§19083 Helium Conservation

Summary

The Director must fund proposals under the Major Research Instrumentation program that buy, set up, run, and keep equipment that reduces how much helium is used. The Director can waive the usual matching-money rule for schools that do not grant Ph.D. degrees and for Ph.D.-granting schools that are not among the top 100 recipients of Federal research and development funding, as shown by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. No later than 1 year after August 9, 2022, and again each year for the next two years, the Director must send Congress a report on how Foundation funding was used to buy or conserve helium. The reports must show the volume and price of helium bought, changes in price and availability, and any supply problems that affected many institutions.