“A bill to require the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out a cloud laboratory network program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines eight terms for purposes of the Act: (1) "artificial intelligence" (as defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401); (2) "authorized researcher" (i.e., an individual authorized to access data from cloud laboratories); (3) "biological data" (i.e., information derived from the structure, function, or process of a biological system); (4) "cloud laboratory" (i.e., a physical laboratory equipped with research instrumentation and advanced robots controllable remotely); (5) "Director" (i.e., NSF Director); (6) "phase II cloud laboratory" (i.e., funded under sec. 3(c)); (7) "phase III cloud laboratory" (i.e., funded under sec. 3(d)); and (8) "Under Secretary" (i.e., Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director).
This section establishes a pilot program, to be carried out by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and NSF Under Secretary, for a cloud laboratory network that coordinates NSF-established cloud laboratories (i.e., remote-access facilities for automated biological experimentation) with those independently operated by private industry, government laboratories, and academic institutions. The network tracks and catalogs biotechnology capabilities across participating laboratories, connects researchers to needed capabilities, and facilitates collaboration on best practices such as data standards; supported cloud laboratories must generate high-quality biological data for artificial intelligence model training and provide researchers access to instrumentation for individual projects. Within 360 days of enactment, the NSF Director must (1) establish the network and (2) submit to Congress an implementation plan, developed in consultation with an advisory board established within 180 days of enactment. The plan assesses existing U.S. public and private cloud laboratories; outlines a national network and grant program (including site selection); details coordination of existing laboratories, data storage and public access, equitable user access models (with no or minimal cost for nonproprietary work), intellectual property agreements, industry and academic engagement, and cybersecurity/biosecurity measures; and provides multiyear cost estimates. The advisory board comprises NSF and other federal agency employees, biotechnology academic researchers, biosafety/biosecurity/ethics experts, and industry representatives.