[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 25, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4194-S4195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Brown, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
        Carper, Mr. Coons,

[[Page S4195]]

        Mr. Whitehouse, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Cortez Masto, and Ms. 
        Hirono):
  S. 1629. A bill to reauthorize the Department of Defense Experimental 
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the DEPSCoR 
Reauthorization Act of 2017 along with Senators Rounds, Brown, Collins, 
Carper, Coons, Whitehouse, Shaheen, Cortez Masto, and Hirono.
  The purpose of this bill is to ensure that we have universities in 
all 50 States capable of working with the Department of Defense on 
advanced research topics. A truly National network of university 
researchers who understand the needs of the Department of Defense puts 
us in the best possible position to respond to the ever-changing 
threats our armed forces face. This network will also meet the 
workforce needs of our defense laboratories by training graduate 
students in defense-relevant research. This bill reauthorizes the 
DEPSCoR program, which is modeled on the NSF's successful EPSCoR 
program for States that receive relatively low amounts of Federal 
science funding. The bill will focus the DEPSCoR program on defense 
research, while allowing the scientists and engineers of our defense 
laboratories to work directly with university researchers from DEPSCoR-
eligible States.
  Seven years ago, Congress asked the National Academy of Sciences to 
study the EPSCoR programs. The study concluded that it was in the 
National interest to engage scientific talent in all 50 States, and 
that EPSCoR programs were a valuable part of a National strategy to 
maintain global scientific leadership. The report emphasized that 
successfully engaging all 50 States required the involvement of 
technology-driven agencies, including the Department of Defense, to 
complement the basic science focus of the NSF.
  Until 2009, the Department of Defense managed an EPSCoR-like program, 
known as DEPSCoR. An independent evaluation of DEPSCoR, conducted by 
the Institute for Defense Analyses, showed that DEPSCoR research 
contributed to the DoD mission, producing high-quality research and new 
technologies that were operationally deployed in areas such as missile 
guidance and communications.
  DEPSCoR also successfully developed defense research capabilities in 
States historically underserved by Federal research and development 
(R&D) funding. Since DEPSCoR stopped receiving Congressional support, 
defense research in DEPSCoR-eligible States has plummeted, with the 
decreases far larger than the relatively modest amounts going to 
DEPSCoR awards. This shows that DEPSCoR was doing what Congress 
intended the program to do: develop competitive defense researchers in 
all 50 States.
  The impact of cancelling DEPSCoR went far beyond research grants. 
Developing university research capabilities in all 50 States is 
critical to meeting DoD workforce needs. The Defense Laboratory 
Enterprise is more national in scope than NASA or the Department of 
Energy's National Laboratory system, with facilities in 24 States, 
including DEPSCoR-eligible States. The 2016 review of DoD laboratories 
by the Defense Science Board reported that these laboratories depend on 
locally trained scientists and engineers. Without relevant training 
provided through DoD-supported research projects at nearby 
universities, these facilities may struggle to find highly qualified 
scientists and engineers.
  Because of these concerns, I have been working with my colleague on 
the Armed Services Committee, Senator Rounds of South Dakota, to revive 
this program. This reauthorization uses the lessons learned from the 
previous iteration of DEPSCoR to improve the program, making it more 
responsive to Department of Defense needs.
  I invite our colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation.

                          ____________________