WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) has joined Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) to introduce the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2014, legislation to extend and enhance federal investments in cutting-edge research and education. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) are also cosponsors.
The bill builds on the goals and successes of the America COMPETES Act of 2007 and its reauthorization in 2010. The legislation would authorize stable and sustained increases in federal research and development funding for the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The bill would also promote the economic benefits of promising R&D and address agency efforts – including at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – to increase participation in STEM fields, particularly among women and minorities.
“Since it was first enacted in 2007, the America COMPETES Act has provided a critical roadmap for American leadership in science, technology, and innovation,” Senator Coons said. “Today this legislation is more important than ever, as more and more of our global competitors ramp up their investments in research and development. The 2010 COMPETES reauthorization was one of the first bills I cosponsored as a senator, and I’m proud to help lead its reauthorization in the Senate again this year. We have to keep investing in the research and innovation that will drive our economy and keep our nation competitive.”
The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act further targets initiatives for advanced manufacturing, by reauthorizing and improving the already successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the only public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. Delaware’s MEP operates through Delaware Technical Community College in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Delaware Office of Economic Development, and the Delaware State and local Chambers of Commerce. The legislation would also implement a national strategic plan for advanced manufacturing, a measure originally introduced and championed by Senator Coons and Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).
“This Senate COMPETES legislation represents an important step forward in closing the innovation gap and ensuring that U.S. university research continues to provide the foundation for technological advances and economic prosperity,” said Charlie Riordan, Vice Provost for Research at the University of Delaware. “The University of Delaware is pleased by Senator Chris Coons’ sponsorship of the reauthorization bill.”
Recognizing the need for long-term investments in science and technology, Congress passed the first America COMPETES Act in 2007 and reauthorized it in 2010. The Acts aimed to significantly increase investments in key federal research and development activities; to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education; and to support the innovation necessary for economic growth. COMPETES remains essential today. In 2013, more than 70 organizations representing business, higher education, and scientific communities signed onto “Guiding Principles” to inform a COMPETES reauthorization, and reiterated the importance of basic research investments as a top national priority.