1. (a) Authority.— The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the service acquisition executive for each military department, may carry out programs to award cash prizes in recognition of outstanding achievements in basic, advanced, and applied research, technology development, and prototype development that have the potential for application to the performance of the military missions of the Department of Defense.
2. (b) Competition Requirements.— Each program under subsection (a) shall use a competitive process for the selection of recipients of cash prizes. The process shall include the widely-advertised solicitation of submissions of research results, technology developments, and prototypes.

3. (c) Limitations.—

   1. (1) No prize competition may result in the award of a cash prize of more than $10,000,000.
   2. (2) No prize competition may result in the award of more than $1,000,000 in cash prizes without the approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.
4. (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 to acquire, support, or stimulate basic, advanced and applied research, technology development, or prototype projects.
5. (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 from other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and from State and local governments, to award prizes under this section.
6. (f) Period of Authority.— The authority to award prizes under subsection (a) shall terminate at the end of September 30, 2018.

(Added Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title II, § 244(a), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 552; 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.)

Amendments

2015—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 114–92, § 1079(a), which purported to repeal the annual reporting requirement on prizes for advanced technology achievements by directing the striking of subsec. (e) and redesignation of subsec. (f) as (e), was executed by striking subsec. (f), relating to biennial reports, and redesignating subsec. (g) as (f) to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the intervening amendments made by Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(b)(1), (c), which had redesignated subsec. (e) as (f) and changed the reporting requirement from annual to biennial. See 2014 Amendment notes below.

2014—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(a), substituted “No prize competition may result in the award of a cash prize of more than $10,000,000.” for “The total amount made available for award of cash prizes in a fiscal year may not exceed $10,000,000.”

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(b)(2), added subsec. (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (f).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(c)(3), substituted “Biennial” for “Annual” in heading.

Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(b)(1), redesignated subsec. (e) as (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (g).

Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(c)(1), substituted “every other year” for “each year” and “two fiscal years” for “fiscal year”.

Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(c)(2), substituted “a period of two fiscal years” for “a fiscal year” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 113–291, § 211(b)(1), redesignated subsec. (f) as (g).

2013—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 113–66 substituted “September 30, 2018” for “September 30, 2013”.

2011—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–383 substituted “Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering” for “Director of Defense Research and Engineering”.

2009—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 111–84 substituted “2013” for “2010”.

2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–364, § 212(a)(1), substituted “Director of Defense Research and Engineering and the service acquisition executive for each military department” for “Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency” and “programs” for “a program”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–364, § 212(a)(2)(A), substituted “Each program” for “The program”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–364, § 212(a)(2)(B), substituted “A program” for “The program” and “an official referred to in that subsection” for “the Director”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–364, § 212(c), reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) required an annual report, which included the results of consultations between the Director and officials of the military departments, a description of goals, cash prizes, methods used for submissions, a description of resources, and a description of transition plans.

Pub. L. 109–163 reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Promptly after the end of each fiscal year during which one or more prizes are awarded under the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the administration of the program for that fiscal year. The report shall include the following:

“(1) The military applications of the research, technology, or prototypes for which prizes were awarded.

“(2) The total amount of the prizes awarded.

“(3) The methods used for solicitation and evaluation of submissions, together with an assessment of the effectiveness of those methods.”

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 109–364, § 212(b), substituted “2010” for “2007”.

2003—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 108–136 inserted “during which one or more prizes are awarded under the program under subsection (a)” after “each fiscal year” in introductory provisions.

2002—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 107–314 substituted “September 30, 2007” for “September 30, 2003”.

Effective Date of 2011 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–383 effective Jan. 1, 2011, see section 901(p) of Pub. L. 111–383, set out as a note under section 131 of this title.