DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act

This bill would require the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to establish an interagency agreement to conduct collaborative research and development activities. The agencies would focus on several areas, including artificial intelligence, biofuels, grid security, wildfire prevention, and methods to improve agricultural efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal also supports the development of large-scale data sets, research infrastructure, and workforce training through a competitive, merit-reviewed process involving national laboratories and higher education institutions.

The Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture are the primary agencies affected, as they are required to establish an interagency agreement for collaborative research. Federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions are eligible to apply for research opportunities through a competitive, merit-reviewed process. Additionally, the bill impacts sectors involved in biofuels, grid security, rural technology, and agricultural processing through targeted research and development activities.

• Establishment of interagency research agreement. The Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture are required to enter into an agreement to conduct collaborative research and development activities. This includes the authority to use reimbursable agreements and partner with other federal agencies to improve research effectiveness.
• Competitive merit-review process. The interagency agreement must utilize a competitive, merit-based selection process for research projects. Applications will be considered from federal agencies, national laboratories, nonprofit institutions, and institutions of higher education.
• Collaborative research focus areas. Research activities may target several priority areas, including artificial intelligence, biofuels, grid modernization, rural technology, and wildfire prevention. Additional focus is placed on improving agricultural processing efficiencies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Data integration and infrastructure support. The bill supports the development of methods to manage large, integrated data sets covering agricultural, environmental, and economic information. It also provides for the support of research infrastructure and workforce development.

The bill requires the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to formalize their collaborative relationship through a new interagency agreement and authorizes the use of reimbursable agreements to coordinate research and development activities.

The bill aims to enhance research and development effectiveness by requiring the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to establish an interagency agreement for collaborative, cross-cutting projects. This partnership is intended to advance innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, biofuels, grid security, rural technology, and wildfire prevention while improving agricultural efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.