§6337 Critical technology partnerships and cooperative research and development centers

Summary

Requires the Secretary of Energy to, as much as possible, have research and development of dual-use critical technologies done through cooperative agreements or other partnerships that link Department of Energy laboratories with outside groups. If money is provided, the Administrator must set up a cooperative research and development center at each national security laboratory. Those centers will support shared scientific work, help develop technology, and move useful results out to users beyond the labs. The Administrator must make cooperative agreements with government, public, school, or private partners and may build, buy, manage, or lease buildings or other facilities for the centers. The law defines a few terms in one line each. "Dual-use critical technology" means a technology the Secretary says is critical to atomic energy defense work, that has military and nonmilitary uses, and that meets the definition in section 4801. "Cooperative research and development agreement" means the term in section 12(d) of the Stevenson‑Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a(d)). "Other entities" means firms or firm groups able to partner with DOE labs, alone or with colleges, other federal or state agencies, or other eligible people or groups. "Atomic energy defense activities" do not include work covered by Executive Order No. 12344, dated February 1, 1982, about Naval nuclear propulsion.