(a) In general

From amounts made available for the Directorate, the Director shall make awards, on a competitive basis, for research and technology development within the key technology focus areas, including investments that advance solutions to the challenges under section 19107 of this title.

(b) Purpose

The purpose of the awards under this section shall be to accelerate technological advances and technology adoption in the key technology focus areas.

Recipients of funds under this section may include institutions of higher education, research institutions, non-profit organizations, private sector entities, consortia, or other entities as defined by the Director.

(d) Metrics

The Director may set metrics, including goals and deadlines, for the development and demonstration of technology as determined in the terms of the award, and may use such metrics to determine whether an award recipient shall be eligible for continued or follow-on funding.

(e) Short term technology deployment

The Director shall also make awards, including through the SBIR and STTR programs (as defined in section 638(e) of title 15), to expedite short-term technology deployment within a period of no longer than 24 months.

(f) Selection criteria

In selecting recipients for an award under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum—

(1) the relevance of the project to the challenges and the key technology focus areas under section 19107 of this title, and the potential of the project to result in transformational advances for such challenges and the key technology focus areas;

(2) the current status of similar technology, the limits of current practice, and the novelty and risks of the proposed project;

(3) the ethical, societal, safety, and security implications relevant to the application of the technology;

(4) the appropriateness of quantitative goals and metrics for evaluating the project and a plan for evaluating those metrics; and

(5) the path for developing and, as appropriate, commercializing the technology into products and processes in the United States.

(g) Authorization of appropriations

From within funds authorized for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, there are authorized to carry out the activities under this section $1,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2023 through 2027.