Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority pilot

In this section: The term “advanced research and development” means research and development activities used to address research challenges in agriculture and food through— development of qualified products and projects, agricultural technologies, or innovative research tools, which may include— The term “agricultural technology” means machinery and other equipment engineered for an applicable and novel use in agriculture, natural resources, and food relating to the research and development of qualified products and projects. The term “Director” means the Director of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority established under subsection (b)(1). The term “other transaction” means a transaction other than a procurement contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, including a transaction described in subsection (b)(6)(A). The term “person” means— The term “qualified product or project” means— plant disease or plant pest recovery countermeasures to intentional or unintentional biological threats (including naturally occurring threats), including— veterinary countermeasures to intentional or unintentional biological threats (including naturally occurring threats), including— The term “research tool” means a device, technology, procedure, biological material, reagent, computer system, computer software, or analytical technique that is developed to assist in the discovery, development, or manufacture of a qualified product or project. There is established within the Department of Agriculture a pilot program that shall be known as the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (referred to in this section as the “AGARDA”) to carry out advanced research and development. The goals of the AGARDA are— The AGARDA shall be a component of the Office of the Chief Scientist. The AGARDA shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Chief Scientist. The Director shall be an individual who, by reason of professional background and experience, is exceptionally qualified to advise the Chief Scientist on, and manage advanced research and development programs and other matters pertaining to— The Director shall report to the Chief Scientist. To achieve the goals described in paragraph (2), the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall accelerate advanced research and development by— establishing issue-based multidisciplinary teams to reduce the time and cost of solving specific problems that— In awarding grants and entering into contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions under paragraph (4)(E), the Secretary shall give priority to projects that accelerate the advanced research and development of qualified products and projects that— In carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall have the authority to enter into other transactions in the same manner and subject to the same terms and conditions as transactions that the Secretary of Defense may enter into under section 4021 of title 10. The authority of the Secretary to enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and other transactions under this subsection shall be in addition to the authorities under this chapter and title I of the Department of Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1964 (7 U.S.C. 3318a), to use contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants in carrying out the pilot program under this section. The Secretary shall establish guidelines regarding the use of the authority under subparagraph (A). In entering into other transactions, the Secretary may negotiate terms for technology transfer in the same manner as a Federal laboratory under paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 3710a(b) of title 15. The Secretary shall require that, as a condition of being awarded a contract or grant or entering into a cooperative agreement or other transaction under paragraph (4)(E), a person shall make available to the Secretary on an ongoing basis, and submit to the Secretary on request of the Secretary, all data relating to or resulting from the activities carried out by the person pursuant to this section. This subparagraph shall be considered a statute described in section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5. The following information shall be exempt from disclosure under section 552 of title 5 and withheld from the public: Information that results from research and development activities conducted under this section and that would be a trade secret or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential if the information had been obtained from a non-Federal party participating in a cooperative agreement or other transaction shall be withheld from disclosure under subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5 for 5 years. In awarding contracts and grants and entering into cooperative agreements or other transactions under paragraph (4)(E), the Secretary may— In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may appoint highly qualified individuals to scientific or professional positions on the same terms and conditions as provided in subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of section 7657 of this title. The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report examining the actions undertaken and results generated by the AGARDA. After the date on which the AGARDA has been in operation for 3 years, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an evaluation— Not later than 360 days after December 20, 2018, the Secretary shall develop and make publicly available a strategic plan describing the strategic vision that the AGARDA shall use— The Secretary shall disseminate the information contained in the strategic plan under paragraph (1) to persons who may have the capacity to substantially contribute to the activities described in that strategic plan. The Secretary shall— in developing the strategic plan under paragraph (1), consult with— There is established in the Treasury the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Fund, which shall be administered by the Secretary, acting through the Director— The Secretary, acting through the Director, may accept and deposit into the Fund monies received pursuant to cost recovery, contribution, or royalty payments under a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction under this section. Amounts deposited into the fund shall remain available until expended, without further appropriation, and may be used to carry out the purposes of this section. Nothing in this paragraph authorizes the use of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section. In addition to funds otherwise deposited in the Fund under paragraph (1) or (2), there is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, to remain available until expended. Except as provided under paragraph (2), the authority provided by this section terminates on the date that is 5 years after December 20, 2018. Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to—