The Director shall establish a high intensity laser research initiative consistent with the recommendations of the National Academies report entitled “Opportunities in Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light” and the report from the Brightest Light Initiative workshop entitled “The Future of Intense Ultrafast Lasers in the U.S.”. The initiative should include research and development of petawatt-scale and of high average power laser technologies necessary for future facility needs in discovery science and to advance energy technologies, as well as support for a user network of academic and National Laboratory high intensity laser facilities.