This Act directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to set up a pilot program that creates a national cloud laboratory network. A cloud laboratory is a physical lab with robotic instruments that scientists can program and use remotely. The network will track and catalog biotechnology capabilities at cloud labs, help researchers find needed capabilities, and support sharing of best practices. The NSF must consult with the Secretary of Energy and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology when building the network.
The Act requires an implementation plan within 360 days. The plan must assess existing public and private cloud labs, describe how the network and grants will be run, explain how data will be stored and shared, outline access and payment models (including low- or no-cost access for nonproprietary work), and address intellectual property, cybersecurity, and biosecurity. The Director must form an advisory board of federal employees, academic researchers, biosecurity and ethics experts, and industry representatives to advise on priorities, access rules, safeguards, and annual recommendations.
The pilot has phases: phase II awards (at least 2 cloud labs) must be made within 2 years and be fully operational within 3 years, with awards lasting at least 8 years. Phase III awards (at least 3 additional cloud labs) must be made within 4 years, with awards lasting at least 6 years. The NSF must report annually after phase II awards. The pilot and advisory board end 12 years after enactment.
No publicly available information on total appropriations or the exact cost of the program. The Act says grants are subject to the availability of appropriations. The required implementation plan must include an estimated cost of carrying out the full pilot program broken down by year.
The Act’s stated goals are to generate high-quality biological data through automated experiments, help researchers connect to needed lab capabilities, support data sharing and common standards, and provide access to advanced experimental equipment and data for research and for training artificial intelligence models.
No publicly available information.