; and (2) includes such recommendations as the Comptroller General determines are appropriate to improve the Program. 7. Responsibilities of Program agencies (a) National institute of standards and technology The responsibilities of the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology with respect to the Program are as follows: (1) Research and development activities The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall— (A) carry out research on the impact of wildland fires on communities, buildings, and other infrastructure, including structure-to-structure transmission of fire and spread within communities; (B) carry out research on the generation of firebrands from wildland fires and on methods and materials to prevent or reduce firebrand ignition of communities, buildings, and other infrastructure; (C) carry out research on novel materials, systems, structures, and construction designs to harden structures, parcels, and communities to the impact of wildland fires; (D) carry out research on the impact of environmental factors on wildland fire behavior, including wind, terrain, and moisture; and (E) support the development of performance-based tools to mitigate the impact of wildland fires, and work with appropriate groups to promote and assist in the use of such tools, including through model building codes and fire codes, standard test methods, voluntary consensus standards, and construction and retrofit best practices. (2) Wildland-urban interface fire post-investigations The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall— (A) coordinate Federal post-wildland fire investigations of fires at the wildland-urban interface