[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2784 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2784

  To ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher 
education receiving Federal research and development funding are fully 
   engaging the entire national talent pool, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 12, 2016

Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Peters, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. 
   Blumenthal, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Booker, Mr. Schatz, Mr. 
  Merkley, and Ms. Mikulski) introduced the following bill; which was 
 read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
                              and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher 
education receiving Federal research and development funding are fully 
   engaging the entire national talent pool, 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; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Opportunities 
Act of 2016''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Utilizing the talent and potential of all sectors of 
        the United States population is essential to ensuring the best 
        and brightest minds contribute to our Nation's innovation and 
        global competitiveness. Substantial research has found that 
        increasing diversity in the workplace can increase 
        productivity, improve decisionmaking, foster creativity, drive 
        innovation, and increase economic growth.
            (2) Research shows that women and minorities who are 
        interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
        (STEM) careers are disproportionately lost at nearly every 
        transition in their career trajectories. If the percentage of 
        women and minorities earning degrees in STEM fields does not 
        keep pace with their share of the population, the United States 
        could face an acute shortfall in the overall number of students 
        who earn degrees in STEM fields. United States companies are 
        increasingly seeking students with STEM skills, and the United 
        States will struggle to maintain a competitive edge in the 21st 
        century global economy if it does not maintain its leadership 
        in STEM.
            (3) In 2012, underrepresented minority groups comprised 
        36.4 percent of the college-age population of the United 
        States, but only 14.7 percent of students earning bachelor's 
        degrees in STEM fields. The Higher Education Research Institute 
        at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that, while 
        freshmen from underrepresented minority groups express an 
        interest in pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree at the same 
        rate as all other freshmen, only 22.1 percent of Latino 
        students, 18.4 percent of African-American students, and 18.8 
        percent of Native American students studying in STEM fields 
        complete their degree within 5 years, compared to approximately 
        33 percent and 42 percent 5-year completion rates for White and 
        Asian students, respectively.
            (4) According to 3-year estimates from the 2013 American 
        Community Survey, Southeast Asian Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders have higher poverty rates and lower educational 
        attainment rates than the overall population in the United 
        States. Aggregated data on Asian Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders (referred to in this section as ``AAPI''), on 
        average, masks educational inequalities that exist for some 
        AAPI members, particularly Southeast Asians, Pacific Islanders, 
        and Native Hawaiians.
            (5) According to the 2015 Women, Minorities, and Persons 
        with Disabilities in Science and Engineering Report developed 
        by the National Science Foundation (referred to in this section 
        as the ``NSF''), women earned only 19 percent of all bachelor's 
        degrees awarded in engineering and 18 percent in computer 
        science. In terms of advancing through higher levels of STEM 
        education, women persist at a similar rate of completion 
        through doctorate degrees in certain STEM fields. However, in 
        other fields such as the physical sciences, their persistence 
        numbers decrease by as much as 1 in 4.
            (6) Minorities currently make up 37.9 percent of our 
        Nation's total population, yet Black and Hispanic faculty only 
        hold about 6.5 percent of all tenured and tenure-track 
        positions and 5 percent of full professor positions. Many of 
        the numbers for American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native 
        Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander representation at different 
        faculty ranks are too small for the NSF to report publicly. 
        Women's participation in STEM similarly drops at the faculty 
        level. While women account for 50.8 percent of the Nation's 
        total population, they hold only 25 percent of all tenured and 
        tenure-track positions and 17 percent of full professor 
        positions in STEM fields in our Nation's universities and 4-
        year colleges.
            (7) Research has found that all women of color, including 
        Asian American women, face a ``double bind'' in pursuing STEM 
        careers, encountering challenges faced both by women and by 
        ethnic minorities, and are underrepresented in upper management 
        and leadership in STEM academia, industry, and government. A 
        2015 NSF report found that Black and Hispanic women together 
        only hold about 4.4 percent of all tenured and tenure-track 
        positions and 1.5 percent of full professor positions. While 
        Asian American women make up 6.1 percent of all tenured and 
        tenure-track positions, their representation drops to 1.9 
        percent at the full professor position.
            (8) A large body of research has found that both males and 
        females in STEM report facing significant challenges in 
        balancing their work and life demands on a regular basis. 
        Furthermore, research has found that family characteristics, 
        such as marital status and the presence of children at home, 
        are related to women's chances of earning tenure or holding 
        other leadership positions. A 2015 NSF report found that women 
        scientists and engineers were far more likely than men to cite 
        family responsibilities as a reason for unemployment, including 
        27.2 percent of White women, 48.6 percent of Asian women, and 
        24.4 percent of underrepresented minority women.
            (9) Decades of cognitive psychology research reveal that 
        most people carry implicit, or unconscious biases, that can 
        unintentionally influence people's attitudes, beliefs, 
        behaviors, and decisionmaking processes. Research has shown 
        that these subtle biases can impact classroom experiences, 
        workplace environment and culture, peer review processes, 
        hiring, promotion and evaluation, and even affect the 
        performance of women and minorities in STEM fields.
            (10) NSF's ADVANCE program was created in 2001 under 
        President George W. Bush's Administration to increase the 
        representation and advancement of women in academic science and 
        engineering careers, thereby developing a more diverse science 
        and engineering workforce. The ADVANCE program has supported 
        comprehensive, institution-wide projects at institutions of 
        higher education to transform institutional practices and 
        climate. However, additional funding and mechanisms are needed 
        for ADVANCE to assist in increasing the representation and 
        advancement of other groups that are also underrepresented in 
        STEM fields. In addition, an ADVANCE Center of Excellence could 
        institutionalize and scale up the best practices and policies 
        from United States institutions of higher education that are 
        receiving ADVANCE grants.
            (11) NSF currently administers the Presidential Award for 
        Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring 
        (referred to in this section as ``PAESMEM'') on behalf of the 
        Office of Science Technology and Policy to recognize 
        individuals and organizations who have demonstrated excellence 
        in mentoring in STEM fields. While a large body of research has 
        shown that mentoring is key for the retention and success of 
        underrepresented groups in STEM, underrepresented STEM 
        academics and professionals are often disproportionately 
        burdened by service and mentoring responsibilities, which can 
        harm their chances of receiving tenure or other promotions. 
        Furthermore, access to positive mentorship is not always 
        available to STEM professionals at early stages of their 
        careers. By recognizing and rewarding exemplary STEM mentors at 
        earlier points in their careers, PAESMEM has the potential to 
        encourage professionals to take on positive mentoring 
        responsibilities in the context of other career development 
        challenges and pressures that occur. Furthermore, awards such 
        as PAESMEM can encourage institutions to develop a culture that 
        prioritizes the development of positive mentoring 
        relationships.
            (12) The Federal Government provides more than 60 percent 
        of research funding at institutions of higher education and, 
        through its grant-making policies, has had significant 
        influence on institution of higher education policies, 
        including policies related to institutional culture and 
        structure.
            (13) Throughout United States history, many leaders have 
        worked to improve opportunities in STEM for women, minorities, 
        and the public at large. Those leaders include the following:
                    (A) Florence R. Sabin was a pioneering medical 
                researcher and an outstanding teacher and professor of 
                anatomy. In 1917, at Johns Hopkins University she 
                became the first female full professor at an American 
                medical college. She was also the first female 
                president of the American Association of Anatomists, 
                and the first permanent female member of the National 
                Academy of Sciences. Her work shed light on the 
                bacteria that cause tuberculosis, the origin of red 
                blood cells, and many other medical advances.
                    (B) Roland B. Scott was a pediatrician, allergist, 
                and pioneer in the research on Sickle Cell Disease, 
                serving as the Chairman of Pediatrics at Howard 
                University from 1949 to 1973. He founded and ran Howard 
                University's Center for Sickle Cell Disease, and helped 
                enact the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act to establish 
                research and treatment centers. He mentored many Black 
                medical students and researchers, and continued to make 
                house calls to help Black patients, who were often 
                denied care in segregated hospitals in the District of 
                Columbia. He authored more than 250 scientific papers, 
                and his many awards include the Jacobi Award from the 
                American Academy of Pediatrics.
                    (C) Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and 
                science writer and popularizer. His early research 
                focused on understanding the physical conditions and 
                atmospheres of the planets, and he helped select the 
                landing sites for the Viking probes sent to explore 
                Mars. He won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize, and he twice 
                received the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration's Distinguished Public Service Medal. In 
                1980, he founded the Planetary Society to promote space 
                exploration, and also began hosting the television 
                series Cosmos, which was seen by hundreds of millions 
                of people across the globe.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--Except as provided in section 4, the term 
        ``Director'' means the Director of the National Science 
        Foundation.
            (2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-
        Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
            (3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science 
        agency'' means any Federal agency with not less than 
        $100,000,000 in research and development expenditures in fiscal 
        year 2014.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--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)).
            (5) Race.--The term ``race'' refers to the same 
        disaggregated race response categories as the decennial census 
        of the population.
            (6) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means the academic and 
        professional disciplines of science, technology, engineering, 
        and mathematics, including computer science.
            (7) Systemic factors.--The term ``systemic factors'' refers 
        to factors that social, behavioral, and organizational research 
        has shown can impede the success of underrepresented groups in 
        STEM. These factors include implicit bias, stereotype threat, 
        and caregiving responsibilities.
            (8) Underrepresented groups.--The term ``underrepresented 
        groups'' refers to groups of people who are represented in a 
        STEM discipline at a rate lower than their proportion in the 
        general population, including Women, Blacks or African-
        Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Americans, Alaskan 
        Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, subgroups of 
        Asian Americans, and persons with disabilities.
            (9) Work-life accommodation.--The term ``work-life 
        accommodation'' means institutional policies and practices 
        designed to create healthy and supportive environments to help 
        students, trainees, employees, contractors, or grantees 
        effectively balance their work and personal responsibilities 
        and thereby maximize performance. These include flexible work 
        schedules, leave, and stop-the-clock policies for parents and 
        caregivers, as well as support for mental health and wellness.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To collect data necessary to increase the understanding 
        of factors that influence the participation and career 
        trajectories of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.
            (2) To coordinate the development of trainings and policies 
        across Federal science agencies to improve inclusion of 
        underrepresented groups in STEM.
            (3) To identify, implement, and disseminate best practices 
        for addressing the systemic factors that can affect the 
        inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM.
            (4) To provide grants for evidence-based efforts to 
        recruit, retain, and advance members from underrepresented 
        groups in STEM education and the workforce.
            (5) To recognize and reward teachers, faculty members, and 
        organizations who demonstrate a commitment to encouraging the 
        participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.

SEC. 4. STEM INCLUSION INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy (referred to in this section as the ``Director'') 
shall establish the ``STEM Inclusion Interagency Working Group'' 
(referred to in this Act as the ``working group'') under the authority 
of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science. 
The working group shall focus on creating a more diverse and inclusive 
STEM workforce, and shall be responsible for the following:
            (1) Collecting and reporting information on Federal funding 
        for STEM.
            (2) Reviewing and coordinating training efforts across 
        Federal science agencies to address factors that impede 
        inclusion in STEM of underrepresented groups.
            (3) Reviewing and coordinating policies across Federal 
        science agencies to address factors that can impede the 
        inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM.
            (4) Assessing the effectiveness of the trainings and 
        policies implemented by Federal science agencies in increasing 
        the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented 
        groups in STEM across the Federal science agencies.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The working group shall consist of not 
        less than 7 members.
            (2) Appointment.--Each agency with a representative on the 
        National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science 
        shall nominate a representative to serve on the working group, 
        and the Director shall select not less than 6 of such nominees 
        to serve for not more than 5 years on the working group.
            (3) Expert in employee training.--One member of the working 
        group shall be nominated by the Director of the Office of 
        Personnel Management and approved by the Director and shall be 
        an expert in employee training.
            (4) Chair; meetings.--One member of the working group shall 
        be designated by the Director to serve as the Chair of the 
        working group for not more than 2 years. The working group 
        shall meet at such times and places as designated by the Chair.
    (c) Stakeholder Input.--In carrying out the responsibilities under 
subsection (a), the working group shall take into account input and 
recommendations from non-Federal stakeholders, including the 
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, federally 
funded and nonfederally funded researchers, institutions of higher 
education, scientific disciplinary societies and associations, 
nonprofit research institutions, industry (including small businesses), 
federally funded research and development centers, nongovernmental 
organizations, the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Math Education (CoSTEM), the Interagency Title IX Working Group, and 
others with a stake in reducing barriers for developing a diverse and 
inclusive Federal STEM workforce.
    (d) Activities.--The working group shall engage in the following 
activities:
            (1) Collection of data.--
                    (A) In general.--Each Federal science agency shall 
                annually collect standardized record-level information 
                on demographics, including gender, race, ethnicity, 
                disability, citizenship status, age, and years since 
                completion of degree, as well as primary field, award 
                type, review rating (as practicable), budget request, 
                funding outcome, and awarded budget for all 
                applications for merit-reviewed research and 
                development grants to institutions of higher education 
                and Federal laboratories supported by such agency. The 
                working group shall coordinate the collection and 
                reporting of this data gathered by the Federal science 
                agencies with the relevant Federal statistical 
                agencies.
                    (B) Uniformity and standardization.--The working 
                group, with the approval of the Director, shall 
                establish a policy to ensure uniformity and 
                standardization of the data collection required under 
                subparagraph (A) and interoperability of data reporting 
                as required under subparagraph (D).
                    (C) Record-level data.--
                            (i) Requirement.--Beginning not later than 
                        2 years after the date of enactment of this Act 
                        and annually thereafter, each Federal science 
                        agency shall submit to the working group 
                        record-level data collected under subparagraph 
                        (A) in the form required by the working group 
                        and consistent with the policy established 
                        under subparagraph (B).
                            (ii) Previous data.--As part of the first 
                        submission under clause (i), each Federal 
                        science agency, to the extent practicable, 
                        shall also submit comparable record data for 
                        the 5 years preceding the date of submission.
                            (iii) Avoiding duplication of efforts.--The 
                        working group shall work collaboratively with 
                        other relevant Federal agencies to gather the 
                        information required under clauses (i) and (ii) 
                        through existing data collection and reporting 
                        efforts to the extent possible.
                    (D) Reporting.--Not later than 2 years after the 
                date of enactment of this Act and every 2 years 
                thereafter, the working group, in collaboration with 
                the relevant Federal statistical agencies, shall 
                provide to the National Science Board all statistical 
                summary data collected under this paragraph. Not later 
                than 6 months after receiving the summary data, the 
                National Science Board shall publish a report that 
                includes statistical summary data, findings, and policy 
                recommendations in a report as required under section 
                4(j)(2) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 
                (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(2)). All statistical summary data 
                shall be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, 
                ethnicity, disability, gender, age, and number of years 
                since receiving doctoral degree, provided that such 
                data does not reveal personally identifiable 
                information about an individual.
            (2) Coordination and implementation of training across 
        federal science agencies to create a more diverse and inclusive 
        stem workforce.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the working group, with 
                the approval of the Director, shall recommend a uniform 
                policy for a minimum frequency of trainings and a set 
                of model training curricula for Federal science 
                agencies to use to educate Federal STEM employees and 
                program managers, senior managers at Federal 
                laboratories, and other federally funded intramural and 
                extramural researchers about methods for addressing the 
                systemic factors that can limit the recruitment, 
                retention, and success of underrepresented groups at 
                all stages of the STEM pipeline. The training policies 
                and curricula shall address the following:
                            (i) Training at least biannually on 
                        reducing implicit bias in hiring, promotion, 
                        evaluation, the grant review process, and the 
                        workplace in general.
                            (ii) Methods to reduce the experience of 
                        stereotype threat.
                            (iii) Prevention of sexual harassment in 
                        the workplace.
                            (iv) Other evidence-based training on 
                        systemic factors that the working group 
                        determines can impede the inclusion of 
                        underrepresented groups in STEM and in the 
                        workplace.
                    (B) Interagency coordination.--The working group 
                shall ensure that training policies and curricula are 
                coordinated across Federal science agencies and jointly 
                supported as appropriate.
                    (C) Existing guidance.--In developing the policy 
                and training curricula under subparagraph (A), the 
                working group shall utilize guidance and best practices 
                already developed or collected by the Office of Science 
                and Technology Policy, the National Aeronautics and 
                Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, 
                the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of 
                Management and Budget, the Department of Energy, the 
                Department of Education, or from any other appropriate 
                source.
                    (D) Dissemination of guidance.--The working group 
                shall broadly disseminate the training policies and 
                curricula under subparagraph (A) to institutions of 
                higher education that receive Federal research funding, 
                scientific disciplinary societies and associations, 
                nonprofit research institutions, industry (including 
                small businesses), and federally funded research and 
                development centers, nongovernmental organizations, and 
                others with a stake in increasing the inclusion of 
                underrepresented groups in STEM. The dissemination 
                process shall include the creation of a public website.
                    (E) Establishment of training policies and 
                curricula.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than 1 year 
                        after the date of enactment of this Act, each 
                        Federal science agency shall--
                                    (I) adopt training policies and 
                                curricula based on the model policies 
                                under subparagraph (A);
                                    (II) adapt such model training 
                                policies and curricula to their agency, 
                                as appropriate; and
                                    (III) report to the Director of the 
                                Office of Science and Technology Policy 
                                on the training policies and curricula 
                                and implementation plan of the agency.
                            (ii) Ensuring quality.--The Director of the 
                        Office of Science and Technology Policy shall--
                                    (I) ensure the quality of the 
                                training policies and curricula 
                                described under clause (i) for each 
                                Federal science agency to meet the 
                                minimum frequency and requirements 
                                under subparagraph (A);
                                    (II) require updates, if necessary; 
                                and
                                    (III) approve such training 
                                policies and curricula not later than 
                                15 months after the date of enactment 
                                of this Act.
                    (F) Interagency coordination.--The working group 
                shall ensure that training policies and curricula are 
                jointly supported across Federal science agencies, as 
                appropriate.
            (3) Coordination and implementation of policies and 
        practices across federal science agencies to create a more 
        diverse and inclusive stem workforce.--
                    (A) Guidance to all federal science agencies.--The 
                working group shall gather, develop, and disseminate 
                evidence-based practices and recommend model policies 
                for achieving greater inclusion of underrepresented 
                groups in STEM to all Federal science agencies and 
                provide guidance on reviewing and updating policies and 
                practices that can impede the inclusion of 
                underrepresented groups in STEM within each agency. The 
                model policies and practices shall address the 
                following:
                            (i) Work-life accommodation, including 
                        flexibility for caregivers on the timing of 
                        research grants.
                            (ii) Procedures for handling claims of 
                        sexual harassment.
                            (iii) Reducing implicit bias in hiring, 
                        promotion, evaluation, the grant review 
                        process, and the workplace in general.
                            (iv) Other policies and practices to 
                        address systemic factors that the working group 
                        determines can impede the inclusion of 
                        underrepresented groups in STEM and the 
                        workplace.
                    (B) Establishment of policies and practices.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than 1 year 
                        after the date of enactment of this Act, each 
                        Federal science agency shall--
                                    (I) work with the Office of 
                                Personnel Management to adopt the model 
                                policies and practices under 
                                subparagraph (A);
                                    (II) adapt such model policies and 
                                practices to their agency, as 
                                appropriate; and
                                    (III) report to the Director of the 
                                Office of Science and Technology Policy 
                                on the policy and practice 
                                implementation plan of the agency.
                            (ii) Ensuring quality.--The Director of the 
                        Office of Science and Technology Policy shall--
                                    (I) ensure the quality of the 
                                policies and practices described under 
                                clause (i) for each Federal science 
                                agency meet the minimum requirements 
                                under subparagraph (A);
                                    (II) require updates, if necessary; 
                                and
                                    (III) approve such policies and 
                                practices not later than 15 months 
                                after the date of enactment of this 
                                Act.
                    (C) Report to congress.--Not later than 2 years 
                after the date of enactment of this Act and every 2 
                years thereafter, the working group shall report to 
                Congress on what steps all Federal science agencies 
                have taken to implement policies and practices to 
                address systemic factors that impede inclusion of 
                underrepresented groups in agency workplaces, and how 
                effective those policies and practices have been in 
                increasing participation of underrepresented groups in 
                the agencies.

SEC. 5. STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ADVANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Strengthening the National Science Foundation ADVANCE 
Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall strengthen the goals 
        and activities of the ADVANCE program as in effect on the date 
        of enactment of this Act to focus on increasing the 
        recruitment, retention, and success of all women in STEM, 
        including minorities and persons with disabilities.
            (2) Recognition for excellence in stem inclusion.--The 
        Director shall support the exploration, development, 
        evaluation, and implementation of a system to recognize 
        institutions of higher education that have demonstrated success 
        in promoting inclusion for underrepresented groups in STEM.
    (b) Establishment of Advance Center of Excellence for Inclusion in 
STEM.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall build on the success of 
        the ADVANCE program by awarding a grant for the establishment 
        of at least one Center of Excellence for Inclusion in STEM 
        (referred to in this section as a ``Center'')--
                    (A) to collect, maintain, and disseminate 
                information on increasing the inclusion of all 
                underrepresented groups in STEM, including women, 
                minorities, and persons with disabilities; and
                    (B) to scale-up the success of ADVANCE funded 
                initiatives and other federally funded initiatives to 
                support women, minorities, and persons with 
                disabilities in STEM careers by providing technical 
                assistance, collecting, maintaining, and disseminating 
                best practices, and providing related training at 
                federally funded institutions of higher education.
            (2) Establishment.--
                    (A) In general.--The Director shall establish a 
                Center through a competitive grant award consistent 
                with standard National Science Foundation practice.
                    (B) Criteria.--Grants and subgrants awarded under 
                this subsection shall be awarded on a merit-reviewed, 
                competitive basis. The Director shall establish 
                criteria for the award of a grant or subgrant under 
                this subsection that includes requiring a grant or 
                subgrant recipient to transfer all Center program 
                information to any awardee that receives a subsequent 
                grant or subgrant under this subsection.
                    (C) Public domain.--All program information 
                developed, collected, or maintained by a Center, with 
                the exception of personally identifiable information, 
                is and shall remain part of the public domain.
                    (D) Duration.--At least one Center established 
                under this subsection shall be operational at all times 
                during the 15 years following the initial Center 
                program award.
            (3) General operation.--A Center established under this 
        subsection shall carry out the following activities:
                    (A) Collect, maintain, and broadly disseminate 
                information from ADVANCE funded initiatives and from 
                broader STEM communities on systemic factors affecting 
                the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM, 
                and best practices for addressing those factors.
                    (B) Collaborate with Federal science agencies and 
                professional associations to share best practices on 
                work-life accommodation policies and practices.
                    (C) Collaborate with institutions of higher 
                education in order to clarify and catalyze the adoption 
                of a coherent and consistent set of work-life 
                accommodation policies and practices that support the 
                needs of faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows, 
                staff, and trainees.
                    (D) Provide educational opportunities, including 
                workshops and trainings for STEM faculty to improve 
                their mentoring, instructing, and advising of students 
                from underrepresented groups.
                    (E) Provide training at least biannually on the 
                impact of implicit bias on hiring, promotion, 
                evaluation, grant review processes, and the workplace 
                in general.
                    (F) Develop evidence-based workshops and training 
                on improving inclusion of underrepresented groups in 
                STEM. Such workshops and training may be carried out by 
                awarding subgrants to institutions of higher education 
                (or consortia of such institutions), nonprofit 
                organizations, professional societies, or other 
                entities that the Center determines eligible for 
                participation. An eligible entity that carries out a 
                workshop under this subparagraph shall collect data on 
                the rates of attendance by invitees in workshops, 
                including information on the home institution, rank, 
                and department of attendees, conduct attitudinal 
                surveys on workshop attendees before and after the 
                workshops, and collect follow-up data on any relevant 
                institutional policy or practice changes reported by 
                attendees not later than 1 year after attendance in 
                such a workshop.
                    (G) Other efforts that the Center determines are 
                necessary to further the inclusion of underrepresented 
                groups in STEM.
    (c) National Conference and Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, a Center shall hold a national 
        conference on the effectiveness of the activities supported 
        under this section.
            (2) Invitees.--Conference invitees shall include community 
        colleges, business and industry, secondary school systems, 4-
        year institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, 
        Federal science agencies and education agencies, Federal 
        laboratories, and Congress.
            (3) Focus.--The conference shall focus on advancing 
        collaborative capacity within, across, and beyond ADVANCE 
        awardees.
            (4) Conference participants.--Conference participants shall 
        share recent research and program progress, evaluate 
        opportunities for inter-project collaboration, exchange and 
        disseminate ideas within the community, and provide program 
        management the opportunity to assess the overall balance of the 
        portfolio and evaluate future research and program priorities.
            (5) Conference report.--A conference report, including 
        program progress, shall be available to the public and provided 
        to Congress not later than 6 months after the end of the 
        conference.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated--
            (1) $20,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 
        for the ADVANCE program at the National Science Foundation, 
        including activities described in subsection (a); and
            (2) $6,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to 
        carry out subsections (b) and (c).

SEC. 6. DATA COLLECTION TO DETERMINE SUCCESS IN BROADENING STEM 
              FACULTY.

    (a) Collection of Data.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Director shall 
carry out a survey to collect institution-level data on the 
demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM at different 
types of institutions of higher education, and shall consider, by 
gender, race, ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, and years 
since completion of doctoral degree--
            (1) the number and percentage of faculty;
            (2) the number and percentage of faculty at each rank;
            (3) faculty years in rank; and
            (4) the number and percentage of faculty hired in the 2 
        years preceding the date of the survey, by rank.
    (b) Publication of Results.--Not later than 6 months after the 
completion of the data collection described in subsection (a), the 
Director shall provide all relevant data and information to the 
National Science Board. Not later than 6 months after receiving such 
data and information, the National Science Board shall publish a report 
that includes statistical summary data, findings, and policy 
recommendations resulting from the feasibility study described in 
subsection (c), in a report as required by section 4(j)(2) of the 
National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(2)). All 
statistical summary data shall be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by 
race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and number of years since 
receiving doctoral degree, provided that such data does not reveal 
personally identifiable information about an individual.
    (c) Survey Study.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall evaluate the feasibility of a 
survey or other data collection instrument to collect institution-level 
data on--
            (1) the demographics of faculty, including post-doctoral 
        positions, by broad fields of STEM at different types of 
        institutions of higher education, and shall consider, by 
        gender, race, ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, 
        and years since completion of doctoral degree--
                    (A) the number and percentage of faculty who are 
                reviewed for promotion, including tenure, and the 
                percentage of that number who are promoted, included 
                being awarded tenure;
                    (B) the number and percentage of faculty to leave 
                tenure-track positions;
                    (C) the number and percentage of faculty in 
                leadership positions;
                    (D) the size and composition of the various 
                components included in the start-up package for new 
                faculty hires;
                    (E) the number and percentage of faculty who are in 
                nontenure-track positions, including teaching and 
                research; and
                    (F) the number and percentage of post-doctoral 
                fellows or trainees who are not employed in a STEM 
                position at an academic institution 5 years after their 
                fellowship or traineeship began; and
            (2) the demographics of STEM pre-doctoral students, by 
        broad fields of STEM at different types of institutions of 
        higher education, and shall consider, by gender, race, 
        ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, and 
        socioeconomic status--
                    (A) the number and percentage of pre-doctoral 
                students who leave their program before becoming Ph.D. 
                candidates;
                    (B) the number and percentage of Ph.D. candidates 
                who leave their program before receiving their Ph.D.; 
                and
                    (C) the number of years to attrition in pre-
                doctoral program.
    (d) Publication of Results.--The National Science Board shall 
develop a companion piece to the Science and Engineering Indicators 
biennial report on indicators of the state of science and engineering 
in the United States, as required under section 4(j)(1) of the National 
Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(1)), regarding the 
results of the feasibility study described in subsection (c), and make 
related policy recommendations. All statistical summary data shall be 
disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, disability, 
gender, and age, provided that such data does not reveal personally 
identifiable information about an individual.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $3,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019 to 
carry out this section.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR BROADENING 
              PARTICIPATION IN STEM.

    (a) Grants.--The Director shall award competitive grants to 
institutions of higher education (or consortia of such institutions) to 
implement or expand evidence-based reforms for the purpose of 
recruiting, retaining, and advancing students, fellows, trainees, and 
faculty from underrepresented groups in STEM, and do so, to the extent 
practicable, within existing National Science Foundation programs.
    (b) Merit Review; Competition.--Grants shall be awarded under this 
section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
    (c) Selection Process.--
            (1) Application.--An institution of higher education (or a 
        consortium of such institutions) seeking a grant under this 
        section shall submit an application to the Director at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information and 
        assurances as such Director may require. The application shall 
        include, at a minimum--
                    (A) a description of the proposed reform effort;
                    (B) a description of the research findings that 
                will serve as the basis for the proposed reform effort 
                or, in the case of applications that propose an 
                expansion of a previously implemented reform, a 
                description of the previously implemented reform 
                effort, including data about the recruitment, 
                retention, and academic achievement of students from 
                underrepresented groups;
                    (C) evidence of an institutional commitment to, and 
                support for, the proposed reform effort, including a 
                long-term commitment to implement successful strategies 
                from the current reform beyond the academic unit or 
                units included in the grant proposal;
                    (D) a description of existing or planned 
                institutional policies and practices regarding faculty 
                hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching assignments 
                that reward faculty contributions to increasing 
                representation from underrepresented groups in STEM; 
                and
                    (E) how the success and effectiveness of the 
                proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed 
                in order to contribute to the national knowledge base 
                about models for catalyzing institutional change.
            (2) Review of applications.--In selecting grant recipients 
        under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum--
                    (A) the likelihood of success of the proposed 
                reform effort at the institution submitting the 
                application, including the extent to which the faculty, 
                staff, and administrators of the institution are 
                committed to making the proposed institutional reform a 
                priority of the participating academic unit or units;
                    (B) the degree to which the proposed reform effort 
                will contribute to change in institutional culture and 
                policy such that greater value is placed on faculty 
                engagement in the retention of students from 
                underrepresented groups;
                    (C) the likelihood that the institution will 
                sustain or expand the proposed reform effort beyond the 
                period of the grant; and
                    (D) the degree to which evaluation and assessment 
                plans are included in the design of the proposed reform 
                effort.
            (3) Priority.--With respect to applications for a grant 
        under this section that include an expansion of existing 
        reforms beyond a single academic unit, the Director shall give 
        priority in awarding grants to applications for which a senior 
        institutional administrator, such as a dean or other 
        administrator of equal or higher rank, serves as the principal 
        investigator. The Director shall give priority in awarding 
        grants under this section to applications that target at the 
        broad fields of STEM in which the national rate of 
        representation of underrepresented groups among tenured or 
        tenure-track faculty or non-faculty researchers at doctorate-
        granting institutions of higher education is at least 25-
        percent less than the graduate degree completion rate for 
        underrepresented groups in that broad field of STEM, according 
        to the most recent data available from the National Center for 
        Science and Engineering Statistics.
            (4) Grant distribution.--The Director shall ensure, to the 
        extent practicable, that grants awarded under this section are 
        made to a variety of types of institutions of higher education, 
        including 2-year institutions of higher education and minority-
        serving institutions of higher education.
    (d) Use of Funds.--An institution of higher education (or a 
consortium of such institutions) that receives a grant under this 
section shall use the grant funds for activities that may include--
            (1) implementation or expansion of innovative, research-
        based approaches to broaden participation of underrepresented 
        groups in STEM fields;
            (2) implementation or expansion of bridge, cohort, 
        tutoring, or mentoring programs designed to enhance the 
        recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented 
        groups in STEM fields;
            (3) expansion of successful reforms aimed at increasing the 
        number of STEM students from underrepresented groups beyond a 
        single course or group of courses to achieve reform within an 
        entire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform efforts 
        beyond a single academic unit to other STEM academic units 
        within an institution of higher education;
            (4) expansion of opportunities for students from 
        underrepresented groups to conduct STEM research in industry, 
        at Federal laboratories, and at international research 
        institutions or research sites;
            (5) provision of stipends for students from 
        underrepresented groups participating in research;
            (6) development of research collaborations between 
        research-intensive institutions of higher education and 
        minority-serving institutions;
            (7) programs to help prepare undergraduate students from 
        minority-serving institutions to enter graduate programs at 
        predominately White institutions of higher education;
            (8) activities to identify and engage exceptional 
        undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented 
        groups at various stages of their studies and to encourage them 
        to enter academic careers;
            (9) professional development, mentoring, and research 
        training opportunities for graduate students and early career 
        faculty from underrepresented groups;
            (10) implementation or expansion of faculty development 
        programs focused on improving retention of undergraduate and 
        graduate STEM students from underrepresented groups;
            (11) implementation or expansion of mechanisms designed to 
        recognize and reward faculty members who demonstrate a 
        commitment to increasing the participation of students from 
        underrepresented groups in STEM fields;
            (12) institution-wide improvements in workload 
        distribution, such that faculty staff, postdoctoral fellows, 
        trainees, and students from underrepresented groups are not 
        disadvantaged in conducting research, publishing papers, and 
        engaging in other activities required to achieve tenure status 
        or advance their career;
            (13) development and implementation of training courses for 
        administrators and search committee members to ensure that 
        candidates from underrepresented groups are not subject to 
        implicit biases in hiring, promotion, or evaluation processes 
        or procedures;
            (14) institutional assessment activities, including data 
        collection and policy review to assess factors that may be 
        impeding or facilitating the recruitment, retention, and 
        success of underrepresented groups at all levels of the 
        university; and
            (15) other activities consistent with the purpose described 
        in subsection (a), as determined by the Director.
    (e) Education Research.--
            (1) In general.--All grants awarded under this section 
        shall include an education research component that will support 
        the design and implementation of a system for data collection 
        and evaluation of proposed reform efforts in order to build the 
        knowledge base on promising models for increasing recruitment 
        and retention of students from underrepresented groups in STEM 
        education at the undergraduate and graduate level across a 
        diverse set of institutions.
            (2) Dissemination.--The Director shall coordinate with 
        relevant Federal agencies in disseminating the results of the 
        research under this subsection to ensure that best practices 
        for increasing the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM 
        in institutions of higher education are made readily available 
        to all types of institutions of higher education, other Federal 
        agencies, relevant committees, subcommittees, and working 
        groups of the National Science and Technology Council, non-
        Federal funders of STEM education, and the general public.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $15,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to 
carry out this section.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, 
              MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING MENTORING.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director shall administer the Presidential 
Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering 
Mentoring program (referred to in this section as the ``PAESMEM'' 
program) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology 
Policy to recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding mentoring in STEM 
fields in primary, secondary, and higher education.
    (b) Three Types of Awards.--The following 3 types of PAESMEM 
program awards shall be provided:
            (1) Nominees for the Florence R. Sabin Distinguished 
        PAESMEM program award shall be United States citizens or lawful 
        permanent residents in industry, academia, primary and 
        secondary education, military, nonprofit organizations, 
        foundations, and government. Distinguished PAESMEM program 
        winners shall have not less than 5 years of sustained, 
        exceptional mentoring with demonstrated impact on 
        underrepresented groups.
            (2) Nominees for the Roland B. Scott Early Career Mentor 
        PAESMEM program award shall be United States citizens or lawful 
        permanent residents in industry, academia, primary and 
        secondary education, military, nonprofit organizations, 
        foundations, and government. Consideration for Early Career 
        Mentor PAESMEM program awards shall be given to early career 
        mentors who are scientists, technicians, post-baccalaureate, 
        post-masters, post-doctoral, new STEM faculty, and new STEM K-
        12 teachers (both pre- and in-service), in public and private 
        sectors. Early Career Mentor PAESMEM program winners shall have 
        not less than 2 years of sustained, exceptional mentoring with 
        demonstrated impact on underrepresented groups.
            (3) Nominees for the Carl Sagan Organizational PAESMEM 
        program award shall be a United States educational institution 
        or agency, corporation, foundation, military or government 
        agency, or nonprofit organization. An Organizational PAESMEM 
        program nominee may be a mentoring program or activity within 
        an organization.
    (c) Review of Applications.--The Director shall solicit 
applications across all types of entities until at least 100 
applications are received for each of the 3 types of PAESMEM program 
awards described under subsection (b).
    (d) Distribution of Awards.--
            (1) Frequency.--PAESMEM program winners shall be announced 
        and honored annually, not later than 1 year after the 
        application deadline.
            (2) Number.--A minimum of 20 PAESMEM program winners shall 
        be honored annually in each of the categories described under 
        paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (b).
            (3) Monetary award.--Except as provided in paragraph (5), 
        each PAESMEM program winner shall receive a monetary award of 
        $10,000 and a Presidential citation.
            (4) Consideration.--The Director, in awarding--
                    (A) PAESMEM program winners in each of the 
                categories described under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
                subsection (b), shall make a fair distribution of 
                awards to individuals who are from underrepresented 
                groups; and
                    (B) PAESMEM program winners in the category 
                described under subsection (b)(3), shall make awards to 
                all types of entities described under subsection 
                (b)(3).
            (5) Supplemental award for early career faculty.--Annually, 
        not less than 5 of the Roland B. Scott Early Career Mentor 
        PAESMEM program winners shall be reserved for early career 
        faculty at institutions of higher education who have shown 
        promise for making a significant contribution to their field of 
        expertise. Such faculty members shall receive an additional 
        $50,000 award that can be used towards advancing their program 
        of research.
    (e) Exemption From Merit Review.--Nominations for PAESMEM program 
awards shall be exempt from merit review criteria.
    (f) List of Winners to Congress.--The Director shall provide 
Congress with an annual list of PAESMEM program winners, including the 
name, institution, and a brief synopsis of the impact of the mentoring 
efforts.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to 
carry out this section.

SEC. 9. REDUCING GOVERNMENT WASTE AND ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN AT THE 
              NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.

    The following reports produced by the National Science Foundation 
shall be eliminated:
            (1) The Mathematics and Science Education Partnerships 
        report on coordination under section 9(c)(4) of the National 
        Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
        1862n(c)(4)).
            (2) The report under section 1008(c) of the America 
        COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 6603(c)).
            (3) The funding for successful science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics education programs report under 
        section 7012(c) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 
        6603(c)).
            (4) The encouraging participation report under section 
        7031(b) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o-11).
            (5) The evaluations report under section 19(a)(3) of the 
        National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 
        U.S.C. 1862n-8(a)(3)).
            (6) The major research equipment and facilities 
        construction plan report under section 14(a)(2) of the National 
        Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-
        4(a)(2)).
                                 <all>