Definitions
Board
The term “Board” means the Board of Directors described in subsection (b)(2)(A).
Department
The term “Department” means the Department of Energy.
Executive Director
The term “Executive Director” means the Executive Director described in subsection (b)(5)(A).
Foundation
The term “Foundation” means the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation established under subsection (b)(1).
Historically Black college or university
section 1061 of title 20The term “historically Black college or university” has the meaning given the term “part B institution” in .
Individual Laboratory-Associated Foundation
The term “Individual Laboratory-Associated Foundation” means a Laboratory Foundation established by an operating contractor of a National Laboratory.
Minority-serving institution
section 1101a of title 201
National Laboratory
section 15801 of this titleThe term “National Laboratory” has the meaning given the term in .
Secretary
The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.
Tribal College or University
section 1059c of title 20The term “Tribal College or University” has the meaning given in .
Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation
Establishment
In general
Not later than 180 days after , the Secretary shall establish a nonprofit corporation to be known as the “Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation”.
Mission
Limitation
The Foundation shall not be an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government.
Tax-exempt status
section 501(c) of title 26section 501(a) of title 26The Board shall take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure that the Foundation is an organization that is described in and exempt from taxation under .
Collaboration with existing organizations
The Secretary may collaborate with 1 or more organizations to establish the Foundation and carry out the activities of the Foundation.
Board of Directors
Establishment
The Foundation shall be governed by a Board of Directors.
Composition
In general
The Board shall be composed of the ex officio nonvoting members described in clause (ii) and the appointed voting members described in clause (iii).
Ex officio members
Initial members
Representation
The appointed members of the Board shall reflect a broad cross-section of stakeholders from academia, National Laboratories, industry, nonprofit organizations, State or local governments, the investment community, and the philanthropic community.
Experience
Chair and Vice Chair
In general
Terms
Representation
Terms and vacancies
Terms
In general
The term of service of each appointed member of the Board shall be not more than 5 years.
Initial appointed members
Of the initial members of the Board appointed under subparagraph (B)(iii)(I), half of the members shall serve for 4 years and half of the members shall serve for 5 years, as determined by the Chair of the Board.
Vacancies
Meetings; quorum
Initial meeting
Not later than 60 days after the Board is established, the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the ex officio and appointed members of the Board to incorporate the Foundation.
Quorum
A majority of the appointed members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting the business of the Board.
Duties
Bylaws
In general
Requirements
Compensation
In general
No member of the Board shall receive compensation for serving on the Board.
Certain expenses
In accordance with the bylaws of the Foundation, members of the Board may be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the Board.
Restriction on membership
No employee of the Department shall be appointed as a member of the Board of Directors.
Purposes
Activities
Studies, competitions, and projects
The Foundation may conduct and support studies, competitions, projects, and other activities that further the purposes of the Foundation described in paragraph (3).
Fellowships and grants
In general
The Foundation may award fellowships and grants for activities relating to research, development, demonstration, maturation, or commercialization of energy and other Department-supported technologies.
Form of award
A fellowship or grant under clause (i) may consist of a stipend, health insurance benefits, funds for travel, and funds for other appropriate expenses.
Selection
National Laboratories
A National Laboratory that applies for or accepts an award under clause (i) shall not be considered to be engaging in a competitive process.
Accessing facilities and expertise
Training and education
The Foundation may support programs that provide training to researchers, scientists, other relevant personnel at National Laboratories and institutions of higher education, and previous or current recipients of or applicants for Department funding to help research, develop, demonstrate, deploy, and commercialize federally funded technology.
Maturation funding
The Foundation shall support programs that provide maturation funding to researchers to advance the technology of those researchers for the purpose of moving products from a prototype stage to a commercial stage.
Stakeholder engagement
The Foundation shall convene, and may consult with, representatives from the Department, institutions of higher education, National Laboratories, the private sector, and commercialization organizations to develop programs for the purposes of the Foundation described in paragraph (3) and to advance the activities of the Foundation.
Individual and Federal Laboratory-Associated Foundations
Definition of covered foundation
Support
The Foundation shall provide support to and collaborate with covered foundations.
Guidelines and templates
Affiliations
Supplemental programs
Evaluations
Communications
The Foundation shall develop an expertise in communications to promote the work of grant and fellowship recipients under subparagraph (B), the commercialization successes of the Foundation, opportunities for partnership with the Foundation, and other activities.
Solicitation and use of funds
The Foundation may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and other donations, establish accounts, and invest and expend funds in support of the activities and programs of the Foundation.
Authority of the foundation
The Foundation shall be the sole entity responsible for carrying out the activities described in this paragraph.
Administration
Executive Director
The Board shall hire an Executive Director of the Foundation, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. Subject to the compliance with the policies and bylaws established pursuant to paragraph (2)(G), the Executive Director shall be responsible for the daily operations of the Foundation in carrying the activities described in paragraph (4).
Compensation
The rate of compensation of the Executive Director shall be fixed by the Board.
Administrative control
No member of the Board, officer or employee of the Foundation or of any program established by the Foundation, or participant in a program established by the Foundation, shall exercise administrative control over any Federal employee.
Strategic plan
Annual report
Evaluation by Comptroller General
Audits
Separate fund accounts
The Board shall ensure that any funds received under paragraph (11)(A) are held in a separate account from any other funds received by the Foundation.
Integrity
In general
To ensure integrity in the operations of the Foundation, the Board shall develop and enforce procedures relating to standards of conduct, financial disclosure statements, conflicts of interest (including recusal and waiver rules), audits, and any other matters determined appropriate by the Board.
Financial conflicts of interest
Intellectual property
The Board shall adopt written standards to govern the ownership and licensing of any intellectual property rights developed by the Foundation or derived from the collaborative efforts of the Foundation.
Liability
In general
Full faith and credit
The full faith and credit of the United States shall not extend to any obligations of the Foundation.
Nonapplicability of FACA
4The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Foundation or an Individual Laboratory-Associated Foundation.
Department collaboration
National Laboratories
Department liaisons
The Secretary shall appoint liaisons from across the Department to collaborate and coordinate with the Foundation, including not less than 1 liaison from the Office of Technology Transitions, who shall ensure that the Foundation works in conjunction with and does not duplicate existing activities and programs carried out by the Department, including the Technology Commercialization Fund of the Department.
Administration
The Secretary shall leverage appropriate arrangements, contracts, and directives to carry out the process developed under subparagraph (A).
National security
Nothing in this subsection exempts the Foundation from any national security policy of the Department.
Support services
The Secretary may provide facilities, utilities, and support services to the Foundation if it is determined by the Secretary to be advantageous to the research programs of the Department.
Preemption of authority
This subsection shall not preempt any authority or responsibility of the Secretary under any other provision of law.
Transfer funds
The Foundation may transfer funds to the Department, which shall be subject to all applicable Federal limitations relating to federally funded research.
Authorization of appropriations
In general
Limitation
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary by subparagraph (A)(i) of this paragraph shall be used for construction.
Cost share
Funds made available under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be required to be cost-shared by a partner of the Foundation other than the Department or a National Laboratory.
National Energy Technology Laboratory-Associated Foundation
Establishment
In general
The National Energy Technology Laboratory may establish, or enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization to establish, a Federal Laboratory-Associated Foundation (referred to in this subsection as a “Laboratory Foundation”) to support the mission of the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Not agency or instrumentality
A Laboratory Foundation shall not be an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government.
Governance structure
A Laboratory Foundation established under subparagraph (A) shall have a separate governance structure from, and shall be managed independently of, the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Activities
Fellowships and grants
Selection
Expenses
Fellowships and grants described in paragraph (2)(E) may include stipends, travel, health insurance, benefits, and other appropriate expenses.
Gifts
An amount of funds, a gift, a devise, or a bequest described in paragraph (2)(G) may be accepted by a Laboratory Foundation regardless of whether it is encumbered, restricted, or subject to a beneficial interest of a private person if any current or future interest of the funds, gift, devise, or bequest is for the benefit of the research and development activities of the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Ownership by Federal Government
A contribution, gift, or any other transfer made to or for the use of a Laboratory Foundation shall be regarded as a contribution, gift, or transfer to or for the use of the Federal Government.
Liability
The United States shall not be liable for any debts, defaults, acts, or omissions of a Laboratory Foundation.
Transfer of funds
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a Laboratory Foundation may transfer funds to the National Energy Technology Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory may accept that transfer of funds.
Other laws
This subsection shall not alter or supersede any other provision of law governing the authority, scope, establishment, or use of nonprofit organizations by a Federal agency.
Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10691136 Stat. 1688 (, , .)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 109 of Pub. L. 95–521section 13101 of Title 5Pub. L. 117–286136 Stat. 4266 Section 109 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (b)(5)(I)(ii)(II), is , which was set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and was repealed and restated as by , §§ 3(c), (7), , , 4361.
Pub. L. 92–46386 Stat. 770 Pub. L. 117–286136 Stat. 4197 section 101 of Title 5The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(5)(L), is , , , which was set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and was substantially repealed and restated in chapter 10 (§ 1001 et seq.) of Title 5 by , §§ 3(a), 7, , , 4361. For disposition of sections of the Act into chapter 10 of Title 5, see Disposition Table preceding .