COMPETES Act Reauthorized without Funding

Last week, Congress passed the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (S. 3084), which reauthorizes the America COMPETES Act. The Act does not include any funding levels for any of the programs or agencies reauthorized in the bill but does reinforce Congress’s support for research and makes adjustments to some programs. One crucial component of the bill adjusts the cost share requirement for NIST’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership to 1:1 throughout the new authorization period. In a press release, Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) emphasized that the act will also provide agencies more leeway to adjust EPSCoR solicitations and encourage NSF to expand I-Corps through agreements with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and follow-on grants.