In addition to existing authorities available to the Foundation, the Director may exercise the following authorities in carrying out the activities under this part:
(1) Awards
In carrying out this part, the Director may provide awards in the form of grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, cash prizes, and other transactions.
(2) Program directors
(A) Designation
The Director may designate individuals to serve as program directors for the programs established within the Directorate pursuant to the responsibilities established under subparagraph (B). The Director shall ensure that program directors—
(i) have expertise in one or more of the challenges and key technology focus areas under section
19107 of this title; and
(ii) come from a variety of backgrounds, including industry, and from a variety of institutions of higher education.
(B) Responsibilities
A program director of a program of the Directorate, in consultation with the Assistant Director, shall be responsible for—
(i) establishing research and development goals for the program, including through the convening of workshops, conferring with a broad range of stakeholders and outside experts, taking into account relevant expert reports, and publicizing the goals of the program to the public and private sectors;
(ii) surveying a wide range of institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and private entities to identify emerging trends in the challenges and key technology focus areas under section
19107 of this title, and, as appropriate, soliciting proposals from such entities to conduct research in areas of particular promise that the private sector is the not likely to undertake independently.1
(iii) facilitating research collaborations in the challenges and key technology focus areas under section
19107 of this title, including connecting academic researchers with potential end-users of technology, including industry, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, civil society organizations, and other relevant organizations;
(iv) reviewing applications for projects submitted under section
19114 of this title according to the Merit Review Criteria established by the Director for such projects and described in the Foundation's Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, and any such additional criteria as determined by the Director; and
(v) monitoring the progress of projects supported under the program and taking into account input from relevant experts and stakeholders, recommending program updates as needed.
(C) Selection criteria
Program directors may use diverse merit review models for selection of award recipients under section
19114 of this title, including internal review and different models that use peer review.
(D) Terms
Program directors of the Directorate may be appointed by the Director for a limited term, renewable at the discretion of the Director.
(3) Experts in science and engineering
(A) Program authorized
The Foundation may carry out a program of personnel management authority provided under subparagraph (B) in order to facilitate recruitment of eminent experts in science or engineering for research and development projects and to enhance the administration and management of the Foundation.
(B) Personnel management authority
Under the program under subparagraph (A), the Foundation may—
(i) without regard to any provision of title 5 governing the appointment of employees in the competitive service, appoint individuals to a total of not more than 70 positions in the Foundation, of which not more than 5 such positions may be positions of administration or management of the Foundation;
(ii) prescribe the rates of basic pay for positions to which employees are appointed under clause (i)—
(I) in the case of employees appointed pursuant to clause (i) to any of 5 positions designated by the Foundation for purposes of this clause, at rates not in excess of a rate equal to 150 percent of the maximum rate of basic pay authorized for positions at level I of the Executive Schedule under section
5312 of title 5; and
(II) in the case of any other employee appointed pursuant to clause (i), at rates not in excess of the maximum rate of basic pay authorized for senior-level positions under section
5376 of title 5; and
(iii) pay any employee appointed under subparagraph (A), other than an employee appointed to a position designated as described in clause (ii)(I), payments in addition to basic pay within the limit applicable to the employee under subparagraph (D).
(C) Limitation on term of appointment
(i) In general
Except as provided in clause (ii), the service of an employee under an appointment under subparagraph (B)(i) may not exceed 4 years.
(ii) Extension
The Director may, in the case of a particular employee under the program under subparagraph (A), extend the period to which service is limited under clause (i) by up to 2 years if the Director determines that such action is necessary to promote the efficiency of the Foundation.
(D) Maximum amount of additional payments payable
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection or section
5307 of title 5, no additional payments may be paid to an employee under subparagraph (B)(iii) in any calendar year if, or to the extent that, the employee's total annual compensation in such calendar year will exceed the maximum amount of total annual compensation payable at the salary set in accordance with section
104 of title 3.
(4) Highly qualified experts in needed occupations
(A) In general
The Foundation may carry out a program using the authority provided in subparagraph (B) in order to attract highly qualified experts in needed occupations, as determined by the Foundation. Individuals hired by the Director through such authority may include individuals with expertise in business creativity, innovation management, design thinking, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and related fields.
(B) Authority
Under the program, the Foundation may—
(i) appoint personnel from outside the civil service and uniformed services (as such terms are defined in section
2101 of title 5) to positions in the Foundation without regard to any provision of title 5 governing the appointment of employees in the competitive service;
(ii) prescribe the rates of basic pay for positions to which employees are appointed under clause (i) at rates not in excess of the maximum rate of basic pay authorized for senior-level positions under section
5376 of title 5; and
(iii) pay any employee appointed under clause (i) payments in addition to basic pay within the limits applicable to the employee under subparagraph (D).
(C) Limitation on term of appointment
(i) In general
Except as provided in clause (ii), the service of an employee under an appointment made pursuant to this subsection may not exceed 5 years.
(ii) Extension
The Foundation may, in the case of a particular employee, extend the period to which service is limited under clause (i) by up to 1 additional year if the Foundation determines that such action is necessary to promote the Foundation's national security missions.
(D) Limitations on additional payments
(i) Total amount
The total amount of the additional payments paid to an employee under this subsection for any 12-month period may not exceed the maximum amount of total compensation payable at the salary set in accordance with section
104 of title.2
(ii) Eligibility for payments
An employee appointed under this subsection is not eligible for any bonus, monetary award, or other monetary incentive for service, except for payments authorized under this subsection.
(E) Limitation on number of highly qualified experts
The number of highly qualified experts appointed and retained by the Foundation under sub 3 (B)(i) shall not exceed 70 at any time.
(F) Savings provisions
In the event that the Foundation terminates the program under this paragraph, in the case of an employee who, on the day before the termination of the program, is serving in a position pursuant to an appointment under this paragraph—
(i) the termination of the program does not terminate the employee's employment in that position before the expiration of the lesser of—
(I) the period for which the employee was appointed; or
(II) the period to which the employee's service is limited under subparagraph (C), including any extension made under this paragraph before the termination of the program; and
(ii) the rate of basic pay prescribed for the position under this paragraph may not be reduced as long as the employee continues to serve at an acceptable level of performance in the position without a break in service.
(5) Additional hiring authority
To the extent needed to carry out the duties under paragraph (1)(A), the Director is authorized to utilize hiring authorities under section
3372 of title 5 to staff the Foundation with employees from other Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, institutions of higher education, and other organizations, as described in that section, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions, that apply to such individuals utilized to accomplish other missions of the Foundation.
(6) National Academy of Public Administration
(A) Study
Not later than 30 days after August 9, 2022, the Director shall contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to conduct a study on the organizational and management structure of the Foundation, to—
(i) evaluate and make recommendations to efficiently and effectively implement the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships; and
(ii) evaluate and make recommendations to ensure coordination of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships with other directorates and offices of the Foundation and other Federal agencies.
(B) Review
Upon completion of the study under subparagraph (A), the Foundation shall review the recommendations from the National Academy of Public Administration and provide a briefing to Congress on the plans of the Foundation to implement any such recommendations.