124 STAT. 4003 PUBLIC LAW 111–358—JAN. 4, 2011 (h) EVALUATION OF OBSTACLES UNIQUE TO SMALL MANUFACTUR- ERS.—Section 25 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k), as amended by subsection (g), is further amended by adding at the end the fol- lowing: ‘‘(k) EVALUATION OF OBSTACLES UNIQUE TO SMALL MANUFAC- TURERS.—The Director shall— ‘‘(1) evaluate obstacles that are unique to small manufac- turers that prevent such manufacturers from effectively com- peting in the global market; ‘‘(2) implement a comprehensive plan to train the Centers to address such obstacles; and ‘‘(3) facilitate improved communication between the Centers to assist such manufacturers in implementing appropriate, tar- geted solutions to such obstacles.’’. (i) NIST ACT AMENDMENT.—Section 25(f)(3) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(f)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘Director of the Centers program,’’ and inserting ‘‘Director of the Hollings MEP program,’’. SEC. 405. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION AND TRACKING TECH- NOLOGIES RESEARCH INITIATIVE. (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall establish a research initiative to support the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies for use in locating trapped individuals in confined spaces, such as underground mines, and other shielded environments, such as high-rise buildings or collapsed structures, where conventional radio communication is limited. (b) ACTIVITIES.—In order to carry out this section, the Director shall work with the private sector and appropriate Federal agencies to— (1) perform a needs assessment to identify and evaluate the measurement, technical standards, and conformity assess- ment needs required to improve the operation and reliability of such emergency communication and tracking technologies; (2) support the development of technical standards and conformance architecture to improve the operation and reli- ability of such emergency communication and tracking tech- nologies; and (3) incorporate and build upon existing reports and studies on improving emergency communications. (c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enact- ment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report describing the assessment performed under subsection (b)(1) and making recommendations about research priorities to address gaps in the measurement, technical standards, and conformity assessment needs identified by the assessment. SEC. 406. BROADENING PARTICIPATION. (a) RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS.—Section 18 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g–1) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(c) UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES.—In evaluating applica- tions for fellowships under this section, the Director shall give consideration to the goal of promoting the participation of underrep- resented minorities in research areas supported by the Institute.’’. 15 USC 278n–1. Plans.
