Biotechnology risk assessment research

(a) Purposes The purposes of this section are to authorize and support research— (1) to address regulatory concerns about potential environmental, human health, or animal health risks of organisms produced with biotechnology; and (2) that aids regulators in developing clear regulatory pathways for products produced with biotechnology. (b) Establishment (1) In general The Director of the National Science Foundation (referred to in this section as the Director) shall establish a program within the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships to provide funding for research concerning the introduction into the environment of organisms that were produced with biotechnology. (2) Mechanisms The Director may choose funding mechanisms under this section as appropriate to meet the scientific need, including research grants, cooperative agreements, and temporary research consortia. (c) Recipients Recipients of funds under this section may include— (1) institutions of higher education, as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); (2) federally funded research and development centers; (3) nonprofit research institutions; (4) industry and other private sector entities; (5) other entities determined appropriate by the Director to carry out the purposes of this section; and (6) consortia of entities described in paragraphs (1) through (5). (d) Award basis (1) Selection criteria In selecting recipients for an award under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum— (A) the path for developing and, as appropriate, commercializing the organism or similar organisms produced with biotechnology and resulting products in the United States; (B) the current knowledge of similar organisms (as of the date of the award), the limits of such current knowledge, and the novelty and risks of the proposed project; (C) the relevance of the project to the research priorities under paragraph (2) and the potential of the project to advance such priorities; and (D) the ethical, legal, and social implications of the project. (2) Research priorities In awarding funding under this section, the Director shall give priority to research designed to— (A) identify unintended effects of biotechnology methods, including unintended genetic changes; (B) identify and develop management practices to minimize environmental, human health, or animal health risks associated with organisms produced with biotechnology, in research or field trial conditions, in commercial production, and in use as a final product; (C) develop methods to monitor the dispersal and persistence of organisms produced with biotechnology, including gene drives; (D) identify the characteristics, rates, and methods of gene transfer that may occur between organisms produced with biotechnology and related wild and agricultural organisms; (E) compare the impacts of organisms produced with biotechnology to impacts of comparable organisms that were not produced with biotechnology or to other human activities in the environment; (F) identify potential risks of convergence of biotechnology with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies; or (G) address other topics that further the purposes of this section. (e) Metrics When appropriate, the Director may— (1) set metrics in the terms of an award under this section, including goals and deadlines; and (2) use such metrics to determine whether a project carried out under this section shall be eligible for continued or additional funding. (f) Regulatory coordination The Director shall consult with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other Federal agencies with relevant expertise as determined by the Director, to— (1) determine the applicability of specific areas of research to the regulation of products produced with biotechnology; (2) provide ongoing oversight and execution of projects carried out under this section; and (3) provide regulatory assistance to facilitate the purposes of this section. (g) Funding (1) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. (2) Additional funding In addition to using amounts made available under paragraph (1) for the program carried out under this section, the Director may— (A) make this program a priority of the National Science Foundation; and (B) elect to use other funds that are available to the Director and not otherwise restricted in their use to carry out the program.