Baird’s Interagency Research Act Passes the House

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement after his bill, the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation Interagency Research Act, unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Operating in a silo is never the best practice, especially when conducting scientific research,” said Rep. Baird. “I’m pleased the House is prioritizing interagency cooperation at the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation by passing my legislation directing them to coordinate regularly and share their findings. I’d like to thank Congresswoman Stevens for her support in passing this bill, and I urge the Senate to take up this legislation without delay.”

Background:

The Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation are the vehicle for much of the United States’ scientific research. However, there is no clear directive for these organizations to work together. The Department of Energy and National Science Foundation Interagency Research Act explicitly directs the Secretary of Energy and the Director of the National Science Foundation to coordinate their activities through memorandums of understanding to accelerate research and unlock new opportunities.