S. 3854 — Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act

This section defines terms used in the Act, including (1) Administration as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (2) Administrator as the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (3) advanced computing techniques as hardware, software, and computational methods (e.g., artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, machine learning) necessary to develop and deploy advanced weather models; (4) advanced weather model as a model or suite of models used to predict physical, biological, or chemical Earth system processes spanning weather, seasonal to subseasonal, or climate time scales; (5) appropriate committees of Congress as the Senate Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; (6) Department as the Department of Energy; (7) institution of higher education as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); (8) National Laboratory as defined in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801); and (9) Secretary as the Secretary of Energy.

This section directs the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of NOAA to carry out collaborative research and development activities using advanced computing techniques to improve advanced weather models relevant to their missions. It requires those activities to be conducted through a memorandum of understanding or other interagency agreement that uses a competitive, merit-reviewed process open to federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and other entities (or consortia thereof). The section authorizes the following activities: (1) developing new methods and optimizing advanced computing techniques; (2) exploring performance portability of weather model codes between NOAA's operational systems and DOE's high-performance computers; (3) advancing methods to analyze large weather and climate datasets; (4) promoting collaboration, open software development, and data sharing (to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with national security); and (5) supporting maintenance and improvements to scientific computing infrastructure. It further authorizes (1) reimbursable agreements among DOE, NOAA, and other entities and (2) collaboration with other federal agencies. Not later than two years after enactment, the Secretary and Administrator must submit a report to specified congressional committees on interagency coordination, technical opportunities, research achievements, future gains, and plans for continued coordination.

This section establishes a five-year initiative to develop and deploy advanced weather models using advanced computing techniques, to be carried out by the NOAA Administrator in collaboration with the Secretary through a competitive, merit-reviewed process open to federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and other entities. In carrying out the initiative, the Administrator and Secretary shall coordinate research efforts across NOAA and may (1) leverage interagency data and efforts; (2) archive model outputs for research access; (3) use agile computing frameworks; (4) support workforce training, recruitment, and retention; (5) maintain scientific computing infrastructure; (6) compare National Weather Service forecasts and models to advanced computing-based predictions; and (7) share innovations, including those based on the Unified Forecast System, through community activities. This section further authorizes the Secretary, in collaboration with the Administrator, to establish up to three centers of excellence at national laboratories to research, develop, and deploy advanced computing techniques for weather models, prioritizing laboratories with NOAA partnerships, artificial intelligence-enabled high-performance computing, relevant workforce expertise, proximity to NOAA research labs, and weather modeling experience. Each center may leverage public-private partnerships for workforce and infrastructure development; optimize software tools and algorithms for high-performance computing; and apply advanced techniques to improve model accuracy and resolution. This section authorizes the Administrator and Secretary to enter into multiyear contracts (i.e., for two to five program years) in accordance with 41 U.S.C. §3903—including requirements for available funds, termination clauses, congressional notice for cancellation ceilings over $10 million, and contingency clauses—to support related operational research and development. Not later than two years after enactment, the Administrator shall submit to congressional committees a report evaluating the initiative's effectiveness, opportunities to expand advanced computing capabilities, and needs for further collaboration. This section sunsets all authorities five years after enactment.

This section requires activities authorized or required under the Act to be carried out consistent with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.). (As background, subtitle D establishes research security measures, including training, risk management for international collaborations, and protections against undue foreign influence in federally funded research.)