[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6195 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6195

    To authorize the National Science Foundation to award grants to 
  institutions of higher education to develop and offer education and 
                           training programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2006

    Mr. Wu introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the National Science Foundation to award grants to 
  institutions of higher education to develop and offer education and 
                           training programs.

    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 ``10,000 Trained by 2011 Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the National Science Foundation has long been a 
        government leader in strengthening our Nation's information 
        infrastructure;
            (2) as automation and digitization penetrate additional 
        industries, they will need to draw heavily on the expertise of 
        researchers funded by the National Science Foundation for the 
        collection, processing, and utilization of information;
            (3) the National Science Foundation's basic research, 
        demonstrations, and curriculum development assistance are all 
        required to help make sure industry has the knowledge, 
        procedures, and workforce necessary to take full advantage of 
        advanced communications and information technology;
            (4) information management is growing in importance with 
        projected growth of 49 percent by 2010 in some major sectors 
        related to biology; and
            (5) no systematic plan exists for designing and 
        implementing systems and information tools and for ensuring 
        that major segments of the United States workforce can make the 
        transition to the information age.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (2) Information.--The term ``information'' means 
        information in those segments of the United States economy 
        where the Federal Government plays a significant role and where 
        a transition is underway to the use of digital data.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning give that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).

SEC. 4. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH.

    (a) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the 
        heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall award 
        grants for basic research on innovative approaches to improve 
        information systems. Research areas may include--
                    (A) information studies;
                    (B) population informatics;
                    (C) translational informatics; and
                    (D) data security, integrity, and confidentiality.
            (2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
        under this section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
            (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry 
        out this subsection--
                    (A) $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2008;
                    (B) $3,600,000 for fiscal year 2009;
                    (C) $3,700,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
                    (D) $3,800,000 for fiscal year 2011.
    (b) Informatics Research Centers.--
            (1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the 
        heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall award 
        multiyear grants, subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, to institutions of higher education (or 
        consortia thereof) to establish multidisciplinary Centers for 
        Informatics Research. Institutions of higher education (or 
        consortia thereof) receiving such grants may partner with one 
        or more government laboratories, for-profit institutions, or 
        nonprofit institutions.
            (2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
        under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
            (3) Purpose.--The purpose of the Centers shall be to 
        generate innovative approaches in information by conducting 
        cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research, including in the 
        research areas described in subsection (a)(1).
            (4) Applications.--An institution of higher education (or a 
        consortium thereof) seeking funding under this subsection shall 
        submit an application to the Director at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the Director may 
        require. The application shall include, at a minimum, a 
        description of--
                    (A) the research projects that will be undertaken 
                by the Center and the contributions of each of the 
                participating entities;
                    (B) how the Center will promote active 
                collaboration among professionals from different 
                disciplines, such as information technology 
                specialists, scientists and other professionals in 
                fields transitioning to dependence on digital 
                information, administrators, and social science 
                researchers; and
                    (C) how the Center will contribute to increasing 
                the number of information researchers and other 
                professionals.
            (5) Criteria.--In evaluating the applications submitted 
        under paragraph (4), the Director shall consider, at a 
        minimum--
                    (A) the ability of the applicant to generate 
                innovative approaches to information and effectively 
                carry out the research program;
                    (B) the experience of the applicant in conducting 
                research in the information field, and the capacity of 
                the applicant to foster new multidisciplinary 
                collaborations;
                    (C) the capacity of the applicant to attract and 
                provide adequate support for undergraduate and graduate 
                students to pursue information research; and
                    (D) the extent to which the applicant will partner 
                with government laboratories or for-profit or nonprofit 
                entities, and the role the government laboratories or 
                for-profit or nonprofit entities will play in the 
                research undertaken by the Center.
            (6) Annual meeting.--The Director shall convene an annual 
        meeting of the Centers in order to foster collaboration and 
        communication between Center participants.
            (7) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated for the National Science Foundation to carry 
        out this subsection--
                    (A) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2008;
                    (B) $4,600,000 for fiscal year 2009;
                    (C) $4,700,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
                    (D) $4,800,000 for fiscal year 2011.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION INFORMATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) Capacity Building Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the 
        heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall establish 
        a program to award grants to institutions of higher education 
        (or consortia thereof) to establish or improve undergraduate 
        and master's degree information programs, to increase the 
        number of students who pursue undergraduate or master's degrees 
        in information fields, to provide students with experience in 
        government or industry related to their information studies, 
        and, to the extent practicable, to do so using distance 
        learning.
            (2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
        under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
            (3) Use of funds.--Grants awarded under this subsection 
        shall be used for activities that enhance the ability of an 
        institution of higher education (or consortium thereof) to 
        provide high-quality information education, including 
        certification and undergraduate and master's degree programs, 
        and to recruit and retain increased numbers of students to such 
        programs. Activities may include--
                    (A) developing and revising curriculum to better 
                prepare undergraduate and master's degree students for 
                careers in the information field;
                    (B) establishing degree and certificate programs in 
                the information field;
                    (C) creating opportunities in information research 
                for undergraduate students;
                    (D) acquiring equipment necessary for student 
                instruction in these programs, including the 
                installation of testbed networks for student use;
                    (E) providing opportunities for faculty to work 
                with State, local, or Federal Government agencies, 
                private industry, and other academic institutions to 
                develop new expertise or to formulate new information 
                research directions;
                    (F) collaborating with other academic institutions 
                or departments that seek to establish, expand, or 
                enhance these programs;
                    (G) establishing student internships for students 
                in these programs at State, local, and Federal 
                Government agencies, in private industry, and in 
                nonprofit institutions;
                    (H) establishing or enhancing bridge programs in 
                information fields between community colleges and 
                universities; and
                    (I) any other activities the Director, in 
                consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies 
                as appropriate, determines will achieve the purposes 
                described in paragraph (1).
            (4) Selection process.--
                    (A) Application.--An institution of higher 
                education (or a consortium thereof) seeking funding 
                under this subsection shall submit an application to 
                the Director at such time, in such manner, and with 
                such contents as the Director may require. The 
                application shall include, at a minimum--
                            (i) a description of the applicant's 
                        relevant research and instructional capacity, 
                        and in the case of an application from a 
                        consortium of institutions of higher education, 
                        a description of the role that each member will 
                        play in implementing the proposal;
                            (ii) a comprehensive plan by which the 
                        institution or consortium will build 
                        instructional capacity in information fields;
                            (iii) a description of relevant 
                        collaborations with State, local, or Federal 
                        Government agencies or private industry that 
                        inform the instructional program;
                            (iv) a survey of the applicant's historic 
                        student enrollment and placement data and a 
                        study of potential enrollment and placement for 
                        students enrolled in the proposed program; and
                            (v) a plan to evaluate the success of the 
                        proposed program, including postgraduate 
                        assessment of graduate school and job placement 
                        and retention rates as well as the relevance of 
                        the instructional program to graduate study and 
                        to the workplace.
                    (B) Awards.--The Director shall ensure, to the 
                extent practicable, that grants are awarded under this 
                subsection in a wide range of geographic areas and 
                categories of institutions of higher education.
            (5) Assessment required.--The Director, in consultation 
        with the heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall 
        evaluate the program established under this subsection no later 
        than 3 years after the establishment of the program. At a 
        minimum, the Director shall evaluate the extent to which the 
        grants have achieved their objectives of increasing the quality 
        and quantity of students pursuing undergraduate or master's 
        degrees in information fields. The Director shall make this 
        assessment publicly available.
            (6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry 
        out this subsection--
                    (A) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
                    (B) $9,200,000 for fiscal year 2009;
                    (C) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
                    (D) $9,600,000 for fiscal year 2011.
    (b) Scientific and Advanced Technology Act of 1992.--
            (1) Grants.--The Director shall provide grants under the 
        Scientific and Advanced Technology Act of 1992 for the purposes 
        of section 3(a) and (b) of that Act, except that the activities 
        supported pursuant to this subsection shall be limited to 
        improving education in fields related to information.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry 
        out this subsection--
                    (A) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
                    (B) $7,200,000 for fiscal year 2009;
                    (C) $7,400,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
                    (D) $7,600,000 for fiscal year 2011.

SEC. 6. REPORT ON STANDARDIZATION OF MEASURES RELATED TO DIGITAL 
              INFORMATION.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall report to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate on its efforts related to informatics, 
including standards harmonization, research, and technical support that 
relates to the work of standards development organizations who are 
developing and maintaining informatics standards, and its efforts in 
support of executive orders related to digitization and informatics. 
The report shall also include timetables for the promulgation of 
information standards, a description of the major challenges in 
reaching the point at which these standards can be promulgated, efforts 
that should be taken to ensure that the digital information is usable 
by scientists and researchers, and, consistent with Public Law 104-113, 
a description of those actions that the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology could take to ensure that these standards are both 
robust and timely.
                                 <all>