§1862l National Research Facilities

Summary

The Director must include a facilities plan with the Foundation’s yearly budget request to Congress. The plan must give cost estimates for building, repairing, and upgrading national research facilities, including money for instrument development and for operating and maintaining current and new facilities. For new construction and big upgrades, the plan must show year-by-year funding schedules and major milestones. For each project paid from the major research equipment and facilities construction account and for major upgrades that support Antarctic research programs, the plan must show the total project cost from planning to commissioning and must list where the money will come from, including federal funding by appropriation category and any non‑federal funding. The plan must also show the total lifetime cost of each facility, any plans to retire facilities, and estimates of grant funding that will support research done at each facility. Cost estimates must cover the year the plan is sent to Congress and at least the next four years. The plan must also include a status report for every unfinished construction project listed in current or past plans. Each status report must show money spent so far compared with original cost estimates and must compare the current schedule for major milestones with the original schedule.