote the White House late last year expressing their concern 
that we don't have a coordinated, national strategy in place for 5G--
and we need one. They're right.
    As part of this effort, we also need a plan to grow the unlicensed 
spectrum, or Wi-Fi. Today Wi-Fi contributes hundreds of billions to our 
economy each year. But going forward we will need Wi-Fi that can keep 
up with faster 5G speeds--because up to 70 percent of 5G traffic may be 
offloaded to Wi-Fi. That means the FCC must move faster to secure 
multiple wide channels for next generation Wi-Fi that will help us 
realize gigabit-plus speeds in homes, offices, and factories.
    Second, we need a plan to invest in training for the jobs of the 
future. Across the board, we need to do more to prepare our workforce 
for digital change. We can start with developing the workforce we need 
to build 5G networks. In the near term, the United States will have to 
train another 20,000 tower climbers to help install 5G equipment. In 
the longer term, we will need many other workers for every layer of the 
5G ecosystem. But the Department of Labor currently does not list 5G 
jobs as a priority for its registered apprenticeship programs. This is 
a problem--and we should fix it.
    At a broader level we need to think about how we can introduce more 
pathways to upward mobility across industries and across the country. 
The skills necessary to secure and keep a job are changing fast, but 
data suggests a steady decline in the amount employers are investing in 
their workforce. To remedy this, we need to encourage more investment 
in our workers. It's time to explore a human capital tax credit to 
offset a portion of new training activities to support the future of 
work. This could help upgrade our workforce, ensure access to in-demand 
skills, and create more job security for American workers nationwide.
    Third, we need a plan for both device and network security. Our 5G 
future will feature billions and billions of connected devices in the 
Internet of things. These connections will increase our effectiveness 
and efficiency. They will inform our choices about how to deploy 
capital and scarce resources in everything from manufacturing on the 
factory floor to predicting crop yields on the family farm.
    But before we embrace this future, we need to ask hard questions 
about security. That's because when we multiply the number of things 
that are connected, we also expand our vulnerabilities to cyberattack. 
After all, the equipment that connects to our networks can matter as 
much for security as the equipment that goes into our networks.
    So here's what the FCC can do to ensure the Internet of things 
becomes the Internet of secure things. Every device that emits 
radiofrequency at some point passes through the FCC. If you want proof, 
pull out your smartphone or take a look at the back of any computer or 
television. You'll see an identification number from the FCC. It's a 
stamp of approval. It means the device complies with FCC rules and 
policy objectives before it is marketed or imported into the United 
States. This routine authorization process takes place behind the 
scenes. But the FCC needs to revisit this process and explore how it 
can be used to encourage device manufacturers to build security into 
new products. To do this, we could build on the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology draft set of security recommendations for 
devices in the Internet of things. These efforts specify cybersecurity 
features to include in network-capable devices, whether designed for 
homes, hospitals, or industrial settings. They cover everything from 
device identification, device configuration, data protection, access to 
interfaces, to critical software updates. In other words, they are a 
great place to start--and we should do it now.
    At the same time, we need to focus on the security of our networks 
themselves. So far our efforts have been limited to improving 5G supply 
chain security through discouraging the use of insecure Chinese network 
equipment. But this alone is shortsighted. It's time to expand our 
approach and improve security by working on unlocking radio access 
networks through virtualization. This software-centric approach is 
known as open radio access networks (O-RAN) and it can support a more 
diverse and more competitive market for secure network equipment. The 
FCC can help get this started now by building opportunities to test O-
RAN in our ongoing effort to authorize city-wide 5G testbeds in New 
York and Salt Lake City.
    Thank you for the opportunity to offer my views on what we need to 
do to create opportunities for all in the industries of the future. I 
look forward to answering any questions you may have.

    The Chairman. Well, wow, what great testimony from all five 
of you.
    Let us start with 5G, and we will start down here with the 
FCC commissioners.
    We are in a race. Commissioner Rosenworcel feels that we 
are not winning that race right now. When will we know who 
wins? Who is ahead right now? And is the Commission unified on 
the way we do that mid-band auction? And is timeliness your 
main concern there? We will start with Ms. Rosenworcel.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Thank you, Senator. A lot of questions 
there.
    First, I am going to say the hype machine is in full force 
when it comes to 5G. I want to discount that right now and say 
what is important is that we all recognize this is the 
infrastructure of the future, and I think that is true on a 
bipartisan basis.
    The Chairman. And let me interject. There is a company on 
TV right now advertising that they are already leading the 
industry in 5G.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. You know we do see some deployments in the 
United States. That is really exciting. They are chiefly in 
urban areas. It has not reached rural America. But overall, we 
are finding that there are more commercial deployments in 
countries like Switzerland and far more 5G infrastructure has 
been deployed in China. Most of the rest of the world saw our 
leadership in 4G technology and they said I want to do that in 
the next generation of technology. So we are facing well 
financed efforts to make sure that other nations try to get 
ahead of us. We are going to have to work on developing plans 
to make sure 5G reaches this country early and that it reaches 
everywhere.
    The Chairman. The auction.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Sure. With respect to C-band or all 
auctions?
    The Chairman. With mid-band.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Mid-band spectrum. The United States is 
alone in the world in making high-band spectrum the early focus 
of 5G deployment. That is only good for urban America. It is 
not going to work for rural America. So we have to pivot to 
mid-band spectrum just as you suggest.
    The Chairman. Is the FCC unanimous on the way we proceed to 
this option?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. OK. Well, I do not want to speak for my 
colleague, but what I would say is I think that when it comes 
to the C-band and mid-band spectrum, the agency would be well 
served by having this committee develop legislation that could 
help articulate the best way forward. Because if you do that, 
we will decrease the likelihood that this winds up in 
litigation, and we will increase the likelihood that the 
spectrum is deployed.
    The Chairman. I think we will certainly want to be heard on 
where the money goes.
    Mr. O'Rielly, we would like advice from the Commission on 
the quickest way to get this done because I think you agree 
with Commissioner Rosenworcel that it needs to be done quickly.
    Mr. O'Rielly. Absolutely. I have made that one of my 
strongest tenets is pushing for this for almost 4 years now. 
And speed has to be the priority. We are on that active race 
that you talked about with other nations, and I agree with some 
of the points my colleague made in terms of other investments 
by certainly China and other places. That does not mean the 
United States is behind. It means it is an active race, and we 
will not be able to declare a winner for quite a while. But it 
means we have to invest and be very smart about our activities.
    In terms of the C-band auction, speed is of importance, and 
that means I am willing and have been willing to trade some of 
the other ideals that people would have liked otherwise to 
incorporate for that speed. So things that I think are 
necessary--there has to be an incentive to the satellite 
providers to be able to expedite that auction. Otherwise, we 
are going to have protracted litigation. That is a reality-
based situation. They use that spectrum today for commercial 
services that Americans benefit and enjoy. And so trying to 
take that from them will be aggressive action by the 
Commission. We have a very bad history of taking spectrum from 
the most egregious users much less someone who is using it for 
a beneficial purpose. So I think I am willing to trade some of 
those things for the enormous benefit that 5G presents.
    The Chairman. What about that point, Commissioner 
Rosenworcel?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Well, I think there are two things we are 
going to need from any piece of legislation.
    The first is you are going to have to clarify our practice 
for reclaiming this band of spectrum. You can spend a lot of 
time with section 309(j) of the Communications Act, and I will 
not see a clear pathway in there for dealing with this 
circumstance.
    And the second thing we have to recognize is this will 
raise billions of dollars. So you have an opportunity to say 
these public airwaves should be put--their revenue should be 
put to public purpose.
    The Chairman. I think Congress has noticed that there is a 
great deal of money involved.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Yes.
    The Chairman. What about the litigation delays that Mr. 
O'Rielly mentioned?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Well, that is why I believe Congress 
setting forward a clear pathway would reduce the likelihood 
that we face that kind of litigation.
    Mr. O'Rielly. I would always support legislation on this 
issue or any issue that would govern the FCC. So I welcome the 
Committee's action.
    Absent that, though, I think it is important the Commission 
move forward. There is a lot of things happening in Congress 
and perhaps legislation does not make it through. So I am 
willing to move forward and know that we have to act in that 
race that you talked about and address the issues.
    The Chairman. Commissioner O'Rielly, would you say the 
legislation needs to be signed into law sooner rather than 
later? Early this year?
    Mr. O'Rielly. Oh, yes, absolutely. If it is to be done, it 
has to be done very quickly.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. I think it is more important you get it 
right because this spectrum is important for our future and if 
we are going to move forward in a way that is going to wind up 
in litigation, we are going to all do ourselves a disservice.
    The Chairman. I think we are fortunate to have both of you.
    Senator Cantwell.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I hope this hearing is not going to turn into a proxy 
discussion of how much we should pay foreign satellite 
companies, because I think the law is clear. They do not own 
the spectrum. They have licensed the spectrum. And so I am with 
you, Ms. Rosenworcel, let us get it right. We have time to do 
that and we should all work very diligently on getting it 
right.
    What I am more concerned about--I guess I would shift my 
focus to the other three panelists here, which are the larger 
issues that we face on cybersecurity, deep fakes, AI, and how 
we are being challenged on an international basis. Getting this 
right and making sure that the United States is not allowing 
the deployment of technology that has a back door or is going 
to be promulgated by deep fakes that even AI cannot detect. AI 
might be an enabler of the fact. This is what I am hearing from 
some of our people at the University of Washington: right now 
you can detect deep fakes but AI might make the technologies so 
proficient that at some point you won't be able to detect deep 
fakes.
    So I look at this issue and say we want the advancement of 
technology, particularly AI that is going to help us in 
cybersecurity. There are some great applications there. But how 
do we get this other part right where the United States is a 
very loud voice for the issues of no government back doors, no 
deep fakes? How do we do that, Dr. Copan or Dr. Cordova or Mr. 
Kratsios?
    Dr. Copan. Let me begin. I think that one of the important 
areas that we need is to have the principles of AI used 
correctly. I believe that we are on an important journey there 
with our international partners.
    Having tools and standards to support artificial 
intelligence and to ensure its appropriate use, as well as the 
application of appropriate tools to understand the deep fake 
threat that you have mentioned. NIST has come out with several 
reports relating to that including reports on adversarial 
machine learning applications that have been utilized in deep 
fake development; and part of the programmatic investment being 
made, including our FarSAIT program, is focused on the 
development of the technologies for early assessment, and then 
to take the appropriate action.
    Senator Cantwell. Dr. Cordova.
    Dr. Cordova. I will add that NSF is making significant 
interdisciplinary investments in furthering our understanding 
about biass and misinformation and algorithms, including deep 
fakes. These investments are largely through our Secure and 
Trustworthy Cyberspace and our Robust Intelligence programs. We 
expect that information assurance and deep fakes will continue 
to be called out in future solicitations. So our approach is 
really investing in the research that will help us assure what 
Dr. Copan is talking about, is that we have unbiased, fair, 
transparent, open, and ethical AI that can deal with this.
    Mr. Kratsios. From the White House perspective, we think of 
it in two categories.
    I think first is our focus on the research and development 
that is going to underpin the important decisions that 
lawmakers and regulators can make. Without the technology 
behind being able to identify deep fakes or being able to 
identify bias or discrimination in these algorithms or even 
produce reports around explainability of algorithms, we are a 
little bit hamstringed. So being able to focus our efforts at 
places like the NSF, at NIST and DARPA to continue this very 
important research is critical.
    The second piece is for the United States to continue to 
partner with our allies around the world. I am like my partners 
on stressing the importance of safe, trustworthy, and robust 
artificial intelligence. We did that at the OECD last May when 
the U.S. led an effort that brought together the OECD countries 
to agree to a set of AI principles that discuss a lot of the 
issues that you mentioned. And going forward, we want to 
continue to push and encourage our allies to be aligned with us 
on promulgating their own domestic rules and regulations around 
ensuring the safe and secure deployment of AI.
    Senator Cantwell. Well, does this not take some leadership? 
I mean, in the 5G example, we hear a lot from our colleagues on 
the Intelligence Committee about what they hear and see and do, 
and we have certainly been on CODELs where we have been to 
countries where 5G has been deployed. We have tried to explain 
to them that we all should be focused on the principles and 
advocating for these principles. So I do not know, Dr. Copan, 
if you worry that we are already at the point, particularly on 
deep fakes, where we might have some international event based 
on misinformation that is promulgated without people really 
understanding whether it is true or accurate?
    Dr. Copan. It is so important for us to have the 
underpinning of data to be able to guide the right kinds of 
policy decisions, the right kinds of conversations around the 
world that are guided by the principles such as those that Mr. 
Kratsios had mentioned. It is part of the mission of NIST to 
provide the underpinning tools and standards and data, the 
measurement insights to inform these types of dialogues to be 
most productive globally.
    Dr. Cordova. I would like to add that we are also working 
with companies on these problems to do with fairness and ethics 
in artificial intelligence. We have a program with Amazon right 
now where we each contribute $10 million for each of the next 3 
years to fund proposals that come to us from anywhere about how 
to increase fairness in artificial intelligence.
    And we have a collaboration between our Computer and 
Information Science and Engineering directorate and our Social, 
Behavioral and Economic Sciences directorates that is in 
partnership with an organization of 50 industries called the 
Partnership on AI, where we are funding proposals to do with 
ethics and transparency and openness, deep fakes, technology 
biases in artificial intelligence. So we have really increased 
the investments, and we are doing that as a public-private 
partnership in this country.
    Senator Cantwell. Well, I know my time is expired, Mr. 
Chairman. I just worry about this issue as it relates to 
international events or things that could trigger international 
events because we do not have the right information. We can see 
how it could happen with the rapid deployment of information. 
Again, a long time ago, it would not have been this way, but 
now with the rapid spread of information, things can get very 
invigorated over false information. So we need to get this 
right.
    Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Cantwell.
    Senator Blackburn.

              STATEMENT OF HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE

    Senator Blackburn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you 
for the hearing today and for each of you being here.
    I want to stay right with where Senator Cantwell was. And, 
Dr. Cordova, I want to talk with you. You just were talking 
about trying to reinvigorate some of the R&D. And as we were 
looking at this hearing and Senator Rosen and I were working on 
legislation we filed yesterday, the Advanced Manufacturing Act, 
and looking at the education component of this, it was not lost 
on me that with 20th century R&D, the U.S. was the driver. We 
basically drove 69 percent of the R&D landscape globally. And 
now, with great power competition, with China with the way they 
are coming in, it makes it very difficult for us to be 
competitive on this. And you are talking about EVs, AVs, AI, 
and jobs of the future. And this is why Senator Rosen and our 
staffs have worked so hard to get this legislation moving 
forward because we think that it is vitally important.
    And, Mr. Kratsios, I think for you all at the White House, 
it is important for you to look at this, and I would like to 
hear more from you with how you all create the right 
environment. We do not want you to pick winners and losers. We 
want you to develop a level playing field in the right 
environment so that innovation can take place so that we can 
begin to leapfrog some things. And if you would submit an 
answer on that in writing.
    I want to come to our two FCC commissioners. And I always 
appreciate having them in front of us and always appreciate the 
robust debate that they bring to discussions.
    Let us talk a little bit about spectrum. We have been 
working trying to recapture some of this mid-band spectrum and 
move forward with 5G deployment because we need that.
    And as you all know, I have done a lot of work on DOD and 
how we are going to utilize that spectrum and make good use and 
value with having private partners in here. It is going to be 
imperative that we work to utilize 5G and to maximize it. As we 
close the digital divide--and I think many of our states are 
like us in Tennessee. We are doing a great job closing that 
digital divide. It is a priority because you cannot have 21st 
century economic development, health care, education, or law 
enforcement without it. So we are putting a focus on this.
    But I would like to hear from each of you, as we look at 
this issue with our military and utilization of spectrum, how 
do we enable private innovation and also address DOD with their 
needs for spectrum and for innovation. And, Ms. Rosenworcel, if 
you want to go first and then we will go to Commissioner 
O'Rielly.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Sure. Thank you, Senator. Those are good 
questions.
    I think there are two things that come to mind.
    First, I think we need a national spectrum incentive 
policy. Right now, huge portions of the airwaves below 6 
gigahertz are used for important Federal purposes like defense, 
aviation, and some others. Reclaiming them from those old uses 
and putting them to use for new commercial purposes is 
extremely difficult.
    Senator Blackburn. Would you pack them into the lower band?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Well, what I would do is try to 
incentivize them so they could assess their authorizations on 
their own terms and then see the possibility of gain from their 
reallocation. I think we have to revisit how we are doing this; 
otherwise, we get into knockdown, drag-out fights with the 
military, with aviation interests, with transportation 
interests over spectrum policy. And I think we have to 
incentivize them to be more efficient on their own.
    The second thing is I think it is really important that we 
continue the work that the National Science Foundation is doing 
on dynamic spectrum sharing so we can all occupy these airwaves 
together more efficiently, more effectively, and more 
abundantly.
    Mr. O'Rielly. So I appreciate my colleague's points, but I 
will say that incentives already exist in the statute and the 
military has been relatively ignorant or does not want to move. 
We are going to need more sticks. I have advocated that we are 
going to need new legislation on this front. I know members of 
this committee are looking at that, that we require spectrum be 
part of their Federal budget. They would have the value of 
spectrum. We do not let them have holdings for land or other 
uses that are not incorporated into their budget, and we need 
to do that for their overall spectrum holdings. They do not 
need any new spectrum. The DOD and the military has enough 
spectrum. Moving them and preventing the squatting you talked 
about is incredibly difficult, and it is going to require drag-
out fights.
    And I will give you an example of the 3.1 to 3.55 band that 
I talked about as a prime third piece, a third leg of the stool 
for mid-band spectrum. And that is where DOD is. They talked 
about and we worked with them on the 3.45 to 3.55----
    Senator Blackburn. How about the 4.9?
    Mr. O'Rielly. 4.9 is absolutely something that is public 
safety versus the military. But, yes, we need to do that. That 
is definitely part of the conversation on T-band, and I think 
that has to be something that should come back for commercial 
purposes.
    Senator Blackburn. Appreciate it. I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blackburn.
    Senator Blumenthal.

             STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

    Senator Blumenthal. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for having 
this very important hearing.
    Commissioner Rosenworcel, I am very interested in the idea 
of the human capital tax credit. How is it different from the 
tax credits that we have right now that are administered 
through the Labor Department?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. You know, we did some studying and we 
found that over time there has actually been a real decline in 
workforce training. And the White House has done work on this 
by developing the Pledge to America's Workers so that 400 of 
the biggest companies have committed to doing more in the 
workforce.
    But I think we need something that is broader-based, that 
touches more people, more employers, and more workers and more 
places. So if we patterned a tax credit for human capital and 
training off of what we do today with the popular R&D tax 
credit, we might see the opportunity to have more training for 
the jobs of the future. And there is work in Connecticut, 
Georgia, Kentucky, and a few other states just on this subject, 
and I think it is something we should explore nationally as 
well.
    Senator Blumenthal. Well, I would be very interested in 
exploring it because in my view there is no more important 
challenge in this country today for our national security, our 
national defense, technology across the board than training 
people for the jobs of the present and the future. And you make 
the point that we need people to climb poles to install 5G.
    What are the kinds of skills that are necessary? I imagine 
to climb a pole, you need to be trained in how to climb a pole. 
But what are the skills that need to be trained for that kind 
of work?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Well, obviously, you cannot have a fear of 
heights, but what is important is that we need more people 
doing this and doing it fast. And that is why we were struck 
when we looked at the apprenticeship programs at the Department 
of Labor that this is not a priority. If we want to have a 
national 5G plan, we have to make the training of these 
individuals a priority, and I hope we can do that.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you.
    Let me ask you, Mr. Kratsios. I was frankly disappointed 
recently in the so-called guidance issued by the Department of 
the Transportation with respect to autonomous vehicle safety. 
Guidance rather than standards seem to me no substitute for 
real rules.
    Would you please give me your view as to whether or not 
there ought to be more rigorous and more vigorously enforced 
rules and standards for autonomous vehicles than what we have 
seen just now from the Department of Transportation?
    Mr. Kratsios. Our efforts on autonomous vehicles over the 
past 3 years have really focused on this idea that the 
oversight or coordination of efforts around autonomous vehicles 
more broadly is not something that is solely in the domain of 
the Department of Transportation. And at the beginning of our 
administration, the first set of autonomous vehicle guidance 
was specific to vehicles. The second set of guidance, AV 3.0, 
was around the idea that it is a multimodal issue. And AV 4.0, 
which was the effort that we undertook and spent the last year 
working on, was the recognition that autonomous vehicles touch 
multiple agencies. There is work being done at NASA. There is 
work being done at NSF. There is working being done at NIST, 
and the list goes on. And in order for the United States to 
ensure leadership in this particular domain, it is critical 
that we as a Federal Government remain coordinated, an effort 
that the White House undertook.
    With regard to specific rules of the Department of 
Transportation, I will defer to my colleagues there. I do 
believe that it is important that any regulations going into 
place around vehicles are ones that can instill trust in this 
particular technology for the American people. Whether you are 
dealing with autonomous vehicles or artificial intelligence or 
any other emerging technology, it is critical that the American 
people trust the technology that they are using.
    Senator Blumenthal. You would agree that under the guidance 
released last week, manufacturers are not required. They are 
just encouraged or recommended to submit additional technical 
or safety information.
    Mr. Kratsios. That is correct.
    Senator Blumenthal. Do you not think they ought to be 
required?
    Mr. Kratsios. I think that is a decision that the policy 
process at DOD should pursue to undertake, but I think it is 
critical we have a good relationship with all of our 
manufacturers and that we share as much information as possible 
to drive safety outcomes.
    Senator Blumenthal. Let me finally ask Commissioner 
O'Rielly and Commissioner Rosenworcel on the topic of 
enforcement. Robocalls. Will the FCC be able to meet its 
deadlines under the TRACED Act, and what more would you 
recommend that Congress or the FCC do in furtherance of the 
goals, which I think are virtually unanimously shared on this 
panel and in the U.S. Senate that we need to do more to protect 
consumers against robocalls?
    Mr. O'Rielly. I am committed to getting at and enforcing 
the statute against illegal robocalls. I think the Chairman is 
committed as well and has been aggressive on this issue, and I 
anticipate meeting the deadlines that Congress established for 
us.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. You would have to look far and wide to 
find anyone who likes Rachel from card member services or that 
IRS agent with that imminent threat of the lawsuit.
    The FCC needs to do more to fix this problem, and if we 
find that the new authorities you gave us in the TRACED Act are 
insufficient, I think it is incumbent on us to come straight to 
you to ask for additional authority.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. Thank you all for being 
here. Thank you, Commissioner Rosenworcel, in particular for 
coming to Connecticut on the topic of robocalls. It was an 
extraordinarily valuable and enlightening visit, and I 
encourage all of you to get out in the field and give us the 
benefit of your expertise and wisdom. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal.
    Senator Peters.

                STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN

    Senator Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And each of our witnesses today, we appreciate this 
conversation.
    You know, as we are talking about future industries, I 
think it is also important to remember our current industries 
and how important they are and how they are going to actually 
be impacted by all of the things that we are talking about 
right now. And I want to talk specifically about manufacturing 
and precision manufacturing and how these new technologies, 
particularly artificial intelligence, will radically transform 
the factory floor. We will see increases in productivity. We 
will be able to capture massive amounts of data that occurs 
right now in the production facility and handle that in new, 
creative ways. 3D printing, nanotechnology, all of these future 
technologies are going to have an impact on manufacturing.
    And especially coming from Michigan as a great, big 
manufacturing state, I am a big believer, as I think many folks 
on this committee are too, that you really cannot be a great 
country and really have a strong economy if you do not actually 
make stuff. And that is what manufacturing does. It actually 
makes things.
    And, unfortunately, we have not had a comprehensive 
manufacturing policy in this country. It does not matter what 
the administration is. There really is not that kind of 
cohesive, coherent approach to it. In fact, we have a lot of 
different programs that deal with manufacturing. You represent 
programs of manufacturing in your relative agencies.
    But we do not even know how much we spend. I was struck by 
the fact that the GAO did a study in 2017, and they were asked 
to account for Federal manufacturing and how much we spend on 
it. And they said they could not do it because there are 58 
different manufacturing programs spread across 11 different 
Federal agencies. That does not make sense to me. It is not 
coordinated. Certainly, there is a lot of duplication of 
overhead and cost, which we could be directing into actually 
making sure that we have a highly competitive manufacturing 
sector like our competitors do, whether it is China or South 
Korea or Germany. I mean, the list goes on of folks who are 
really good at this.
    So, my question to Dr. Copan and Dr. Cordova and others who 
would want to weigh in, but the two of you do have some of 
those manufacturing programs--how can we benefit from better 
coordination and thinking this through in a more comprehensive 
way across agencies and across programs? What should we be 
doing? Whoever wants to start of the two of you.
    Dr. Cordova. Well, I will start with the National Science 
and Technology Council, which the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy runs. And that is a vehicle where all of the 
agencies, including the science agencies, come together and 
discuss what they are doing, such as best practices and how to 
move to really good policy. I will leave it to Mr. Kratsios to 
talk in more detail about what is going on in the manufacturing 
areas.
    I just want to say, as you know well, Senator Peters, NSF 
is heavily invested. We do know our number, which is $250 
million presently and, with the grace of Congress and 
increasing our budget, will be more for this current fiscal 
year now. And we are really investing in Partnerships for 
Innovation, and your state has one of the highest stakes in the 
Partnerships for Innovation program. We are putting a lot of 
money into increasing research in manufacturing. We have a lot 
of engineering research centers and industry/university 
research centers around the country, several dozen of those, 
where we have students. And so we have a development of 
students in manufacturing. So we have a real emphasis on this.
    And for the future, our engineering directorate is planning 
something called Future Manufacturing. They have identified 
four key areas, including cyber, bio, folding and eco-
manufacturing, various other things, to really put an emphasis 
on where the future of manufacturing and the future work will 
be.
    So NSF is very invested in that.
    Senator Peters. Let me just interject here. I appreciate 
all you do. You do great work.
    My question is to what extent do all 58 programs actually 
talk to each other, and how are the 11 agencies actually 
talking together? Is there coordination across the Federal 
Government, not individual programs doing great jobs?
    Dr. Cordova. And we do. Our agencies--like NIST and the 
Department of Energy, NASA, and others, we are constantly 
coming together through the National Science and Technology 
Council. But also, we have our own programs of getting together 
on a quarterly basis, and we have made various field trips to 
our manufacturing sites. I was recently with Walter Copan at 
one of our quantum sites and with Paul DeBarre of DOE at some 
of our other sites.
    So maybe, Michael, you could talk for a little bit about 
the----
    Senator Peters. What can we do better? Tell me what we can 
do better, not what we are doing great. What can we do better?
    Mr. Kratsios. I think utilizing the power that we have 
together across the agencies and the coordinating functions of 
the National Science and Technology Council is something that 
could be leveraged, I think, even more effectively for the 
future. We have taken important strides already in the past 
several years to bring together a much more cohesive, strategic 
planning process around advanced manufacturing, including our 
work with Manufacturing USA institutes and the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership which provides a great deal of insight 
from the voice of industry to the Federal Government and to the 
programmatic effectiveness that we have. But I believe that our 
working together to actually now execute even more effectively 
on the strategies that have been laid out are vital for the 
future of industrial leadership in this Nation for the benefit 
of us all.
    Senator Peters. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    We have Senator Tester and then Senator Young.
    Senator Tester.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JON TESTER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

    Senator Tester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And I want to thank you all for being here.
    The first question is for Mr. O'Rielly and Ms. Rosenworcel. 
Look, Chairman Pai has made a commitment to spend $9 billion in 
5G infrastructure in rural America. I support that commitment, 
but I have concerns about FCC's ability to execute this task. 
Folks in rural America and rural Montana have waited for years 
for the Mobility Fund to get out the door, and you guys know, 
as well as I, it never happened. And the lack of reliable cell 
service in our communities has tremendous, enormous public 
safety impacts, business impacts. In fact, as I walked in this 
room right now, I sat down and I said, oh, gosh, I forgot my 
cell phone. I need to get my cell phone. If I was on the farm, 
who cares? It does not work anyway most of the time.
    So your thoughts on getting that $9 billion out. Is it 
possible? Is it going to happen? What can I look for as metrics 
to monitor its occurrence? Either one can go first.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Thanks, Senator.
    Listen, I share your frustrations. It was two years ago the 
FCC started its work on the Mobility Fund. This committee spent 
the last year reminding us that we do not have maps that tell 
us where service is and is not.
    Senator Tester. That is true.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. For starters, we have to figure that out, 
and then we have to figure out how to deploy those funds to the 
right places. All I have seen to date is the Chairman's press 
release about $9 billion, but I have seen no improvements with 
our maps. And I think that is a problem.
    Senator Tester. Go ahead.
    Mr. O'Rielly. I would say the Chairman has made a 
recommendation. We will have an NPRM, which will ask a host of 
questions.
    Senator Tester. What is an NPRM?
    Mr. O'Rielly. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. It is the 
initial stage. And we will ask all of those questions and then 
what does it mean for 4G. What does it mean for those areas 
that do not have 4G today? And so that is something that is 
part of our process to explore all of those issues before we 
make final decisions.
    Senator Tester. And thank you both. And thank you both for 
your service.
    But I will tell you this. Rural America is kind of behind 
the curve anyway in my opinion, and if we do not do this, and 
do this right and do this reasonably quickly--you have to be 
smart about how we spend the money, so we do not want to waste 
it. But if we do not do this and do it right, it is crazy. I 
mean, it is crazy that we do not have better service in rural 
America. And we have had many hearings on this and we have 
talked about the fact that we are going to need government 
support because there is not enough people out there to do it.
    All I would say to you guys is push the Chairman, and if we 
need to push the Chairman, come to this committee and say, 
look, we have pushed, you need to push, too. OK? Thank you very 
much.
    A previous question talked about workforce in regard to 
building of towers and kind of hands-on labor that would need 
to be done for telecommunications towers, tower climbers and 
the likes. And it was asked previously, and I do not know who 
answered it. But the question was said, well, this is really a 
DOL issue and I agree. The question is who is putting pressure 
on the DOL to make sure we are getting the kind of well-trained 
employees out there.
    Mr. O'Rielly. I think that I made that as part of my 
testimony, and so I will answer your question.
    I know that DOL has just put out a new announcement of 
funding that includes telecommunications and communications as 
part of its apprenticeship program. So the point that 
Commissioner Rosenworcel mentioned--I think they have expanded 
their apprenticeship program. But it is more than just tower 
climbing I should say.
    Senator Tester. It is.
    Mr. O'Rielly. It is RF tuning and siting, communications 
engineering, and a whole host of other skills.
    Senator Tester. So can I ask just a request? We have a 
thing called a board of regents in Montana. They probably got 
one in Nevada. They probably got it in Michigan. They probably 
got one in Indiana. Could you send out some information of what 
kind of workforce is needed so that those folks who oversee our 
tech schools--they are probably called something else now--can 
put out the kind of people we need? Because the truth is you 
can have all the best laid plans, but if you do not have a 
workforce, you are done. Thank you.
    Last question. This goes to you. And I am going to butcher 
your name. Kratsios?
    Mr. Kratsios. Kratsios.
    Senator Tester. Well, pretty close.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Tester. So do you deal in the word of plant and 
animal alterations for food basically, like GMO wheat, like GMO 
salmon, that kind of stuff?
    Mr. Kratsios. That is something our office covers, but it 
is not in my portfolio.
    Senator Tester. So can I just ask--and my time is limited. 
I am down to 20 seconds. But I have had different 
administrations into my office to ask if testing could be done 
on a lot of these genetically altered wheat, for example, or 
corn or soy or salmon. And the response has always been, ``you 
know what? Wheat is wheat when wheat is not wheat. And we are 
pretty smart. But I got to tell you Mother Nature always bats 
last. Always bats last.'' And so could I get some sort of 
commitment, as we move into this, that we treat these altered 
plants and animals with the same kind of respect that we would 
treat new vitamins or prescription drugs that come onto the 
marketplace?
    Mr. Kratsios. Yes, absolutely. From what I understand, 
there has been a big effort over the last few years to try to 
ensure that as these new types of genetically modified both 
foods and plant products are overseen through a regulatory 
process, that includes the USDA, FDA, and also EPA. And we have 
done a lot to try to streamline that effort so when there are 
innovators who are working on these new types of plants or 
animals that they know the right regulatory pathway. But we 
will certainly look into this.
    Senator Tester. I would just say I hope that there is a 
general admission that, quite frankly, our longevity is going 
down. We are seeing things like autism and glucose intolerance 
and all these things that I never heard of when I was a kid. 
And by the way, you can say they were still there. They were 
just not identified. I do not buy that. Things are changing, 
and we should try to get to the bottom of it especially when it 
applies to food. Thank you very much.
    The Chairman. Senator Tester, you and I voted for a mapping 
bill last year, which passed the Senate. It is now in the 
possession of the House of Representatives.
    Senator Young.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. TODD YOUNG, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA

    Senator Young. Thank you, Chairman.
    I want to thank all our witnesses for your presence here 
and for your service. I really appreciate your testimony.
    I thought I would begin by discussing something that may 
have been asked previously. It pertains to access to data and 
how that impacts our ability to research and develop some of 
these industries of the future that we are discussing today.
    China, of course, has an advantage of sorts over us. They 
can unabashedly take private information from their citizens 
and leverage that data into significant innovations. I think of 
artificial intelligence where the feedstock of AI, as those 
algorithms learn, is massive data sets. And thankfully, we 
Americans subscribe to a different system. We have different 
values and protections in place. And it is very important I 
think that we do.
    But, Mr. Kratsios, in your testimony you mentioned improved 
public access to high quality Federal data with the sort of 
popular recognition that there is data out there that could be 
made available without in any way infringing upon an 
individual's privacy.
    Perhaps you can discuss OSTP's efforts to increase access 
to such data and relatedly maybe touch on how the United States 
might better utilize the data that we do have to boost 
innovation.
    Mr. Kratsios. Yes, absolutely. As we were identifying the 
executive order that launched the U.S. national strategy on AI, 
this came up from all over the place, from the research 
community, from academics, from private sector players. So one 
of the directives that the President gave to the Office of 
Management and Budget was to work with the agencies to identify 
high value Federal data sets that would be valuable to the 
research community in pushing AI forward. OMB is working on 
that request now. They put out on the street a request for 
information to hear from the community, if they are aware of 
data sets the Federal Government has which, through the right 
types of processing, could be released and hopefully we will be 
able to make some public announcements soon regarding that 
particular data.
    The other thing that I think is critically important that 
we do in parallel to more data is recognizing there are 
important research and development questions around this data 
analysis that we continue to invest in. So things like 
homomorphic encryption we are able to actually do AI analysis 
without revealing some of the personal information of that data 
is something that a lot of our agencies look at and DARPA is 
funding. So in parallel to try to get more data out, we can 
build better technologies in order to be doing analysis on data 
that is more sensitive.
    Senator Young. If you identify areas where a modification 
of the existing authorities might be helpful in furtherance of 
your work there, please do not hesitate to let my office know. 
We would love to work with you on that.
    Mr. Kratsios. Absolutely. Health care always comes to mind. 
That is the one that is the highest value of it all, so highest 
risk.
    Senator Young. Director Copan, Cordova, I enjoyed having 
dinner with the two of you at CSIS the other evening. We 
discussed a related topic to this, industries of the future and 
some of China's activities. So it was a free-flowing 
conversation. And one of the things that came up was the Bayh-
Dole Act, a public policy that was designed to incentivize more 
innovation. I think it is generally regarded as a very 
successful piece of legislation. But it came to my attention 
that really it is due for modernization as the world has 
changed.
    So perhaps you could give me an overview, each of you, very 
briefly, what challenges might exist to the current law and how 
we might optimize it to ensure U.S. leadership in this area? 
And if one director covers it, of course the other one can fill 
in gaps wherever you see fit. Thank you.
    Dr. Copan. Thank you very much, Senator, for your question 
and for your leadership.
    We have embarked as NIST and really across the Federal 
Government on a review of Federal technology transfer, 
legislation, policy, and best practices. This has resulted in 
an interagency effort. A green paper was issued by NIST 
summarizing those things that we have heard from public sector 
and private sector entities. And we are working very closely 
now with members of this committee, as well, toward the 
development of legislative language to modernize, in 
particular, the Stevenson-Wydler Act, the sister act of the 
Bayh-Dole Act that governs technology transfer from federally 
funded research at our nation's research institutes.
    The green paper outlines important findings for 
modernization. The speed of business today, and the 
expectations in our digital economy, are much different when 
this foundational, important legislation was put in place; and 
we look forward to working with the community of practice and 
with this committee to advance those changes.
    Senator Young. Thank you.
    Director Cordova, anything to add?
    Dr. Cordova. Well, I will just add that there is a real 
emphasis on public-private partnerships, and we could really 
use some changes there to make it easier to have those kind of 
partnerships because everything is a one-off and that is a lot 
of work. And we all want to work together. So having policies 
reformed so that it makes it much easier to do translational 
research across those boundaries would be great. So we are all 
working together on that.
    Senator Young. Excellent. I look forward to maintaining the 
dialogue. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Young.
    Senator Rosen.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JACKY ROSEN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA

    Senator Rosen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you all for being here today, your hard work and your 
knowledge and passion for a lot of these topics.
    I really want to say we must have the broadband map first. 
That comes before anything else because if you do not know 
where you have it and you do not know where you do not, how are 
you going to get started? Pretty simple there.
    But I really want to talk a little bit about Nevada and my 
home state of Nevada advanced manufacturing. We are one of the 
fastest growing sectors in our economy. We are actually ranked 
second for advanced manufacturing growth. We know that despite 
this pattern of accelerated growth, there is a widening gap 
between new advanced manufacturing jobs and the workers that 
are qualified with the skills to fill them.
    Like Senator Blackburn said, I along with others and 
Senator Blackburn just yesterday introduced the legislation to 
promote productive relationships between the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnerships. Those centers are educational 
institutions in the advanced manufacturing industry. And this 
legislation is going to help facilitate pilot projects between 
all of those entities to support education, to support training 
so we can better equip our workers.
    So I want to talk a little bit about--you know, in Nevada, 
we have a Nevada industry excellence center led by Mark 
Anderson. He plays and that center plays a critical role in 
providing resources. And in Nevada, 99 percent of our 
businesses are small businesses.
    So, Director Copan, I want to ask how we in Congress can 
help better potentiate what you are doing to support the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, the work that they do for 
small and medium-sized businesses like those 99 percent in 
Nevada and really speaking, building on Senator Tester, 
especially in those rural areas.
    Dr. Copan. Indeed. Thank you so much, Senator.
    The Manufacturing Extension Partnership is truly an 
American treasure that enables small manufacturers, medium-
sized manufacturers, as well as entrepreneurs, to have access 
on a shared basis to advanced technologies, and the latest 
knowledge in terms of cybersecurity protections and risk 
mitigation. As we know, small to medium-sized companies that 
are the victims of cybersecurity attacks, in general, the 
majority of them will be out of business within half a year and 
it is a remarkable challenge that our Nation faces.
    An area that we are focused on at MEP and also the synergy 
with the manufacturing institutes, Manufacturing USA, is to 
look at leveraging much more broadly the networks that are 
available to us nationally creating much stronger ties. And 
thank you for your leadership in the legislation that is 
looking to the future of building the workforce. There have 
been hundreds of thousands, who have been educated through 
these partnerships with the Manufacturing USA programs and with 
MEP, and we need to continue to strengthen that.
    Many of the questions from our Committee today have focused 
on the future of the workforce. And, as we make, we learn, and 
we innovate as a nation. And so recapturing that ability with a 
prepared workforce, as well as to simplify the way in which 
states and Federal Government and educational institutions and 
the Federal research enterprise can collaborate, to the point 
again around technology transfer and modernization in the era 
of the 21st century, is absolutely essential.
    So thank you very much for your support. MEP is very 
popular across all of Congress, and we do realize that there 
are opportunities to continue to leverage that great network.
    Senator Rosen. And building on that, you see what Senator 
Peters said about so many--you know, 50-plus different 
programs, agencies spread all around. So we know that we are 
going to have labor shortages in this area. Like Senator Tester 
said again, we have board of regents probably at most public 
universities, State universities across the country. We have 
unions for high school, secondary education, whatever they are. 
How do you think that we can get the word out about these kinds 
of programs, grants or partnerships that communities, not just 
the large ones with a lot of staff, can apply for, but some of 
the smaller, underrepresented areas, more challenged areas? How 
can we potentiate that, get the word out and coordinate that? I 
think that is key.
    Dr. Cordova. NSF has a program where we will, upon 
invitation, travel to any site in the country.
    Senator Rosen. Can I stop you there? Upon invitation?
    Dr. Cordova. Yes.
    Senator Rosen. What if someone does not know about this? So 
I think we should not wait for the invitation. You should be 
putting out the information about what you provide and then 
people can ask. If I do not know you are there, how can I 
invite you?
    Dr. Cordova. Well, we do fund in every single state. We 
fund a lot of programs, and certainly, we do in Nevada. And 
they know, because they receive large grants from us, that they 
can help out by inviting us. And we constantly communicate with 
them that we have a program where NSF will bring a whole lot of 
people there to talk about how----
    Senator Rosen. You are not engaging underrepresented, 
underserved communities. If they are large institutions, we 
know they have the resources to bring you there. But it is my 
smaller communities that do not have it. It is my 
underrepresented communities that do not have those resources. 
So I would just ask you to see if you can find a way that 
through our chambers of commerce, perhaps somehow to reach out 
to people who do not have these large resources, please.
    Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Rosen.
    Senator Udall.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. TOM UDALL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO

    Senator Udall. Thank you, Chairman Wicker.
    And thank you to all the witnesses. I think it has been an 
excellent panel here today.
    It is essential that policymakers both at agencies and in 
the Congress push past the buzzwords that dazzle but mean very 
little to my constituents in rural areas. And you have heard a 
lot today about rural areas. There is no doubt being from a 
rural state that rural areas are hurting. They are falling 
behind. I would associate with Senator Tester and some of the 
other Senators that talked very passionately about rural areas 
being behind.
    And I would like to thank you, Commissioner Rosenworcel, 
for being such a great advocate for our rural areas both here 
today and on many other occasions.
    For our students to be prepared to work in our industries 
of the future, they must have access to high-speed broadband 
networks at home, at school, and frankly on the bus on the way 
to school. I, along with Senator Gardner, introduced a bill 
that would allow Wi-Fi on school buses to be reimbursed by the 
E-Rate program. I started working on this issue after a visit 
by Commissioner Rosenworcel where she traveled to New Mexico. 
We went to several rural communities, and we heard directly 
from students how Wi-Fi on their school buses would make a 
difference in their school work and quality of lives.
    I look forward to having this bill marked up, Mr. Chairman, 
by the Committee. It is a good bipartisan bill. We all know how 
much it would benefit our school kids.
    Commissioner Rosenworcel, you have been sounding the alarm 
on the need to close the homework gap for years. Can you 
outline the benefits to our students if we open the E-Rate 
program to pay for Wi-Fi on school buses?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Sure. Thank you, Senator, for the 
question, your work on this.
    We know seven in 10 teachers assign homework that now 
requires Internet access, and one in three households do not 
have it. Where those numbers overlap is the homework gap. It is 
the cruelest part of the digital divide. And you see it in kids 
in McDonald's trying to do their homework, in library parking 
lots, and rushing to the homes of friends and family just to do 
math sets and English assignments.
    We can fix this. It is within our power, and one of the 
best and easiest ways to start fixing it is to put Wi-Fi on our 
school buses. It is especially potent in rural America because 
kids in rural America spend so much time going to school and 
back. And if we do that, we can turn ride time into connected 
time for homework and help close what is a really hard part of 
the digital divide.
    Senator Udall. Thank you for that answer.
    Dr. Cordova, as an honorary New Mexican, we are sad to see 
you are stepping away from the NSF soon. Our universities have 
benefited greatly from their partnerships with the NSF and most 
importantly the significant amount of investment.
    Can you speak to how our great universities in New Mexico 
are uniquely situated to prepare the workforce of the future?
    Dr. Cordova. Yes. I am not just an honorary New Mexican. 
Actually tax-wise, I am a New Mexican.
    Senator Udall. Well, we are very happy about that.
    Dr. Cordova. I have a home and a driver's license and so 
forth in New Mexico.
    So, yes. New Mexico is just a great state. That is why I 
made it my home. And it has the wonderful national laboratories 
there that can do so much as far as workforce development. We 
work with all of them. I was a member of Los Alamos National 
Laboratory for 10 years. That is where I started in New Mexico.
    And they also have a great ``three cultures'' in the state. 
And so we have a program for tribal colleges and universities. 
We are very active with the Navajo community in New Mexico. And 
we also have an I-Corps program to develop students to learn 
more about how to translate their discoveries into research. We 
have STEM workforce development programs of many scales, 
especially at New Mexico State University. The University of 
New Mexico has a CyberCorps program. So there are many NSF 
programs. And the program that I mentioned where we go and we 
take our senior leadership to the state and explain how to get 
more investment--we did that recently, a year or two ago in New 
Mexico, with great results because a lot more people applied 
for grants after that program.
    So I really see it as a state with huge potential because 
of the underrepresented communities and because of the 
strengths of laboratories and centers that we have there to 
really make inroads on education. I have made a pledge to the 
previous Governor, which I would make to the present Governor, 
that when I do leave the National Science Foundation, I would 
like to be a part of raising the education and the STEM 
workforce development in the state.
    Senator Udall. Great, great. Thank you so much, Dr. 
Cordova. And thank you to the entire panel.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Udall.
    Dr. Cordova, I understand there is a Senate seat coming 
open in New Mexico.
    [Laughter.]
    The Chairman. You might want to look at that.
    And, Senator Udall, staff tells me we are lacking a score 
on the school bus legislation, and without that, we are unable 
to do a markup. So perhaps we could both work on that really 
good idea.
    Senator Udall. We will work on that.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Udall.
    Dr. Copan, I want to ask you about graphene. We understand 
this is a material that could improve products from asphalt to 
airliners. Congress recently provided NIST with $1.5 million to 
fund and pursue graphene research activities with industry and 
academic institutions with expertise, existing capabilities, 
and infrastructure related to the commercial application of 
graphene.
    In my home state, the University of Mississippi established 
a center for graphene research and innovation. Recently, last 
fall, the center designed a graphene-enhanced polymer material 
that was launched from the Wallops flight facility in Virginia 
to be tested at the International Space Station for protection 
against hypervelocity impacts. The material will spend a year 
orbiting the globe and be tested for effectiveness.
    What do you think about that? Is this the next big thing? 
And can you highlight some of the work that NIST is doing to 
advance graphene research and the commercialization of the 
product?
    Dr. Copan. Indeed. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, and 
thank you for your support for the work that is going on that 
relates to leveraging this very important material. It is 
central to the future quantum sensors. It is central to the 
future of electronics. It is important in energy storage and 
advanced computing.
    And we began our effort on graphene research in the earlier 
2000s, as the efforts expanded from graphene to include other 
two-dimensional materials. So they are unique because they are 
flat, and they have remarkable electronic properties.
    We are also leveraging the work that we do with other 
Federal agencies. The Department of Defense is a close partner, 
DARPA, Navy research laboratories, collaborations also with the 
National Science Foundation and the academic community.
    We have also worked closely with the National Graphene 
Association. It is so important for us always in our research 
to have the insights from industry and the partnerships that in 
the future will enable commercialization of new products, new 
process technologies, and new applications.
    We are currently also working to develop an updated plan 
for our research and development agenda, and we look forward to 
working with you and the stakeholders as we advance that 
effort.
    Thank you.
    The Chairman. Dr. Cordova, I noticed you nodding when Dr. 
Copan said how central graphene is. Do you have any comments 
you would like to add?
    Dr. Cordova. It is just a great example of serendipitous 
discovery. I know the discoverers of graphene and did a 
presentation with one of them at the World Economic Forum a 
couple years ago. That is what NSF really invests in. We invest 
in curiosity-driven, discovery-driven research, and we invest, 
as I said earlier, across all fields of science and engineering 
because you never know where the next breakthrough is going to 
come from. And this was just a great example of a breakthrough 
coming.
    But obviously, you have to have a prepared mind. So I was 
smiling because I was thinking how many of us would have had 
the accident that those two researchers had. Saying, ``Oh, wow, 
this is the material that will change the world and have huge 
economic benefits.'' Most of us would say, ``Oh, well, this is 
a scrap of tape with some stuff on it,'' and thrown it in the 
trashcan. So you do have to be raised in an environment where 
you recognize something once you have discovered it?
    We talk about the industries of the future. We have 
identified, as Michael Kratsios said, in this administration a 
number of them. We are really investing in them. But our 
attitude at the National Science Foundation has been that 
actually the industries of the future might come from a place 
that is totally unexpected. And I mean, just look at where the 
whole computer world is right now, and we just did not expect 
as scientists in the late 1980s that we would send stuff 
through e-mail. It was just our private scientific papers. We 
had no idea. We had no idea when we funded Sergey Brin and 
Larry Page that they would develop Google from what was just a 
digital library project.
    So I just always smile when I think of graphene and the 
accident that created all of this.
    The Chairman. And finally, Dr. Cordova, let me ask you to 
expand a little on dynamic spectrum sharing. I think you 
mentioned this and Mr. O'Rielly, and Senator Blackburn dealt 
into this to an extent. But how helpful is that going to be? 
And if you could describe it for our listening audience today.
    Dr. Cordova. Yes. I think, as has been said by our 
commissioners, it is just essential, absolutely essential, that 
we have in our tool box a way to dynamically spectrum share.
    The Chairman. And by that, what do you mean?
    Dr. Cordova. By that, what I mean is that you do not take 
every isolated wavelength and just assign it to somebody and 
say that one is yours, this particular gigahertz, this 
megahertz is yours. You get to use it. It will have no 
spillover. It is just yours and nobody else can use it.
    But what is happening is that signals are not--they do not 
come like just straight lines, like pencil lines, what we call 
in the math business, delta functions. They spread over a large 
amount of frequencies. So when some company is acting at 24 
gigahertz and is producing their signals they are transmitting, 
it is actually going to spread out into other wavelengths that 
are nearby and that are going to affect our detection of water 
vapor in the atmosphere, which is critical for weather 
forecasting.
    So we absolutely have to look at ways that we can all 
share. The spectrum is a precious resource and it is a limited 
resource. We do not have infinite amounts of it. And so we must 
treat it like it is a reverent thing because it is all that we 
have for communications.
    So right now, it is very crowded and, as has been said just 
beautifully by our people testifying here, some of it could be 
wasted because it is not being used very efficiently. It was 
taken over at a period of time a long time ago where the use 
that was is not the use that is needed now. There are also more 
technologies in order to compress signals and to make them less 
spread out over everything. And private companies have that and 
some of that technology is private.
    And so what the NSF has done--and we have made it a 
foremost priority and we are going to be doing it in this 
year's budget, thanks to the new plan that Congress just passed 
for us--is we are taking leadership among the agencies for 
developing this concept of what we call a dynamic spectrum. So 
it is not static--that you get one wavelength and someone else 
gets another one; we will all share the spectrum. It could be 
at different times. It could be sharing the same frequency but 
in different proportions.
    The Chairman. How about different priorities?
    Dr. Cordova. Yes, and different priorities. Absolutely. But 
we will use this as a resource that is limited and constrained.
    And so we are going to set up a testbed or multiple 
testbeds for where we can do this dynamic spectrum sharing. One 
would be in West Virginia at our Green Bank Telescope facility 
where we already have some rules about sharing. But it does not 
incorporate space sharing from space satellites at all. It is 
just about ground-based sharing.
    So I think this could be a very productive way to achieve 
Ms. Rosenworcel's goal of sharing.
    The Chairman. So to our two commissioners, what does 
Congress need to do on this? We will start with Commissioner 
Rosenworcel.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. I am going to start by saying I share the 
NSF's optimism about spectrum sharing. It represents the 
future. It takes our scarce airwaves and turns them into 
abundance. The more we can support research in this area, the 
more the United States can lead and our wireless future will be 
brighter.
    The Chairman. So support research.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Absolutely.
    The Chairman. Commissioner O'Rielly?
    Mr. O'Rielly. But it is something we already have and 
something we are using. And there are some concerns here. I 
would say in terms of our CBRS, the spectrum at 3.55 that we 
are going to implement for spectrum sharing already and then 
make available licenses later this year; we have lower power 
limits because we are trying to deal with all the different 
entities in one space. That does not correspond to what the 
providers would like to do to be able to offer full-scale 5G 
services. So I think it is a tool in a tool box. It is not the 
solution. We are still going to need exclusive licensed 
spectrum. But it can solve those issues where you have a 
congested band and how to deal with different people where you 
cannot move them.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. I am more optimistic. I think we are going 
to use this tool throughout our airwaves over time, and it is 
going to take these scarce airwaves and make them more 
abundant. And so the more we invest in basic research now, the 
better off we will be.
    The Chairman. You are both making me optimistic.
    Do we have the technology we need now?
    Mr. O'Rielly. Yes.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Yes.
    Dr. Cordova. Yes. And I would add that we are also 
expanding research into the terahertz regime. An example would 
be Brown University--I have gone there and toured their 
facilities. We could actually take this spectrum--we have just 
been talking about the radio portion of spectrum, but we could 
move along it so we could have a lot more capacity.
    I have lived my life in the electromagnetic spectrum 
because I am an astrophysicist. And I want to put in a plug for 
the astronomers of the world too. We really care about what is 
happening with the electromagnetic spectrum because everything 
we know about our origins and evolution of the universe, the 
making of stars and galaxies, the 3 degree microwave 
background, and the Nobel prizes that have been given for 
discovery about the tiny little planet in the big universe in 
which we live in have been done by utilizing the 
electromagnetic spectrum.
    Dr. Copan. If I could just add. I think it is important for 
us to have future policy decisions that are guided by data and 
that we are in a situation to provide the kind of standards 
that would ultimately support the effective use of the very 
promising technologies that are currently in our laboratories. 
And certainly, NIST is a part of that journey, in developing 
standards, and providing the underpinning testing and 
validation.
    The Chairman. Thank you all.
    Senator Cruz.

                  STATEMENT OF HON. TED CRUZ, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM TEXAS

    Senator Cruz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you to each of the witnesses for being here today.
    Commissioner O'Rielly, let me start with you. You mentioned 
in your testimony that a report commissioned by Qualcomm 
outlined the potential economic benefits of 5G by 2035. And 
according to the report, in the next 15 years 5G will enable 
$13.2 trillion of global economic output, support 22.3 million 
jobs, and produce economic global growth of $2.1 trillion.
    If the United States fails to roll out 5G before China, 
what kind of economic impact would that have on the U.S.?
    Mr. O'Rielly. Well, I think all of the data points that you 
just cited that I previously referenced will transfer to other 
countries, including China, all of that benefit. And it is not 
just--being the leader in 5G, it's not just about one 
particular technology. It is about setting standards for the 
future for 6G, going from what we were able to do at 4G, and 
setting the environment and all the applications that go on top 
of--that utilize the technologies. And it is much more 
expansive than we have given it credit for in the past, and all 
of that will flow to other countries and all the benefit will 
be to the detriment of the United States.
    Senator Cruz. Who is winning the race right now?
    Mr. O'Rielly. I think it is a tough slog. We have 
obligations and we are working really hard at the Commission to 
make sure wireless providers in the United States have the 
resources to compete domestically, internationally, they have 
the spectrum, they have the infrastructure policy, they have 
the environment to be able to compete. But it is going to be a 
tough slog when you have foreign nations who are throwing 
billions and billions of subsidized dollars to facilitate their 
providers for multiple different reasons.
    Senator Cruz. In Commissioner Rosenworcel's testimony, you 
mentioned that last year the Defense Innovation Board had 
concerns with the FCC's approach prioritizing high-band 
frequencies over mid-band frequencies. The board's statement 
that the United States will, quote, not likely own 5G 
innovation and thus will not set the standards for the rest of 
the world is more than a little concerning.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Absolutely.
    Senator Cruz. It is critical for the U.S. to win the race 
on 5G.
    Can you discuss where the United States stands in 
comparison to the rest of the world when it comes to freeing up 
mid-band spectrum and why this spectrum is so important to 
winning the race to 5G?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Sure, Senator. I think we are behind. 
There are at least 16 other nations that have already auctioned 
mid-band spectrum. As far back as two years ago, South Korea, 
Japan, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, lots 
of places worldwide are trying to do this early because those 
are the airwaves that propagate far and also have capacity.
    But the United States is alone in making high-band spectrum 
the focus of our early 5G efforts, and there is a reason for 
that. It just does not go very far--those signals. As a result, 
we are only going to see deployment in urban America and not in 
rural communities. We need to pivot to 5G that is focused on 
mid-band fast, and I think the best way to do it is to expedite 
the auction of the 3.5-gigahertz band, which is sitting around 
and ready to go.
    Senator Cruz. Can you also address why it is important from 
a national security perspective that technologies like apps for 
your phone be built on the 5G network of the United States and 
not China?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. Sure. There is a Chinese national 
intelligence law from 2017 that gives the state rights to 
access its networks, and so the deployment of that equipment 
comes with significant vulnerabilities. That is not true in the 
United States and with some of the European vendors that have 
traditionally provided service. Going forward, we are going to 
have to build a bigger, more competitive and diverse market for 
5G equipment in order to ensure security.
    Senator Cruz. Dr. Copan and Dr. Cordova, back in 2016 I 
held the first congressional hearing focused directly on 
artificial intelligence. At that hearing, we heard testimony 
that AI was at an inflexion point even then, at the precipice 
of experiencing the full potential AI can unleash.
    According to a September 2018 report by McKinsey Global 
Institute, by 2030 AI could potentially add approximately $13 
trillion to current economic output.
    What does the United States need to do to continue to lead 
in AI so that Americans realize those overwhelming economic 
benefits associated with this growth?
    Dr. Copan. Let me begin. And thank you so much, Senator, 
for that question.
    It is going to take targeted and sustained investments to 
ensure that the United States maintains a strong position of 
leadership, and also the translation of that investment into 
value for the economy. Part of that is having research data 
frameworks and more broad access to data. That is the fuel, if 
you will, for the utilization of artificial intelligence in all 
its domains to ensure that the United States has the full 
access to the benefits that are available.
    Our programs at NIST include work around standards and 
tools to support trustworthy AI, expanding upon fundamental 
research on AI systems, and then working also globally to 
ensure that the United States has a voice at the standards 
tables, to ensure that our industries, and also that our 
values, are effectively represented.
    Dr. Cordova. I feel very optimistic about our investment in 
artificial intelligence. At the National Science Foundation in 
the past year, we spent $500 million in this area over all of 
the agency, and we intend to invest a lot more.
    And I especially feel optimistic because it is a priority 
of this administration. And I would like to particularly 
acknowledge the efforts of our Chief Technology Officer, Mr. 
Kratsios, because he has really been leading the U.S. effort on 
artificial intelligence. And perhaps if you would like, he 
could just say a couple of words about our strategic plan for 
the U.S. in artificial intelligence, which builds on the 
previous administration but extends it to more partnerships and 
more activity.
    Senator Cruz. Sure. Mr. Kratsios?
    Mr. Kratsios. Sure. The strategy we unveiled last year is 
focused on four pillars, the first of which is a commitment to 
a renewed focus on fundamental research and development. And we 
have brought together a group, an interagency group, called the 
Select Committee on AI, which is the heads of all of our major 
R&D agencies. They coordinate the spending for AI across the 
Federal Government. Also we are the first administration in 
history to prioritize artificial intelligence in a budget 
request to Congress, and a lot of work is done there.
    The second pillar of our strategy is always around 
workforce, and that falls in really two pieces.
    One is we need to create a pipeline of AI-talented 
Americans who are going to make the next great research 
discoveries. And the efforts we have done, as an administration 
is to prioritize AI grants and fellowships at our agencies. So 
at the President's direction now, we are giving more AI grants 
and fellowships across the Federal Government.
    The second piece is preparing and training Americans for 
next generation or 21st century jobs. It is a big effort we 
have done through all our American worker programs.
    The third pillar is around regulation. We have to create a 
regulatory environment that allows AI innovation to succeed 
here in the United States. We had a big launch last week of our 
AI regulatory principles, which are a first of a kind in the 
world where we are actually directing agencies in the way that 
they should be approaching the regulation of AI power 
technologies.
    And the fourth I think that is most critical especially in 
light of some of what our adversaries are doing is our 
international engagement. It is absolutely critical that 
artificial intelligence is developed in a way that reflects 
American values. We have adversaries around the world who are 
using artificial intelligence to track people, to surveil 
minorities, and to, frankly, imprison folks, and this is 
something that is extraordinarily disturbing and challenging to 
many in the West. And if we want to drive--it is more critical 
than ever to drive and ensure Western leadership in AI because 
if we do not, those values, which I spoke about, are the ones 
that are going to be baked into technology developed by our 
adversaries. So we have worked at the OECD and we worked 
internationally to try to guide folks to kind of lean in on 
Western values underpinning AI.
    Senator Cruz. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Commissioner Rosenworcel, what part of the 
spectrum is sitting around waiting and what do we need to do?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. What part of the spectrum is sitting 
around waiting?
    The Chairman. You just made a statement.
    Ms. Rosenworcel. I think that the agency should have 
prioritized auctioning the 3.5-gigahertz band fast for mid-band 
purposes over its high-band auctions in the 24, 28, 37, 39, and 
47-gigahertz bands. And I was just making that point.
    The Chairman. How helpful would this be?
    Ms. Rosenworcel. It would be extraordinarily helpful for 
two reasons.
    First, it is a new and innovative model. We have a 
hierarchy of access rights in it that is unlike anything else 
in the world and explores access that is more dynamic to 
spectrum within the model. That is very exciting. It is custom-
built for the Internet of Things. That is going where industry 
is going. That is where the future is at.
    And in addition, what is most important about it is when we 
auction it, we can immediately go to market with it. That 
distinguishes it, frankly, from the C-band where we have a lot 
of work to do with launching satellites, developing filters, 
and developing compression technologies before it can truly go 
to market. And so what is unique about the 3.5-gigahertz band 
is it is ready to go, and I think we should be expediting our 
auction of it right now.
    The Chairman. Commissioner O'Rielly?
    Mr. O'Rielly. Yes. So 3.55 to 3.7, the citizens band radio 
service, is something I have taken the lead on. It is scheduled 
for auction in the summertime. There are things that need to be 
decided to lead up to that point. I have made this larger point 
for a long while. There is a built-up timeline that requires--
getting to an auction point. It takes a long time for there to 
be software or policymaking decisions to get to the auction. We 
finally have the auction scheduled, and we will move forward at 
that point.
    But it is not operational today. We are still on the 
generalized access service, the GAA portion. The unlicensed 
like piece is not at full commercial deployment. It is still in 
initial commercial deployment. So there are pieces that need to 
be decided, so it cannot be expedited to tomorrow even if we 
wanted to.
    We also want to provide enough time to those that want to 
bid to be able to be ready, and that requires making sure they 
are up to speed. We are expecting smaller providers to 
participate, and we want them to be able to know how the 
auction process works because they are more than likely not 
familiar. So it does require a little bit of time.
    I am glad that it is happening this summer. I would have 
loved to it have been earlier, but it was not a lack of 
interest at the FCC that kept this from happening. There were 
software issues. There were policy issues and then actually 
working with the dynamic frequencies that we talked about, that 
system of how everyone can live in the same place. We have to 
deal with the U.S. Navy radars that live there, and that has 
been really difficult. You know, we are finding on a monthly 
basis some new locations that need to be protected that have 
added to the complexity.
    The Chairman. Well, thank you. And I suppose we could go on 
and on and back and forth. But I want to thank each and 
everyone of our panelists this morning and this afternoon.
    The hearing record will remain open for two weeks. During 
this time, Senators are asked to submit any questions for the 
record. Upon receipt, witnesses are requested to submit their 
written answers to the Committee as soon as possible, perhaps 
that afternoon, but no later than Wednesday, February 12, 2020.
    And with that, if there is nothing further, we conclude the 
hearing and express our great appreciation to the witnesses. 
This hearing is now adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 12:25 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                            A P P E N D I X

    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                         Hon. Michael Kratsios
    Question 1. How does the United States compare to other nations in 
advanced manufacturing technologies? In order to remain competitive, 
what specific technologies/processes need additional focus in the 
United States?
    Answer. Advanced manufacturing--which includes both new 
manufacturing methods and the production of new products enabled by 
innovation--is an engine of America's economic power and a pillar of 
its national security. Advances in manufacturing enable the economy to 
continuously improve as new technologies and innovations increase 
productivity, enable new products, and create entirely new industries.
    Many other countries are making significant advances in advanced 
manufacturing and there is intense global competition in this critical 
field. The Trump Administration has taken important actions to maintain 
and strengthen U.S. leadership. For example, the Administration named 
advanced manufacturing as a top research and development budget 
priority.\1\ In 2018, President Trump unveiled a Strategy for American 
Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing,\2\ which described several key 
areas of emphasis including educating, training, connecting industries 
and the manufacturing workforce, and expanding the capabilities of the 
domestic manufacturing supply chain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/M-18-
22.pdf. Federal departments and agencies were again directed to 
prioritize R&D in advanced manufacturing in the President's FY 2021 and 
FY 2022 Budgets.
    \2\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Advanced-
Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf
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    To remain competitive, the Administration is focused on 
manufacturing leadership in emerging markets, investment in advanced 
technologies, and the ability to effectively leverage new technologies 
and platforms across industrial sectors.

    Question 2. Wichita State University now offers a graduate 
certificate in additive manufacturing, intended to fill a skills gap 
identified in the manufacturing industry. They join just a handful of 
universities nationally providing advanced education in additive 
manufacturing. How can we ensure our academic programs, like those 
found at Wichita State University, are equipped with the necessary 
tools and applied learning experience necessary for our future 
workforce to meet demand?
    Answer. Academic programs that help equip Americans to meet the 
demands of our future workforce are critical to the Nation's prosperity 
and economic growth. The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring 
American workers of all ages and backgrounds have the skills, training, 
and knowledge they need for success in our 21st century economy.\3\ For 
over three years, the Administration has taken an approach of investing 
in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and computer 
science education, expanding access to apprenticeships and job training 
opportunities, and engaging with private sector partners to reskill, 
upskill, and train Americans for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Ensuring all American's have the foundational skills required 
to succeed in critical areas, such as advanced manufacturing, is a 
central pillar in the Administration's 2018 STEM strategic plan, 
``Charting a Course for Success: America's Strategy for STEM 
Education.'' https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/
STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf

    Question 3. In November 2019, the Senate Homeland Security and 
Government Affairs Committee produced a bipartisan report titled 
``Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment 
Plans.'' The report generally found that China openly recruited U.S.-
based researchers and scientists in the public and private sectors to 
provide China with knowledge and intellectual capital in exchange for 
monetary gain that significantly contributed to China's global rise 
over the last 20 years. My CJS appropriations bill for FY 2020 included 
report language that directs OSTP to convene Federal Government 
representatives from pertinent agencies like NSF along with law 
enforcement to assess current risks and threats to research integrity 
from foreign influence, including aspects of foreign talent recruitment 
and other intellectual property concerns. Would you please speak to the 
importance of effectively attracting talent from abroad to participate 
in U.S.-backed research efforts while also appropriately deterring bad 
actors from other countries from stealing intellectual property 
resulting from such efforts?
    Answer. The United States attracts, educates, and trains some of 
the world's most creative, intelligent, innovative, and determined 
students and researchers, which has produced decades of game-changing 
discoveries and innovations. We continue to uphold the core values of 
our research enterprise: openness, transparency, merit-based 
competition, reciprocity, and accountability. However, our adversaries 
around the world have long invested time, money, and effort to 
undermine America's advances. The Trump administration has taken 
decisive action to protect the U.S. research enterprise and promote our 
continued global leadership.
    Most notably, President Trump issued a proclamation denying visas 
to certain academic programs' graduate and post-graduate students and 
researchers affiliated with certain Chinese institutions, helping 
prevent the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting access to our 
Nation's educational and research centers to advance its national and 
military development.\4\ Federal research agencies, such as the 
Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the National 
Institutes of Health, have also taken important actions to protect 
their critical R&D efforts and products or outcomes from subversion.
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    \4\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-
suspension-entry-nonimmi
grants-certain-students-researchers-peoples-republic-china/
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    To help coordinate the many ongoing Federal efforts to address 
research security, in mid-2019, the White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, announced the Joint Committee on the Research 
Environment (JCORE). Over the last year, JCORE has focused its efforts 
on identifying the scope and scale of risks, generating guidance for 
Federal agencies to strengthen protection of U.S. government-supported 
research and development against foreign government interference and 
exploitation, and developing recommendations for academic and research 
institutions.\5\
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    \5\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/
Enhancing-the-Security-and-Integrity-of-Americas-Research-
Enterprise_7.13.2020.pdf
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                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Dan Sullivan to 
                         Hon. Michael Kratsios
    Background. When it comes to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), we 
have read a lot recently about potential data and cyber concerns with 
Chinese-manufactured drones. While I am deeply concerned with China and 
their positioning across many emerging technology industries, not all 
security threats across industries are equal, and some may be mitigated 
through risk management for limited applications.
    I raise this as I am concerned with the effectiveness of the 
approach to ban the non-defense related Federal use of drone technology 
due to the UAS, or even one of its components, being made in China, 
absent American alternatives. As we work to stand up our domestic drone 
industry, we need to confront the cybersecurity challenges and supply 
chain risks in a manner that supports the development of our industry 
and utilization of technologies to meet the needs of vetted civilian 
missions. With that in mind, I think it would be constructive to start 
a conversation around developing UAS-specific standards and 
requirements that address cyber and data concerns, in order to ensure 
the Federal Government has access to the drone technology of today and 
vulnerabilities from all potential sources are addressed. This 
standards-based approach would not only confront challenges confronted 
by Chinese drones, but make drones from all sources more secure for use 
by the Federal Government.

    Question. What is OSTP's and NIST's view of this issue?
    Answer. The Administration recognizes the serious security concerns 
associated with Chinese-made drone technologies.
    The Administration also recognizes that American alternatives exist 
today that meet supply chain and cybersecurity requirements at 
comparable cost and performance to foreign-made drones. Several 
industry standards groups have initiated work to define cybersecurity 
standards for drones. The drone industry has clearly heard U.S. 
government concerns about cybersecurity for these aircrafts. The drone 
industry recognizes that cybersecurity protection will be required 
before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows expanded, 
large-scale commercial operations of unmanned aircraft.
    With the right guidance on trusted components for Federal drones 
and industry cybersecurity standards, and appropriate regulatory 
development and oversight, we will see enormous growth in our domestic 
manufacturing capability--establishing the United States as the world 
leader in drone technology and regulation and setting a secure, safe, 
and trusted standard for this key industry of the future.
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Mike Lee to 
                         Hon. Michael Kratsios
    Background. It is my understanding that you were one of the authors 
behind the Presidential Memorandum to the Department of Transportation 
that created the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP). One of the stated 
objectives of the IPP was to, ``test and evaluate various models of 
State, Local, and Tribal government involvement in the development and 
enforcement of Federal regulations for UAS operations.'' This included 
the testing of ``reasonable time, place, and manner limitations on low-
altitude UAS operations.''

    Question 1. Would you agree that the success of drone integration 
would require State, Local, and Federal coordination and 
responsibilities?
    Answer. The IPP leadership has underscored that the safe 
integration of UAS innovation into our national airspaces will require 
close coordination among State, Local, and Federal authorities as well 
as private sector and academic collaboration.

    Question 2. Can you provide an update on the status of the IPP 
testing of reasonable time, place, and manner limitations, and the 
coordination between federal, state, and local governments?
    Answer. In January 2020, the FAA held its first localized unmanned 
traffic management tabletop exercise with the North Carolina Department 
of Transportation, one of the IPP Lead Participants. This exercise 
explored the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, 
including State officials, with regard to several different types of 
UAS operations in both typical and atypical circumstances. There was 
positive feedback from this exercise, and the FAA is planning 
additional exercises with other IPP Lead Participants.

    Question 3. Last summer, the FAA testified before this Committee 
that they had not conducted this testing in either a law enforcement 
context or a non-law enforcement context. What plans does the 
Administration have to carry out this important objective in the 
President's memorandum?
    Answer. Through the IPP, the FAA continues to learn about the UAS 
needs of localities when it comes to emergency management services and 
law enforcement. For example, the San Diego IPP has demonstrated unique 
uses of UAS for public safety and first responders, such as natural 
disaster surveying.

    Question 4. Do you think the FAA or another Federal agency is in 
the position to directly address every drone related issue in the 
United States without state or local involvement?
    Answer. The views, perspectives, and experiences of State, Local, 
and Tribal governments are essential for developing the regulatory 
framework that will support the full integration of UAS into the 
national airspace system. The lessons learned from the IPP will be 
invaluable as the Administration develops rules and policies that spur 
innovation and expand capabilities and product offerings, while never 
compromising on safety or airspace efficiency.

    Question 5. Mid-band spectrum holds important qualities that will 
be useful not only for 5G networks, but for all future technological 
innovation. The Federal Government has a substantial amount of control 
over mid-band spectrum use, but they lack a market-based allocation of 
spectrum, which I believe has led to greater inefficiencies and 
misallocations. What is the Administration doing to identify 
inefficiencies in government spectrum usage?
    Answer. President Trump is committed to ensuring America's global 
leadership in 5G technology and innovation. Making more mid-band 
spectrum available for commercial 5G deployment is a key part of that 
mission.
    President Trump released a memorandum \6\ in Fall 2018 highlighting 
the policy of the United States to utilize spectrum efficiently and 
effectively. In this memorandum, the importance of 5G was highlighted 
along with a specific call for cooperation and collaboration between 
Federal and non-Federal users. The White House and the Department of 
Defense (DoD) announced that 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum between 
3450-3550 megahertz will be made available for coast-to-coast 5G 
deployment at full commercial power levels. Through unprecedented 
collaboration between the White House and DoD, the Trump Administration 
worked carefully to ensure commercial use of this critically needed 
mid-band spectrum in no way compromises military preparedness and 
national security. As a result, the spectrum will be auctioned in 
record time and U.S. wireless industry will be able to build and 
operate 5G networks nationwide using this band.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-
memorandum-developing-sustainable-spectrum-strategy-americas-future/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Research and development priorities have also been identified and 
are being pursued which will aid in identifying inefficient spectrum 
usage. These include the pursuit of spectrum flexibility and agility to 
use multiple bands and new waveforms, the improvement of near real-time 
spectrum awareness, and the increase of spectrum efficiency and 
effectiveness through secure autonomous spectrum decision making.

    Question 6. One solution for finding spectrum inefficiencies is to 
identify the ``opportunity costs'' associated with Federal spectrum 
holdings. Do you support efforts to value the ``opportunity costs'' 
associated with Federal spectrum holdings?
    Answer. Access to spectrum is an essential component that Federal 
agencies often need in order to meet their statutory missions, 
including protecting public safety and defending our national security. 
At the same time, America's national economic growth and global 
dominance in technology and innovation is fueled by our private 
sector's ability to utilize spectrum. The Trump Administration is 
committed to working with the private sector and Federal agencies to 
find a balanced solution in meeting core national priorities.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                         Hon. Michael Kratsios
Impact of A.I. On Society
    There is no doubt that technologies like A.I. will be incredibly 
transformative for growth and productivity, but I am concerned about 
how the adoption of new technologies might increase inequality--for 
example, job losses resulting from adoption of A.I. and automation in 
manufacturing.
    I am also concerned that we aren't considering the ethical 
implications of some A.I.--for example some have posed that A.I. could 
be used in criminal sentencing, but without standards for 
trustworthiness, how can we be sure that such algorithms are unbiased?

    Question. How can the Federal Government address this issue and 
ensure that low-skilled American workers aren't left behind?
    Answer. The Trump Administration believes deeply that advances in 
artificial intelligence will have meaningful benefits supporting the 
health, security, education, and prosperity of all Americans, from 
improving health care outcomes to revolutionizing transportation and 
enhancing efficiencies in agriculture. We also remain committed to the 
development of AI technologies in a manner that protects and upholds 
privacy, civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights.
    In February 2019, President Trump signed an Executive Order on 
Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.\1\ The 
Executive Order launched the American AI Initiative, our national 
strategy for AI leadership, and included a number of directives to 
support trustworthy AI innovation and promote an AI-ready workforce for 
the 21st century.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-
order-maintaining-american-leadership-artificial-intelligence/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As called for in the Executive Order, in January 2020, the White 
House issued for public comment the U.S. AI Regulatory Principles, 
making the United States among the first in the world to release an AI 
governance framework. The principles will guide the development of 
Federal AI regulatory approaches to support innovation, along with an 
appropriate level of regulation that does not stifle innovation, while 
providing for the protection of privacy and security, and the 
application of anti-discrimination laws in the use of AI technologies.
    In addition, the President's Executive Order directs Federal 
agencies to prioritize AI-related apprenticeships and workforce 
initiatives. The United States must empower current and future 
generations of Americans through apprenticeships, skills programs, and 
STEM education--among other things, with an emphasis on computer 
science--to ensure that American workers of all backgrounds are capable 
of taking full advantage of the opportunities created by advances in 
AI.\2\
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    \2\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/ai/ai-american-worker/
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                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roy Blunt to 
                         Hon. Dr. Walter Copan
    Background. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to 
transform the U.S. and global economy. Entities in Missouri and across 
the Nation have voiced their intent to increase investment in AI 
development, and U.S. Government agencies will continue to implement AI 
across a number of mission sets in the near term.
    In Europe, a set of ethical guidelines for trustworthiness in AI 
have been developed and are being piloted at organizations like the 
International Organization for Standards and the International 
Electrical Commission.
    NIST recently released a plan for Federal engagement and noted that 
increasing trust in AI is key to both its adoption and the economic and 
societal benefits it can offer. That same trust will be integral to 
properly discern operations and processes in which humans should remain 
``in the loop,'' and accountable for decisions that are based on AI 
outputs.

    Question 1. It is my understanding that NIST is working with 
stakeholders to develop AI requirements that consider accuracy, 
reliability, safety, security, and bias; does NIST intend to pursue 
efforts to develop an AI trustworthiness framework, or a set of 
frameworks?
    Answer. The ability to measure and quantify accuracy, bias, 
security, safety, and reliability are essential in enabling trust and 
confidence in the use of AI systems. To foster collaboration and 
develop a shared understanding of what constitutes trustworthy AI, NIST 
is organizing a series of workshops bringing together government, 
industry, academia, and other stakeholders. These workshops will focus 
on developing a risk management approach to the design, development, 
and use of AI. They will inform the definition of key concepts and 
building blocks for trustworthy AI (i.e., what to measure); the 
development of metrics, benchmarks, and testbeds (i.e., how to 
measure); and the implementation and operationalization of AI. 
Consistent with our mission, our focus will be on the development of AI 
standards and related tools.

    Question 2. Does NIST plan on developing a set of guidelines and 
best practices to assist in managing the societal impacts of AI?
    Answer. NIST is actively participating in, and contributing to, the 
Administration's efforts to promote the thoughtful and ethical 
development and use of AI technologies, both within the United States 
and internationally. In 2019, following broad public and private sector 
engagement and input, NIST published ``U.S. Leadership in AI: A Plan 
for Federal Engagement in Developing Technical Standards and Related 
Tools'' (Plan). Issued in response to Executive Order 13859, 
``Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,'' the 
Plan's recommendations include facilitation of research and 
collaboration across scientific disciplines to increase understanding 
of how societal and ethical considerations relate to, and can advance 
the development and use of, standards for reliable, robust, and 
trustworthy AI technologies. As a standards and technology agency, NIST 
is investing in the development of foundational tools that can 
contribute data and clarity to the discussions about the ethical 
development and use of AI technologies. These tools include means to 
identify sources of error, bias and its propagation, and improve the 
explainability of AI systems. NIST staff also participate in the 
development of consensus-based international standards, focusing 
efforts on the development of standardized terminology and 
nomenclature, use cases, and big data standards.
    NIST has been working with stakeholders in the AI community to 
identify the technical requirements needed to cultivate trust that AI 
systems are accurate, reliable, safe, secure, explainable, and free 
from bias. Tools and solutions resulting from these efforts will help 
address questions about societal impacts of AI. NIST tools help 
organizations use technologies, like AI, effectively, which in turn 
makes our Nation more competitive.

    Question 3. In August 2019, NIST took an important step towards 
greater Federal Government collaboration on AI standards development, 
which deserves acknowledgement. With technology advancing relatively 
quickly, does NIST intend to move forward on a voluntary framework 
process focused on AI trustworthiness, similar to the NIST 
cybersecurity framework, or the privacy framework that is currently 
under development?
    Answer. The successful development of NIST frameworks for 
cybersecurity and privacy engineering was possible in large part due to 
the technological maturity and broad expertise among stakeholders in 
these issues. As AI development is still in early stages and the 
development of the necessary technological underpinnings for 
trustworthiness are still underway, the development of a voluntary 
framework for AI trustworthiness may be premature. However, NIST is 
already working with the community and stakeholders to develop specific 
measurement tools and protocols for various facets of trustworthiness, 
which will create the foundation for any future development of an AI 
trustworthiness framework.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                         Hon. Dr. Walter Copan
    Question 1. Wichita State University is one of 10 organizations 
that received funding from the manufacturing institute, Advanced 
Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM), for new education and workforce 
development projects. Wichita State University was also one of five 
awardees of America Makes' Directed Project Opportunity for Advanced 
Tools for Rapid Qualification. How are these manufacturing institutes 
and awarded programs creating value to the United States?

    Follow-up. How do you measure success of these institutions and 
what specific outputs would be beneficial to the United States?
    Answer. Kansas has a very active aviation and aerospace business 
environment. Wichita is a focal point for this hub, and Wichita State 
University is a true leader in education, training, and research in the 
field. Because the Department of Defense (DOD) sponsored the two 
projects you cited through its Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing 
(ARM) and America Makes institutes, detailed information on the 
outcomes of these projects would come from DOD.
    Overall, these projects clearly enhance the Nation's future in 
science, research, and engineering. America Makes and the ARM 
Manufacturing USA institutes, which are funded by DOD and in which NIST 
plays a collaborative role, fortify the aerospace industry in the 
Kansas region through advances in robotic automation, additive 
manufacturing, and workforce development. The following are examples of 
the success and outputs as a result of collaborative applied research 
projects at Manufacturing USA institutes.

   America Makes' third satellite center is now located at the 
        National Institute for Aviation Research on the campus of 
        Wichita State University. This partnership will advance polymer 
        and metal additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, in the 
        aviation industry. It has the unique distinction of being 
        America Makes' first industry-specific Satellite Center solely 
        focused on advancing the use of additive manufacturing within 
        the aerospace industry.

   Automation Manufacturing--Technicians for the Future--With 
        funding from ARM, a project team led by Wichita State 
        University will create an efficient and low-cost method for 
        upskilling workers and increasing the number of available 
        skilled technicians through three degree programs: Robotics 
        Technology, Maintenance and Reliability, and Industrial 
        Automation Machine Maintenance.

   Automated Wire Harness Assembly--With funding from ARM, a 
        project led by Wichita State University will leverage advances 
        in robotic technology to automate wire harness assembly, 
        resulting in cost reduction and consistent product quality. 
        Wire harness assembly is currently a time-intensive, manual 
        process.

   Large Metallic Sanding and Finishing--With funding from ARM, 
        a project led by Wichita State University will leverage 
        advances in robotic technology and vision-based machine 
        learning to increase productivity in sanding tasks, 
        specifically large metallic panels that are often round and 
        cylindrical in shape. If successful, a single worker will be 
        able to safely supervise the sanding of several panels 
        simultaneously.

   Service Life of Additive Manufacturing in Harsh 
        Environments--With funding from America Makes, a project led by 
        Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation 
        Research seeks to overcome the performance limitations and 
        degradation of additive manufacturing polymer materials when 
        subjected to demanding, harsh environments by delivering an 
        open and comprehensive set of manufacturing tools to improve 
        the rate of qualifying materials and part families.

   A team of America Makes collaborators--researchers from 
        Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation 
        Research, the Air Force Research Lab, RP+M, Texas A&M 
        University, and the Federal Aviation Administration--received 
        the Defense Manufacturing Technology Enabler Award in December 
        2019 for their project ``Qualification Framework for High-
        Performance, Low-Variability Additive Manufacturing (AM) 
        Parts.''

    Finally, ARM and America Makes recently released the first public 
qualification database of additive manufactured material along with 
public material and process specifications. This partnership enabled 
the transition of technical data and methodologies to dozens of 
additive manufacturing organizations and allowed for the design and 
production of high-quality aerospace parts. Designers are now able to 
use this data to redesign traditional parts into AM parts to provide 
weight and cost reductions through part consolidation. This program is 
contributing to the expansion of the industrial part supply base.

    Question 2. As you're aware the FY2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, 
Appropriations bill included an additional $8 million dollars to expand 
NIST's ongoing artificial intelligence efforts, in support of President 
Trump's Industries of the Future initiative. As Chairman of the 
Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, I was happy to 
have been able to secure this funding increase and look forward to 
working with you as you determine how best to execute that funding. In 
that vein, I'm aware of NIST's plan, issued in 2019, that outlines the 
role of government in artificial intelligence standards development, 
and want to pull on a few strings from that report. I believe 
developing standards for artificial intelligence are an important, yet 
often overlooked, component of designing and deploying intelligent 
systems--because these standards will play a critical role in fostering 
and enabling public trust in intelligent systems. Can you expound upon 
how NIST intends to grow public trust in intelligent systems, via 
standards development?
    Answer. AI has long been a strategic priority for NIST. An 
important goal for NIST is to develop the foundation for confidence and 
trust in AI that results in an expanded commercial marketplace and new 
research outcomes. The President's Fiscal Year 2021 budget request 
proposes an increase of $25 million for measurement tools and testbeds 
to accelerate the development and adoption of interoperable, secure, 
and reliable AI technologies.
    NIST staff lead or participate in standards development activities 
related to AI and its applications in intelligent systems in a number 
of standards development organizations, such as the Joint Technical 
Committee 1 of the International Organization for Standardization and 
the International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO-IEC/JTC1), ASTM 
International, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics 
Engineers (IEEE). These standards development activities cover 
terminology, big data, and the application of AI and machine learning 
(ML) technologies in robotics, autonomous systems, and materials 
discovery. NIST's participation helps facilitate rigor, fitness-for-
purpose, and timeliness of the resulting standards. The use of these 
standards--whether for contractual purposes in a business-to-business 
environment, in consumer-facing applications, or in support of 
regulatory actions--helps generate greater confidence among 
stakeholders concerned with AI/ML technologies.

    Follow-up. In particular, how NIST will broaden participation in 
the development of these standards?
    Answer. By statute and policy, NIST is responsible for facilitating 
standards-related information sharing and coordination among Federal 
agencies and with the private sector. Consistent with this role, and 
the recommendation in the NIST report ``U.S. Leadership in AI: A Plan 
for Federal Engagement in Development Technical Standards and Related 
Tools,'' \1\ NIST proposed to the National Science and Technology 
Council (NSTC) Machine Learning and/Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI) 
Subcommittee that the NSTC ML/AI Committee should designate a Standards 
Coordinator. In October 2019, the NSTC ML/AI Subcommittee appointed a 
NIST staff member as the USG AI Standards Coordinator. The Standards 
Coordinator serves as a go-to resource within the Federal community on 
AI-related standardization matters, facilitates information sharing and 
AI-related engagement among Federal staff, and is responsible for 
gathering and sharing AI standards-related needs, strategies, roadmaps, 
terminology, use cases, and best practices to support reliable, robust, 
and trustworthy AI in government operations. The USG AI Standards 
Coordinator, working with agency representatives on the NSTC ML/AI 
Subcommittee, the Interagency Committee on Standards Policy, and agency 
Standards Executives, will assist interested agency staff participating 
in AI standards development activities.
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    \1\ https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/08/10/
ai_standards_fedengagement_
plan_9aug2019.pdf

    Question 4. NIST produced a green paper detailing steps to 
modernize technology transfer practices in the U.S., including 
reduction of regulatory and administrative hurdles, increasing private 
sector engagement, supporting entrepreneurship, and measurement of 
effectiveness among others. Given NIST's role as a standards-setting 
agency, how would you recommend leveraging authoritative analysis and 
metrics to improve technology transfer outcomes in the U.S.?
    Answer. The President's Management Agenda charged the Federal 
enterprise with improving the transition of federally funded 
innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace, and we must 
identify and use meaningful metrics to assess the effectiveness of 
strategies implemented for that purpose. NIST is coordinating the 
development of a government-wide approach for reporting outcome metrics 
to capture the full range of Federal R&D contributions. NIST is also 
investing in government-wide economic impact studies that analyze 
impact metrics such technology utilization, economic impact, and other 
effects on the Nation's innovation base. These strategies address the 
need to improve the Federal enterprise's understanding of global 
science and technology metrics, trends, and benchmarks.
    NIST is additionally exploring several different strategic 
activities to improve Federal technology-transfer assessment and 
analysis. NIST, working with the Interagency Working Group on 
Technology Transfer, is finalizing an updated Federal Government-wide 
approach by developing standardized methodology for data collection, 
definitions of metrics, and data collection processes. Unified data 
processes will help agencies better align their data collection with 
global measures, which will allow for better benchmarking of technology 
transfer performance. NIST has initiated a study with the National 
Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine to make recommendations 
in reporting data, software, and software applications that may expand 
the definition of technology transfer. Additional activities include 
identification of data sources to evaluate company-level impacts of 
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology 
Transfer (STTR) programs and use of publicly available Federal 
innovation data to support research in the field of science and 
innovation policy.

    Question 5. As the Chairman of the Consumer Protection Subcommittee 
with jurisdiction over data security, I am interested in hearing more 
about the cybersecurity applications that artificial intelligence is 
able to support. Would you please describe the work that NIST 
researchers are doing to utilize AI in automating cyber vulnerability 
assessments for digital infrastructure?
    Answer. NIST is working on the early stages of research related to 
AI cybersecurity applications. For example, we are conducting research 
to determine the viability of using AI to understand the severity of 
vulnerabilities based on unstructured submissions to the National 
Vulnerability Database, the U.S. government repository of standards-
based vulnerability management that enables automation of vulnerability 
management, security measurement, and compliance. NIST scientists are 
taking data from instances of commercially available products and the 
current data residing in the National Vulnerability Database. We will 
utilize NIST vulnerability analysts and the process and business rules 
for the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) V3 to train the 
commercially available AI algorithms to assign metrics to assigned 
common vulnerability enumerations (CVEs). The results between 
traditional approaches and AI assisted approaches will be compared and 
the results published.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Dan Sullivan to 
                         Hon. Dr. Walter Copan
    Background. When it comes to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), we 
have read a lot recently about potential data and cyber concerns with 
Chinese-manufactured drones. While I am deeply concerned with China and 
their positioning across many emerging technology industries, not all 
security threats across industries are equal, and some may be mitigated 
through risk management for limited applications.
    I raise this as I am concerned with the effectiveness of the 
approach to ban the non-defense related Federal use of drone technology 
due to the UAS, or even one of its components, being made in China, 
absent American alternatives. As we work to stand up our domestic drone 
industry, we need to confront the cybersecurity challenges and supply 
chain risks in a manner that supports the development of our industry 
and utilization of technologies to meet the needs of vetted civilian 
missions. With that in mind, I think it would be constructive to start 
a conversation around developing UAS-specific standards and 
requirements that address cyber and data concerns, in order to ensure 
the Federal Government has access to the drone technology of today and 
vulnerabilities from all potential sources are addressed. This 
standards-based approach would not only confront challenges confronted 
by Chinese drones, but make drones from all sources more secure for use 
by the Federal Government.

    Question. What is OSTP's and NIST's view of this issue?
    Answer. Existing cybersecurity standards, practices, and other 
resources can be customized and applied in the context of unmanned 
aircraft systems (UAS) to achieve the appropriate and necessary 
cybersecurity outcomes. While these standards and practices can never 
completely eliminate the threat of data exfiltration or other nefarious 
action by a foreign state actor, if properly applied they can help 
mitigate the risk in the use of commercial products developed outside 
the U.S. Existing NIST publications include the Framework for Improving 
Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity ver. 1.1 (Cybersecurity 
Framework) https://www.nist.gov/cyber
framework, NISTIR 8259 Recommendations for IoT Device Manufacturers: 
Foundational Activities and Core Device Cybersecurity Capability 
Baseline (Draft) https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2020/
NIST.IR.8259-draft2.pdf, and NISTIR 8228 Considerations for Managing 
Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks https://
nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2019/NIST.IR.8228.pdf. In addition, NIST 
has many other relevant publications on topics including robust 
wireless security networks, the secure storage and transfer of data, 
and platform firmware resiliency that are available on the NIST 
Computer Security Resource Center, https://csrc.nist.gov/, all of which 
could be applied to UAS. NIST leads research, development, and 
engineering, and produces recommendations and best practices for 
cryptographic algorithms, methods, and protocols. NIST has initiated a 
process to standardize so-called lightweight cryptographic algorithms, 
or algorithms that require low energy or computer power to run and are 
suitable for use on devices that operate remotely or are not regularly 
updated or connected to a network.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                         Hon. Dr. Walter Copan
Impact of A.I. On Society
    There is no doubt that technologies like A.I. will be incredibly 
transformative for growth and productivity, but I am concerned about 
how the adoption of new technologies might increase inequality--for 
example, job losses resulting from adoption of A.I. and automation in 
manufacturing.
    I am also concerned that we aren't considering the ethical 
implications of some A.I.--for example some have posed that A.I. could 
be used in criminal sentencing, but without standards for 
trustworthiness, how can we be sure that such algorithms are unbiased?

    Question 1. How can we ensure that A.I. won't exhibit inherent 
biases that might negatively affect disadvantaged populations?
    Answer. NIST is working to provide a foundation for trustworthy AI 
through standards, tools and performance measurement. Addressing 
concerns about the potential for bias in AI systems requires a multi-
pronged approach that involves the development, validation, and use of 
tools that (i) ensure that training and testing data used to develop 
and train AI systems are balanced and do not introduce bias at the 
earliest stage of development; (ii) support the transparency of 
decision-making in the use of AI systems by ensuring their 
explainability, allowing the community to clearly understand the 
factors that contribute to how an AI system arrives at a decision; and 
(iii) can be used to quantify bias and error, such that these 
mathematical approaches can be used to identify and detect bias and the 
propagation of bias in an AI system. Furthermore, the incorporation of 
these tools into consensus-based standards can help with adoption and 
use of such tools in a transparent manner. NIST will continue to 
provide data on the performance of AI systems, including their 
statistical biases, to inform policymakers, AI system producers, users 
and the public.

    Question 2. What are you doing to promote ethical development and 
use of A.I. technology?
    Answer. NIST is actively participating in, and contributing to, the 
Administration's efforts to promote the thoughtful and ethical 
development and use of AI technologies, both within the United States 
and internationally. In 2019, following broad public and private sector 
engagement and input, NIST published ``U.S. Leadership in AI: A Plan 
for Federal Engagement in Developing Technical Standards and Related 
Tools'' (Plan). Issued in response to Executive Order 13859, 
``Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,'' the 
Plan's recommendations include facilitation of research and 
collaboration across scientific disciplines to increase understanding 
of how societal and ethical considerations relate to, and can advance 
the development and use of, standards for reliable, robust, and 
trustworthy AI technologies. As a standards and technology agency, NIST 
is investing in the development of foundational tools that can 
contribute data and clarity to the discussions about the ethical 
development and use of AI technologies. These tools include means to 
identify sources of error, bias and its propagation, and improve the 
explainability of AI systems. NIST staff also participate in the 
development of consensus-based international standards, focusing 
efforts on the development of standardized terminology and 
nomenclature, use cases and big data standards.
    To foster collaboration and develop a shared understanding of what 
constitutes trustworthy AI, NIST is organizing a series of workshops 
bringing together government, industry, academia, and other 
stakeholders. This effort will focus on developing a risk management 
approach to the design, development, and use of AI. It will inform the 
definition of key concepts and building blocks for trustworthy AI 
(i.e., what to measure); develop and formalize metrics, benchmarks, and 
testbeds (i.e., how to measure); and ultimately provide a pathway for 
implementation and operationalization of AI.
                                 ______
                                 
  Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tammy Duckworth to 
                         Hon. Dr. Walter Copan
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
    NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) previously made 
funding awards to MEP Centers to embed personnel in some of the 
fourteen Manufacturing USA Institutes pursuant to the ``Embedding MEP 
in Manufacturing USA Institutes Pilot'' program. This pilot program 
serves an important purpose, to provide needed technology acceleration 
assistance to small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers through the 
establishment of results-oriented collaborations between the nationwide 
system of MEP centers and the public-private manufacturing innovation 
institutes operating as part of the Manufacturing USA network. It's my 
understanding that the last round of solicitations for this program 
closed in June of 2017.

    Question 1. Are there plans to expand the program beyond the 
initial pilot or create new partnerships with MEP and Manufacturing 
Institutes?
    Answer. Beginning in 2017, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership (MEP) program embedded a MEP Center staff member in each of 
the Manufacturing USA Institutes, and also conducted outreach to inform 
small and medium-sized manufacturers about the opportunities available 
in each institute. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 
2020 requires the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office at 
NIST to leverage the MEP National Network to ensure engagement of small 
and medium-sized manufacturers in the institutes across the supply 
chain, and to ensure that the program results effectively reach small 
and medium-sized manufacturers. Many of the initial pilot projects are 
ongoing and results are being evaluated, but it is already clear this 
program is having a positive impact.
    Building upon the experience gained in the embedding collaboration 
between MEP Centers and Manufacturing USA Institutes, the NIST MEP will 
be awarding up to three Advanced Manufacturing Technology Services 
competitive awards this spring. Through this mechanism, the MEP Centers 
will be able to continue partnerships with the Manufacturing USA 
institutes and engage other advanced manufacturing technology 
organizations. The awards of up to $1 million will go to MEP Centers 
for projects designed to accelerate MEP Center delivery of advanced 
manufacturing technical assistance to small U.S. manufacturers. The 
emphasis is on advancing technologies that enable the operation of 
digitally connected, smart manufacturing systems within factories and 
across manufacturing supply chains. Implementation of these Industry/
Manufacturing 4.0 technologies by small U.S. manufacturers is intended 
to provide new use cases demonstrating improved product quality and 
innovation, greater manufacturing process efficiency, and increased 
supply chain connectivity.

    Question 2. Has NIST considered partnership opportunities beyond 
the embed program previously implemented?
    Answer. Yes. NIST has established programs that connect small 
business clients and MEP Centers directly with expertise, technical 
capabilities, and resources across the NIST laboratories. NIST is 
collaborating with other agencies whose missions contribute to or are 
affected by advanced manufacturing, in order to identify and leverage 
resources that will further assist Manufacturing USA Institutes and 
their partner organizations. The work of the MEP National Network is 
providing small and medium-sized companies nationwide increased access 
to expertise and resources in areas such as cybersecurity, digital 
manufacturing, process automation, and industrial robotics. This effort 
increasingly leverages the MEP Network's nationwide capabilities.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                        Hon. Dr. France Cordova
    Question 1. As the Chairman of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, 
I remain a staunch supporter of robust resources for Federal research 
initiatives including those administered by the National Science 
Foundation (NSF). Congress recently appropriated $8.278 billion for NSF 
in FY 2020, which is $203 million more than the prior fiscal year, and 
I understand that this money is being put to great use by improving our 
research capacity at institutions across the Nation to further our 
global standing in innovative technologies such as artificial 
intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing. However, I have 
heard from many stakeholders regarding their concerns with 
commercialization of federally funded research. My Startup Act would 
accelerate commercialization of taxpayer-funded research by requiring 
Federal agencies supporting research to dedicate a portion of their 
extramural funds to improve commercialization and transfer of 
technology. Besides more resources, what other actions should Congress 
consider to improve commercialization outcomes related to research 
supported by the Federal Government?
    Answer. Thank you for your continued strong support of the National 
Science Foundation and for your leadership in ensuring that the United 
States remains the global leader in science and engineering. NSF has a 
long track-record of supporting the commercialization of federally 
funded research and the agency has made a concerted effort to support 
researchers who believe they have a commercially viable idea. For 
example, NSF's Directorate for Engineering's Division of Industrial 
Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) supports programs to accelerate NSF-
funded and federally funded fundamental research into market 
opportunities and fosters public-private partnerships to advance 
technological innovation. IIP runs a number of very successful 
programs, including the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 
program.
    The SBIR program was first piloted by NSF in 1977, and subsequently 
formally established by Congress in 1982. Today, SBIR has broad reach 
throughout the government, with eleven Federal agencies now having SBIR 
programs. Government-wide, these programs set aside $3 billion 
annually and have granted 160,000 awards. The budget is 3.2 percent of 
a research agency's extramural R&D budget--which is approximately $200 
million at NSF. NSF SBIR grants have been critical to the success of 
what are major companies today. For example, NSF SBIR seed funding led 
to Symantec, which is now a global leader in cybersecurity. It was 
founded in 1982 by Gary Hendrix who was funded by an NSF SBIR grant. 
Likewise, Qualcomm was launched after co-founder Andrew Viterbi 
invented the ``Viterbi Algorithm'', a mathematical formula to eliminate 
signal interference, paving the way for widespread use of cellular 
technology. After receiving NSF SBIR funding during the 1980s in its 
early years as a small business, Qualcomm grew to become a world leader 
in wireless technologies and particularly 5G, a critical industry of 
the future.
    In addition to providing funding, NSF uses experiential education 
to help researchers gain valuable insight into starting a business or 
industry requirements and challenges. The NSF Innovation Corps (I-
Corps) program helps potential entrepreneurs understand market needs 
and opportunities, thus increasing their chances of successfully 
translating new technologies. I-Corps was designed to foster 
entrepreneurship that will lead to the commercialization of basic 
research. More than 1,300 teams have participated in the program since 
2011. In addition, over 1,000 NSF SBIR and STTR Phase I awardees have 
participated over the past six years in a condensed version of the I-
Corps program.
    Another program closely related to I-Corps that supports pathways 
to commercialization is the Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) program. 
The PFI program encourages the translation of promising, fundamental 
discoveries made by NSF researchers into products and services that 
benefit the Nation. PFI nurtures entrepreneurial spirit by pairing 
elements of I-Corps training with prototyping and advanced technology 
development, giving technologists and engineers in academia a set of 
tools to successfully transition their inventions into impact. Through 
I-Corps and PFI, NSF helps prepare researchers in advance of starting 
new firms. These programs serve as important training grounds and help 
researchers improve their success rates in securing SBIR and STTR 
funding and follow-on investments.
    NSF Convergence Accelerator seeks to transform how NSF supports the 
most innovative science, reflecting its commitment to be at the 
cutting-edge, supporting foundational research, while also encouraging 
rapid advances through partnerships between academic and non-academic 
stakeholders. NSF Convergence Accelerator is an entity that will make 
timely investments that (1) initiate new capabilities to accelerate 
convergence research in areas of national importance, and (2) build 
capacity in multi-stakeholder convergence teams to address these 
critical challenges. While NSF Convergence Accelerator is separate from 
directorates in leadership, budget, and programmatic approaches, it 
will be aligned with, build upon, and stimulate new directions for 
directorates' foundational research investments. Focusing on use-
inspired, convergence research, with directed deliverables and using an 
approach that rewards innovation, risk-taking, and transition to use, 
NSF Convergence Accelerator is modeled on acceleration and innovation 
activities that have proven successful at the most forward-looking 
universities and companies. These activities will become a standard 
part of NSF's portfolio of funding mechanisms to accelerate research 
across a broad range of themes.
    NSF is always assessing the performance of its programs, and this 
process has led to new supplements, new outreach and enhancements. NSF 
is committed to helping startups address all the potential risks--
marketplace and technical risks, and even the potential skills gap--
that researchers may experience in exploring the commercial marketplace 
and identifying and leveraging the opportunities that new technologies 
offer the Nation.

    Question 2. In November 2019, the Senate Homeland Security and 
Government Affairs Committee produced a bipartisan report titled 
``Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment 
Plans.'' The report generally found that China openly recruited U.S.-
based researchers and scientists in the public and private sectors to 
provide China with knowledge and intellectual capital in exchange for 
monetary gain that significantly contributed to China's global rise 
over the last 20 years. My CJS appropriations bill for FY 2020 included 
report language that directs OSTP to convene Federal Government 
representatives from pertinent agencies like NSF along with law 
enforcement to assess current risks and threats to research integrity 
from foreign influence, including aspects of foreign talent recruitment 
and other intellectual property concerns. Would you please speak to the 
importance of effectively attracting talent from abroad to participate 
in U.S.-backed research efforts while also appropriately deterring bad 
actors from other countries from stealing intellectual property 
resulting from such efforts?
    Answer. NSF is committed to sustaining the United States' position 
as a global innovation leader. To do so, we must continue to attract 
the brightest scientific minds from around the world while continuing 
to develop our own domestic talent, and we must address any threats to 
the integrity of research enterprise, both domestically and globally. 
The values that have driven NSF and its global research partners for 
decades are openness, transparency, and reciprocal collaboration; these 
are essential for advancing the frontiers of knowledge. Our science and 
engineering enterprise is put at risk when other governments endeavor 
to benefit from the global research ecosystem without upholding these 
values. NSF co-chairs the Joint Committee on the Research Environment 
(JCORE), which was stood up by the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy in the White House in 2019. Through JCORE, NSF coordinates 
policy and practices on science and security with the White House, with 
sister science agencies, and with the intelligence and law enforcement 
communities. NSF, together with our colleagues across the government, 
is working to address the risks to research, which include conflicts of 
interest and commitment; breaches in confidentiality of the merit 
review process; and leakage of pre-publication data before researchers 
are ready to release that information.
    NSF has taken a number of steps over the past year to address these 
concerns. First, NSF issued a policy stating that NSF personnel may not 
participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs that may 
jeopardize the integrity of NSF's mission and operations. Second, NSF 
has reiterated its long-standing requirement that researchers disclose 
all other sources of support, both foreign and domestic. Disclosure of 
all sources of support is central to transparency and integrity. To 
ease the burden on researchers and institutions, we are also working to 
create a streamlined process to improve the reporting of that support. 
Third, NSF has developed and is delivering science and security 
training for our entire staff.
    Finally, NSF commissioned the JASON advisory group--outside experts 
with top security clearances--to conduct a study and recommend ways for 
NSF to better protect its merit review system and for grantee 
institutions to maintain balance between openness and security of 
scientific research. Specifically, NSF asked JASON to examine the value 
and risks of the openness generally associated with fundamental 
research. NSF also asked what good practices could be put into place by 
academic researchers and funding agencies such as NSF to balance the 
open environment of fundamental research with the needs for national 
and economic security.
    The JASON group delivered their report in December 2019. On 
Tuesday, March 4th, NSF released our response to the JASON study and 
announced additional steps the agency is taking to secure federally 
funded research. The full response to the JASON report can be found 
here: (https://nsf.gov/news/special_reports/jasonsecu
rity/NSF_response_JASON.pdf).
    In the report, JASON provided NSF with many helpful findings and 
recommendations. One of those findings is that the U.S. needs to 
continue to attract and retain the best science talent from across the 
globe. NSF strongly agrees with the importance of continuing to 
encourage foreign-born scientists to train and work in the U.S. The 
United States benefits significantly from the influx of international 
talent to our country. Dating back to the Manhattan Project era, the 
United States has attracted the best and brightest scientists from 
around the world by allowing great thinkers to pursue, and benefit 
from, their ideas.
    The 2020 Science and Engineering Indicators report, titled ``The 
State of U.S. Science and Engineering'' confirms that the United States 
is ``the destination for the largest number of internationally mobile 
students worldwide (19 percent in 2016).'' Indeed, a majority of 
science and engineering doctorate recipients with temporary visas 
stayed in the U.S. The two largest (by number) international sources of 
U.S. Ph.D. students are the countries of China and India. The stay 
rates in the United States for Chinese Ph.D. degree holders remained 
stable at 84 percent from 2013-2017 and the stay rates for Indian Ph.D. 
degree holders remained at 85 percent during this period.
    The U.S. research environment is internationally diverse. JASON 
stated that this U.S. research environment is based upon the values of 
ethics in science including objectivity, honesty, accountability, 
fairness, and stewardship. The JASON group found that there are indeed 
problems that stem from foreign influence with respect to research 
transparency, lack of reciprocity, and reporting of commitments and 
potential conflicts of interest.
    Per the JASON findings, NSF acknowledges that more work needs to be 
done to define the scale and scope of the problem. There are also 
additional actions that need to be planned and taken regarding science 
and security at both the agency level and government wide. Effective 
March 2020, NSF has created the position of Chief of Research Security 
Strategy and Policy. The Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy 
will be the NSF focal point to provide science and security strategy 
and policy recommendations to NSF leadership and to represent the 
agency at interagency forums.
    The Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy will chair an 
NSF strategy group to develop NSF recommendations for the agency to 
maintain scientific openness and collaboration while taking action to 
uphold the ethics and values of the scientific enterprise. The Chief of 
Research Security Strategy and Policy will be responsible for 
developing detailed implementation plans in response to the JASON 
report and to address continuing needs in science and security. As the 
JASON report found, there are many stakeholders with the responsibility 
for maintaining the integrity of fundamental research. The Chief of 
Research Security Strategy and Policy will work across this stakeholder 
community to develop good practices to assess risk and take appropriate 
actions.
    NSF is dedicated to maintaining a vibrant and diverse research 
community that thrives on the values of openness, transparency, and 
merit-based competition. NSF-funded research is a major contributor to 
U.S. economic growth, national security, and global leadership. To 
maintain our robust research ecosystem, it is important that we 
understand and vigilantly address emerging risks to the Nation's 
science and engineering enterprise. Simultaneously, it is important 
that we acknowledge that a great strength of the U.S. research and 
engineering enterprise is the diversity of talent--both domestic and 
international--and we must commit to maintaining that strength.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                        Hon. Dr. France Cordova
National Spectrum Strategy and Science Spectrum
    I have raised concerns many times about how the FCC's proposed 
licensing of 5G related spectrum for commercial use may severely 
degrade weather forecasting. Commercial communications could also 
interfere with science, including Earth observations needed to 
understand climate change and astronomy research, which helps us 
understand the universe.
    There is some precedent for commercial users and science users 
reaching ``mutually acceptable agreement'' that both promotes 
commercial applications and protects science.

    Question 1. Is there a framework in place to protect scientific 
observations from interference?
    Answer. There is a framework in place to protect some scientific 
observations from interference globally, regionally, and domestically. 
That framework includes allocations of specific frequencies in the 
spectrum to protect scientific observations from harmful interference, 
recommendations and reports with technical guidance for protection of 
scientific observations, as well as ``quiet zones'' that provide 
astronomy with geographic protection from ground-based transmitters.
    There are two main challenges with respect to frequency protection 
for science applications. First, the protected spectrum allocations for 
scientific services may still be degraded from transmissions using 
adjacent or nearby frequencies, even when regulatory limits are met. 
Second, some types of scientific observations increasingly require 
access to wider bandwidths than indicated by their allocations for 
observations of weak signals that may be dispersed or shifted in 
frequency. In both cases, it can be difficult to guarantee that 
scientific observations will not be degraded from transmissions in 
other frequency bands. For example, the officially defined level of 
harmful interference in the 10.6-10.7 GHz radio astronomy band is 2 
percent data loss, which seems manageable. But, this is formally 
calculated by averaging over the entire visible sky. In reality, 
modeling has indicated radio astronomy will likely suffer up to 30 
percent degraded observations in certain portions of the sky where they 
are more likely to observe. There are similar examples at other 
frequencies and for other types of scientific services. Mutually 
acceptable agreements between commercial users and radio astronomy 
observatories, for specific geographic locations, may be achieved in 
some cases because many astronomical sites are geographically remote 
and contain few commercial interests. But, the only framework in place 
to require geographic coordination broadly across the spectrum within 
the United States is the quiet zone concept, which only requires 
coordination for transmissions from the ground. This leaves the quiet 
zones susceptible to transmissions from satellites. Furthermore, all 
other astronomical sites not situated within quiet zones are much more 
vulnerable. Earth observations and atmospheric science observations 
often are less geographically isolated, especially observations taken 
from spacecraft, which can make coordination even more challenging.
    Internationally, the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) 
World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) is a treaty conference tasked 
with revising the international Radio Regulations. Under the treaty, 
nations including the United States retain sovereignty in making their 
own domestic spectrum rules (barring causing interference to their 
neighbors), but individual nations generally adhere to large parts of 
the Radio Regulations and many nations incorporate them entirely. 
International guidelines are important because frequency waves do not 
stop at country borders and allocations for many applications work best 
when harmonized and when there is assurance of no harmful interference 
(e.g., radars on airplanes landing in the United States or into a 
foreign country, satellites in orbit, etc.).
    Regionally, there is a similar process for international 
coordination via the Organization of American States at the meetings of 
the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) Permanent 
Consultative Committee II on Radiocommunications (PCC.II)\1\. However, 
prior to two years ago, there was no forum at CITEL PCC.II meetings for 
discussion of Science Services. The United States successfully 
advocated to amend the CITEL PCC.II Satellite Working Group to include 
Scientific Services in the Fall of 2018. This Working Group is now co-
chaired by a United States delegate from NSF.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.citel.oas.org/en/Pages/PCCII/default.aspx
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Domestically, United States Federal agencies that utilize spectrum 
meet monthly through the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee 
(IRAC), chaired by the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), to discuss sharing and compatibility issues 
related to commercial and scientific uses of the spectrum, as well as 
uses supporting the public good such as military and public safety. 
Agencies with science missions participate actively in this process.
    Further, NTIA submitted a Radio Astronomy Report to Congress last 
year in response to requests included in Senate Report 115-275, which 
accompanied the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, Pub. L. No. 116-
6. In that report, NTIA described U.S. scientific community spectrum 
needs that include:

   Research and engineering investment in technical 
        capabilities for Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) excision 
        and avoidance, new methods of RFI protection (e.g., 
        transmitters with shaped beams) and dynamic spectrum sharing.

   Opportunities to support research and development, RFI 
        research, coordination, and dynamic spectrum sharing.

    In short, the framework is in place for studies to be conducted and 
submitted as part of a formal decision-making process domestically, 
regionally and internationally to protect certain science observations. 
However, there are challenges to this framework:

  (1)  Exclusively protected scientific frequencies can be impacted by 
        emissions from adjacent-band transmissions. Science services 
        have much stricter requirements than other services, which 
        makes this challenge particularly difficult for the science 
        services.

  (2)  Scientific observations also utilize frequencies not exclusively 
        protected. Similar to industry, science is rapidly progressing, 
        and requirements for scientific observations are changing with 
        time.

  (3)  Coordination requirements in quiet zones were established 
        decades ago and are no longer enough to protect scientific 
        assets within these zones (e.g., the National Radio Quiet 
        Zone). Furthermore, coordination requirements for space-based 
        scientific sensors would require a very sophisticated 
        capability for dynamic sharing in time that presently does not 
        exist.

    Question 2. How can we ensure spectrum for scientific uses is 
protected moving forward?
    Answer. To ensure scientific uses of the spectrum are protected 
moving forward, United States scientific agencies need to continue to 
participate actively within the established domestic, regional and 
international processes. Participation within the established framework 
is primarily for the purpose of protecting the bands currently 
identified for scientific use, especially as the demand for commercial 
uses of the spectrum continues. Additionally, new geographic protection 
zones and additional requirements for coordination within the existing 
quiet zones may help protect radio astronomy and some atmospheric 
science applications. Finally, methods to dynamically share the 
spectrum in time may help to provide access to larger portions of the 
frequency spectrum for critical scientific observations during set 
periods of time. Mutually acceptable solutions between scientific 
services and commercial uses are possible with robust technical 
analysis, research and development, and innovative new ideas.
    Astronomy telescopes tend to be in remote locations and hence 
geographic protections can be utilized to accomplish protections. The 
NSF is working with NTIA, FCC, and 5G industry providers to calculate 
coordination distances from telescopes to ensure 5G does not interfere 
with astronomy. NSF specifically works with NTIA through the IRAC 
process described in Question 1, and with NTIA, FCC and the State 
Department on U.S. submissions to the international ITU process through 
the State Department-led U.S. preparatory process. Similarly, NSF is 
working collaboratively with satellite companies to come to mutually 
acceptable coordination agreements.
    Further, the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19), 
held in Egypt last fall, dealt with many regulatory issues of 
importance to science, including radio astronomy and atmospheric 
science. In preparations, and at the Conference, NSF worked with NTIA, 
the Department of State and the Federal Communications Commission, 
along with other science agencies, to successfully achieve outcomes 
positive for radio astronomy and science more broadly while 
simultaneously advancing important U.S. economic and commercial 
objectives. A case in point is 5G. The conference identified several 
high frequency bands (between 24 GHz and 86 GHz) for 5G. Some of these 
bands are shared with, immediately adjacent to, or close to radio 
astronomy and passive allocations; WRC-19 outcomes included an 
invitation to administrations to develop coordination and protection 
measures for radio astronomy. Some other candidate bands were not 
identified for 5G due to concerns of interference to radio astronomy 
and passive remote sensing.
    Future protection of science observations may require enhanced 
geographic protections, protection of existing allocations, and 
possibly expanded access to the spectrum for science observations. In 
addition to new and expanded geographic protections, enhanced spectrum 
access for all services, including scientific observations, may be 
accomplished through exploration of dynamic spectrum allocation. Many 
science observations, as with other uses, are not conducted 24/7, 365 
days a year. Hence, if they only require access to certain frequencies 
some of the time, dynamic spectrum allocation through coordination with 
other services could make additional spectrum available. NSF's recent 
Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT) 
solicitation includes efforts to study this type of dynamic spectrum 
allocation on small scales in pilot test beds.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to 
                        Hon. Dr. France Cordova
    Question. I introduced the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act 
with Senator Rubio to assist veterans reentering the workforce by 
directing the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage veterans 
to pursue STEM careers. Our bill passed the Senate last month, and we 
are working to ensure that it is signed into law this year. Can you 
speak to NSF's efforts to strengthen our STEM workforce, and how 
recruiting veterans for these opportunities can contribute to these 
efforts?
    Answer. Investments in education and STEM workforce are vital to 
the Nation's continued global leadership. NSF is a leader in Federal 
efforts to educate and train a workforce for the 21st century economy; 
remove barriers to participation in STEM careers; increase diversity, 
equity, and inclusion in STEM; and promote excellence in STEM education 
for all learners. NSF's education and STEM workforce investments are 
primarily housed in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources 
but represent agency-wide investments in the education of tomorrow's 
scientists, engineers, and educators. Examples of these investments 
include:

   The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses 
        on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields 
        that drive our Nation's economy.

   The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program encourages the 
        development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially 
        transformative and scalable models for STEM graduate education 
        training.

   The CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program 
        supports cybersecurity education at higher education 
        institutions. SFS also focuses on workforce development by 
        increasing the number of qualified students entering the fields 
        of information assurance and cybersecurity, which enhances the 
        capacity of the U.S. higher education enterprise to continue to 
        produce professionals in these fields to secure the Nation's 
        cyberinfrastructure.

   Computer Science for All (CSforAll) will build on ongoing 
        efforts to enable rigorous and engaging computer science 
        education in schools across the Nation, to prepare the STEM 
        workforce of the future.

   The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes 
        students with high potential in STEM research and innovation 
        and provides support for them to pursue research across all 
        science and engineering disciplines.

   The Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (HSI) seeks to 
        enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at HSIs and 
        to increase retention and graduation rates of undergraduate 
        students pursuing degrees in STEM fields at HSIs.

   The Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
        Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) is committed to enhancing the 
        quality of undergraduate STEM education and research at HBCUs 
        to broaden participation in the Nation's STEM workforce.

   The Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative 
        supports the development of the STEM and STEM-capable workforce 
        by investing in the improvement of undergraduate STEM 
        education, with a focus on attracting and retaining students on 
        degree completion.

   The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides 
        awards to Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-
        serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions 
        to promote high quality STEM education, research, and outreach.

    The NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of 
Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) 
Big Idea builds on decades of broadening participation research and 
discovery funded by NSF. It is a comprehensive national initiative 
designed to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discoveries and innovations by 
focusing on broadening participation in these fields at scale. The 
vision of NSF INCLUDES is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to 
collaboratively work for inclusive change resulting in a STEM workforce 
that reflects the population of the Nation.
    NSF recognizes that veterans are underrepresented in STEM and are 
an underutilized workforce for the U.S. science and engineering 
research and industry communities. NSF is dedicated to exploring 
alternate pathways of encouraging veterans' engagement into STEM 
fields. Enhancing veteran STEM engagement will subsequently bolster the 
country's STEM workforce pipeline, which is a high priority for both 
NSF and the Administration. NSF currently supports the participation of 
veterans in STEM in a variety of ways, including supporting awards 
focused on veterans, awarding grant supplements for veterans, and 
encouraging support for veterans in program solicitations. Two examples 
of this support include:

   The Veterans Research Supplement (VRS) Program within NSF's 
        Engineering directorate affords veteran students, veteran 
        teachers, or veteran community college faculty opportunities to 
        participate with active IIP and EEC grantees to conduct basic 
        and/or industrially relevant research in order to gain a deeper 
        understanding of engineering.

   The Boeing Women in STEM Workforce program is a special 
        funding opportunity (under NSF INCLUDES) that is partially 
        funded by a gift from The Boeing Company as part of its Women 
        Make Us Better and Women in Leadership Initiatives. NSF invites 
        supplemental funding requests for traineeships and conference 
        proposals that support efforts aimed at enhancing the STEM 
        knowledge base, skillset, leadership and management capacities, 
        and/or contributions to the STEM enterprise of women following 
        a career break. Women veterans' entry or re-entry into the STEM 
        workforce is of particular interest.

    NSF's goals align well with the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers 
Act as we seek to create further advancement opportunities for veterans 
in our efforts to develop a dynamic STEM workforce.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                         Hon. Michael O'Rielly
    Question 1. At CES conference last week, companies were 
demonstrating new Wi-Fi technology that can deliver faster speeds, 
lower latency, and better capacity for Wi-Fi users. But I understand 
that these technologies rely on wide bandwidth channels to deliver 
those consumer benefits. Do we have enough unlicensed spectrum to 
support deployment of these new technologies?
    Answer. At the current time, there is a lack of spectrum allocated 
for unlicensed services and the two workhorse bands, 2.4 and 5 GHz, are 
becoming very congested. Further, these bands do not have the wide 
channels needed for next generation unlicensed services. As such, I am 
leading efforts to increase spectrum available for unlicensed use, and 
this goal has become a priority for this Commission. I am hopeful that 
the Commission will act in the coming months to permit unlicensed 
services in the 6 GHz band and a sizable portion of the 5.9 GHz band.

    Question 2. How should the FCC move forward on its 6 GHz proceeding 
to ensure we have sufficient spectrum to enable next-gen Wi-Fi?
    Answer. The Commission needs to act quickly to permit unlicensed 
services within the 6 GHz band, and I expect it to do so. This must 
include allowing low power services indoors and very low power services 
throughout the band, and establishing technology protection 
requirements to permit higher-powered unlicensed services as well. All 
of this can be done while fully protecting incumbent users of the band 
from harmful interference.
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Mike Lee to 
                         Hon. Michael O'Rielly
    Background. The Internet has caused a communication renaissance in 
our country revolutionizing nearly every sector of our economy. This 
renaissance has also come to the video marketplace. Unfortunately, our 
current legal framework for video largely reflects a world of the 1980s 
and early 1990s. This was a world that did not use the internet, now a 
common tool that consumers use to view video entertainment today.

    Question 1. How are consumers affected by these outdated 
regulations?
    Answer. As you know, many consumers are supplementing their cable, 
broadcast, and satellite video providers' offerings or switching 
entirely to programming delivered through streaming, over-the-top, or 
virtual MVPDs. Yet, since that leaves providers with fewer customers 
among whom to spread overall costs, those remaining customers are 
forced to pay higher prices for services. Moreover, a number of legacy 
video providers are dropping video content altogether, forcing 
consumers to find alternative programming sources. In sum, the current 
regulatory structure imposes asymmetric burdens on competitors in the 
same video services marketplace and is harming legacy customers and 
their providers as a result.

    Follow-up. Would consumers benefit from a concerted effort to 
update our laws and remove burdensome mandates?
    Answer. Absolutely, the answer is yes. While some might argue there 
are plenty of choices for new content in today's marketplace and no 
need for reform, we are not seeing a fully efficient market at work 
because of the disparate treatment between the unregulated, high-tech 
companies that offer video content and the traditional providers that 
expend significant resources on regulatory compliance. Without 
regulatory reform, consumers are at risk of losing access to valued 
programming. Any outdated video regulations that require cable 
operators to dedicate resources toward compliance or unnecessary 
burdens directly reduce the amount of investment they could be making 
to build out their broadband networks.

    Question 2. Reforms in this space should also include updates to 
our cable franchise framework, particularly the franchising 
requirements outlined in Section 621 of the Communications Act. Could 
you explain how the current cable franchise framework affects cable 
operators today?
    Answer. Fundamentally, the current framework gives local franchise 
authorities (LFAs) disproportionate leverage over cable operators due 
to the broad nature of many of the statute's provisions, and its 
underlying assumption that cable companies operate as monopolies. This 
provides all new video entrants that operate outside of this framework 
with enormous advantages, including in terms of cost and procedural 
ease. It's one significant reason incumbent providers are preparing 
their own over-the-top offerings. Such a structure is not sustainable 
for incumbent providers and their current customers.

    Follow-up. How could reforms to this current framework help enable 
more broadband deployment and investment?
    Answer. A more holistic approach to video offerings, one that 
recognizes the dynamic competitive environment, could be incredibly 
beneficial for everyone--providers and consumers alike. By removing 
regulatory overhang, prevalent within the current franchising 
structure, incumbent video providers would be free to offer more 
competitive offerings, rather than be forced to migrate to other 
technologies because of regulatory arbitrage. This would free up 
capital to invest in new programming and expansion of services.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                        Hon. Jessica Rosenworcel
    Question 1. At CES conference last week, companies were 
demonstrating new Wi-Fi technology that can deliver faster speeds, 
lower latency, and better capacity for Wi-Fi users. However, I 
understand that these technologies rely on wide bandwidth channels to 
deliver those consumer benefits. Do we have enough unlicensed spectrum 
to support deployment of these new technologies?
    Answer. The airwaves used by Wi-Fi are getting crowded. Already our 
current Wi-Fi bands are congested because they are used by more than 9 
billion devices. By some estimates, we may see billions of new devices 
connecting to our networks through the Internet of things. Add this up, 
and we're going to need a significant swath of new unlicensed spectrum 
for Wi-Fi to keep up with demand.
    Congress saw this coming. In the Mobile Now Act, it asked the FCC 
to identify 100 megahertz of spectrum below 8 GHz for unlicensed use. 
That opportunity could come from the 5.9 and 6 GHz bands. They are 
ideal places to explore Wi-Fi expansion because they are close to our 
existing Wi-Fi bands. These bands also offer an opportunity to 
introduce wider channels--channels that will be able to take advantage 
of the new Wi-Fi 6 standard and deliver speeds faster than 1 gigabit 
per second. In other words, this is how we develop next-generation Wi-
Fi. This is important because up to 70 percent of 5G traffic may be 
offloaded to Wi-Fi, which means going forward we will need Wi-Fi that 
can keep up with faster 5G speeds.

    Question 2. How should the FCC move forward on its 6 GHz proceeding 
to ensure we have sufficient spectrum to enable next-gen Wi-Fi?
    Answer. As mobile, fiber, and cable technologies move toward 
gigabit speeds, Wi-Fi has become the bottleneck to getting faster 
broadband inside the home. It feels like getting off a superhighway and 
onto a gravel road. This needs to change.
    To deliver Wi-Fi speeds even faster than 1 gigabit per second, we 
need to introduce wider channels--at least 160 megahertz-wide. The 6 
GHz band offers the opportunity to do that. However, in the FCC's 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, it proposes to limit indoor Wi-Fi to 
part of the 6 GHz band, unless it employs automatic frequency 
coordination. That could hinder the development of unlicensed service 
in this band because it would allow only one new 160 megahertz-wide 
channel for Wi-Fi. One channel will not meet the expected demand for 
today's devices, much less prepare the country for the growth we 
anticipate over the next few years.
    If we can introduce Wi-Fi throughout the 6 GHz band, that could 
allow up to seven potential 160 megahertz-wide channels. This could 
help expand the innovative and economic potential of Wi-Fi throughout 
the United States.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to 
                        Hon. Jessica Rosenworcel
    Question. In November, the FCC barred the use of universal service 
funds for the purchase of 5G equipment and services from companies that 
pose a national security threat, such as Huawei and ZTE. You have 
emphasized the need for effective action to ensure 5G security.

   In your view, what more should be done to address the 
        security threats posed by equipment from these companies?
    Answer. I believe we need a comprehensive national plan with a 
fully coordinated interagency response to meet the 5G supply chain 
challenge. Here are three ideas it should include.
    First, we need an approach to supply chain security that recognizes 
that despite our best efforts, secure networks in the United States 
will only get us so far because no network stands by itself. Our 
networks still will connect to insecure equipment abroad. So we need to 
start researching how we can build networks that can withstand 
connection to equipment vulnerabilities around the world. One way to do 
this is to invest in virtualizing radio access networks--or open RAN. 
The RAN sits between your device and a carrier's core network. It is 
traditionally the most expensive and restrictive part of the network. 
To this end, right now all major components of a RAN have to come from 
the same vendor. There is no way to mix and match. But if we can unlock 
the RAN and diversify the equipment in this part of our networks, we 
can increase security and push innovation in the market for equipment 
to where the United States is strongest--in software and 
semiconductors. This also will give carriers around the world that are 
locked into upgrade cycles with a single foreign vendor a way out. The 
FCC can help by developing testbeds in the United States that bring 
together operators, vendors, and other commercial and government 
interests to support open RAN models. We can even build this into our 
ongoing efforts to authorize city-wide 5G testbeds in New York and Salt 
Lake City.
    Second, we need to survey our network operators and identify where 
untrustworthy equipment is currently present. We lack a full national 
accounting of insecure equipment in existing networks and developing a 
plan to fund replacement, as contemplated by the United States 5G 
Leadership Act, requires that we start one as soon as possible. 
Moreover, when we do the FCC should identify the steps it can take to 
secure the 5G supply chain beyond just the universal service program.
    Third, with 5G we are moving to a world with billions of connected 
devices around us in the Internet of things. We need to adjust our 
policies now to ensure this future is secure. After all, the equipment 
that connects to our networks is just as consequential for security as 
the equipment that goes into our networks.
    Here is what that could look like. Every device that emits 
radiofrequency at some point passes through the FCC. If you want proof, 
pull out your smartphone or take a look at the back of any computer or 
television. You'll see an identification number from the FCC. It's a 
stamp of approval. It means the device complies with FCC rules and 
policy objectives before it is marketed or imported into the United 
States. This routine authorization process takes place behind the 
scenes. But the FCC needs to revisit this process and explore how it 
can be used to encourage device manufacturers to build security into 
new products. To do this, we could build on the National Institutes of 
Standards and Technology draft set of security recommendations for 
devices in the Internet of things. This effort specifies the 
cybersecurity features to include in network-capable devices, whether 
designed for the home, hospital, or factory floor. It covers everything 
from device identification, device configuration, data protection, 
access to interfaces, and critical software updates. In other words, 
it's a great place to start--and we should do it now.

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