II 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3564 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 12, 2010 Mr. Udall of New Mexico introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To promote the potential of women in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

1.

Fulfilling the potential of women in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

(a)

Definition of Federal STEM agency

In this Act, the term Federal STEM agency means any Federal agency that is responsible for not less than 2 percent of total Federal research and development funding in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this Act as STEM) to institutions of higher education, according to the most recent data available from the National Science Foundation. (b)

Workshops To enhance gender equity in academic STEM

(1)

In general

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall develop a uniform policy for all Federal STEM agencies to carry out a program of workshops that educate program officers, members of grant review panels, and institution of higher education STEM department chairs on how to implement methods that minimize the influence of gender bias in evaluation of Federal research grants and in the related academic advancement of actual and potential recipients of these grants, including hiring, tenure, promotion, and selection for any honor based in part on the recipient's research record. (2)

Interagency coordination

The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall ensure that programs of workshops across the Federal STEM agencies are coordinated and supported jointly as appropriate. As part of this process, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall ensure that at least 1 workshop is supported every 2 years among the Federal STEM agencies. (3)

Organizations eligible to carry out workshops

Federal STEM agencies may carry out the program of workshops under this subsection by making grants to eligible organizations. In addition to any other organizations made eligible by the Federal STEM agencies, the following organizations are eligible for grants under this subsection: (A)Nonprofit scientific and professional societies and organizations that represent 1 or more STEM disciplines. (B)Nonprofit organizations that have a primary mission or program focus of advancing the participation of women in STEM. (4)

Characteristics of workshops

The workshops shall have the following characteristics: (A)Invitees to workshops shall include at least— (i)the chairs of departments in the relevant discipline from at least the top 50 institutions of higher education, as determined by the amount of Federal STEM research and development funds obligated to each institution of higher education in the prior year based on data available from the National Science Foundation; (ii)members of any standing research grant review panel appointed by the Federal STEM agencies; and (iii)Federal STEM agency program officers in the relevant discipline, other than program officers that participate in comparable workshops organized and run specifically for that agency’s program officers. (B)Activities at the workshops shall include research presentations and interactive discussions or other activities that increase the awareness of the influence of gender bias in the grant-making process and the development of the academic record necessary to qualify as a grant recipient, including recruitment, hiring, tenure review, promotion, and other forms of formal recognition of individual achievement. (C)Research presentations and other workshop programs, as appropriate, shall include a discussion of the unique challenges faced by women who are members of historically underrepresented groups and recommendations for increasing the numbers of women represented in these groups. (5)

Report

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall transmit to the Secretary of Commerce who shall transmit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report determining— (A)the effectiveness of the program carried out under this subsection to reduce gender bias towards women engaged in STEM research funded by the Federal Government; (B)any recommendations for improving the workshop evaluation process; (C)the rates of participation by invitees in the workshops authorized under this subsection; and (D)any relevant institutional policy or practice changes implemented by workshop participants. (6)

Minimizing costs

To the extent practicable, workshops shall be held in conjunction with national or regional disciplinary meetings to minimize costs associated with participant travel. (c)

Extended research grant support and interim technical support for caregivers

(1)

Policies for caregivers

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall develop a uniform policy to extend the period of grant support for federally funded researchers who have caregiving responsibilities. (2)

Report

Upon developing the policy required under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall transmit a copy of the policy to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. (d)

Collection and Reporting of Data on Federal Research Grants

(1)

In general

Each Federal STEM agency shall collect standardized annual composite information on demographics for all applications and proposals for STEM research and development grants to institutions of higher education supported by that agency, including— (A)rank, gender, race, and age; (B)field; (C)award type and budget request; (D)review score; and (E)funding outcome. (2)

Reporting of data

(A)

In general

The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity and standardization of collection, transmittal, and reporting of the data required under paragraph (1). (B)

Submission

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, each Federal STEM agency shall submit data collected under paragraph (1) to the Director of the National Science Foundation. (C)

Responsibilities of the National Science Foundation

The Director of the National Science Foundation shall— (i)be responsible for storing and publishing all of the grant data submitted under subparagraph (B), in conjunction with the biennial report required under section 37 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d); and (ii)share such data with the Secretary of Commerce. (e)

Collection of data on demographics of faculty

(1)

Collection of data

The Director of the National Science Foundation (referred to in this subsection as the Director) shall report, in conjunction with the biennial report required under section 37 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d), statistical summary data on the demographics of STEM discipline faculty at institutions of higher education in the United States. At a minimum, the Director shall consider— (A)the number and percentage of faculty by gender, race, and age; (B)the number and percentage of faculty at each rank, by gender, race, and age; (C)the number and percentage of faculty who are in nontenure-track positions, including teaching and research, by gender, race, and age; (D)the number of faculty who are reviewed for promotion, including tenure, and the percentage of that number who are promoted, by gender, race, and age; (E)faculty years in rank by gender, race, and age; (F)faculty attrition by gender, race, and age; (G)the number and percentage of faculty hired by rank, gender, race, and age; and (H)the number and percentage of faculty in leadership positions, including endowed or named chairs, serving on promotion and tenure committees, by gender, race, and age. (2)

Recommendations

The Director shall solicit input and recommendations from relevant stakeholders, including representatives from institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, on the collection of data required under paragraph (1), including the development of standard definitions on the terms and categories to be used in the collection of such data. (3)

Report to congress

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to Congress on how the National Science Foundation will gather the demographic data on STEM faculty, including— (A)a description of the data to be reported and the sources of those data; (B)justification for the exclusion of any data described in subparagraph (A); and (C)a list of the definitions for the terms and categories, such as faculty and leadership positions, to be applied in the reporting of all data described in subparagraph (A).