 Commerce Implementation Update
Good afternoon,
The purpose of this bi-weekly digest is to share information regarding Department of Commerce announcements and implementation updates, so you are aware of the funding and engagement opportunities available to your constituents.
We hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions, please email CommerceImplementationUpdates@doc.gov or call (202) 482-3663.
 Susie Feliz
Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Announcements
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Biden-Harris Administration Approves Four States, “Internet for All” Initial Proposals
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $50 Million Preliminary Terms with HP to Support Development and Commercialization of Cutting-Edge Semiconductor Technologies
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BIS Imposes Penalty on Pennsylvania Company Streamlight, Inc. to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Antiboycott Regulations
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Census Bureau to Open First Federal Statistical Research Data Center in Puerto Rico
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CHIPS for America Announces New CHIPS Metrology Community of Practice
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NTIA Seeks Comments on Supporting U.S. Data Center Growth
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TIME Names Commerce Sec. Raimondo ''TIME100 AI 2024''
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U.S. Department of Commerce Appoints 4 New Members to National AI Advisory Committee
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U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration Continues to Invest Over $4.2 Million in Communities Across the Country
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U.S. Department of Commerce Implements Controls on Quantum Computing and Other Advanced Technologies Alongside International Partners
Funding Opportunities
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NOAA FY 25 Bluefin Tuna Research Program
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NOAA FY 25 –26 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
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NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Biden-Harris Administration Approves Four States, “Internet for All” Initial Proposals
From August 12-23rd, the Biden-Harris Administration approved Mississippi, South Dakota, Michigan and Guam’s “Internet for All” Initial Proposals for Volume 2. This approval enables these States to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $50 Million Preliminary Terms with HP to Support Development and Commercialization of Cutting-Edge Semiconductor Technologies
On August 27, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the Department of Commerce and HP Inc. have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $50 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. The proposed funding would support the expansion and modernization of HP’s existing facility in Corvallis, Oregon, which is part of the company’s “lab-to-fab” ecosystem in the region that spans from research and development (“R&D”) activities to commercial manufacturing operations. President Biden and Vice President Harris championed the CHIPS and Science Act, a key component of the Investing in America agenda, to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, bringing with it a revitalized domestic supply chain, good-paying jobs, and investments in the industries of the future. Through this proposed investment, the Biden-Harris Administration would enhance U.S. technological leadership by driving innovation of groundbreaking semiconductor technologies that serve important end markets, notably including life sciences instrumentation and technology hardware used in artificial intelligence applications.
BIS Imposes Penalty on Pennsylvania Company Streamlight, Inc. to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Antiboycott Regulations
On August 26, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed a civil penalty of $44,750 against Streamlight, Inc. (Streamlight), a global manufacturer of portable lighting products located in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, to resolve three alleged violations of the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Streamlight voluntarily self-disclosed the conduct to BIS, cooperated with the investigation by BIS’s Office of Antiboycott Compliance (OAC), and implemented remedial measures after discovering the conduct at issue, all of which resulted in a significant reduction in penalty.
CHIPS for America Announces New CHIPS Metrology Community of Practice
On August 28, CHIPS for America announced the establishment of a new community of practice, the CHIPS Metrology Community. The Community will facilitate data and knowledge sharing across initiatives within the CHIPS Metrology seven Grand Challenges and help stakeholders inform the industry standards that are critical for enhancing U.S. economic and national security competitiveness. Metrology plays a key role in semiconductor manufacturing. As devices become more complex, smaller, and multi-layered, the ability to measure, monitor, predict, and ensure quality in manufacturing becomes much more difficult and uncertain.
Census Bureau to Open First Federal Statistical Research Data Center in Puerto Rico
On August 28, the U.S. Census Bureau announced a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate completion of the new Puerto Rico Federal Statistical Research Data Center (PR FSRDC). The center will soon provide local researchers secure access to federal data for advanced statistical research and analysis. Access to FSRDC data will enhance the statistical capacity on the island and enable local officials, industry leaders and third sector to make more informed, timely data-driven decisions. It will also allow local academics to address previously unanswerable research questions.
NTIA Seeks Comments on Supporting U.S. Data Center Growth
On September 4, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) launched an inquiry into how federal policy can support the growth of U.S. data centers to meet the coming demand from artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. Data centers are facilities with computing machines that process, store and transmit large amounts of data. Critical and emerging technologies like AI have accelerated demand for the computing and storage infrastructure data centers provide. While there are more than 5,000 data centers in the United States, demand for data centers in the United States is projected to grow by 9% annually through 2030.
TIME Names Commerce Sec. Raimondo ''TIME100 AI 2024''
In case you missed it, TIME named U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to their TIME100 Most Influential People in AI for 2024. TIME also included U.S. AI Safety Institute Director Elizabeth Kelly on the annual list. This acknowledgement highlights the Commerce Department’s leading role in implementing President Biden’s Executive order on AI and developing AI safety guidance.
See links to the writeups and excerpts below:
Raimondo’s experience as a successful tech investor and previous roles in politics have won her the respect of politicians and industry leaders alike—many of whom she is in regular contact with. Her influence is felt throughout the AI supply chain. She oversees the disbursement of billions of dollars in funding to boost America’s capacity to manufacture semiconductors, a key input for advanced AI systems. In a recent address, she said that America is on track to produce “roughly 20% of the world’s leading-edge logic chips by 2030, up from the zero percent we produce today.” Elsewhere, her department has acted decisively in restricting the export of semiconductors to China.
As new and increasingly capable AI models continue to be released, Kelly and her team, which includes top computer scientists, ethicists, and anthropologists, are on the frontlines helping the government discern which systems are safe. The U.S. AISI’s vision is ambitious: to advance the science, practice, and adoption of AI safety, addressing a range of risks in the process. “Our view is that safety enables trust, which enables adoption, which enables innovation,” Kelly says.
U.S. Department of Commerce Appoints 4 New Members to National AI Advisory Committee
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the appointment of 4 new experts to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC), which advises the President and the White House on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence (AI). The committee, launched in 2022, provides recommendations on topics including the current state of U.S. AI competitiveness, the state of science around AI, and AI workforce issues. The committee also is responsible for advice regarding the management and coordination of the initiative itself, including its balance of activities and funding.
U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration Continues to Invest Over $4.2 Million in Communities Across the Country
From August 26 – September 6, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced over $4.2 million in EDA grants:
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$3 Million Investment to Expand Workforce Training in Franklin County, Iowa
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$1.2 Million Investment to Support Tourism and Business Growth in Cuero, Texas
U.S. Department of Commerce Implements Controls on Quantum Computing and Other Advanced Technologies Alongside International Partners
On September 5, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published an interim final rule (IFR) implements controls on critical and emerging technologies that have reached broad technical agreement among our international partners. This IFR includes controls related to quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing, and other advanced technologies. This action strengthens our international relationships with like-minded countries and ensures that U.S. export controls keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies that pose serious threats to our national security when in the wrong hands.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
NOAA FY 25 Bluefin Tuna Research Program
The objective of the program is to provide a basis for advancing science-based fisheries management for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Such advancement will depend upon improvements in understanding of the fisheries, total abundance, and biology of bluefin tuna, especially regarding the effects of mixing and movement between the eastern and western Atlantic populations. Contracting Parties to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), of which the US is one, and other partners have embarked upon a multi-year research program on bluefin tuna as a step toward improving ICCAT's science-based management of Bluefin fisheries. Research sponsored under this funding opportunity represents a contribution to this partnership. Proposals that demonstrate collaborations with the ICCAT Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Research Program and other ICCAT partners are
NOAA FY 25 –26 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
This notice is not a mechanism to fund existing NOAA awards. The purpose of this notice is to request applications for special projects and programs associated with NOAA's strategic plan and mission goals, as well as to provide the general public with information and guidelines on how NOAA will select applications and administer discretionary Federal assistance under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance (National Marine Fisheries Service, National Ocean Service, National Weather Service, Office of Atmospheric Research, Office of Education, and National Environmental Satellite Data Information Service) has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so applicants should submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A
NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants
The principal objective of the NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants competition is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to habitat restoration projects that meet NOAA's mission to restore coastal habitats and support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/documents/glri-action-plan-3-201910-30pp.pdf) goal to protect and restore habitats to sustain healthy populations of native fish species in the eight U.S. Great Lakes states. Proposals submitted under this solicitation will be evaluated based on alignment with our program priorities, including: 1) contribution to GLRI Focus Area 1 (Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern) goals to implement management actions within Areas of Concern (AOC), and 2) contribution to GLRI Focus Area 4 (Habitats and Species) goals to restore habitat for native Great Lakes fish species whose populations have been impacted by habitat degradation.
Ongoing Funding Opportunities
For a full list of all open funding opportunities through the Department of Commerce, please visit our Grant.gov landing page.
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