--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 19135" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "19135" heading: "Agency activities" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/19135" units: - "Chapter 163 — Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation" - "Subchapter IV — Bioeconomy Research and Development" --- # §19135. Agency activities - (a) **National Science Foundation—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the National Science [Foundation](/usc/42/18901.md?p=11) shall carry out the following: - (1) Support research in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) and [biomanufacturing](/usc/42/18901.md?p=4) through individual [grants](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5), collaborative [grants](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5), and through interdisciplinary research [centers](/usc/42/18901.md?p=17). - (2) Support research on the environmental, legal, ethical, and social implications of [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6). - (3) Provide support for research instrumentation, equipment, and cyberinfrastructure for [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) disciplines, including support for research, development, optimization, and validation of novel technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ. - (4) Support curriculum development and research experiences for secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) and [biomanufacturing](/usc/42/18901.md?p=4), including through support for graduate fellowships and traineeships in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6). - (5) Award [grants](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5), on a competitive basis, to enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) research in an industry setting. - (b) **Department of Commerce—** - (1) **National Institute of Standards and Technology—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall carry out the following: - (A) Advance the development of standard reference materials and measurements, including to promote interoperability between new component technologies and processes for [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) and [biomanufacturing](/usc/42/18901.md?p=4) discovery, innovation, and production processes. - (B) Establish new data tools, techniques, and processes necessary to advance [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) and [biomanufacturing](/usc/42/18901.md?p=4). - (C) Provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to industry, institutions of higher education, [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) organizations, and government [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) to perform research and testing. - (D) Provide technical expertise to inform the potential development of guidelines or safeguards for new products, processes, and systems of [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6). - (2) **National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—** As part of the [initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall carry out the following: - (A) Conduct and support research in [omics](/usc/42/19131.md?p=2) and associated bioinformatic sciences and develop tools and products to improve ecosystem stewardship, monitoring, management, assessments. and forecasts, consistent with the mission of the [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1). - (B) Collaborate with other [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) to understand potential environmental threats and safeguards related to [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6). - (c) **Department of Energy—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) of Energy shall carry out the following: - (1) Conduct and support research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6), including in the areas of synthetic biology, advanced biofuel and bioproduct development, biobased materials, and environmental remediation. - (2) Support the development, optimization and validation of novel, scalable tools and technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ. - (3) Provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources, including secure access to high-performance computing, as appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher education, [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) organizations, and government [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) to perform research and testing;.[^1] - (4) Strengthen collaboration between the Office of Science and the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office to help transfer fundamental research results to industry and accelerate commercial applications. - (d) **Department of Defense—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) of Defense shall carry out the following: - (1) Conduct and support research and development in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) and associated data and information sciences. - (2) Support curriculum development and research experiences in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) and associated data and information sciences across the military education system, including the service academies, professional military education, and military graduate education. - (3) Assess risks of potential national security and economic security threats relating to [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6). - (e) **National Aeronautics and Space Administration—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall carry out the following: - (1) Conduct and support research in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6), including in synthetic biology, and related to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, space technology, and space exploration and experimentation, consistent with the priorities established in the [National Academies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=20)’ decadal surveys. - (2) Award [grants](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5), on a competitive basis, that enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) research in an industry setting. - (f) **Department of Agriculture—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) of Agriculture shall support research and development in [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) through the Agricultural Research Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture programs and [grants](/usc/42/19291.md?p=5), and the Office of the Chief Scientist. - (g) **Environmental Protection Agency—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the Environmental Protection [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) shall support research on how products, processes, and systems of [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) will affect or can protect the environment. - (h) **Department of Health and Human Services—** As part of the [Initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) of Health and Human Services, as appropriate and consistent with activities of the [Department](/usc/42/19291.md?p=2) of Health and Human Services in effect on the day before August 9, 2022, shall carry out the following: - (1) Support research and development to advance the understanding and application of [engineering biology](/usc/42/18901.md?p=6) for human health. - (2) Support relevant interdisciplinary research and coordination. - (3) Support activities necessary to facilitate oversight of relevant emerging biotechnologies. ## Footnotes [^1]: So in original. The semicolon preceding the period probably should not appear. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title IV, § 10406, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1606.)