- § 4021. Research projects: transactions other than contracts and grants
- § 4022. Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects
- § 4023. Procurement for experimental purposes
- § 4024. Merit-based award of grants for research and development
- § 4025. Prizes for advanced technology achievements
- § 4026. Cooperative research and development agreements under Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980
- § 4027. Disclosure requirements for recipients of research and development funds
§ 4021. Research projects: transactions other than contracts and grants
(a)Additional Forms of Transactions Authorized.—The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of each military department may enter into transactions (other than contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants) under the authority of this subsection in carrying out basic, applied, and advanced research projects. The authority under this subsection is in addition to the authority provided in section 4001 of this title to use contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants in carrying out such projects.
(b)Exercise of Authority by Secretary of Defense.—In any exercise of the authority in subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall act through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, or any other element of the Department of Defense that the Secretary may designate.
(c)Advance Payments.—The authority provided under subsection (a) may be exercised without regard to section 3324 of title 31.
(d)Recovery of Funds.—
(1) A cooperative agreement for performance of basic, applied, or advanced research authorized by section 4001 of this title and a transaction authorized by subsection (a) may include a clause that requires a person or other entity to make payments to the Department of Defense or any other department or agency of the Federal Government as a condition for receiving support under the agreement or other transaction.
(2) The amount of any payment received by the Federal Government pursuant to a requirement imposed under paragraph (1) may be credited, to the extent authorized by the Secretary of Defense, to the appropriate account established under subsection (f). Amounts so credited shall be merged with other funds in the account and shall be available for the same purposes and the same period for which other funds in such account are available.
(e)Conditions.—The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that—
(1) to the maximum extent practicable, no cooperative agreement containing a clause under subsection (d) and no transaction entered into under subsection (a) provides for research that duplicates research being conducted under existing programs carried out by the Department of Defense; and
(2) to the extent that the Secretary determines practicable, the funds provided by the Government under a cooperative agreement containing a clause under subsection (d) or a transaction authorized by subsection (a) do not exceed the total amount provided by other parties to the cooperative agreement or other transaction.
(f)Support Accounts.—There is hereby established on the books of the Treasury separate accounts for each of the military departments, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for support of research projects and development projects provided for in cooperative agreements containing a clause under subsection (d) and research projects provided for in transactions entered into under subsection (a). Funds in those accounts shall be available for the payment of such support.
(g)Education and Training.—The Secretary of Defense shall—
(1) ensure that management, technical, and contracting personnel of the Department of Defense involved in the award or administration of transactions under this section or other innovative forms of contracting are afforded opportunities for adequate education and training; and
(2) establish minimum levels and requirements for continuous and experiential learning for such personnel, including levels and requirements for acquisition certification programs.
(h)Guidance.—The Secretary of Defense shall issue guidance to carry out this section.
(i)Protection of Certain Information From Disclosure.—
(1) Disclosure of information described in paragraph (2) is not required, and may not be compelled, under section 552 of title 5 for five years after the date on which the information is received by the Department of Defense.
(2)
(A) Paragraph (1) applies to information described in subparagraph (B) that is in the records of the Department of Defense if the information was submitted to the Department in a competitive or noncompetitive process having the potential for resulting in an award, to the party submitting the information, of a cooperative agreement for performance of basic, applied, or advanced research authorized by section 4001 of this title or another transaction authorized by subsection (a).
(B) The information referred to in subparagraph (A) is the following:
(i) A proposal, proposal abstract, and supporting documents.
(ii) A business plan submitted on a confidential basis.
(iii) Technical information submitted on a confidential basis.
(Added Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title II, § 251(a)(1), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1403, § 2371; amended Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, § 1484(k)(9), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1719; Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title VIII, § 826, Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1442; Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title II, § 217, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2352; Pub. L. 103–35, title II, § 201(c)(4), May 31, 1993, 107 Stat. 98; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title VIII, § 827(b), title XI, § 1182(a)(6), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1712, 1771; Pub. L. 103–355, title I, § 1301(b), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3285; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, § 1502(a)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 502; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title II, § 267(a)–(c)(1)(A), title X, § 1073(e)(1)(B), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2467, 2468, 2658; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VIII, § 832, Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1842; Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title VIII, § 817, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2089; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title X, § 1067(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 774; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title X, § 1031(a)(19), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1597; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(f)(20), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3511; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title VIII, § 863, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1494; renumbered § 4021 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1841(b)(1), (2)(B), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4243; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VIII, § 821(a), title XVII, § 1701(u)(2)(B), (F)(i)(III), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1825, 2151; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title IX, § 913(a)(2), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 367.)
§ 4022. Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects
(a)Authority.—
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit, the Secretary of a military department, or any other official designated by the Secretary of Defense may, under the authority of section 4021 of this title, carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of personnel of the Department of Defense or improving platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense, or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces.
(2) The authority of this section—
(A) may be exercised for a transaction for a prototype project that is expected to cost the Department of Defense in excess of $100,000,000 but not in excess of $500,000,000 (including all options) only upon a written determination by the head of the contracting activity, or, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, or the Missile Defense Agency, the director of the agency that—
(i) the requirements of subsection (d) will be met; and
(ii) the use of the authority of this section is essential to promoting the success of the prototype project;
(B) may be exercised for a transaction for a prototype project that is expected to cost the Department of Defense in excess of $500,000,000 (including all options) only if—
(i) the senior procurement executive for the agency as designated for the purpose of section 1702(c) of title 41, or, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, or the Missile Defense Agency, the director of the agency, determines in writing that—(I) the requirements of subsection (d) will be met; and(II) the use of the authority of this section is essential to meet critical national security objectives; and
(ii) the congressional defense committees are notified in writing at least 30 days before such authority is exercised; and
(C) may be exercised for a transaction for a follow-on production contract or transaction that is awarded pursuant to subsection (f) and expected to cost the Department of Defense in excess of $100,000,000 (including all options) only if a covered official—
(i) determines in writing that—(I) the requirements of subsection (d) were met for the prior transaction for the prototype project that provided for the award of the follow-on production contract or transaction, and the requirements of subsection (f) will be met; and(II) the use of the authority of this section is essential to meet critical national security objectives; and
(ii) notifies the congressional defense committees in writing of the determinations required under clause (i) at the time such authority is exercised.
(3) The authority of the head of the contracting activity, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, director of the Missile Defense Agency, or the senior procurement executive, as applicable, under paragraph (2) may not be delegated.
(b)Exercise of Authority.—
(1) Subsection (e)(2) of such section 4021 shall not apply to projects carried out under subsection (a).
(2) To the maximum extent practicable, competitive procedures shall be used when entering into agreements to carry out the prototype projects under subsection (a).
(c)Comptroller General Access to Information.—
(1) Each agreement entered into by an official referred to in subsection (a) to carry out a project under that subsection that provides for payments in a total amount in excess of $5,000,000 shall include a clause that provides for the Comptroller General, in the discretion of the Comptroller General, to examine the records of any party to the agreement or any entity that participates in the performance of the agreement.
(2) The requirement in paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a party or entity, or a subordinate element of a party or entity, that has not entered into any other agreement that provides for audit access by a Government entity in the year prior to the date of the agreement.
(3)
(A) The right provided to the Comptroller General in a clause of an agreement under paragraph (1) is limited as provided in subparagraph (B) in the case of a party to the agreement, an entity that participates in the performance of the agreement, or a subordinate element of that party or entity if the only agreements or other transactions that the party, entity, or subordinate element entered into with Government entities in the year prior to the date of that agreement are cooperative agreements or transactions that were entered into under this section or section 4021 of this title.
(B) The only records of a party, other entity, or subordinate element referred to in subparagraph (A) that the Comptroller General may examine in the exercise of the right referred to in that subparagraph are records of the same type as the records that the Government has had the right to examine under the audit access clauses of the previous agreements or transactions referred to in such subparagraph that were entered into by that particular party, entity, or subordinate element.
(4) The head of the contracting activity that is carrying out the agreement may waive the applicability of the requirement in paragraph (1) to the agreement if the head of the contracting activity determines that it would not be in the public interest to apply the requirement to the agreement. The waiver shall be effective with respect to the agreement only if the head of the contracting activity transmits a notification of the waiver to Congress and the Comptroller General before entering into the agreement. The notification shall include the rationale for the determination.
(5) The Comptroller General may not examine records pursuant to a clause included in an agreement under paragraph (1) more than three years after the final payment is made by the United States under the agreement.
(d)Appropriate Use of Authority.—
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that no official of an agency enters into a transaction (other than a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement) for a prototype project under the authority of this section unless one of the following conditions is met:
(A) There is at least one nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution participating to a significant extent in the prototype project.
(B) All significant participants in the transaction other than the Federal Government are small businesses (including small businesses participating in a program described under section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)) or nontraditional defense contractors.
(C) At least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.
(D) The senior procurement executive for the agency determines in writing that exceptional circumstances justify the use of a transaction that provides for innovative business arrangements or structures that would not be feasible or appropriate under a contract, or would provide an opportunity to expand the defense supply base in a manner that would not be practical or feasible under a contract.
(2)
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the amounts counted for the purposes of this subsection as being provided, or to be provided, by a party to a transaction with respect to a prototype project that is entered into under this section other than the Federal Government do not include costs that were incurred before the date on which the transaction becomes effective.
(B) Costs that were incurred for a prototype project by a party after the beginning of negotiations resulting in a transaction (other than a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement) with respect to the project before the date on which the transaction becomes effective may be counted for purposes of this subsection as being provided, or to be provided, by the party to the transaction if and to the extent that the official responsible for entering into the transaction determines in writing that—
(i) the party incurred the costs in anticipation of entering into the transaction; and
(ii) it was appropriate for the party to incur the costs before the transaction became effective in order to ensure the successful implementation of the transaction.
(3) The requirements of this subsection do not apply to follow-on production contracts or transactions under subsection (f).
(e)Definitions.—In this section:
(1) The term “covered official” means—
(A) a service acquisition executive;
(B) the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency;
(C) the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit;
(D) the Director of the Missile Defense Agency;
(E) the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; or
(F) the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
(2) The term “nontraditional defense contractor” has the meaning given the term under section 3014 of this title.
(3) The term “service acquisition executive” has the meaning given that term in section 101(a) of this title.
(4) The term “small business” means a small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
(5) The term “prototype project” includes a project that addresses—
(A) a proof of concept, model, or process, including a business process;
(B) reverse engineering to address obsolescence;
(C) a pilot or novel application of commercial technologies for defense purposes;
(D) agile development activity;
(E) the creation, design, development, or demonstration of operational utility; or
(F) any combination of subparagraphs (A) through (E).
(6) The term “follow-on production contract or transaction” means a contract or transaction to produce, sustain, or otherwise implement the results of a successfully completed prototype project for continued or expanded use by the Department of Defense.
(f)Follow-on Production Contracts or Transactions.—
(1) A transaction entered into under this section for a prototype project may provide for the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction to the participants in the transaction. A transaction includes all individual prototype subprojects awarded under the transaction to a consortium of United States industry and academic institutions. A follow-on production award may be provided for in a transaction entered into under this section for a prototype project, awarded with respect to such a transaction as one or more separate awards, or a combination thereof.
(2) A follow-on production contract or transaction provided for in a transaction under paragraph (1), one or more separate awards of follow-on production contracts or transactions with respect to a transaction described in such paragraph, or a combination thereof, may be awarded to the participants in the transaction without the use of competitive procedures, notwithstanding the requirements of chapter 221 of this title and even if explicit notification was not listed within the request for proposal for the transaction if—
(A) competitive procedures were used for the selection of parties for participation in the transaction; and
(B) the participants in the transaction successfully completed the prototype project provided for in the transaction.
(3) A follow-on production contract or transaction may be awarded, pursuant to this subsection, when the Department determines that an individual prototype or prototype subproject as part of a consortium is successfully completed by the participants.
(4) Award of a follow-on production contract or transaction pursuant to the terms under this subsection is not contingent upon the successful completion of all activities within a consortium as a condition for an award for follow-on production of a successfully completed prototype or prototype subproject within that consortium.
(5) Contracts and transactions entered into pursuant to this subsection may be awarded using the authority in subsection (a), under the authority of chapter 137 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of this title, or under such procedures, terms, and conditions as the Secretary of Defense may establish by regulation.(g)Authority To Provide Prototypes and Follow-on Production Items as Government-furnished Equipment.—An agreement entered into pursuant to the authority of subsection (a) or a follow-on contract or transaction entered into pursuant to the authority of subsection (f) may provide for prototypes or follow-on production items to be provided to another contractor as Government-furnished equipment.
(h)Applicability of Procurement Ethics Requirements.—An agreement entered into under the authority of this section shall be treated as a Federal agency procurement for the purposes of chapter 21 of title 41.
(i)Pilot Authority for Use of Other Transactions for Installation or Facility Prototyping.—
(1)In general.—The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department may establish a pilot program under which the Secretary may, under the authority of this section, carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the ability of the Department of Defense to prototype the design, development, or demonstration of new construction techniques or technologies to improve military installations or facilities (as such terms are defined in section 2801 of this title).
(2)Limits.—
(A) In carrying out prototype projects under the pilot program established under paragraph (1)—
(i) not more than two prototype projects may begin to be carried out per fiscal year under such pilot program; and
(ii) the aggregate value of all transactions entered into under such pilot program may not exceed $300,000,000.
(B) The requirements of this paragraph shall not apply to projects carried out for the purpose of repairing a facility.
(3)Use of amounts.—The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department may carry out prototype projects under the pilot program established under paragraph (1) using amounts available to the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department (as applicable) for military construction, operation and maintenance, or research, development, test, and evaluation, notwithstanding—
(A) subchapters I and III of chapter 169 of this title; and
(B) chapters 221 and 223 of this title.
(4)Sunset.—
(A)In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the authority to carry out prototype projects under the pilot program established under paragraph (1) shall terminate on September 30, 2030.
(B)Ongoing project exception.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect to prototype projects being carried out under the pilot program established under paragraph (1) on the date described in subparagraph (A).
(Added Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VIII, § 815(a)(1), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 893, § 2371b; amended Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title II, § 216, title VIII, § 864, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1328, 1494; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title II, § 211, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1674; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XVII, § 1731(a)(46), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1814; renumbered § 4022 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1841(b)(1), (2)(C), 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4243, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VIII, § 821(b), title XVII, § 1701(u)(2)(B), (F)(i)(IV), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1825, 2151; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title VIII, §§ 842, 843, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2717, 2718; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title VIII, §§ 821, 822(a), title IX, § 913(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 326, 327, 367; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VIII, §§ 816–818(a), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1981, 1982; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(a)(27), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1209.)
§ 4023. Procurement for experimental purposes
(a)Authority.—The Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments may each buy demonstrations, prototypes, products, supplies, parts, accessories, auxiliary services, and design for products or services that the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary concerned considers necessary for experimental or test purposes in the development of the best supplies that are needed for the national defense.
(b)Procedures.—Purchases under this section may be made or modified inside or outside the United States and by contract or otherwise. Chapter 137 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of this title applies only when such purchases are made in quantities greater than necessary for prototyping, experimentation, technical evaluation, assessment of operational utility, or safety or to provide a residual operational capability.(Added Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title VIII, § 822(c)(1), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1706, § 2373; amended Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title X, § 1070(g), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2859; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title VIII, § 812, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 395; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VIII, § 814, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 893; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 886, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1916; renumbered § 4023, Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1841(b)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4243; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(u)(2)(B), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2151; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVIII, § 1831, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1252.)
§ 4024. Merit-based award of grants for research and development
(a) It is the policy of Congress that an agency named in section 3063 of this title should not be required by legislation to award a new grant for research, development, test, or evaluation to a non-Federal Government entity. It is further the policy of Congress that any program, project, or technology identified in legislation be awarded through merit-based selection procedures.
(b) A provision of law may not be construed as requiring a new grant to be awarded to a specified non-Federal Government entity unless that provision of law—
(1) specifically refers to this subsection;
(2) specifically identifies the particular non-Federal Government entity involved; and
(3) specifically states that the award to that entity is required by such provision of law in contravention of the policy set forth in subsection (a).
(c) For purposes of this section, a grant is a new grant unless the work provided for in the grant is a continuation of the work performed by the specified entity under a preceding grant.
(d) This section shall not apply with respect to any grant that calls upon the National Academy of Sciences to investigate, examine, or experiment upon any subject of science or art of significance to an agency named in section 3063 of this title and to report on such matters to the Congress or any agency of the Federal Government.
(Added Pub. L. 103–355, title VII, § 7203(a)(2), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3380, § 2374; renumbered § 4024 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1841(b)(1), (c), 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4243, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(u)(2)(B), (D), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2151; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVIII, § 1801(a)(31), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 685.)
§ 4025. Prizes for advanced technology achievements
(a)Authority.—The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit, and the service acquisition executive for each military department, may carry out programs to award cash prizes and other types of prizes, including procurement contracts and other agreements, that the Secretary determines are appropriate to recognize outstanding achievements in basic, advanced, and applied research, technology development, and prototype development that—
(1) have the potential for application to the performance of the military missions of the Department of Defense; or
(2) demonstrate management practices that improve the schedule or performance, reduce the costs, or otherwise support the transition of technology into acquisition programs or operational use.
(b)Competition Requirements.—Each program under subsection (a) shall use a competitive process for the selection of recipients of cash prizes and for the selection of recipients of procurement contracts and other agreements. The process shall include the widely-advertised solicitation of submissions.
(c)Limitations.—
(1) No prize competition may result in the award of a prize with a fair market value of more than $20,000,000 without the approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
(2) No prize competition may result in the award of more than $2,000,000 in cash prizes without the approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
(3) No prize competition may result in the award of a solely nonmonetary prize with a fair market value of more than $20,000 without the approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
(d)Relationship to Other Authority.—A program under subsection (a) may be carried out in conjunction with or in addition to the exercise of any other authority of an official referred to in that subsection.
(e)Acceptance of Funds.—In addition to such sums as may be appropriated or otherwise made available to the Secretary to award prizes under this section, the Secretary may accept funds or nonmonetary items from other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, from State and local governments, and from the private sector, to award prizes under this section. The Secretary may not give any special consideration to any private sector entity in return for a donation.
(f)Use of Prize Authority.—Use of prize authority under this section shall be considered the use of competitive procedures for the purposes of chapter 221 of this title.
(g)Congressional Notice.—
(1)In general.—Not later than 15 days after a procurement contract or other agreement that exceeds a fair market value of $20,000,000 is awarded under the authority under a program under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees written notice of such award.
(2)Contents.—Each notice submitted under paragraph (1) shall include—
(A) the value of the relevant procurement contract or other agreement, as applicable, including all options;
(B) if applicable, a summary of the management practice that contributed to an improvement to schedule or performance or a reduction in cost relating to the transition of technology;
(C) an identification of any portfolio acquisition executive (as defined in section 1737 of this title) responsible for implementation or oversight of research results, technology development, prototype development, or management practices (as applicable) for which an award was made under this section, and a brief summary of lessons learned by such portfolio acquisition executive in carrying out such implementation or oversight;
(D) a brief description of the research result, technology development, or prototype for which such procurement contract or other agreement, as applicable, was awarded; and
(E) an explanation of the benefit to the performance of the military mission of the Department of Defense resulting from the award.
(Added Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title II, § 244(a), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 552, § 2374a; amended Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title II, § 248(a), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2502; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title X, § 1031(a)(20), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1598; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title II, § 257, Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3184; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title II, § 212, Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2119; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title II, § 253, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2243; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title IX, § 901(j)(4), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4324; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title II, § 263, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 726; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title II, § 211, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3324; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title X, § 1079(a), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 999; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title X, § 1081(c)(6), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2420; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title II, § 213, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1324; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(21), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1984; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title II, § 215, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1257; renumbered § 4025 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1841(b)(1), 1842(b), 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4244, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VIII, § 822, title XVII, § 1701(q)(1), (u)(2)(B), (3)(B), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1825, 2148, 2151, 2152; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title VIII, § 844, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2719; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title II, § 211, title XVIII, § 1802(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 772, 1227.)
§ 4026. Cooperative research and development agreements under Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980
The Secretary of Defense, in carrying out research projects through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Secretary of each military department, in carrying out research projects, may permit the director of any federally funded research and development center to enter into cooperative research and development agreements with any person, any agency or instrumentality of the United States, any unit of State or local government, and any other entity under the authority granted by section 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a). Technology may be transferred to a non-Federal party to such an agreement consistent with the provisions of sections 11 and 12 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 3710, 3710a).
(Added and amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title II, § 267(c)(1)(A), (B), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2468, § 2371a; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(50), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1903; renumbered § 4026 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1841(b)(1), 1844(b)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4243, 4245; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(u)(2)(B), (5)(B), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2151, 2154.)
§ 4027. Disclosure requirements for recipients of research and development funds
(a)In General.—Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), an individual or entity (including a State or local government) that uses funds received from the Department of Defense to carry out research or development activities shall include, in any public document pertaining to such activities, a clear statement indicating the dollar amount of the funds received from the Department for such activities.
(b)Exception.—The disclosure requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply to a public document consisting of fewer than 280 characters.
(c)Waiver.—The Secretary of Defense may waive the disclosure requirement under subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis.
(d)Public Document Defined.—In this section, the term “public document” means any document or other written statement made available for public reference or use, regardless of whether such document or statement is made available in hard copy or electronic format.
(Added Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title II, § 212(a)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3456, § 2374b; renumbered § 4027, Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(e)(4)(A), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2139.)