[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5356 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5356

  To authorize the National Science Foundation and the Department of 
Energy Office of Science to provide grants to early career researchers 
 to establish innovative research programs and integrate education and 
                   research, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2006

Mr. McCaul of Texas (for himself, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. 
 Calvert, Mr. Ehlers, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Inglis of South Carolina, and 
   Mr. Schwarz of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which was 
                  referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the National Science Foundation and the Department of 
Energy Office of Science to provide grants to early career researchers 
 to establish innovative research programs and integrate education and 
                   research, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Career Research Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR SCIENCE AND 
              ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall carry out a program to award grants to scientists and engineers 
at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education 
and research institutions to conduct research in fields relevant to the 
mission of the Foundation. The existing Faculty Early Career 
Development (CAREER) Program may be designated as the mechanism for 
awarding such grants.
    (b) Size and Duration of Award.--The duration of awards under this 
section shall be 5 years, and the amount per year shall be at least 
$80,000.
    (c) Eligibility.--Award recipients shall be individuals who are 
employed in a tenure-track position as an assistant professor or 
equivalent title, or who hold an equivalent position, at--
            (1) an institution of higher education in the United 
        States; or
            (2) an organization in the United States that is a 
        nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization such as a 
        museum, observatory, or research laboratory.
    (d) Selection.--Award recipients shall be selected on a merit-
reviewed and competitive basis.
    (e) Selection Process and Criteria for Awards.--An applicant 
seeking funding under this section shall submit a proposal to the 
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Director may require. In evaluating the proposals submitted 
under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum--
            (1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work;
            (2) the innovative or transformative nature of the proposed 
        research;
            (3) the extent to which the proposal integrates research 
        and education, including undergraduate education in science and 
        engineering disciplines; and
            (4) the potential of the applicant for leadership at the 
        frontiers of knowledge.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For each of the fiscal years 
2007 through 2011, the Director shall allocate at least 3.5 percent of 
funds appropriated to the National Science Foundation for Research and 
Related Activities to the grants program under this section.
    (g) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall provide to the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report describing the distribution of 
the institutions of the awardees of the Faculty Early Career 
Development Program since fiscal year 2001 among each of the categories 
of institutions of higher education defined by the Carnegie Foundation 
for the Advancement of Teaching and the organizations in subsection 
(c)(2).
    (h) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall provide to the Committee on Science of 
the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a report evaluating the impact of the 
Faculty Early Career Development Program on the ability of young 
faculty to compete for National Science Foundation research grants.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR SCIENCE AND 
              ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary for Science of the Department 
of Energy shall carry out a program to award grants to scientists and 
engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher 
education and research institutions to conduct research in fields 
relevant to the mission of the Department.
    (b) Size and Duration of Award.--The duration of awards under this 
section shall be up to 5 years, and the amount per year shall be at 
least $80,000.
    (c) Eligibility.--Award recipients shall be individuals who are 
employed in a tenure-track position as an assistant professor or 
equivalent title, or who hold an equivalent position, at--
            (1) an institution of higher education in the United 
        States; or
            (2) an organization in the United States that is a 
        nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization such as a 
        museum, observatory, or research laboratory.
    (d) Selection.--Award recipients shall be selected on a merit-
reviewed and competitive basis.
    (e) Selection Process and Criteria for Awards.--An applicant 
seeking funding under this section shall submit a proposal to the Under 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Under Secretary may require. In evaluating the proposals 
submitted under this section, the Under Secretary shall consider, at a 
minimum--
            (1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work;
            (2) the innovative or transformative nature of the proposed 
        research;
            (3) the extent to which the proposal integrates research 
        and education, including undergraduate education in science and 
        engineering disciplines; and
            (4) the potential of the applicant for leadership at the 
        frontiers of knowledge.
    (f) Collaboration With National Laboratories.--In awarding grants 
under this section, the Under Secretary shall give priority to 
proposals in which the proposed work includes collaboration with the 
Department of Energy National Laboratories.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out the Under 
Secretary's responsibilities under this section $25,000,000 for each of 
the fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
    (h) Report on Recruiting and Retaining Early Career Science and 
Engineering Researchers at the National Laboratories.--Not later than 3 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy 
shall provide a report to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and 
engineers at the early stages of their careers at the Department of 
Energy National Laboratories. The report shall include--
            (1) a description of Department of Energy and National 
        Laboratory policies and procedures, including financial 
        incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for independent 
        research, access to equipment or facilities, and other forms of 
        recognition, designed to attract and retain young scientists 
        and engineers;
            (2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the 
        careers of young scientists and engineers at Department of 
        Energy National Laboratories, and also on the quality of the 
        research at the National Laboratories and in Department of 
        Energy programs;
            (3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to 
        efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers, 
        including limited availability of full time equivalent 
        positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading 
        systems; and
            (4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and 
        retain young researchers and the source of such funds.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY 
              EFFORTS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN EARLY CAREER SCIENCE AND 
              ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.

    Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall provide a report to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate on efforts to recruit and retain young 
scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories and joint 
institutes. The report shall include--
            (1) a description of National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology policies and procedures, including financial 
        incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for independent 
        research, access to equipment or facilities, and other forms of 
        recognition, designed to attract and retain young scientists 
        and engineers;
            (2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the 
        careers of young scientists and engineers at the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology, and also on the quality 
        of the research at the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology's laboratories and in the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology's programs;
            (3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to 
        efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers, 
        including limited availability of full time equivalent 
        positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading 
        systems; and
            (4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and 
        retain young researchers and the source of such funds.

SEC. 5. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
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