§18654 Midscale Instrumentation and Research Equipment Program

Summary

Creates a midscale instrumentation and research equipment program to develop, buy, and help bring to market research instruments and gear the Department needs and that can be used by the wider science community. The program must support new, cutting‑edge instruments that cost $1,000,000 to $20,000,000 each and that would speed major scientific progress at user facilities. It must encourage partnerships among National Laboratories, user facilities, and colleges or universities that get EPSCoR funding, are historically Black colleges or universities, are minority‑serving institutions, or are in rural areas. The Director must run the program in coordination with other Office of Science programs and promote cooperation among the Office of Science, the National Laboratories, the Office of Technology Transitions, and relevant academic and private partners to find, share, and commercialize useful instruments and related technologies. Up to $150,000,000 is authorized each year to carry out the program for fiscal years 2023 through 2027, from Office of Science funds.