CHIPS and Science Act passed by Congress
On Thursday, July 28, the House passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America and Science Act by a vote of 243-187 following the Senate’s vote of 64-33 to pass the landmark legislation in that body on Wednesday. The measure will now be sent to the President for his signature.
The $250 billion CHIPS and Science Act pumps billions of dollars into developing next generation semiconductor technologies, modernizing semiconductor facilities, and investing in scientific research and innovation at NSF, DOE, and the Department of Commerce. The bill also includes the largest investment ever recommended by Congress for the EPSCoR jurisdictions, including a 20 percent set-aside of NSF funding and scholarships. According to estimates, these new provisions could provide as much as $1.8 billion more to EPSCoR states than they could be expected to receive under current research and related activity policy. “The CHIP-Plus Bill passed by the Senate is a game changer for EPSCoR states. This is a huge opportunity for EPSCoR states to continue to build their research capacity and STEM workforce, and thus enhance their economic competitiveness nationally and globally,” said the Chair of the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation Board of Directors, Prakash Nagarkatti.
Other provisions in the bill include significant increases for the DOE EPSCoR program and language ensuring that not fewer than one-third of eligible consortia under the Department of Commerce’s regional technology hubs include at least one EPSCoR eligible state or territory. Mridul Gautam, Chair of the Coalition of EPSCoR/IDeA States and Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Nevada, Reno stated that, “This legislation will strengthen the fabric of our nation and ensure our scientific and technological leadership in the world. It has significant implications for technology and research advancements, and economic prosperity across the span of our nation. This vision and the support that lead to passage of this legislation are to be applauded.”
Senator Wicker (R-MS), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee, fought tirelessly for over a year to protect these EPSCoR provisions throughout the various iterations of the legislation (e.g., the Endless Frontier Act, the United States Innovation and Competition (USICA) Act, COMPETES) until final passage this week. On Wednesday, before the Senate voted on the CHIPS and Science Act, Senator Wicker spoke on the Senate floor and stated that the legislation would advance “American innovation in quantum computing, advanced robotics, biotechnology, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence, the full suite of technologies that we need to outcompete China. And instead of limiting those investments to a small handful of institutions in five wealthy states, this bill casts a wide net, enlisting the talent and expertise of STEM researchers nationwide. This legislation will guarantee that EPSCoR, a program designed to stimulate competitive research in 25 predominately rural states receives 20% of all R&D funding for the National Science Foundation, up from the current 13%.”
The Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), despite being from a non-EPSCoR state has supported efforts to strengthen investments in EPSCoR jurisdictions and stated in her floor remarks that, “…we know that while we want to grow more technology advancements in the United States, that we also want to see it not just in Seattle but in places like Spokane or Indianapolis or West Virginia or Wichita.”
The EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation, along with sister organization — the EPSCoR/IDeA Coalition, thanks the EPSCoR/IDeA community for their continued dedication to and success in transforming the nations’ research and innovation capacity.
More on the bill here: