10 U.S.C. § 2374a – 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, and the service acquisition executive for each military department, may carry out programs to award cash prizes and other types of prizes that the Secretary determines are appropriate to recognize 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.
(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.
(c) Limitations.—
1. (1) No prize competition may result in the award of a prize with a fair market value 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 Research and Engineering.
3. (3) No prize competition may result in the award of a solely nonmonetary prize with a fair market value of more than $10,000 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 to acquire, support, or stimulate basic, advanced and applied research, technology development, or prototype projects.
(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 section 2304 of this title.

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–92 substituted “Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment,” for “Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering”.

2018—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “Federal Government,” for “Federal Government,,”.

2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–91, § 213(1), substituted “and other types of prizes that the Secretary determines are appropriate to recognize” for “in recognition of”.

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–91, § 213(2)(A), substituted “prize with a fair market value of” for “cash prize of”.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–91, § 213(2)(B), substituted “Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering” for “Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics”.

Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 115–91, § 213(2)(C), added par. (3).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–91, § 213(3), inserted “or nonmonetary items” after “accept funds”, substituted “, from State and local governments, and from the private sector” for “and from State and local governments”, and inserted at end “The Secretary may not give any special consideration to any private sector entity in return for a donation.”

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–91, § 213(4), amended subsec. (f) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The authority to award prizes under subsection (a) shall terminate at the end of September 30, 2018.”

2016—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1081(c)(6), made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 114–92, § 1079(a). See 2015 Amendment note below.

2015—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 114–92, § 1079(a), as amended by Pub. L. 114–328, § 1081(c)(6), redesignated subsec. (g) as (f) and struck out former subsec. (f) which related to biennial reports.

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 2016 Amendment

Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title X, § 1081(c), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2419, provided that the amendment made by section 1081(c)(6) is effective as of Nov. 25, 2015, and as if included in Pub. L. 114–92 as enacted.

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.

Prize Competition To Identify Root Cause of Physiological Episodes on Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Training and Operational Aircraft

Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1089, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1605, provided that:

“(a) In General.— Under the authority of section 2374a of title 10, United States Code, and section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the heads of any other appropriate Federal agencies that have experience in prize competitions, and when appropriate, in coordination with private organizations, may establish a prize competition designed to accelerate identification of the root cause or causes of, or find solutions to, physiological episodes experienced in Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force training and operational aircraft.
“(b) Evaluation of Personnel.— The Secretary of Defense, or the Secretary’s designee, shall select the person or persons to conduct the competition authorized in subsection (a) and evaluate any submissions.
“(c) Limitation.— The Secretary of Defense may not exercise the authority under subsection (a) before the date that is 15 days after the date on which the Secretary of Defense submits to [the] congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] certification in writing that the use of the authority will not compromise classified information, proprietary information, or intellectual property.”