[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2225 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 51
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2225
[Report No. 117-73]
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025,
and 2026 for the National Science Foundation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2021
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mr. Lucas, Ms. Stevens, and Mr.
Waltz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
June 28, 2021
Additional sponsors: Ms. Ross, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Baird, Mr.
Meijer, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Fitzpatrick,
Mrs. Luria, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Case, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Wild,
Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Perlmutter, Mr. Lamb, Ms. Houlahan, Mr.
Auchincloss, Mr. Sires, Mr. Pappas, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Cooper, Mr.
Sherman, Mr. San Nicolas, Mrs. Kim of California, Miss Gonzalez-Colon,
Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio, Mr. Beyer, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Morelle, Mrs. Bice
of Oklahoma, Mr. Crist, Mr. Foster, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. LaTurner,
Mr. Obernolte, Mr. Babin, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Takano, Mr.
Bowman, Mr. Bera, Ms. Sherrill, Ms. Stansbury, and Mrs. Fletcher
June 28, 2021
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March
26, 2021]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025,
and 2026 for the National Science Foundation, 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 ``National Science Foundation for the
Future Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Over the past seven decades, the National Science
Foundation has played a critical role in advancing the United
States academic research enterprise by supporting fundamental
research and education across science and engineering
disciplines.
(2) Discoveries enabled by sustained investment in
fundamental research and the education of the United States
science and engineering workforce have led to transformational
innovations and spawned new industries.
(3) While the traditional approach to investment in
research has delivered myriad benefits to society, a concerted
effort is needed to ensure the benefits of federally funded
science and engineering are enjoyed by all Americans.
(4) As countries around the world increase investments in
research and STEM education, United States global leadership in
science and engineering is eroding, posing significant risks to
economic competitiveness, national security, and public well-
being.
(5) To address major societal challenges and sustain United
States leadership in innovation, the Federal Government must
increase investments in research, broaden participation in the
STEM workforce, and bolster collaborations among universities,
National Laboratories, field stations and marine laboratories,
companies, labor organizations, non-profit funders of research,
local policymakers, civil societies and stakeholder
communities, and international partners.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Academies.--The term ``Academies'' means the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(2) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial
intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 5002
of the William M. (MAC) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
(3) Awardee.--The term ``awardee'' means the legal entity
to which Federal assistance is awarded and that is accountable
to the Federal Government for the use of the funds provided.
(4) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the National Science
Board.
(5) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(6) Emerging research institution.--The term ``emerging
research institution'' means an institution of higher education
with an established undergraduate student program that has, on
average for 3 years prior to the time of application for an
award, received less than $35,000,000 in Federal research
funding.
(7) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science
agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural
research expenditure of over $100,000,000.
(8) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation.
(9) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(10) Labor organization.--The term ``labor organization''
has the meaning given the term in section 2(5) of the National
Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 152(5)), except that such term
shall also include--
(A) any organization composed of labor
organizations, such as a labor union federation or a
State or municipal labor body; and
(B) any organization which would be included in the
definition for such term under such section (5) but for
the fact that the organization represents--
(i) individuals employed by the United
States, any wholly owned Government
corporation, any Federal Reserve Bank, or any
State or political subdivision thereof;
(ii) individuals employed by persons
subject to the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 151
et seq.); or
(iii) individuals employed as agricultural
laborers.
(11) Non-profit organization.--The term ``non-profit
organization'' means an organization which is described in
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and
exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such code.
(12) NSF includes.--The term ``NSF includes'' means the
initiative carried out under section 6(c).
(13) PreK-12.--The term ``preK-12'' means pre-kindergarten
through grade 12.
(14) Skilled technical work.--The term ``skilled technical
work'' means an occupation that requires a high level of
knowledge in a technical domain and does not require a
bachelor's degree for entry.
(15) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' has the meaning given the
term in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
(16) STEM education.--The term ``STEM education'' has the
meaning given the term in section 2 of the STEM Education Act
of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2022.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $12,504,890,000 for fiscal year 2022.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $10,025,000,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $55,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $1,400,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,583,160,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which--
(i) $73,700,000 shall be for the Robert
Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program;
(ii) $59,500,000 shall be for the NSF
Research Traineeship Program;
(iii) $416,300,000 shall be for the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $70,000,000 shall be for the
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program;
(C) $249,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction, of
which $76,250,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $620,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,620,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board; and
(F) $23,120,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the Inspector General.
(b) Fiscal Year 2023.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $14,620,800,000 for fiscal year 2023.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $11,870,000,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $60,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $2,300,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,654,520,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which--
(i) $80,400,000 shall be for the Robert
Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program;
(ii) $64,910,000 shall be for the NSF
Research Traineeship Program;
(iii) $454,140,000 shall be for the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $72,000,000 shall be for the
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program;
(C) $355,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction, of
which $80,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $710,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,660,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board; and
(F) $26,610,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the Inspector General.
(c) Fiscal Year 2024.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $15,945,020,000 for fiscal year 2024.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $13,050,000,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $70,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $2,900,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,739,210,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which--
(i) $87,100,000 shall be for the Robert
Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program;
(ii) $70,320,000 shall be for the NSF
Research Traineeship Program;
(iii) $491,990,000 shall be for the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $78,000,000 shall be for the
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program;
(C) $370,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction, of
which $85,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $750,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,700,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board; and
(F) $31,110,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the Inspector General.
(d) Fiscal Year 2025.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $17,004,820,000 for fiscal year 2025.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $14,000,000,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $75,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $3,250,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,823,470,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which--
(i) $93,800,000 shall be for the Robert
Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program;
(ii) $75,730,000 shall be for the NSF
Research Traineeship Program;
(iii) $529,830,000 shall be for the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $84,000,000 shall be for the
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program;
(C) $372,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction, of
which $90,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $770,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,740,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board; and
(F) $34,610,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the Inspector General.
(e) Fiscal Year 2026.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $17,939,490,000 for fiscal year 2026.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $14,800,000,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $80,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $3,400,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,921,600,000 shall be made available for
education and human resources, of which--
(i) $100,500,000 shall be for the Robert
Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program;
(ii) $81,140,000 shall be for the NSF
Research Traineeship Program;
(iii) $567,680,000 shall be for the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $90,000,000 shall be for the
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program;
(C) $375,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction, of
which $100,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $800,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,780,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the National Science Board; and
(F) $38,110,000 shall be made available for the
Office of the Inspector General.
SEC. 5. STEM EDUCATION.
(a) PreK-12 STEM Education.--
(1) Decadal survey of stem education research.--Not later
than 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director shall enter into a contract with the Academies to
review and assess the status and opportunities for PreK-12 STEM
education research and make recommendations for research
priorities over the next decade.
(2) Scaling innovations in prek-12 stem education.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall establish a
program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to
institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to establish no fewer than 3
multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education
Research and Translation (in this section referred to
as ``Centers'') to support research and development on
widespread and sustained implementation of STEM
education innovations.
(B) Application.--An institution of higher
education or non-profit organization (or a consortium
of such institutions or organizations) seeking funding
under subparagraph (A) 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 how the proposed Center will--
(i) establish partnerships among academic
institutions, local or State education
agencies, and other relevant stakeholders in
supporting programs and activities to
facilitate the widespread and sustained
implementation of promising, evidence-based
STEM education practices, models, programs,
curriculum, and technologies;
(ii) support enhanced STEM education
infrastructure, including cyberlearning
technologies, to facilitate the widespread
adoption of promising, evidence-based
practices;
(iii) support research and development on
scaling practices, partnerships, and
alternative models to current approaches,
including approaches sensitive to the unique
combinations of capabilities, resources, and
needs of varying localities, educators, and
learners;
(iv) include a focus on the learning needs
of under resourced schools and learners in low-
resource or underachieving local education
agencies in urban and rural communities and the
development of high-quality curriculum that
engages these learners in the knowledge and
practices of STEM fields;
(v) include a focus on the learning needs
and unique challenges facing students with
disabilities; and
(vi) support research and development on
scaling practices and models to support and
sustain highly-qualified STEM educators in
urban and rural communities.
(C) Additional considerations.--In awarding a grant
under this paragraph, the Director may also consider
the extent to which the proposed Center will--
(i) leverage existing collaborations,
tools, and strategies supported by the
Foundation, including NSF INCLUDES and the
Convergence Accelerators;
(ii) support research on and the
development and scaling of innovative
approaches to distance learning and education
for various student populations;
(iii) support education innovations that
leverage new technologies or deepen
understanding of the impact of technology on
educational systems; and
(iv) include a commitment from local or
State education administrators to making the
proposed reforms and activities a priority.
(D) Partnership.--In carrying out the program under
subparagraph (A), the Director shall explore
opportunities to partner with the Department of
Education, including through jointly funding activities
under this paragraph.
(E) Annual meeting.--The Director shall encourage
and facilitate an annual meeting of the Centers to
foster collaboration among the Centers and to further
disseminate the results of the Centers' activities.
(F) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to
Congress a report describing the activities carried out
pursuant to this paragraph that includes--
(i) a description of the focus and proposed
goals of each Center; and
(ii) an assessment of the program's success
in helping to promote scalable solutions in
PreK-12 STEM education.
(3) National academies study.--Not later than 45 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter
into an agreement with the Academies to conduct a study to--
(A) review the research literature and identify
research gaps regarding the interconnected factors that
foster and hinder successful implementation of
promising, evidence-based PreK-12 STEM education
innovations at the local, regional, and national level;
(B) present a compendium of promising, evidence-
based PreK-12 STEM education practices, models,
programs, and technologies;
(C) identify barriers to widespread and sustained
implementation of such innovations; and
(D) make recommendations to the Foundation, the
Department of Education, the National Science and
Technology Council's Committee on Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics Education, State and local
educational agencies, and other relevant stakeholders
on measures to address such barriers.
(4) Supporting pre-k-8 informal stem opportunities.--
Section 3 of the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 1862q)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Pre-k-8 Informal Stem Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall provide grants to institutions of higher
education or a non-profit organizations (or a consortia of such
intuitions or organization) on a merit-reviewed, competitive
basis for research on programming that engages students in
grades PREK-8, including underrepresented and rural students,
in STEM in order to prepare such students to pursue degrees or
careers in STEM.
``(2) Use of funds.--
``(A) In general.--Grants awarded under this
section shall be used toward research to advance the
engagement of students, including underrepresented and
rural students, in grades PREK-8 in STEM through
providing before-school, after-school, out-of-school,
or summer activities, including in single-gender
environments or programming, that are designed to
encourage interest, engagement, and skills development
for students in STEM.
``(B) Permitted activities.--The activities
described in subparagraph (A) may include--
``(i) the provision of programming
described in such subparagraph for the purpose
of research described in such subparagraph;
``(ii) the use of a variety of engagement
methods, including cooperative and hands-on
learning;
``(iii) exposure of students to role models
in the fields of STEM and near-peer mentors;
``(iv) training of informal learning
educators, youth-serving professionals, and
volunteers who lead informal STEM programs in
using evidence-based methods consistent with
the target student population being served;
``(v) education of students on the
relevance and significance of STEM careers,
provision of academic advice and assistance,
and activities designed to help students make
real-world connections to STEM content;
``(vi) the attendance of students at
events, competitions, and academic programs to
provide content expertise and encourage career
exposure in STEM, which may include the
purchase of parts and supplies needed to
participate in such competitions;
``(vii) activities designed to engage
parents and families of students in grades
PREK-8 in STEM;
``(viii) innovative strategies to engage
students, such as using leadership skills and
outcome measures to impart youth with the
confidence to pursue STEM coursework and
academic study;
``(ix) coordination with STEM-rich
environments, including other nonprofit,
nongovernmental organizations, out-of-classroom
settings, single-gender environments,
institutions of higher education, vocational
facilities, corporations, museums, or science
centers; and
``(x) the acquisition of instructional
materials or technology-based tools to conduct
applicable grant activity.
``(3) Application.--An applicant seeking funding under the
section shall submit an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as may be required.
Applications that include or partner with a nonprofit,
nongovernmental organization that has extensive experience and
expertise in increasing the participation of students in PREK-8
in STEM are encouraged. The application may include the
following:
``(A) A description of the target audience to be
served by the research activity or activities for which
such funding is sought.
``(B) A description of the process for recruitment
and selection of students to participate in such
activities.
``(C) A description of how such activity or
activities may inform programming that engages students
in grades PREK-8 in STEM.
``(D) A description of how such activity or
activities may inform programming that promotes student
academic achievement in STEM.
``(E) An evaluation plan that includes, at a
minimum, the use of outcome-oriented measures to
determine the impact and efficacy of programming being
researched.
``(4) Evaluations.--Each recipient of a grant under this
section shall provide, at the conclusion of every year during
which the grant funds are received, an evaluation in a form
prescribed by the Director.
``(5) Accountability and dissemination.--
``(A) Evaluation required.--The Director shall
evaluate the activities established under this section.
Such evaluation shall--
``(i) use a common set of benchmarks and
tools to assess the results of research
conducted under such grants; and
``(ii) to the extent practicable, integrate
the findings of the research resulting from the
activity or activities funded through the grant
with the current research on serving students
with respect to the pursuit of degrees or
careers in STEM, including underrepresented and
rural students, in grades PREK-8.
``(B) Report on evaluations.--Not later than 180
days after the completion of the evaluation under
subparagraph (A), the Director shall submit to Congress
and make widely available to the public a report that
includes--
``(i) the results of the evaluation; and
``(ii) any recommendations for
administrative and legislative action that
could optimize the effectiveness of the program
under this section.
``(6) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the
Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program effectiveness
and avoiding duplication of activities, consult, cooperate, and
coordinate with the programs and policies of other relevant
Federal agencies.''.
(b) Undergraduate STEM Education.--
(1) Research on stem education and workforce needs.--The
Director shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to four-
year institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support research and development activities
to--
(A) encourage greater collaboration and
coordination between institutions of higher education
and industry to enhance education, foster hands-on
learn experiences, and improve alignment with workforce
needs;
(B) understand the current composition of the STEM
workforce and the factors that influence growth,
retention, and development of that workforce;
(C) increase the size, diversity, capability, and
flexibility of the STEM workforce; and
(D) increase dissemination and widespread adoption
of effective practices in undergraduate education and
workforce development.
(2) Advanced technological education program update.--
Section 3(b) of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of
1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(b)) is amended to read as follows:
``(b) National Coordination Network for Science and Technical
Education.--The Director shall award grants to institutions of higher
education, non-profit organizations, and associate-degree granting
colleges (or consortia of such institutions or organizations) to
establish a network of centers for science and technical education. The
centers shall--
``(1) coordinate research, training, and education
activities funded by awards under subsection (a) and share
information and best practices across the network of awardees;
``(2) serve as a national and regional clearinghouse and
resource to communicate and coordinate research, training, and
educational activities across disciplinary, organizational,
geographic, and international boundaries and disseminate best
practices; and
``(3) develop national and regional partnerships between
PreK-12 schools, two-year colleges, institutions of higher
education, workforce development programs, labor organizations,
and industry to meet workforce needs.''.
(3) Innovations in stem education at community colleges.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall award grants on
a merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or
consortia of such institutions or organizations) to
advance research on the nature of learning and teaching
at community colleges and to improve outcomes for
students who enter the workforce upon completion of
their STEM degree or credential or transfer to 4-year
institutions, including by--
(i) examining how to scale up successful
programs at Community Colleges that are
improving student outcomes in foundational STEM
courses;
(ii) supporting research on effective STEM
teaching practices in community college
settings;
(iii) designing and developing new STEM
curricula;
(iv) providing STEM students with hands-on
training and research experiences, internships,
and other experiential learning opportunities;
(v) increasing access to high quality STEM
education through new technologies;
(vi) re-skilling or up-skilling incumbent
workers for new STEM jobs;
(vii) building STEM career and seamless
transfer pathways; and
(viii) developing novel mechanisms to
identify and recruit talent into STEM programs,
in particular talent from groups historically
underrepresented in STEM.
(B) Partnerships.--In carrying out activities under
this paragraph, the Director shall encourage
applications to develop, enhance, or expand cooperative
STEM education and training partnerships between
institutions of higher education, industry, and labor
organizations.
(c) Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act.--
(1) Findings and purpose.--Section 2 of the Scientific and
Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862h) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (3), by striking
``science, mathematics, and technology'' and
inserting ``science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics or STEM'';
(ii) in paragraph (4), by inserting
``educated'' and before ``trained''; and
(iii) in paragraph (5), by striking
``scientific and technical education and
training'' and inserting ``STEM education and
training''; and
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (2), by striking
``mathematics and science'' and inserting
``STEM fields''; and
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking
``mathematics and science instruction'' and
inserting ``STEM instruction''.
(2) Modernizing references to stem.--Section 3 of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C.
1862i) is amended--
(A) in the section heading, by striking
``scientific and technical education '' and inserting
``stem education'';
(B) in subsection (a)--
(i) in the subsection heading, by striking
``Scientific and Technical Education '' and
inserting ``STEM Education'';
(ii) in the matter preceding paragraph
(1)--
(I) by inserting ``and education to
prepare the skilled technical workforce
to meet workforce demands'' before ``,
and to improve'';
(II) by striking ``core education
courses in science and mathematics''
and inserting ``core education courses
in STEM fields'';
(III) by inserting ``veterans and
individuals engaged in'' before ``work
in the home''; and
(IV) by inserting ``and on building
a pathway from secondary schools, to
associate-degree-granting institutions,
to careers that require technical
training'' before ``, and shall be
designed'';
(iii) in paragraph (1)--
(I) by inserting ``and study''
after ``development''; and
(II) by striking ``core science and
mathematics courses'' and inserting
``core STEM courses'';
(iv) in paragraph (2), by striking
``science, mathematics, and advanced-technology
fields'' and inserting ``STEM and advanced-
technology fields'';
(v) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ``to
support the advanced-technology industries that
drive the competitiveness of the United States
in the global economy'' before the semicolon at
the end;
(vi) in paragraph (4), by striking
``scientific and advanced-technology fields''
and inserting ``STEM and advanced-technology
fields''; and
(vii) in paragraph (5), by striking
``advanced scientific and technical education''
and inserting ``advanced STEM and advanced-
technology'';
(C) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) in subparagraph (A)--
(aa) in the matter
preceding clause (i), by
striking ``to encourage'' and
all that follows through ``such
means as--'' and inserting ``to
encourage the development of
career and educational pathways
with multiple entry and exit
points leading to credentials
and degrees, and to assist
students pursuing pathways in
STEM fields to transition from
associate-degree-granting
colleges to bachelor-degree-
granting institutions, through
such means as--'';
(bb) in clause (i), by
striking ``to ensure'' and
inserting ``to develop
articulation agreements that
ensure''; and
(cc) in clause (ii), by
striking ``courses at the
bachelor-degree-granting
institution'' and inserting
``the career and educational
pathways supported by the
articulation agreements'';
(II) in subparagraph (B)--
(aa) in clause (i), by
inserting ``veterans and
individuals engaged in'' before
``work in the home'';
(bb) in clause (iii)--
(AA) by striking
``bachelor's-degree-
granting institutions''
and inserting
``institutions or work
sites''; and
(BB) by inserting
``or industry
internships'' after
``summer programs'';
and
(cc) by striking the flush
text following clause (iv); and
(III) by striking subparagraph (C);
(ii) in paragraph (2)--
(I) by striking ``mathematics and
science programs'' and inserting ``STEM
programs'';
(II) by inserting ``and, as
appropriate, elementary schools,''
after ``with secondary schools'';
(III) by striking ``mathematics and
science education'' and inserting
``STEM education'';
(IV) by striking ``secondary school
students'' and inserting ``students at
these schools'';
(V) by striking ``science and
advanced-technology fields'' and
inserting ``STEM and advanced-
technology fields''; and
(VI) by striking ``agreements with
local educational agencies'' and
inserting ``articulation agreements or
dual credit courses with local
secondary schools, or other means as
the Director determines appropriate,'';
and
(iii) in paragraph (3)--
(I) by striking subparagraph (B);
(II) by striking ``shall--''and all
that follows through ``establish a''
and inserting ``shall establish a'';
(III) by striking ``the fields of
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics'' and inserting ``STEM
fields''; and
(IV) by striking ``; and'' and
inserting ``, including jobs at Federal
and academic laboratories.'';
(D) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) in subparagraph (A)--
(aa) in the matter
preceding clause (i), by
striking ``to encourage'' and
all that follows through ``such
means as--'' and inserting ``to
encourage the development of
career and educational pathways
with multiple entry and exit
points leading to credentials
and degrees, and to assist
students pursuing pathways in
STEM fields to transition from
associate-degree-granting
colleges to bachelor-degree-
granting institutions, through
such means as--'';
(bb) in clause (i), by
striking ``to ensure'' and
inserting ``to develop
articulation agreements that
ensure''; and
(cc) in clause (ii), by
striking ``courses at the
bachelor-degree-granting
institution'' and inserting
``the career and educational
pathways supported by the
articulation agreements'';
(II) in subparagraph (B)--
(aa) in clause (i), by
inserting ``veterans and
individuals engaged in'' before
``work in the home'';
(bb) in clause (iii)--
(AA) by striking
``bachelor's-degree-
granting institutions''
and inserting
``institutions or work
sites''; and
(BB) by inserting
``or industry
internships'' after
``summer programs'';
and
(cc) by striking the flush
text following clause (iv); and
(III) by striking subparagraph (C);
(ii) in paragraph (2)--
(I) by striking ``mathematics and
science programs'' and inserting ``STEM
programs'';
(II) by inserting ``and, as
appropriate, elementary schools,''
after ``with secondary schools'';
(III) by striking ``mathematics and
science education'' and inserting
``STEM education'';
(IV) by striking ``secondary school
students'' and inserting ``students at
these schools'';
(V) by striking ``science and
advanced-technology fields'' and
inserting ``STEM and advanced-
technology fields''; and
(VI) by striking ``agreements with
local educational agencies'' and
inserting ``articulation agreements or
dual credit courses with local
secondary schools, or other means as
the Director determines appropriate,'';
and
(iii) in paragraph (3)--
(I) by striking subparagraph (B);
(II) by striking ``shall--''and all
that follows through ``establish a''
and inserting ``shall establish a'';
(III) by striking ``the fields of
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics'' and inserting ``STEM
fields''; and
(IV) by striking ``; and'' and
inserting ``, including jobs at Federal
and academic laboratories.'';
(E) in subsection (d)(2)--
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking
``and'' after the semicolon;
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking the
period at the end and inserting a ``; and'';
and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) as appropriate, applications that apply the
best practices for STEM education and technical skills
education through distance learning or in a simulated
work environment, as determined by research described
in subsection (f); and'';
(F) in subsection (g), by striking the second
sentence;
(G) in subsection (h)(1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``2022'' and inserting ``2026'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``2022'' and inserting ``2026''; and
(iii) in subparagraph (C)--
(I) by striking ``up to
$2,500,000'' and inserting ``not less
than $3,000,000''; and
(II) by striking ``2022'' and
inserting ``2026'';
(H) in subsection (i)--
(i) by striking paragraph (3); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and
(5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively;
and
(I) in subsection (j)--
(i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting
the following:
``(1) the term advanced-technology includes technological
fields such as advanced manufacturing, agricultural-,
biological- and chemical-technologies, energy and environmental
technologies, engineering technologies, information
technologies, micro and nano-technologies, cybersecurity
technologies, geospatial technologies, and new, emerging
technology areas;'';
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking
``separate bachelor-degree-granting
institutions'' and inserting ``other
entities'';
(iii) by striking paragraph (7);
(iv) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and
(9) as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively;
(v) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by
subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(vi) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by
subparagraph (D)--
(I) by striking ``mathematics,
science, engineering, or technology''
and inserting ``science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics''; and
(II) by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(vii) by adding at the end the following:
``(9) the term skilled technical workforce means workers--
``(A) in occupations that use significant levels of
science and engineering expertise and technical
knowledge; and
``(B) whose level of educational attainment is less
than a bachelor degree.''.
(3) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 5 of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C.
1862j) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director for
carrying out sections 2 through 4, $150,000,000 for fiscal years 2022
through 2026.''.
(d) Graduate STEM Education.--
(1) Mentoring and professional development.--
(A) Mentoring plans.--
(i) Update.--Section 7008 of the America
Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote
Excellence in Technology, Education, and
Science Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o) is amended by--
(I) inserting ``and graduate
student'' after ``postdoctoral''; and
(II) inserting ``The requirement
may be satisfied by providing such
individuals with access to mentors,
including individuals not listed on the
grant.'' after ``review criterion.''.
(ii) Evaluation.--Not later than 45 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director shall enter into an agreement with a
qualified independent organization to evaluate
the effectiveness of the postdoctoral mentoring
plan requirement for improving mentoring for
Foundation-supported postdoctoral researchers.
(B) Career exploration.--
(i) In general.--The Director shall award
grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions
of higher education and non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to develop
innovative approaches for facilitating career
exploration of academic and non-academic career
options and for providing opportunity-
broadening experiences, including work-
integrated opportunities, for graduate students
and postdoctoral scholars that can then be
considered, adopted, or adapted by other
institutions and to carry out research on the
impact and outcomes of such activities.
(ii) Review of proposals.--In selecting
grant recipients under this subparagraph, the
Director shall consider, at a minimum--
(I) the extent to which the
administrators of the institution are
committed to making the proposed
activity a priority; and
(II) the likelihood that the
institution or organization will
sustain or expand the proposed activity
effort beyond the period of the grant.
(C) Development plans.--The Director shall require
that annual project reports for awards that support
graduate students and postdoctoral scholars include
certification by the principal investigator that each
graduate student and postdoctoral scholar receiving
substantial support from such award, as determined by
the Director, in consultation with faculty advisors,
has developed and annually updated an individual
development plan to map educational goals, career
exploration, and professional development.
(D) Professional development supplement.--The
Director shall carry out a five-year pilot initiative
to award up to 2,500 administrative supplements of up
to $2,000 to existing research grants annually, on a
competitive basis, to support professional development
experiences for graduate students and postdoctoral
researchers who receive a substantial portion of their
support under such grants, as determined by the
Director. Not more than 10 percent of supplements
awarded under this subparagraph may be used to support
professional development experiences for postdoctoral
researchers.
(E) Graduate education research.--The Director
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to
institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support research on the graduate
education system and outcomes of various interventions
and policies, including--
(i) the effects of traineeships,
fellowships, internships, and teaching and
research assistantships on outcomes for
graduate students;
(ii) the effects of graduate education and
mentoring policies and procedures on degree
completion, including differences by--
(I) gender, race and ethnicity,
sexual orientation, gender identity,
and citizenship; and
(II) student debt load;
(iii) the development and assessment of new
or adapted interventions, including approaches
that improve mentoring relationships, develop
conflict management skills, and promote healthy
research teams; and
(iv) research, data collection, and
assessment of the state of graduate student
mental health and wellbeing, factors
contributing to and consequences of poor
graduate student mental health, and the
development, adaptation, and assessment of
evidence-based strategies and policies to
support emotional wellbeing and mental health.
(2) Graduate research fellowship program update.--
(A) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress
that the Foundation should increase the number of new
graduate research fellows supported annually over the
next 5 years to no fewer than 3,000 fellows.
(B) Program update.--Section 10 of the National
Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1869) is
amended--
(i) in subsection (a), by inserting ``and
as will address national workforce demand in
critical STEM fields'' after ``throughout the
United States'';
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking ``of
$12,000'' and inserting ``of at least
$16,000''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Outreach.--The Director shall ensure program outreach to
recruit fellowship applicants from fields of study that are in areas of
critical national need, from all regions of the country, and from
historically underrepresented populations in STEM.''.
(C) Cybersecurity scholarships and graduate
fellowships.--The Director shall ensure that students
pursuing master's degrees and doctoral degrees in
fields relating to cybersecurity are considered as
applicants for scholarships and graduate fellowships
under the Graduate Research Fellowship Program under
section 10 of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1869).
(3) Study on graduate student funding.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter
into an agreement with a qualified independent
organization to evaluate--
(i) the role of the Foundation in
supporting graduate student education and
training through fellowships, traineeships, and
other funding models; and
(ii) the impact of different funding
mechanisms on graduate student experiences and
outcomes, including whether such mechanisms
have differential impacts on subsets of the
student population.
(B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the organization charged with
carrying out the study under subparagraph (A) shall
publish the results of its evaluation, including a
recommendation for the appropriate balance between
fellowships, traineeships, and other funding models.
(4) Fellowships and traineeships for early-career ai
researchers.--
(A) Artificial intelligence traineeships.--
(i) In general.--The Director of the
National Science Foundation shall award grants
to institutions of higher education to
establish traineeship programs for graduate
students who pursue artificial intelligence-
related research leading to a masters or
doctorate degree by providing funding and other
assistance, and by providing graduate students
opportunities for research experiences in
government or industry related to the students'
artificial intelligence studies.
(ii) Use of funds.--A institution of higher
education shall use grant funds provided under
clause (i) for the purposes of--
(I) providing traineeships to
students who are pursuing research in
artificial intelligence leading to a
masters or doctorate degree;
(II) paying tuition and fees for
students receiving traineeships;
(III) creating and requiring
courses or training programs in
technology ethics for students
receiving traineeships;
(IV) creating opportunities for
research in technology ethics for
students receiving traineeships;
(V) establishing scientific
internship programs for students
receiving traineeships in artificial
intelligence at for-profit
institutions, nonprofit research
institutions, or government
laboratories; and
(VI) other costs associated with
the administration of the program.
(B) Artificial intelligence fellowships.--The
Director of the National Science Foundation shall award
fellowships to masters and doctoral students and
postdoctoral researchers who are pursuing degrees or
research in artificial intelligence and related fields,
including in the field of technology ethics. In making
such awards, the Director shall conduct outreach,
including through formal solicitations, to solicit
proposals from students and postdoctoral researchers
seeking to carry out research in aspects of technology
ethics with relevance to artificial intelligence
systems.
(e) Stem Workforce Data.--
(1) Skilled technical workforce portfolio review.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
conduct a full portfolio analysis of the Foundation's
skilled technical workforce investments across all
Directorates in the areas of education, research,
infrastructure, data collection, and analysis.
(B) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the review under subparagraph (A) is complete, the
Director shall submit to Congress and make widely
available to the public a summary report of the
portfolio review.
(2) Survey data.--
(A) Rotating topic modules.--To meet evolving needs
for data on the state of the science and engineering
workforce, the Director shall assess, through
coordination with other Federal statistical agencies
and drawing on input from relevant stakeholders, the
feasibility and benefits of incorporating questions or
topic modules to existing National Center for Science
and Engineering Statistics surveys that would vary from
cycle to cycle.
(B) New data.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to
Congress and the Board the results of an assessment,
carried out in coordination with other Federal agencies
and with input from relevant stakeholders, of the
feasibility and benefits of incorporating new questions
or topic modules to existing National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics surveys on--
(i) the skilled technical workforce;
(ii) working conditions and work-life
balance;
(iii) harassment and discrimination;
(iv) sexual orientation and gender
identity;
(v) immigration and emigration; and
(vi) any other topics at the discretion of
the Director.
(C) Longitudinal design.--The Director shall
continue and accelerate efforts to enhance the
usefulness of National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics survey data for longitudinal
research and analysis.
(D) Government accountability office review.--Not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit a report to Congress that--
(i) evaluates Foundation processes for
ensuring the data and analysis produced by the
National Center for Science and Engineering
Statistics meets current and future needs; and
(ii) includes such recommendations as the
Comptroller General determines are appropriate
to improve such processes.
(f) Cyber Workforce Development Research and Development.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants on a
merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or a consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to carry out research on the
cyber workforce.
(2) Research.--In carrying out research pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Director shall support research and
development activities to--
(A) Understand the current state of the cyber
workforce, including factors that influence growth,
retention, and development of that workforce;
(B) examine paths to entry and re-entry into the
cyber workforce;
(C) understand trends of the cyber workforce,
including demographic representation, educational and
professional backgrounds present, competencies
available, and factors that shape employee recruitment,
development, and retention and how to increase the
size, diversity, and capability of the cyber workforce;
(D) examine and evaluate training practices,
models, programs, and technologies; and
(E) other closely related topics as the Director
determines appropriate.
(3) Requirements.--In carrying out the activities described
in paragraph (1), the Director shall--
(A) collaborate with the National Institute for
Standards and Technology, including the National
Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, the Department
of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the
Office of Personnel Management, and other Federal
departments and agencies, as appropriate;
(B) align with or build on the National Initiative
on Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity Workforce
Framework wherever practicable and applicable;
(C) leverage the collective body of knowledge from
existing cyber workforce development research and
education activities; and
(D) engage with other Federal departments and
agencies, research communities, and potential users of
information produced under this subsection.
(g) Federal Cyber Scholarship-for-Service Program.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) since cybersecurity risks are constant in the
growing digital world, it is critical that the United
States stay ahead of malicious cyber activity with a
workforce that can safeguard our innovation, research,
and work environments; and
(B) Federal investments into the Federal Cyber
Scholarship-for-Service Program at the National Science
Foundation play a critical role in preparing and
sustaining a strong, talented, and much-needed national
cybersecurity workforce and should be strengthened.
(2) In general.--Section 302(b)(1) of the Cybersecurity
Enhancement Act of 2014 (15 U.S.C. 7442(b)(1)) is amended by
striking the semicolon at the end and inserting the following
``and cybersecurity-related aspects of other related fields as
appropriate, including artificial intelligence, quantum
computing and aerospace.''.
(h) Cybersecurity Workforce Data Initiative.--The Director, acting
through the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
established in section 505 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p) and in coordination with the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology and other appropriate
Federal statistical agencies, shall establish a cybersecurity workforce
data initiative that--
(1) assesses the feasibility of providing nationally
representative estimates and statistical information on the
cybersecurity workforce;
(2) utilizes the National Initiative for Cybersecurity
Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NIST
Special Publication 800-181), or other frameworks, as
appropriate, to enable a consistent measurement of the
cybersecurity workforce;
(3) utilizes and complements existing data on employer
requirements and unfilled positions in the cybersecurity
workforce;
(4) consults key stakeholders and the broader community of
practice in cybersecurity workforce development to determine
data requirements needed to strengthen the cybersecurity
workforce;
(5) evaluates existing Federal survey data for information
pertinent to developing national estimates of the cybersecurity
workforce;
(6) evaluates administrative data and other supplementary
data sources, as available, to describe and measure the
cybersecurity workforce; and
(7) collects statistical data, to the greatest extent
practicable, on credential attainment and employment outcomes
information for the cybersecurity workforce.
SEC. 6. BROADENING PARTICIPATION.
(a) Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science
Teaching.--
(1) In general.--Section 117(a) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C.1881b(a)) is
amended--
(A) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) by striking ``108'' and inserting
``110'';
(ii) by striking clause (iv);
(iii) in clause (v), by striking the period
at the end and inserting ``; and'';
(iv) by redesignating clauses (i), (ii),
(iii), and (v) as subclauses (I), (II), (III),
and (IV), respectively, and moving the margins
of such subclauses (as so redesignated) two ems
to the right; and
(v) by striking ``In selecting teachers''
and all that follows through ``two teachers--''
and inserting the following:
``(C) In selecting teachers for an award authorized by this
subsection, the President shall select--
``(i) at least two teachers--''; and
(B) in subparagraph (C), as designated by paragraph
(1)(A)(v), by adding at the end the following:
``(ii) at least one teacher--
``(I) from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands;
``(II) from American Samoa;
``(III) from the Virgin Islands of the United
States; and
``(IV) from Guam.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1)
shall apply with respect to awards made on or after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(b) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Update.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
over the next five years the Foundation should increase the
number of scholarships awarded under the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship program established under section 10 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n-1) by 50 percent.
(2) Outreach.--To increase the diversity of participants,
the Director shall support symposia, forums, conferences, and
other activities to expand and enhance outreach to--
(A) historically Black colleges and universities
that are part B institutions, as defined in section
322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1061(2));
(B) minority institutions, as defined in section
365(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067k(3));
(C) institutions of higher education that are
located near or serve rural communities;
(D) labor organizations;
(E) emerging research institutions; and
(F) higher education programs that serve or support
veterans.
(c) NSF INCLUDES Initiative.--The Director shall award grants and
cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis, to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to carry out a comprehensive national
initiative to facilitate the development of networks and partnerships
to build on and scale up effective practices in broadening
participation in STEM studies and careers of groups historically
underrepresented in such studies and careers.
(d) Broadening Participation on Major Facilities Awards.--The
Director shall require organizations seeking a cooperative agreement
for the management of the operations and maintenance of a Foundation
project to demonstrate prior experience and current capabilities in
employing best practices in broadening participation in science and
engineering and ensure implementation of such practices is considered
in oversight of the award.
(e) Partnerships With Emerging Research Institutions.--The Director
shall establish a five-year pilot program to enhance partnerships
between emerging research institutions and institutions classified as
very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of
Institutions of Higher Education at the time of application. In
carrying out this program, the Director shall--
(1) require that each proposal submitted by a multi-
institution collaboration for an award, including those under
section 9, that exceeds $1,000,000, as appropriate, specify how
the applicants will support substantive, meaningful, and
mutually-beneficial partnerships with one or more emerging
research institutions;
(2) require awardees funded under paragraph (1) to direct
no less than 25 percent of the total award to one or more
emerging research institutions to build research capacity,
including through support for faculty salaries and training,
field and laboratory research experiences for undergraduate and
graduate students, and maintenance and repair of research
equipment and instrumentation;
(3) require awardees funded under paragraph (1) to report
on the partnership activities as part of the annual reporting
requirements of the Foundation;
(4) solicit feedback on the partnership directly from
partner emerging research institutions, in such form as the
Director deems appropriate; and
(5) submit a report to Congress after the third year of the
pilot program that includes--
(A) an assessment, drawing on feedback from the
research community and other sources of information, of
the effectiveness of the pilot program for improving
the quality of partnerships with emerging research
institutions; and
(B) if deemed effective, a plan for permanent
implementation of the pilot program.
(f) Tribal Colleges and Universities Program Update.--
(1) In general.--Section 525 of the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a) by--
(i) striking ``Native American'' and
inserting ``American Indian, Alaska Native, and
Native Hawaiian''; and
(ii) inserting ``post-secondary credentials
and'' before ``associate's''; and
(iii) striking ``or baccalaureate degrees''
and inserting ``, baccalaureate, and graduate
degrees''; and
(B) in subsection (b) by striking
``undergraduate''; and
(C) in subsection (c) by inserting ``and STEM''
after ``laboratory''.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this program
$107,250,000 for fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2026.
(g) Diversity in Tech Research.--The Director shall award grants,
on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support basic and applied research that yields a
scientific evidence base for improving the design and emergence,
development and deployment, and management and ultimate effectiveness
of organizations of all kinds, including research related to diversity,
equity, and inclusion in the technology sector.
(h) Continuing Support for EPSCoR.--
(1) Sense of congress.--
(A) In general.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(i) since maintaining the Nation's
scientific and economic leadership requires the
participation of talented individuals
nationwide, EPSCoR investments into State
research and education capacities are in the
Federal interest and should be sustained; and
(ii) EPSCoR should maintain its
experimental component by supporting innovative
methods for improving research capacity and
competitiveness.
(B) Definition of epscor.--In this subsection, the
term ``EPSCoR'' has the meaning given the term in
section 502 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p note).
(2) Update of epscor.--Section 517(f)(2) of the America
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-9(f)(2))
is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the
end; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) to increase the capacity of rural communities
to provide quality STEM education and STEM workforce
development programming to students, and teachers;
and''.
(i) Fostering STEM Research Diversity and Capacity Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall establish a program to
make awards on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible
institutions to implement and study innovative approaches for
building research capacity in order to engage and retain
students from a range of institutions and diverse backgrounds
in STEM.
(2) Eligible institution defined.--In this subsection the
term ``eligible institution'' means an institution of higher
education that, according to the data published by the National
Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, is not, on
average, among the top 100 institutions in Federal research and
development expenditures during the 3 year period prior to the
year of the award.
(3) Purpose.--The program established in paragraph (1)
shall be focused on achieving simultaneous impacts at the
student, faculty, and institutional levels by increasing the
research capacity at eligible institutions and the number of
undergraduate and graduate students pursuing STEM degrees from
eligible institutions.
(4) Requirements.--In carrying out this program, the
Director shall--
(A) require eligible institutions seeking funding
under this subsection to submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, containing such
information and assurances as the Director may require.
The application shall include, at a minimum a
description of how the eligible institution plans to
sustain the proposed activities beyond the duration of
the grant;
(B) require applicants to identify disciplines and
focus areas in which the eligible institution can
excel, and explain how the applicant will use the award
to build capacity to bolster the institutional research
competitiveness of eligible entities to support grants
awarded by the Foundation and increase regional and
national capacity in STEM;
(C) require the awards funded under this subsection
to support research and related activities, which may
include--
(i) development or expansion of research
programs in disciplines and focus areas in
subparagraph (B);
(ii) faculty recruitment and professional
development in disciplines and focus areas in
subparagraph (B), including for early-career
researchers;
(iii) stipends for undergraduate and
graduate students participating in research in
disciplines and focus areas in subparagraph
(B);
(iv) acquisition of instrumentation
necessary to build research capacity at an
eligible institution in disciplines and focus
areas in subparagraph (B);
(v) an assessment of capacity-building and
research infrastructure needs;
(vi) administrative research development
support; and
(vii) other activities necessary to build
research capacity; and
(D) require that no eligible institution should
receive more than $10,000,000 in any single year of
funds made available under this section.
(5) Additional considerations.--In awarding a grant under
this subsection, the Director may also consider--
(A) the extent to which the applicant will support
students from diverse backgrounds, including first-
generation undergraduate students;
(B) the geographic and institutional diversity of
the applying institutions; and
(C) how the applicants can leverage public-private
partnerships and existing partnerships with Federal
Research Agencies.
(6) Duplication.--The Director shall ensure the awards made
under this subsection are complementary and not duplicative of
existing program;
(7) Report.--The Director shall submit a report to Congress
after the third year of the program that includes--
(A) an assessment of the effectiveness of the
program for growing the geographic and institutional
diversity of Institutions of Higher Education receiving
research awards from the Foundation;
(B) an assessment of the quality, quantity and
geographic and institutional diversity of Institutions
of Higher Education conducting Foundation sponsored
research since the establishment of the program in this
subsection;
(C) an assessment of the quantity and diversity of
undergraduate and graduate students graduating from
eligible institutions with STEM degrees; and
(D) statistical summary data on the program,
including the geographic and institutional allocation
of award funding, the number and diversity of supported
graduate and undergraduate students, and how it
contributes to capacity building at eligible entities.
(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director $150,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out the activities
under this subsection.
(j) Capacity-building Program for Developing Universities.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to
eligible institutions described in paragraph (2) to support the
mission of the Foundation and to build institutional research
capacity at eligible institutions.
(2) Eligible institution.--
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive an award
under this subsection, an institution--
(i) shall be--
(I) a historically Black college or
university;
(II) a Tribal College or
University;
(III) a minority-serving
institution; or
(IV) an institution of higher
education with an established STEM
capacity building program focused on
traditionally underrepresented
populations in STEM, including Native
Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and Indians;
and
(ii) shall have not more than $50,000,000
in annual federally-financed research and
development expenditures for science and
engineering as reported through the National
Science Foundation Higher Education Research
and Development Survey.
(B) Partnerships.--An eligible institution
receiving a grant under this subsection may carry out
the activities of the grant through a partnership with
other entities, including community colleges and other
eligible institutions.
(3) Proposals.--To receive an award under this subsection,
an eligible institution shall submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director may require, including a plan that
describes how the eligible institution will establish or expand
research office capacity and how such award would be used to--
(A) conduct an assessment of capacity-building and
research infrastructure needs of an eligible
institution;
(B) enhance institutional resources to provide
administrative research development support to faculty
at an eligible institution;
(C) bolster the institutional research
competitiveness of an eligible institution to support
grants awarded by the Foundation;
(D) support the acquisition of instrumentation
necessary to build research capacity at an eligible
institution in research areas directly associated with
the Foundation;
(E) increase capability of an eligible institution
to move technology into the marketplace;
(F) increase engagement with industry to execute
research through the SBIR and STTR programs (as defined
in section 9(e) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
638(e)) and direct contracts at an eligible
institution;
(G) provide student engagement and research
training opportunities at the undergraduate, graduate,
and postdoctoral levels at an eligible institution;
(H) further faculty development initiatives and
strengthen institutional research training
infrastructure, capacity, and competitiveness of an
eligible institution; or
(I) address plans and prospects for long-term
sustainability of institutional enhancements at an
eligible institution resulting from the award
including, if applicable, how the award may be
leveraged by an eligible institution to build a broader
base of support.
(4) Awards.--Awards made under this subsection shall be for
periods of 3 years, and may be extended for periods of not more
than 5 years.
(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Historically black college or university.--The
term ``historically Black college or university'' has
the meaning given the term ``part B institution'' in
section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1061).
(B) Minority-serving institution.--The term
``minority-serving institution'' or ``MSI'' means--
(i) a Hispanic-serving institution as
defined in section 502 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a);
(ii) an Alaska Native-serving Institution
or a Native Hawaiian-serving institution as
such terms are defined in section 317 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d);
and
(iii) a Predominantly Black institution, an
Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-serving institution, or a Native
American-serving nontribal institution as such
terms are defined in section 371 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).
(C) Tribal college or university.--The term
``Tribal College or University'' has the meaning given
such term in section 316 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c).
(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science
Foundation $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through
2026 to carry out the activities in this Act.
(k) Chief Diversity Officer of the NSF.--
(1) Chief diversity officer.--
(A) Appointment.--The Director shall appoint a
senior agency official within the Office of the
Director as a Chief Diversity Officer.
(B) Qualifications.--The Chief Diversity Officer
shall have significant experience, within the Federal
Government and the science community, with diversity-
and inclusion-related matters, including--
(i) civil rights compliance;
(ii) harassment policy, reviews, and
investigations;
(iii) equal employment opportunity; and
(iv) disability policy.
(C) Oversight.--The Chief Diversity Officer shall
direct the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of the
Foundation and report directly to the Director in the
performance of the duties of the Chief Diversity
Officer under this subsection.
(2) Duties.--The Chief Diversity Officer is responsible for
providing advice on policy, oversight, guidance, and
coordination with respect to matters of the Foundation related
to diversity and inclusion, including ensuring the geographic
diversity of the Foundation programs. Other duties may
include--
(A) establishing and maintaining a strategic plan
that publicly states a diversity definition, vision,
and goals for the Foundation;
(B) defining a set of strategic metrics that are--
(i) directly linked to key organizational
priorities and goals;
(ii) actionable; and
(iii) actively used to implement the
strategic plan under paragraph (1);
(C) advising in the establishment of a strategic
plan for diverse participation by individuals and
institutions of higher education, including community
colleges, historically Black colleges and universities,
Tribal colleges or universities, minority-serving
institutions, institutions of higher education with an
established STEM capacity building program focused on
traditionally underrepresented populations in STEM,
including Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and
Indians, and institutions from jurisdictions eligible
to participate under section 113 of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C.
1862g);
(D) advising in the establishment of a strategic
plan for outreach to, and recruiting from, untapped
locations and underrepresented populations;
(E) advising on a diversity and inclusion strategy
for the Foundation's portfolio of PreK-12 STEM
education focused programs and activities, including
goals for addressing barriers to participation;
(F) advising on the application of the Foundation's
broader impacts review criterion; and
(G) performing such additional duties and exercise
such powers as the Director may prescribe.
(3) Funding.--From any amounts appropriated for the
Foundation for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, the
Director shall allocate $5,000,000 to carry out this subsection
for each such year.
SEC. 7. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH.
(a) Broader Impacts.--
(1) Assessment.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an
agreement with a qualified independent organization to assess
how the Broader Impacts review criterion is applied across the
Foundation and make recommendations for improving the
effectiveness for meeting the goals established in section 526
of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote
Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-14).
(2) Activities.--The Director shall award grants on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support activities to increase the
efficiency, effectiveness, and availability of resources for
implementing the Broader Impacts review criterion, including--
(A) training and workshops for program officers,
merit review panelists, grant office administrators,
faculty, and students to improve understanding of the
goals and the full range of potential broader impacts
available to researchers to satisfy this criterion;
(B) repositories and clearinghouses for sharing
best practices and facilitating collaboration; and
(C) tools for evaluating and documenting societal
impacts of research.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Director should continue to identify opportunities to reduce the
administrative burden on researchers.
(c) Research Integrity and Security.--
(1) Office of research security and policy.--The Director
shall maintain a Research Security and Policy office within the
Office of the Director with no fewer than 4 full time
equivalent positions, in addition to the Chief of Research
Security established in paragraph (2) of this subsection. The
functions of the Research Security and Policy office shall be
to coordinate all research security policy issues across the
Foundation, including by--
(A) consulting and coordinating with the Foundation
Office of Inspector General and with other Federal
science agencies and intelligence and law enforcement
agencies, as appropriate, through the National Science
and Technology Council in accordance with the authority
provided under section 1746 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-
92; 42 U.S.C. 6601 note), to identify and address
potential security risks that threaten research
integrity and other risks to the research enterprise;
(B) serving as the Foundation's primary resource
for all issues related to the security and integrity of
the conduct of Foundation-supported research;
(C) conducting outreach and education activities
for awardees on research policies and potential
security risks;
(D) educating Foundation program managers and other
directorate staff on evaluating Foundation awards and
awardees for potential security risks; and
(E) communicating reporting and disclosure
requirements to awardees and applicants for funding.
(2) Chief of research security.--The Director shall appoint
a senior agency official within the Office of the Director as a
Chief of Research Security, whose primary responsibility is to
manage the office established under paragraph (1).
(3) Report to congress.--No later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide a
report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on the resources and
the number of full time employees needed to carry out the
functions of the Office established in paragraph (1).
(4) Online resource.--The Director shall develop an online
resource hosted on the Foundation's website containing up-to-
date information, tailored for institutions and individual
researchers, including--
(A) an explanation of Foundation research security
policies;
(B) unclassified guidance on potential security
risks that threaten scientific integrity and other
risks to the research enterprise;
(C) examples of beneficial international
collaborations and how such collaborations differ from
foreign government interference efforts that threaten
research integrity;
(D) promising practices for mitigating security
risks that threaten research integrity; and
(E) additional reference materials, including tools
that assist organizations seeking Foundation funding
and awardees in information disclosure to the
Foundation.
(5) Risk assessment center.--The Director shall enter into
an agreement with a qualified independent organization to
create a new risk assessment center to--
(A) help the Foundation develop the online
resources under paragraph (4); and
(B) help awardees in assessing and identifying
issues related to nondisclosure of current and pending
research funding, risks to the Foundation merit review
process, and other issues that may negatively affect
the Foundation proposal and award process due to undue
foreign interference.
(6) Research grants.--The Director shall continue to award
grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to support research on the
conduct of research and the research environment, including
research on research misconduct or breaches of research
integrity and detrimental research practices.
(7) Authorities.--
(A) In general.--In addition to existing
authorities for preventing waste, fraud, abuse, and
mismanagement of federal funds, the Director, acting
through the Office of Research Security and Policy and
in coordination with the Foundation's Office of
Inspector General, shall have the authority to--
(i) conduct risk assessments, including
through the use of open-source analysis and
analytical tools, of research and development
award applications and disclosures to the
Foundation, in coordination with the Risk
Assessment Center established in paragraph (5);
(ii) request the submission to the
Foundation, by an institution of higher
education or other organization applying for a
research and development award, of supporting
documentation, including copies of contracts,
grants, or any other agreement specific to
foreign appointments, employment with a foreign
institution, participation in a foreign talent
program and other information reported as
current and pending support for all covered
individuals in a research and development award
application; and
(iii) upon receipt and review of the
information provided under clause (ii) and in
consultation with the institution of higher
education or other organization submitting such
information, initiate the substitution or
removal of a covered individual from a research
and development award, reduce the award funding
amount, or suspend or terminate the award if
the Director determines such contracts, grants,
or agreements include obligations that--
(I) interfere with the capacity for
Foundation-supported activities to be
carried out; or
(II) create duplication with
Foundation-supported activities.
(B) Limitations.--In exercising the authorities
under this paragraph, the Director shall--
(i) take necessary steps, as practicable,
to protect the privacy of all covered
individuals and other parties involved in the
application and disclosure assessments under
clause (A)(i);
(ii) endeavor to provide justification for
requests for supporting documentation made
under clause (A)(ii);
(iii) require that allegations be proven by
a preponderance of evidence; and
(iv) as practicable, afford subjects an
opportunity to provide comments and rebuttal
and an opportunity to appeal before final
administrative action is taken.
(8) Malign foreign talent recruitment program
prohibition.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
establish a requirement that, as part of an application
for a research and development award from the agency--
(i) each covered individual listed on the
application for a research and development
award certify that they are not an active
participant of a malign foreign talent
recruitment program from a foreign country of
concern and will not be a participant in such a
program for the duration of the award; and
(ii) each institution of higher education
or other organization applying for such an
award certify that each covered individual who
is employed by the institution of higher
education or other organization has been made
aware of the requirement under this subsection.
(B) International collaboration.--Each policy
developed under subparagraph (A) shall not prohibit--
(i) making scholarly presentations
regarding scientific information not otherwise
controlled under current law;
(ii) participation in international
conferences or other international exchanges,
partnerships or programs that involve open and
reciprocal exchange of scientific information,
and which are aimed at advancing international
scientific understanding; and
(iii) other international activities deemed
appropriate by the Director.
(C) Limitation.--The policy developed under
subparagraph (A) shall not apply retroactively to
research and development awards made prior to the
establishment of the policy by the Director.
(D) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(i) Covered individual.--The term ``covered
individual'' means the principal investigator,
co-principal investigators, and any other
person at the institution who is responsible
for the design, conduct, or reporting of
research or educational activities funded or
proposed for funding by the Foundation.
(ii) Foreign country of concern.--The term
``foreign country of concern'' means the
People's Republic of China, the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea, the Russian
Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or
any other country deemed to be a country of
concern as determined by the Department of
State.
(iii) Malign foreign government talent
recruitment program.--The term ``malign foreign
government talent recruitment program'' means
any program or activity that includes
compensation, including cash, research funding,
honorific titles, promised future compensation,
or other types of remuneration, provided by the
foreign state or an entity sponsored by the
foreign state to the targeted individual in
exchange for the individual transferring
knowledge and expertise to the foreign country.
(9) Security training modules.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in
collaboration with the Director of the National
Institutes of Health and other relevant Federal
research agencies, shall enter into an agreement or
contract with a qualified entity for the development of
online research security training modules for the
research community, including modules focused on
international collaboration and international travel,
foreign interference, and rules for proper use of
funds, disclosure, conflict of commitment, and conflict
of interest.
(B) Stakeholder input.--Prior to entering into the
agreement under clause (A), the Director shall seek
input from academic, private sector, intelligence, and
law enforcement stakeholders regarding the scope and
content of training modules, including the diversity of
needs across institutions of higher education and other
grantees of different sizes and types, and
recommendations for minimizing administrative burden on
institutions of higher education and researchers.
(C) Development.--The Director shall ensure that
the entity identified in (A)--
(i) develops modules that can be adapted
and utilized across Federal science agencies;
and
(ii) develops and implements a plan for
regularly updating the modules as needed.
(D) Guidelines.--The Director, in collaboration
with the Director of the National Institutes of Health,
shall develop guidelines for institutions of higher
education and other organizations receiving Federal
research and development funds to use in developing
their own training programs to address the unique
needs, challenges, and risk profiles of such
institutions, including adoption of training modules
developed under this paragraph.
(E) Implementation.--Drawing on stakeholder input
under subparagraph (B), not later than 12 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
establish a requirement that, as part of an application
for a research and development award from the
Foundation--
(i) each covered individual listed on the
application for a research and development
award certify that they have completed research
security training that meets the guidelines
developed under clause (D) within one year of
the application; and
(ii) each institution of higher education
or other organization applying for such award
certify that each covered individual who is
employed by the institution or organization and
listed on the application has been made aware
of the requirement under this subparagraph.
(F) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(i) Covered individual.--The term ``covered
individual'' means the principal investigator,
co-principal investigators, and any other
person at the institution who is responsible
for the design, conduct, or reporting of
research or educational activities funded or
proposed for funding by the Foundation.
(ii) Federal research agency.--The term
``Federal research agency'' means any Federal
agency with an annual extramural research
expenditure of over $100,000,000.
(iii) Research and development award.--The
term ``research and development award'' means
support provided to an individual or entity by
a Federal research agency to carry out research
and development activities, which may include
support in the form of a grant, contract,
cooperative agreement, or other such
transaction. The term does not include a grant,
contract, agreement or other transaction for
the procurement of goods or services to meet
the administrative needs of a Federal research
agency.
(10) Responsible conduct in research training.--Section
7009 of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully
Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act
(42 U.S.C. 1862o-1) is amended by--
(A) striking ``and postdoctoral researchers'' and
inserting ``postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and
other senior personnel''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following ``, including mentor training''.
(11) National academies guide to responsible conduct in
research.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter
into an agreement with the Academies to update the
report entitled ``On Being a Scientist: A Guide to
Responsible Conduct in Research'' issued by the
Academies. The report, as so updated, shall include--
(i) updated professional standards of
conduct in research;
(ii) promising practices for preventing,
addressing, and mitigating the negative impact
of harassment, including sexual harassment and
gender harassment as defined in the 2018
Academies report entitled ``Sexual Harassment
of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in
Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine'';
and
(iii) promising practices for mitigating
potential security risks that threaten research
integrity.
(B) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the
effective date of the agreement under subparagraph (A),
the Academies, as part of such agreement, shall submit
to the Director and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate the report referred to in such subparagraph,
as updated pursuant to such subparagraph.
(d) Research Ethics.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) a number of emerging areas of research have
potential ethical, social, safety, and security
implications that might be apparent as early as the
basic research stage;
(B) the incorporation of ethical, social, safety,
and security considerations into the research design
and review process for Federal awards, may help
mitigate potential harms before they happen;
(C) the Foundation's agreement with the Academies
to conduct a study and make recommendations with
respect to governance of research in emerging
technologies is a positive step toward accomplishing
this goal; and
(D) the Foundation should continue to work with
stakeholders to understand and adopt policies that
promote best practices for governance of research in
emerging technologies at every stage of research.
(2) Ethics statements.--Drawing on stakeholder input, not
later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director shall amend award proposal instructions to include
a requirement for an ethics statement to be included as part of
any proposal for funding prior to making the award. Such
statement shall be considered by the Director in the review of
proposals, taking into consideration any relevant input from
the peer-reviewers for the proposal, and shall factor into
award decisions as deemed necessary by the Director. Such
statements may include, as appropriate--
(A) any foreseeable or quantifiable risks to
society, including how the research could enable
products, technologies, or other outcomes that could
intentionally or unintentionally cause significant
societal harm;
(B) how technical or social solutions can mitigate
such risks and, as appropriate, a plan to implement
such mitigation measures; and
(C) how partnerships and collaborations in the
research can help mitigate potential harm and amplify
potential societal benefits.
(3) Guidance.--The Director shall solicit stakeholder input
to develop clear guidance on what constitutes a foreseeable or
quantifiable risk as described in paragraph (2)(A), and to the
extent practicable harmonize this policy with existing ethical
policies or related requirements for human subjects.
(4) Research.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support--
(A) research to assess the potential ethical and
societal implications of Foundation-supported research
and products or technologies enabled by such research,
including the benefits and risks identified pursuant to
paragraph (2)(A); and
(B) the development and verification of approaches
to proactively mitigate foreseeable risks to society,
including the technical and social solutions identified
pursuant to paragraph (2)(B).
(5) Annual report.--The Director shall encourage awardees
to update their ethics statements as appropriate as part of the
annual reports required by all awardees under the award terms
and conditions.
(e) Research Reproducibility and Replicability.--Consistent with
existing Federal law for privacy, intellectual property, and security,
the Director shall facilitate the public access to research products,
including data, software, and code, developed as part of Foundation-
supported projects.
(1) Data management plans.--
(A) The Director shall require that every proposal
for funding for research include a machine-readable
data management plan that includes a description of how
the awardee will archive and preserve public access to
data, software, and code developed as part of the
proposed project.
(B) In carrying out the requirement in subparagraph
(A), the Director shall--
(i) provide necessary resources, including
trainings and workshops, to educate researchers
and students on how to develop and review high
quality data management plans;
(ii) ensure program officers and merit
review panels are equipped with the resources
and training necessary to review the quality of
data management plans; and
(iii) ensure program officers and merit
review panels treat data management plans as
essential elements of grant proposals, where
appropriate.
(2) Open repositories.--The Director shall--
(A) coordinate with the heads of other Federal
science agencies, and solicit input from the scientific
community, to develop and widely disseminate a set of
criteria for trusted open repositories, accounting for
discipline-specific needs and necessary protections for
sensitive information, to be used by Federally funded
researchers for the sharing of data, software, and
code;
(B) work with stakeholders to identify significant
gaps in available repositories meeting the criteria
developed under subparagraph (A) and options for
supporting the development of additional or enhanced
repositories;
(C) award grants on a competitive basis to
institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) for the development, upgrades, and
maintenance of open data repositories that meet the
criteria developed under subparagraph (A);
(D) work with stakeholders and build on existing
models, where appropriate, to establish a single,
public, web-based point of access to help users locate
repositories storing data, software, and code resulting
from or used in Foundation-supported projects;
(E) work with stakeholders to establish the
necessary policies and procedures and allocate the
necessary resources to ensure, as practicable, data
underlying published findings resulting from
Foundation-supported projects are deposited in
repositories meeting the criteria developed under
subparagraph (A) at the time of publication;
(F) incentivize the deposition of data, software,
and code into repositories that meet the criteria
developed under subparagraph (A); and
(G) coordinate with the scientific publishing
community to develop uniform consensus standards around
data archiving and sharing.
(3) Research, development, and education.--The Director
shall award grants, on a competitive basis to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of
such institutions or organizations) to--
(A) support research and development of open
source, sustainable, usable tools and infrastructure
that support reproducibility for a broad range of
studies across different disciplines;
(B) support research on computational
reproducibility, including the limits of
reproducibility and the consistency of computational
results in the development of new computation hardware,
tools, and methods; and
(C) support the education and training of students,
faculty, and researchers on computational methods,
tools, and techniques to improve the quality and
sharing of data, code, and supporting metadata to
produce reproducible research.
(f) Climate Change Research.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support research to improve our understanding
of the climate system and related human and environmental
systems.
(2) Use of funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this
subsection may include--
(A) fundamental research on climate forcings,
feedbacks, responses, and thresholds in the earth
system, including impacts on and contributions from
local and regional systems;
(B) research on climate-related human behaviors and
institutions;
(C) research on climate-related risk,
vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive capacity of
coupled human-environment systems, including risks to
ecosystem stability and risks to vulnerable
populations;
(D) research to support the development and
implementation of effective strategies and tools for
mitigating and adapting to climate change, including
social strategies and research focused on local level
forecasting, impacts, and challenges;
(E) research on the design, development, and
assessment of effective information and decision-
support systems, including understanding and developing
effective dissemination pathways;
(F) improved modeling, projections, analyses, and
assessments of climate and other Earth system changes;
(G) research to understand the atmospheric
processes related to solar radiation management
strategies and technologies and examine related
economic, geopolitical, societal, environmental, and
ethical implications, not including research designed
to advance future deployment of these strategies and
technologies.
(H) the development of effective strategies for
educating and training future climate change
researchers, and climate change response and mitigation
professionals, in both research and development
methods, as well as community engagement and science
communication;
(I) the development of effective strategies for
public and community engagement in the all stages of
the research and development process; and
(J) partnerships with other agencies to address
climate related challenges for specific agency
missions.
(g) Violence Research.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support research to improve our understanding
of the nature, scope, causes, consequences, prevention, and
response to all forms of violence.
(2) Use of funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this
subsection may include--
(A) research on the magnitude and distribution of
fatal and nonfatal violence;
(B) research on risk and protective factors;
(C) research on the design, development,
implementation, and evaluation of interventions for
preventing and responding to violence;
(D) research on scaling up effective interventions;
and
(E) one or more interdisciplinary research centers
to conduct violence research, foster new and expanded
collaborations, and support capacity building
activities to increase the number and diversity of new
researchers trained in cross-disciplinary violence
research.
(h) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.--The Director
shall--
(1) actively communicate opportunities and solicit
proposals for social, behavioral, and economic science
researchers to participate in cross-cutting and
interdisciplinary programs, including the Convergence
Accelerator and Big Ideas activities, and the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure program; and
(2) ensure social, behavioral, and economic science
researchers are represented on relevant merit review panels for
such activities.
(i) Measuring Impacts of Federally Funded R&D.----The Director
shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to
institutions of higher education or non-profit organizations (or
consortia of such institutions or organizations) to support research
and development of data, models, indicators, and associated analytical
tools to improve our understanding of the impacts of Federally funded
research on society, the economy, and the workforce, including domestic
job creation.
(j) Food-energy-water Research.--The Director shall award grants on
a competitive basis to institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or organizations) to--
(1) support research to significantly advance our
understanding of the food-energy-water system through
quantitative and computational modeling, including support for
relevant cyberinfrastructure;
(2) develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that
improve understanding of the behavior of food-energy-water
systems and increase decision support capability;
(3) support research that will lead to innovative solutions
to critical food-energy-water system problems; and
(4) grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and
managing the food-energy-water system, through education and
other professional development.
(k) Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories.--The
Director shall continue to support enhancing, repairing and maintaining
research instrumentation, laboratories, telecommunications and housing
at biological field stations and marine laboratories.
(l) Sustainable Chemistry Research and Education.--In accordance
with section 263 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2021, the Director shall carry out activities in support of
sustainable chemistry, including--
(1) establishing a program to award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support--
(A) individual investigators and teams of
investigators, including to the extent practicable,
early career investigators for research and
development;
(B) collaborative research and development
partnerships among universities, industry, and non-
profit organizations; and
(C) integrating sustainable chemistry principles
into elementary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate
chemistry and chemical engineering curriculum and
research training, as appropriate to that level of
education and training; and
(2) incorporating sustainable chemistry into existing
Foundation research and development programs.
(m) Risk and Resilience Research.--The Director shall award grants
on a competitive basis to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to advance knowledge of risk assessment and
predictability and to support the creation of tools and technologies,
including advancing data analytics and utilization of artificial
intelligence, for increased resilience through--
(1) improvements in our ability to understand, model, and
predict extreme events and natural hazards, including
pandemics;
(2) the creation of novel engineered systems solutions for
resilient complex infrastructures, particularly those that
address critical interdependence among infrastructures and
leverage the growing infusion of cyber-physical-social
components into the infrastructures;
(3) development of equipment and instrumentation for
innovation in resilient engineered infrastructures;
(4) multidisciplinary research on the behaviors individuals
and communities engage in to detect, perceive, understand,
predict, assess, mitigate, and prevent risks and to improve and
increase resilience.
(5) advancements in multidisciplinary wildfire science,
including those related to air quality impacts, human behavior,
and early detection and warning; and
(n) UAV Technologies.--The Director shall carry out a program of
research and related activities for unmanned aerial vehicle
technologies, which may include a prize competition pursuant to section
24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3719) and support for undergraduate and graduate curriculum
development.
(o) Leveraging International Expertise in Research.--The Director
shall explore and advance opportunities for leveraging international
capabilities and resources that align with the Foundation and United
States research community priorities and have the potential to benefit
United States prosperity, security, health, and well-being, including
through binational research and development organizations and
foundations and by sending teams of Foundation scientific staff for
site visits of scientific facilities and agencies in other countries.
(p) Biological Research Collections.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall continue to support
databases, tools, methods, and other activities that secure and
improve existing physical and digital biological research
collections, improve the accessibility of collections and
collection-related data for research and educational purposes,
develop capacity for curation and collection management, and to
transfer ownership of collections that are significant to the
biological research community, including to museums and
universities.
(2) Specimen management plan.--In consultation with other
relevant Federal science agencies, the Director shall require
that every proposal for funding for research that involves
collecting or generating specimens include a specimen
management plan that includes a description of how the
specimens and associated data will be accessioned into and
permanently maintained in an established biological collection.
(3) Action center for biological collections.--The Director
shall award grants on a competitive basis to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of
such institutions or organizations) to establish an Action
Center for Biological Collections to facilitate coordination
and data sharing among communities of practice for research,
education, workforce training, evaluation, and business model
development.
(q) Clean Water Research and Technology Acceleration.--The Director
shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to
institutions of higher education or non-profit organizations (or
consortia of such institutions or organizations) to--
(1) support transdisciplinary research to significantly
advance our understanding of water availability, quality, and
dynamics and the impact of human activity and a changing
climate on urban and rural water and wastewater systems;
(2) develop, pilot and deploy innovative technologies,
systems, and other approaches to identifying and addressing
challenges that affect water availability, quality, and
security, including through direct engagement with affected
communities and partnerships with the private sector, State,
tribal, and local governments, non-profit organizations and
water management professionals; and
(3) grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and
managing water and wastewater systems, through education,
training, and other professional development.
(r) Technology and Behavioral Science Research.--The Director shall
award grants on a merit-based, competitive basis for research to--
(1) increase understanding of social media and consumer
technology access and use patterns and related psychological
and behavioral issues, particularly for adolescents; and
(2) explore the role of social media and consumer
technology in rising rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal
ideation, drug use, and deaths of despair, particularly for
communities experiencing long-term economic distress.
(s) Manufacturing Research Amendment.--Section 506(a) of the
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-1(a)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (6)--
(A) by striking ``and'' before ``virtual
manufacturing''; and
(B) by striking the period at the end and inserting
``; and artificial intelligence and machine
learning;''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) additive manufacturing, including new material
designs, complex materials, rapid printing techniques, and
real-time process controls; and
``(8) continuous manufacturing of biological products and
similar innovating monitoring and control techniques.''.
(t) Critical Minerals Mining Research and Development.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to
institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or
consortium of such institutions or organizations) to support
basic research that will accelerate innovation to advance
critical minerals mining strategies and technologies for the
purpose of making better use of domestic resources and
eliminating national reliance on minerals and mineral materials
that are subject to supply disruptions.
(2) Use of funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this
subsection may include--
(A) advancing mining research and development
activities to develop new mapping and mining
technologies and techniques, including advanced
critical mineral extraction, production, separation,
alloying, or processing techniques and technologies
that can decrease energy intensity, potential
environmental impact and costs of those activities;
(B) conducting long-term earth observation of
reclaimed mine sites, including the study of the
evolution of microbial diversity at such sites;
(C) examining the application of artificial
intelligence for geological exploration of critical
minerals, including what the size and diversity of data
sets would be required;
(D) examining the application of machine learning
for detection and sorting of critical minerals,
including what the size and diversity of data sets
would be required;
(E) conducting detailed isotope studies of critical
minerals and the development of more refined geologic
models;
(F) improved understanding of the geological and
geochemical processes through which critical minerals
form and are concentrated into economically viable
deposits; or
(G) providing training and researcher opportunities
to undergraduate and graduate students to prepare the
next generation of mining engineers and researchers.
(3) Existing programs.--The Director shall ensure awards
made under this subsection are complementary and not
duplicative of existing programs across the foundation and
Federal Government.
(u) Study of AI Research Capacity.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall conduct a study, or support the development of
a study through the Science and Technology Policy Institute or
by any other appropriate organization as determined by the
Director, on artificial intelligence research capacity at U.S.
institutions of higher education.
(2) Study contents.--The Director shall ensure that, at a
minimum, the study under subsection (a) addresses the following
topics:
(A) Which universities are putting out significant
peer-reviewed artificial intelligence research,
including based on quantity and number of citations.
(B) For each of the universities described in
paragraph (1), what specific factors enable their AI
research, including computing power, data sets and
availability, specialized curriculum, and industry and
other partnerships.
(C) How universities not included in paragraph (1)
could implement the factors in paragraph (2) to produce
AI research, as well as case studies that universities
can look to as examples and potential pilot programs
that the Federal Government could develop or support to
help universities produce AI research.
(3) Workshops.--The Director may support workshops to help
inform the study required under this subsection.
(4) Publication.--The Director shall ensure that the study
carried out under this subsection is made publicly available
not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(v) Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture.--
(1) National science foundation directive on agricultural
sensor research.--In awarding grants under its sensor systems
and networked systems programs, the Director shall include in
consideration of portfolio balance research and development on
sensor connectivity in environments of intermittent
connectivity and intermittent computation--
(A) to improve the reliable use of advance sensing
systems in rural and agricultural areas; and
(B) that considers--
(i) direct gateway access for locally
stored data;
(ii) attenuation of signal transmission;
(iii) loss of signal transmission; and
(iv) at-scale performance for wireless
power.
(2) Updating considerations for precision agriculture
technology within the nsf advanced technical education
program.--Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology
Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended in subsection (e)(3)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after
the semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) applications that incorporate distance
learning tools and approaches.''.
(3) GAO review.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall provide--
(A) a technology assessment of precision
agriculture technologies, such as the existing use of--
(i) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency
identification, and related technologies that
can monitor soil properties, irrigation
conditions, and plant physiology;
(ii) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency
identification, and related technologies that
can monitor livestock activity and health;
(iii) network connectivity and wireless
communications that can securely support
digital agriculture technologies in rural and
remote areas;
(iv) aerial imagery generated by satellites
or unmanned aerial vehicles;
(v) ground-based robotics;
(vi) control systems design and
connectivity, such as smart irrigation control
systems;
(vii) Global Positioning System-based
applications; and
(viii) data management software and
advanced analytics that can assist decision
making and improve agricultural outcomes; and
(B) a review of Federal programs that provide
support for precision agriculture research,
development, adoption, education, or training, in
existence on the date of enactment of this Act.
(w) Astronomy and Satellite Constellations.--The Director shall
support research into and the design, development, and testing of
mitigation measures to address the impact of satellite constellations
on Foundation scientific programs by--
(1) awarding grants on a competitive basis to support
investigations into the impacts of satellite constellations on
ground-based optical, infrared, and radio astronomy, including
through existing programs such Spectrum and Wireless Innovation
enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT) and the Spectrum
Innovation Initiative;
(2) supporting research on satellite impacts and benefits
and mitigation strategies to be carried out at one or more
Foundation supported Federally Funded Research and Development
Centers or large facilities, as appropriate; and
(3) supporting workshops related to the impact of satellite
constellations on scientific research and how those
constellations could be used to improve scientific research.
SEC. 8. RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Facility Operation and Maintenance.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall continue the Facility
Operation Transition pilot program for a total of five years.
(2) Cost sharing.--The Facility Operation Transition
program shall provide funding for 10-50 percent of the
operations and maintenance costs for major research facilities
that are within the first five years of operation, where the
share is determined based on--
(A) the operations and maintenance costs of the
major research facility; and
(B) the capacity of the managing directorate or
division to absorb such costs.
(3) Report.--After the fifth year of the pilot program, the
Director shall transmit a report to Congress that includes--
(A) an assessment, that includes feedback from the
research community, of the effectiveness of the pilot
program for--
(i) supporting research directorates and
divisions in balancing investments in research
grants and funding for the initial operation
and maintenance of major facilities;
(ii) incentivizing the development of new
world-class facilities;
(iii) facilitating interagency and
international partnerships;
(iv) funding core elements of multi-
disciplinary facilities; and
(v) supporting facility divestment costs;
and
(B) if deemed effective, a plan for permanent
implementation of the pilot program.
(b) Reviews.--The Director shall periodically carry out reviews
within each of the directorates and divisions to assess the cost and
benefits of extending the operations of research facilities that have
exceeded their planned operational lifespan.
(c) Helium Conservation.--
(1) Major research instrumentation support.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall support,
through the Major Research Instrumentation program,
proposal requests that include the purchase,
installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment
and instrumentation to reduce consumption of helium.
(B) Cost sharing.--The Director may waive the cost-
sharing requirement for helium conservation measures
for non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education
and Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education
that are not ranked among the top 100 institutions
receiving Federal research and development funding, as
documented by the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics.
(2) Annual report.--No later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act and annually for the subsequent two
years, the Director shall submit an annual report to Congress
on the use of funding awarded by the Foundation for the
purchase and conservation of helium. The report should
include--
(A) the volume and price of helium purchased;
(B) changes in pricing and availability of helium;
and
(C) any supply disruptions impacting a substantial
number of institutions.
(d) Advanced Computing.--
(1) Computing needs.--To gather information about the
computational needs of Foundation-funded projects, the Director
shall require grant proposals submitted to the Foundation, as
appropriate, to include estimates of computational resource
needs for projects that require use of advanced computing. The
Director shall encourage and provide access to tools that
facilitate the inclusion of these measures, including those
identified in the 2016 Academies report entitled ``Future
Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support
U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020''.
(2) Reports.--The Director shall document and publish every
two years a summary of the amount and types of advanced
computing capabilities that are needed to fully meet the
Foundation's project needs as identified under paragraph (1).
(3) Roadmap.--To set priorities and guide strategic
decisions regarding investments in advanced computing
capabilities, the Director shall develop, publish, and
regularly update a 5-year advanced computing roadmap that--
(A) describes the advanced computing resources and
capabilities that would fully meet anticipated project
needs, including through investments in the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure program and the Major Research
Equipment and Facilities Construction account;
(B) draws on community input, information contained
in research proposals, allocation requests, insights
from Foundation-funded cyber-infrastructure operators,
and Foundation-wide information gathering regarding
community needs;
(C) considers computational needs of planned major
facilities;
(D) reflects anticipated technology trends;
(E) informs users and potential partners about
future facilities and services;
(F) addresses the needs of groups historically
underrepresented in STEM and geographic regions with
low availability and high demand for advanced computing
resources;
(G) considers how Foundation-supported advanced
computing capabilities can be leveraged for activities
through the Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions; and
(H) provides an update to Congress about the level
of funding necessary to fully meet computational
resource needs for the research community.
(4) Securing american research from cyber theft.--
(A) Networking and information technology research
and development update.--Section 101(a)(1) of the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is
amended--
(i) by moving the margins of subparagraphs
(D) and (J) through (O) two ems to the left;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (J)
through (O) as subparagraphs (K) through (P),
respectively; and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (I)
the following:
``(J) provide for improving the security, reliability, and
resiliency of computing and networking systems used by
institutions of higher education and other nonprofit research
institutions for the processing, storage and transmission of
sensitive federally funded research and associated data;''.
(B) Computing enclave pilot program.--
(i) In general.--The Director of the
National Science Foundation, in consultation
with the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology and the Secretary of
Energy, shall establish a pilot program to
award grants to ensure the security of
federally-supported research data and to assist
regional institutions of higher education and
their researchers in compliance with
regulations regarding the safeguarding of
sensitive information and other relevant
regulations and Federal guidelines.
(ii) Structure.--In carrying out the pilot
program established pursuant to clause (i), the
Director shall select three institutions of
higher education from among institutions
classified under the Indiana University Center
for Postsecondary Research Carnegie
Classification as a doctorate-granting
university with a very high level of research
activity, and with a history of working with
secure information for the development,
installation, maintenance, or sustainment of
secure computing enclaves.
(iii) Regionalization.--
(I) In general.--In selecting
universities pursuant to clause (ii),
the Director shall give preference to
institutions of higher education with
the capability of serving other
regional universities.
(II) Geographic dispersal.--The
enclaves should be geographically
dispersed to better meet the needs of
regional interests.
(iv) Program elements.--The Director shall
work with institutions of higher education
selected pursuant to clause (ii) to--
(I) develop an approved design
blueprint for compliance with Federal
data protection protocols;
(II) develop a comprehensive and
confidential list, or a bill of
materials, of each binary component of
the software, firmware, or product that
is required to deploy additional secure
computing enclaves;
(III) develop templates for all
policies and procedures required to
operate the secure computing enclave in
a research setting;
(IV) develop a system security plan
template; and
(V) develop a process for managing
a plan of action and milestones for the
secure computing enclave.
(v) Duration.--Subject to other
availability of appropriations, the pilot
program established pursuant to clause (i)
shall operate for not less than 3 years.
(vi) Report.--
(I) In general.--The Director of
the National Science Foundation shall
report to Congress not later than 6
months after the completion of the
pilot program under clause (i).
(II) Contents.--The report required
under subclause (I) shall include--
(aa) an assessment of the
pilot program under clause (i),
including an assessment of the
security benefits provided by
such secure computing enclaves;
(bb) recommendations
related to the value of
expanding the network of secure
computing enclaves; and
(cc) recommendations on the
efficacy of the use of secure
computing enclaves by other
Federal agencies in a broader
effort to expand security of
Federal research.
(vii) Authorization of appropriations.--
There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Director, $38,000,000 for fiscal years 2022
through 2024, to carry out the activities
outlined in this section.
(e) National Secure Data Service.--
(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the
Chief Statistician of the United States, shall establish a
demonstration project to develop, refine and test models to
inform the full implementation of the Commission on Evidence-
Based Policymaking recommendation for a government-wide data
linkage and access infrastructure for statistical activities
conducted for statistical purposes, as defined in chapter 35 of
title 44, United States Code.
(2) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a
National Secure Data Service demonstration project. The
National Secure Data Service demonstration project shall be--
(A) aligned with the principles, best practices,
and priority actions recommended by the Advisory
Committee on Data for Evidence Building, to the extent
feasible; and
(B) operated directly by or via a contract that is
managed by the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics.
(3) Data.--In carrying out this subsection, the Director
shall engage with Federal and State agencies to collect,
acquire, analyze, report, and disseminate statistical data in
the United States and other nations to support governmentwide
evidence-building activities consistent with the Foundations
for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018.
(4) Privacy and confidentiality protections.--If the
Director issues a management contract under paragraph (2), the
awardee shall be designated as an ``agent'' under chapter 35 of
title 44, United States Code, subchapter III, section 3561 et
seq., with all requirements and obligations for protecting
confidential information delineated in the Confidential
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018
and the Privacy Act of 1974.
(5) Technology.--In carrying out this subsection, the
Director shall consider application and use of systems and
technologies that incorporate protection measures to reasonably
ensure confidential data and statistical products are protected
in accordance with obligations under chapter 35 of title 44,
United States Code, subchapter III, section 3561 et seq.,
including systems and technologies that ensure raw data and
other sensitive inputs are not accessible to recipients of
statistical outputs from the National Secure Data Service
demonstration project.
(6) Transparency.--The National Secure Data Service
established under paragraph (2) shall maintain a public website
with up-to-date information on supported projects.
(7) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the National Secure Data Service
demonstration project established under paragraph (2) shall
submit a report to Congress that includes--
(A) a description of policies for protecting data,
consistent with applicable federal law;
(B) a comprehensive description of all completed or
active data linkage activities and projects;
(C) an assessment of the effectiveness of the
demonstration project for mitigating risks and removing
barriers to a sustained implementation of the National
Secure Data Service as recommended by the Commission on
Evidence-Based Policymaking; and
(D) if deemed effective by the Director, a plan for
scaling up the demonstration project to facilitate data
access for evidence building while ensuring
transparency and privacy.
(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this subsection
$9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
SEC. 9. DIRECTORATE FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS.
(a) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of appropriated
funds, there is established within the Foundation the Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions to advance research and development
solutions to address societal and national challenges for the benefit
of all Americans.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Directorate established under
subsection (a) is to support use-inspired research, accelerate the
translation of Foundation-supported fundamental research and to advance
technologies, facilitate commercialization and use of Federally funded
research, and expand the pipeline of United States students and
researchers in areas of societal and national importance.
(c) Activities.--The Director shall achieve the purposes described
in subsection (b) by awarding financial assistance through the
Directorate to--
(1) support transformational advances in use-inspired and
translational research through diverse funding mechanisms and
models, including convergence accelerators;
(2) translate research into science and engineering
innovations, including through developing innovative approaches
to connect research with societal outcomes, developing
approaches to technology transfer that do not rely only on
traditional market and commercialization tools, education and
training for students and researchers on engaging with end
users and the public, partnerships that facilitate research
uptake, application, and scaling, prototype development,
entrepreneurial education, developing tech-to-market
strategies, and partnerships that connect research products to
businesses, accelerators, and incubators and encourage the
formation and growth of new companies;
(3) develop and expand sustainable and mutually-beneficial
use-inspired and translational research and development
partnerships and collaborations among institutions of higher
education, including minority serving institutions and emerging
research institutions, non-profit organizations, labor
organizations, businesses and other for-profit entities,
Federal or State agencies, community organizations, other
Foundation directorates, national labs, field stations and
marine laboratories, international entities as appropriate,
binational research and development foundations and funds,
excluding foreign entities of concern, and other organizations;
(4) build capacity for use-inspired and translational
research at institutions of higher education, including
necessary administrative support;
(5) expand opportunities for researchers to contribute to
use-inspired and translational research including through
support for workshops and conferences, targeted incentives and
training, and multidisciplinary research centers;
(6) support the education, mentoring, and training of
undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral
researchers in use-inspired and translational approaches to
research and entrepreneurship in key focus areas identified
under subsection (g) through scholarships, fellowships, and
traineeships;
(7) support translational research infrastructure,
including platforms and testbeds, data management and software
tools, and networks and communication platforms for interactive
and collective learning and information sharing;
(8) identify social, behavioral, and economic drivers and
consequences of technological innovations; and
(9) ensure the programmatic work of the Directorate and
Foundation incorporates a worker perspective through
participation by labor organizations and workforce training
organizations.
(d) Assistant Director.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall appoint an Assistant
Director responsible for the management of the Directorate
established under this section.
(2) Term limit.--The Assistant Director appointed under
paragraph (1) shall serve a term lasting no longer than 4
years.
(3) Qualifications.--The Assistant Director shall be an
individual, who by reason of professional background and
experience, is specially qualified to--
(A) advise the Director on all matters pertaining
to use-inspired and translational research,
development, and commercialization at the Foundation,
including partnership with the private sector and other
users of Foundation funded research; and
(B) develop and implement the necessary policies
and procedures to promote a culture of use-inspired and
translational research within the Directorate and
across the Foundation and carry out the
responsibilities under paragraph (4).
(4) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the
Assistant Director shall include--
(A) advising the Director on all matters pertaining
to use-inspired and translational research and
development activities at the Foundation, including
effective practices for convergence research;
(B) identifying opportunities for and facilitating
coordination and collaboration, where appropriate, on
use-inspired and translational research, development,
commercialization, and societal application
activities--
(i) among the offices, directorates, and
divisions within the Foundation; and
(ii) between the Foundation and
stakeholders in academia, the private sector,
including non-profit entities, labor
organizations, Federal or State agencies, and
international entities, as appropriate;
(C) ensuring that the activities carried out under
this section are not duplicative of activities
supported by other parts of the Foundation or other
relevant Federal agencies;
(D) approving all new programs within the
Directorate;
(E) developing and testing diverse merit-review
models and mechanisms for selecting and providing
awards for use-inspired and translational research and
development at different scales, from individual
investigator awards to large multi-institution
collaborations;
(F) assessing the success of programs;
(G) administering awards to achieve the purposes
described in subsection (b); and
(H) performing other such duties pertaining to the
purposes in subsection (b) as are required by the
Director.
(5) Relationship to the director.--The Assistant Director
shall report to the Director.
(6) Relationship to other programs.--No other directorate
within the Foundation shall report to the Assistant Director.
(e) Advisory Committee.--
(1) In general.--In accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) the Director shall establish an
advisory committee to assess, and make recommendations
regarding, the activities carried out under this section.
(2) Membership.--The advisory committee members shall--
(A) be individuals with relevant experience or
expertise, including individuals from industry and
national labs, educators, academic subject matter
experts, including individuals with knowledge of the
technical and social dimensions of science and
technology, technology transfer experts, labor
organizations, and representatives of civil society,
community organizations, and other nongovernmental
organizations; and
(B) consist of at least 10 members broadly
representative of stakeholders, including no less than
3 members from the private sector, none of whom shall
be an employee of the Federal Government.
(3) Responsibilities.--The Committee shall be responsible
for--
(A) reviewing and evaluating activities carried out
under this section; and
(B) assessing the success of the Directorate in and
proposing new strategies for fulfilling the purposes in
subsection (b).
(f) Existing Programs.--The Convergence Accelerator, the Growing
Convergence Research Big Idea, and any other program, at the discretion
of the Director, may be managed by the Directorate.
(g) Focus Areas.--In consultation with the Assistant Director, the
Board, and other Federal agencies and taking into account advice under
subsection (e), the Director shall identify, and regularly update, up
to 5 focus areas to guide activities under this section. In selecting
such focus areas, the Director shall consider the following societal
challenges:
(1) Climate change and environmental sustainability.
(2) Global competitiveness and domestic job creation in
critical technologies.
(3) Cybersecurity.
(4) National security.
(5) STEM education and workforce.
(6) Social and economic inequality.
(h) Technology Research Institutes.--
(1) In general.--The Director may award grants and
cooperative agreements to institutions of higher education, or
consortia thereof, for the planning, establishment, and support
of Technology Research Institutes in key technology areas, as
determined by the Director.
(2) Uses of funds.--Funds awarded under this section may be
used by a Technology Research Institute to--
(A) conduct fundamental research to advance
innovation in a key technology;
(B) conduct research involving a key technology to
solve challenges with social, economic, health,
scientific, and national security implications;
(C) further the development, adoption, and
commercialization of innovations in key technology
focus areas, including through partnership with other
Federal agencies and Federal laboratories, industry,
including startup companies, labor organizations, civil
society organizations, and state and local, and Tribal
governments.
(D) develop and manage multi-user research testbeds
and instrumentation for key technologies;
(E) develop and manage an accessible repository, as
appropriate, for research data and computational models
relevant to the relevant key technology field,
consistent with applicable privacy and intellectual
property laws;
(F) convene national workshops for researchers and
other stakeholders in that technology area;
(G) establish traineeship programs for graduate
students who pursue research related to the technology
leading to a masters or doctorate degree by providing
funding and other assistance, and by providing graduate
students opportunities for research experiences in
government or industry related to the students' studies
in that technology area;
(H) engage in outreach and engagement to broaden
participation in technology research and education; and
(I) support such other activities that the Director
determines appropriate.
(3) Considerations.--In making awards under this section,
the Director may consider the extent to which the activities
proposed--
(A) have the potential to create an innovation
ecosystem, or enhance existing ecosystems, to translate
Technology Research Institute research into
applications and products, as appropriate to the topic
of each Institute;
(B) support transdisciplinary research and
development across multiple institutions of higher
education and organizations;
(C) support transdisciplinary education activities,
including curriculum development, research experiences,
and faculty professional development across
undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic
programs;
(D) involve partnerships with multiple types of
institutions, including emerging research institutions,
HBCUs, and minority serving institutions, and with
other Federal agencies, Federal laboratories, industry,
state, local, and Tribal governments, labor
organizations, civil society organizations, and other
entities that may use or be affected by the technology;
and
(E) include a component that addresses the ethical,
societal, safety, and security implications relevant to
the application of the technology.
(4) Duration.--
(A) Initial period.--An award under this section
shall be for an initial period of 5 years.
(B) Renewal.--An established Technology Institute
may apply for, and the Director may grant, extended
funding for periods of 5 years on a merit-reviewed
basis.
(5) Application.--An institution of higher education or
consortia thereof seeking financial assistance under this
section shall submit to the Director an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Director may require.
(6) Competitive, merit-review.--In making awards under the
section, the Director shall--
(A) use a competitive, merit review process that
includes peer review by a diverse group of individuals
with relevant expertise from both the private and
public sectors; and
(B) ensure the focus areas of the Institute do not
substantially and unnecessarily duplicate the efforts
of any other Technology Research Institute or any other
similar effort at another Federal agency.
(7) Collaboration.--In making awards under this section,
the Director may collaborate with Federal departments and
agencies whose missions contribute to or are affected by the
technology focus area of the institute.
(i) Entrepreneurial Fellowships.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award fellowships to
Ph.D.-trained scientists and engineers to help develop leaders
capable of maturing promising ideas and technologies from lab
to market and forge connections between academic research and
government, industry, and finance.
(2) Applications.--An applicant for a fellowship under this
subsection shall submit to the Director an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Director may require. At a minimum, the Director shall require
that applicants
(A) have completed a doctoral degree in a STEM
field no more than 5 years prior to the data of the
application; and
(B) have included in the application a letter of
support from the intended host institution that
describes how the fellow will be embedded in that
institution's research environment.
(3) Outreach.--The Director shall conduct program outreach
to recruit fellowship applicants--
(A) from diverse research institutions;
(B) from all regions of the country; and
(C) from groups historically underrepresented in
STEM fields;
(4) The Director may enter into an agreement with a third-
party entity to administer the fellowships, subject to the
provisions of this subsection.
(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director $100,000,000 for fiscal
years 2022 through 2026, to carry out the activities outlined
in this subsection.
(j) Low-income Scholarship Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation (referred to in this section as the ``Director'')
shall award scholarships to low-income individuals to enable
such individuals to pursue associate, undergraduate, or
graduate level degrees in mathematics, engineering, or computer
science.
(2) Eligibility.--
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a
scholarship under this section, an individual--
(i) must be a citizen of the United States,
a national of the United States (as defined in
section 1101(a) of title 8), an alien admitted
as a refugee under section 1157 of title 8, or
an alien lawfully admitted to the United States
for permanent residence;
(ii) shall prepare and submit to the
Director an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the
Director may require; and
(iii) shall certify to the Director that
the individual intends to use amounts received
under the scholarship to enroll or continue
enrollment at an institution of higher
education (as defined in section 1001(a) of
title 20) in order to pursue an associate,
undergraduate, or graduate level degree in
mathematics, engineering, computer science, or
other technology and science programs
designated by the Director.
(B) Ability.--Awards of scholarships under this
section shall be made by the Director solely on the
basis of the ability of the applicant, except that in
any case in which 2 or more applicants for scholarships
are deemed by the Director to be possessed of
substantially equal ability, and there are not
sufficient scholarships available to grant one to each
of such applicants, the available scholarship or
scholarships shall be awarded to the applicants in a
manner that will tend to result in a geographically
wide distribution throughout the United States of
recipients' places of permanent residence.
(3) Scholarship amount and renewal.--The amount of a
scholarship awarded under this section shall be determined by
the Director. The Director may renew scholarships for up to 5
years.
(4) Authorization.--Of amounts authorized for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions, $100,000,000
shall be authorized for this program.
(k) Transfer of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Funds made available to carry out this
section shall be available for transfer to other offices,
directorates, or divisions within the Foundation for such use
as is consistent with the purposes for which such funds are
provided.
(2) Prohibition on transfer from other offices.--No funds
shall be available for transfer to the Directorate established
under this section from other offices, directorates, or
divisions within the Foundation.
(l) Authorities.--In addition to existing authorities available to
the Foundation, the Director may exercise the following authorities in
carrying out the activities under this section:
(1) Awards.--In carrying out this section, the Director may
provide awards in the form of grants, contracts, cooperative
agreements, cash prizes, and other transactions.
(2) Appointments.--The Director shall have the authority to
make appointments of scientific, engineering, and professional
personnel for carrying out research and development functions
which require the services of specially qualified personnel
relating to the focus areas identified under subsection (g) and
such other areas of national research priorities as the
Director may determine.
(m) Ethical, Legal, and Societal Considerations.--The Director
shall establish policies regarding engagement with experts in the
social dimensions of science and technology and set up formal avenues
for public input, as appropriate, to ensure that ethical, legal, and
societal considerations are explicitly integrated into the priorities
for the Directorate, including the selection of focus areas under
subsection (g), the award-making process, and throughout all stages of
supported projects.
(n) Reports and Roadmaps.--
(1) Annual report.--The Director shall provide to the
relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress
an annual report describing projects supported by the
Directorate during the previous year.
(2) Roadmap.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide to the
relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress
a roadmap describing the strategic vision that the Directorate
will use to guide investment decisions over the following 3
years.
(o) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--After the Directorate has been in
operation for 6 years, the National Science Board shall
evaluate how well the Directorate is achieving the purposes
identified in subsection (b), including an assessment of the
impact of Directorate activities on the Foundation's primary
science mission.
(2) Inclusions.--The evaluation shall include--
(A) a recommendation on whether the Directorate
should be continued or terminated; and
(B) a description of lessons learned from operation
of the Directorate.
(3) Availability.--On completion of the evaluation, the
evaluation shall be made available to Congress and the public.
(p) Limitation.--No amounts may be appropriated for the Directorate
for each of fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 unless--
(1) a specific appropriation is made for the Directorate;
and
(2) the amount appropriated for the activities of the
Foundation, other than the activities authorized under this
section, for each such fiscal year exceeds the amount
appropriated for the Foundation for fiscal year 2021, as
adjusted for inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price
Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
Department of Labor.
SEC. 10. ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS.
(a) Supporting Veterans in Stem Careers.--Section 3(c) of the
Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act is amended by striking
``annual'' and inserting ``biennial''.
(b) Sunshine Act Compliance.--Section 15 of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended--
(1) so that paragraph (3) reads as follows:
``(3) Compliance review.--The Inspector General of the
Foundation shall conduct a review of the compliance by the
Board with the requirements described in paragraph (2) as
necessary based on a triennial risk assessment. Any review
deemed necessary shall examine the proposed and actual content
of closed meetings and determine whether the closure of the
meetings was consistent with section 552b of title 5, United
States Code.''; and
(2) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and inserting the
following:
``(4) Materials relating to closed portions of meeting.--To
facilitate the risk assessment required under paragraph (3) of
this subsection, and any subsequent review conducted by the
Inspector General, the Office of the National Science Board
shall maintain the General Counsel's certificate, the presiding
officer's statement, and a transcript or recording of any
closed meeting, for at least 3 years after such meeting.''.
(c) Science and Engineering Indicators Report Submission.--Section
4(j)(1) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C.
1863(j)(1)) is amended by striking ``January 15'' and inserting ``March
15''.
SEC. 11. PLANNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS.
Section 602 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42
U.S.C. 1862s-9) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d), the following:
``(e) Planning and Capacity Building Grants.--
``(1) In general.--Under the program established in section
508 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42
U.S.C. 1862p-2) and the activities authorized under this
section, the Director shall award grants to eligible entities
for planning and capacity building at institutions of higher
education.
``(2) Eligible entity defined.--In this subsection, the
term `eligible entity' means an institution of higher education
(or a consortium of such institutions) that, according to the
data published by the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics, is not, on average, among the top 100
institutions in Federal R&D expenditures during the 3 year
period prior to the year of the award.
``(3) Use of funds.--In addition to activities listed under
subsection (c), an eligible entity receiving a grant under this
subsection may use funds to--
``(A) ensure the availability of staff, including
technology transfer professionals, entrepreneurs in
residence, and other mentors as required to accomplish
the purpose of this subsection;
``(B) revise institution policies, including
policies related to intellectual property and faculty
entrepreneurship, and taking other necessary steps to
implement relevant best practices for academic
technology transfer;
``(C) develop new local and regional partnerships
among institutions of higher education and between
institutions of higher education and private sector
entities and other relevant organizations with the
purpose of building networks, expertise, and other
capacity to identify promising research that may have
potential market value and enable researchers to pursue
further development and transfer of their ideas into
possible commercial or other use;
``(D) develop seminars, courses, and other
educational opportunities for students, post-doctoral
researchers, faculty, and other relevant staff at
institutions of higher education to increase awareness
and understanding of entrepreneurship, patenting,
business planning, and other areas relevant to
technology transfer, and connect students and
researchers to relevant resources, including mentors in
the private sector; and
``(E) create and fund competitions to allow
entrepreneurial students and faculty to illustrate the
commercialization potential of their ideas.
``(4) Minimum duration and size of award.--Grants awarded
under this subsection shall be at least 3 years in duration and
$500,000 in total amount.
``(5) Application.--An eligible entity seeking funding
under this subsection shall submit an application to the
Director of the Foundation 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
description of how the eligible entity submitting an
application plans to sustain the proposed activities beyond the
duration of the grant.
``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--From within funds
authorized under section 9, there are authorized to carry out
the activities under this subsection $40 million for each of
fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
Union Calendar No. 51
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2225
[Report No. 117-73]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025,
and 2026 for the National Science Foundation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
June 28, 2021
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed