“A bill to establish a Foundation for Enabling Biotechnology Innovation.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes the Foundation for Enabling Biotechnology Innovation as a nonprofit entity governed by a board of directors, with the NSF Director appointing at least five initial voting board members (drawn from institutions of higher education, industry, nonprofits, and philanthropy; no federal employees) from a National Academies list within 180 days of enactment, plus ex officio nonvoting members from the NSF, Defense, Agriculture, HHS, EPA, and other agencies. The Foundation's mission is to accelerate U.S. commercialization of biotechnology products by supporting federal agencies and fostering cross-sector collaboration through activities such as (1) promoting public-private partnerships, (2) convening stakeholders for recommendations on emerging technologies and regulation, (3) advancing federal agency dialogue with industry and academia, (4) conducting public engagement and outreach, (5) facilitating market access including international engagement, (6) supporting studies and research via grants and competitions, (7) developing education and fellowship programs (e.g., courses, shadowing, capstone projects, stipends), (8) providing direct support to federal agencies, and (9) other mission-related activities. The Foundation is not a federal agency or instrumentality, conducts no regulation, qualifies for 501(c) tax-exempt status, and may receive funds and gifts except from foreign countries or entities of concern; the board designates a chair and vice chair from voting members for terms of up to three years.