The Cloud Labs to Advance Biotechnology Act of 2025 mandates the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a comprehensive cloud laboratory network pilot program. This initiative, developed in consultation with the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, aims to coordinate both NSF-established and independently operated cloud laboratories across various sectors.

The network's primary purposes include tracking biotechnology capabilities, connecting researchers with necessary resources, and fostering collaboration on best practices for data collection and sharing. Each supported cloud laboratory will generate high-quality biological data through automated experimentation, making it available to authorized researchers for training artificial intelligence models and other biological data analyses, while also providing access to advanced experimental instrumentation.

Within 360 days, the Director must establish the network and submit an implementation plan to Congress. This plan will detail an assessment of existing cloud labs, a strategy for a national network and grant program, data management protocols, and an equitable access scheme for infrastructure and data, including considerations for cybersecurity and biosecurity. An advisory board, comprising diverse experts from academia, industry, and government, will guide the program's development, data priorities, and ensure equitable access and security.

The bill authorizes competitive grants for the development and operation of new cloud laboratories in two phases. Phase II will award grants for at least two cloud laboratories within two years, requiring them to be operational within three years for an eight-year duration. Subsequently, Phase III will award grants for at least three additional cloud laboratories within four years, each for a six-year period, further expanding the network's capacity. The Director is also required to submit annual reports to Congress on the program's progress, and the entire section is set to sunset after 12 years.