(a) Program required
(1) In general
Pursuant to the authority provided under section 4025 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program (referred to in this section as the Program ) to award prizes to support the research, development, and commercialization of biotechnology-based capabilities that address priority areas identified by the Secretary under subsection (b).
(2) Additional requirements
The Secretary shall—
before commencing prize competitions under the Program, establish requirements for the prize competition process, including—
eligibility criteria for participants consistent with paragraph (3); and
procedures for the testing, judging, and verification of submissions to the competitions; and
ensure that information on the prize competitions is made available to eligible participants, including by conducting outreach and posting such information to a publicly accessible website of the Department of Defense.
(3) Eligible participants
To be eligible for a prize award under the Program, an individual or entity shall meet the requirements described in section 24(g)(3) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 ( 15 U.S.C. 3719(g)(3) ).
(4) Judges
In accordance with section 24(k) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 ( 15 U.S.C. 3719(k) ), an individual from the private sector may be appointed as a judge for a prize competition under the Program.
(5) Coordination
The Secretary of Defense shall carry out the Program acting through the head of the Biotechnology Management Office of the Department of Defense and in consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments and relevant officials from laboratories of the Armed Forces and other appropriate elements of the Department of Defense.
(6) Deadline
The Secretary of Defense shall commence implementation of the Program not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Selection of priority areas
(1) In general
Before commencing prize competitions under the Program, but not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall identify and select specific, well-defined, and measurable priority areas of biotechnology research and development to be advanced through the award of prizes under the Program.
(2) Biotechnology applications
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary is encouraged to identify and select priority areas that support the following applications of biotechnology for defense purposes:
Bioenergetics.
Biobased material, including for use in existing and planned systems where such materials could provide improved performance over traditional material.
Biomining, including for critical minerals.
Biomanufacturing platforms and processes, including for modular or deployable systems.
Biotechnology convergence with other technologies and subject areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and advanced computing.
(3) Public input and other considerations
In identifying and selecting priority areas under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
solicit and consider public input; and
consider—
relevant existing and planned programs and activities of Department of Defense and other research and development entities of the Federal Government;
the likelihood of relevant research or development being conducted by the private sector without further support from the Federal Government;
the likelihood that investment in an area by the Department of Defense will result in improved capabilities or readiness, including by increasing supply chain resilience; and
whether such an investment would foster innovation beyond the primary goal of the proposed priority area.