[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H5496-H5513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
21ST CENTURY COMPETITIVENESS ACT OF 2007
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2272) to invest in innovation through research and development,
and to improve the competitiveness of the United States.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2272
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``21st
Century Competitiveness Act of 2007''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS SCHOLARSHIPS AND EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT
Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Definitions.
Subtitle A--Science Scholarships
Sec. 111. Short title.
Sec. 112. Findings.
Sec. 113. Policy objective.
Sec. 114. Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.
Subtitle B--Mathematics and Science Education Improvement
Sec. 121. Mathematics and science education partnerships amendments.
Sec. 122. Teacher institutes.
Sec. 123. Graduate degree program.
Sec. 124. Curricula.
Sec. 125. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent
Expansion Program.
Sec. 126. High-need local educational agency definition.
Sec. 127. Teacher leaders.
Sec. 128. Laboratory science pilot program.
Sec. 129. Study on laboratory equipment donations for schools.
TITLE II--SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH
Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. National Science Foundation early career awards for science
and engineering researchers.
Sec. 203. Department of Energy early career awards for science and
engineering researchers.
Sec. 204. Integrative graduate education and research traineeship
program.
Sec. 205. Presidential innovation award.
Sec. 206. National Coordination Office for Research Infrastructure.
Sec. 207. Research on innovation and inventiveness.
Sec. 208. Report on National Institute of Standards and Technology
efforts to recruit and retain early CAREER science and
engineering researchers.
Sec. 209. NASA's contribution to innovation.
Sec. 210. Undergraduate scholarships for science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
TITLE III--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Sec. 301. Short title.
Sec. 302. Definitions.
Sec. 303. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 304. Centers for research on learning and education improvement.
Sec. 305. Interdisciplinary research.
Sec. 306. Pilot program of grants for new investigators.
Sec. 307. Broader impacts merit review criterion.
Sec. 308. Postdoctoral research fellows.
Sec. 309. Responsible conduct of research.
Sec. 310. Reporting of research results.
Sec. 311. Sharing research results.
Sec. 312. Funding for successful stem education programs.
Sec. 313. Cost sharing.
Sec. 314. Donations.
Sec. 315. Additional reports.
Sec. 316. Administrative amendments.
Sec. 317. National Science Board reports.
Sec. 318. National Academy of Science Report on Diversity in STEM
fields.
Sec. 319. Sense of the Congress regarding the mathematics and science
partnership programs of the Department of Education and
the National Science Foundation.
Sec. 320. Hispanic-serving institutions undergraduate program.
Sec. 321. Communications training for scientists.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 401. Short title.
Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations
Sec. 411. Scientific and technical research and services.
Sec. 412. Industrial technology services.
Subtitle B--Innovation and Technology Policy Reforms
Sec. 421. Institute-wide planning report.
Sec. 422. Report by Visiting Committee.
Sec. 423. Manufacturing extension partnership.
Sec. 424. Technology Innovation Program.
Sec. 425. Research fellowships.
Sec. 426. Collaborative manufacturing research pilot grants.
Sec. 427. Manufacturing fellowship program.
Sec. 428. Meetings of Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology.
Sec. 429. Manufacturing research database.
Subtitle C--Miscellaneous
Sec. 441. Post-doctoral fellows.
Sec. 442. Financial agreements clarification.
Sec. 443. Working capital fund transfers.
Sec. 444. Retention of depreciation surcharge.
Sec. 445. Non-Energy Inventions Program.
Sec. 446. Redefinition of the metric system.
Sec. 447. Repeal of redundant and obsolete authority.
Sec. 448. Clarification of standard time and time zones.
Sec. 449. Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.
Sec. 450. Malcolm Baldrige awards.
TITLE V--HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
Sec. 501. High-performance computing research and development program.
Sec. 502. Definitions.
TITLE I--SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS SCHOLARSHIPS AND EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The National Science Foundation has made significant
and valuable contributions to the improvement of K-12 and
undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics education throughout its 56 year history.
(2) Under section 3 of the National Science Foundation Act
of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1862), the National Science Foundation is
explicitly required to strengthen science, mathematics, and
engineering research potential and education programs at all
levels.
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) The term ``cost of attendance'' has the meaning given
that term in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1087ll).
(2) The term ``Director'' means the Director of the
National Science Foundation.
(3) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given that term in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) The term ``mathematics and science teacher'' means a
mathematics, science, or technology teacher at the elementary
school or secondary school level.
Subtitle A--Science Scholarships
SEC. 111. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``10,000 Teachers, 10
Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act''.
SEC. 112. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The prosperity the United States enjoys today is due in
no small part to investments the Nation has made in research
and development over the past 50 years.
(2) Corporate, government, and national scientific and
technical leaders have raised concerns that current trends
affecting the science and technology enterprise of the Nation
could result in erosion of this past success and jeopardize
future prosperity.
(3) The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy
of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine were tasked in
a congressional request to recommend actions that the Federal
Government could take to enhance the science and technology
enterprise so that the United States can successfully
compete, prosper, and be secure in the global community of
the 21st century.
(4) The Academies' highest priority recommendation in its
report, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and
Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future'', is to
improve K-12 mathematics and science education, and the
Academies' first recommended action item is to institute a
major scholarship program to recruit and educate annually
10,000 mathematics and science teachers.
SEC. 113. POLICY OBJECTIVE.
In carrying out the program under section 10 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002, the
National Science Foundation shall seek to increase by up to
10,000 per year the number of elementary and secondary
mathematics and science teachers in the Nation's schools
having both exemplary subject knowledge and pedagogical
skills.
[[Page H5497]]
SEC. 114. ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Program Amendments.--Section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1) is
amended--
(1) by inserting ``teacher'' after ``noyce'' in the section
heading;
(2) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) by striking ``to provide scholarships, stipends, and
programming designed'';
(B) by inserting ``and to provide scholarships and stipends
to students participating in the program'' after ``science
teachers''; and
(C) by inserting ``Teacher'' after ``Noyce'';
(3) in subsection (a)(3)(A)--
(A) by striking ``encourage top college juniors and
seniors'' and inserting ``recruit and prepare undergraduate
students''; and
(B) by inserting ``qualified as'' after ``to become'';
(4) in subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii)--
(A) by striking ``programs to help scholarship recipients''
and inserting ``academic courses and early field teaching
experiences designed to prepare students participating in the
program'';
(B) by striking ``programs that will result in'' and
inserting ``such preparation as is necessary to meet
requirements for''; and
(C) by striking ``licensing; and'' and inserting
``licensing;'';
(5) in subsection (a)(3)(A)(iii)--
(A) by striking ``scholarship recipients'' and inserting
``students participating in the program'';
(B) by striking ``enable the recipients'' and inserting
``enable the students''; and
(C) by striking ``; or'' and inserting ``; and'';
(6) in subsection (a)(3)(A) by inserting at the end the
following new clause:
``(iv) providing summer internships for freshman students
participating in the program; or'';
(7) in subsection (a)(3)(B)--
(A) by striking ``encourage'' and inserting ``recruit and
prepare''; and
(B) by inserting ``qualified as'' after ``to become'';
(8) by amending clause (ii) of subsection (a)(3)(B) to read
as follows:
``(ii) offering academic courses and field teaching
experiences designed to prepare stipend recipients to teach
in elementary schools and secondary schools, including such
preparation as is necessary to meet requirements for teacher
certification or licensing; and'';
(9) in subsection (a) by inserting at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(4) Eligibility requirement.--To be eligible for an award
under this section, an institution of higher education (or
consortia of such institutions) shall ensure that specific
faculty members and staff from the institution's mathematics,
science, or engineering departments and specific education
faculty are designated to carry out the development and
implementation of the program. An institution of higher
education may also include teacher leaders to participate in
developing the pedagogical content of the program and to
supervise students participating in the program in their
field teaching experiences. No institution of higher
education shall be eligible for an award unless faculty from
the institution's mathematics, science, or engineering
departments are active participants in the program.
``(5) Awards.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Director shall endeavor to ensure that the recipients are
from a variety of types of institutions of higher education.
In support of this goal, the Director shall broadly
disseminate information about when and how to apply for
grants under this section, including by conducting outreach
to 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)) and minority
institutions (as defined in section 365(3) of that Act (20
U.S.C. 1067k(3))).'';
(10) in subsection (b)(1)(A)--
(A) by striking ``scholarship or stipend'';
(B) by inserting ``and summer internships'' after ``number
of scholarships''; and
(C) by inserting ``the type of activities proposed for the
recruitment of students to the program,'' after ``intends to
award,'';
(11) in subsection (b)(1)(B)--
(A) by striking ``scholarship or stipend''; and
(B) by striking ``; and'' and inserting ``, which may
include a description of any existing programs at the
applicant's institution that are targeted to the education of
mathematics and science teachers and the number of teachers
graduated annually from such programs;'';
(12) in subsection (b)(1), by striking subparagraph (C) and
inserting the following:
``(C) a description of the academic courses and field
teaching experiences required under subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii)
and (B)(ii), including--
``(i) a description of the undergraduate program that will
enable a student to graduate within 5 years with a major in
mathematics, science, or engineering and to obtain teacher
certification or licensing;
``(ii) a description of the field teaching experiences
proposed; and
``(iii) evidence of agreements between the applicant and
the schools or school districts that are identified as the
locations at which field teaching experiences will occur;
``(D) a description of the programs required under
subsection (a)(3)(A)(iii) and (B)(iii), including activities
to assist new teachers in fulfilling their service
requirements under this section; and
``(E) an identification of the applicant's mathematics,
science, or engineering faculty and its education faculty who
will carry out the development and implementation of the
program as required under subsection (a)(4).'';
(13) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), and (E)
as subparagraphs (C), (D), (E) and (F), respectively;
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) a new subparagraph
as follows:
``(B) the extent to which the applicant's mathematics,
science, or engineering faculty and its education faculty
have worked or will work collaboratively to design new or
revised curricula that recognizes the specialized pedagogy
required to teach mathematics, science, and technology
effectively in elementary and secondary schools;''; and
(C) by amending subparagraph (F), as so redesignated by
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, to read as follows:
``(F) the ability of the applicant to recruit students who
are individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science
and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or
1885b).'';
(14) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking ``2 years'' and
inserting ``3 years'';
(15) in subsection (c)(3)--
(A) by striking ``$7,500'' and inserting ``$10,000''; and
(B) by striking ``2 years of scholarship support'' and
inserting ``3 years of scholarship support, unless the
Director establishes a policy by which part-time students may
receive additional years of support'';
(16) in subsection (c)(4)--
(A) by striking ``6 years'' and inserting ``8 years'';
(B) by inserting ``, with a maximum service requirement of
6 years'' after ``was received''; and
(C) by striking ``Service required under this paragraph
shall be performed in a high-need local educational
agency.'';
(17) in subsection (c), by adding at the end a new
paragraph as follows:
``(5) Exception.--The period of service obligation under
paragraph (4) is reduced by 1 year for scholarship recipients
whose service is performed in a high-need local educational
agency. The Director shall establish and maintain a central
clearinghouse of information on teaching opportunities
available in high-need local educational agencies throughout
the United States, which shall be made available to
individuals having a service obligation under this
section.'';
(18) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``to receive
certification or licensing to teach'' and inserting
``established under subsection (a)(3)(B)'';
(19) in subsection (d)(2), by inserting ``and professional
achievement'' after ``academic merit'';
(20) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ``1 year'' and
inserting ``16 months'';
(21) in subsection (d)(4)--
(A) by striking ``6 years'' and inserting ``4 years''; and
(B) by striking ``for each year a stipend was received'';
(22) in subsection (e)--
(A) by inserting ``or section 10A'' after ``under this
section''; and
(B) in paragraph (1) by inserting ``or section 10A'' after
``subsection (d)'';
(23) in subsection (f)(1), by inserting ``or section 10A''
after ``under this section'';
(24) in subsection (g)(2)(A)--
(A) by striking ``Treasurer of the United States,'' and
inserting ``Treasurer of the United States.''; and
(B) by striking ``multiplied by 2.'';
(25) in subsection (h), by inserting ``or section 10A''
after ``under this section'';
(26) in subsection (i)(3), by inserting ``or had a career
in'' after ``is working in'';
(27) in subsection (i)--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (4);
(B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``or section 10A'' after
``subsection (d)'';
(C) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (5) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) the term `teacher leader' means a mathematics or
science teacher who works to improve the instruction of
mathematics or science in kindergarten through grade 12
through--
``(A) participating in the development or revision of
science, mathematics, engineering, or technology curricula;
``(B) serving as a mentor to mathematics or science
teachers;
``(C) coordinating and assisting teachers in the use of
hands-on inquiry materials, equipment, and supplies, and when
appropriate, supervising acquisition and repair of such
materials;
``(D) providing in-classroom teaching assistance to
mathematics or science teachers; and
``(E) providing professional development, for the purposes
of training other teacher leaders, to mathematics and science
teachers.''; and
(28) by adding at the end the following:
``(j) Mathematics and Science Scholarship Gift Fund.--In
accordance with section 11(f) of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950, the Director is authorized to accept
donations from the private sector to support scholarships,
stipends, or internships associated with programs under this
section.
[[Page H5498]]
``(k) Assessment of Teacher Service and Retention.--Not
later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this
subsection, the Director shall transmit to Congress a report
on the effectiveness of the program carried out under this
section. The report shall include the proportion of
individuals receiving scholarships or stipends under the
program who--
``(1) fulfill their service obligation required under this
section in a high-need local educational agency;
``(2) elect to fulfill their service obligation in a high-
need local educational agency but fail to complete it, as
defined in subsection (g);
``(3) remain in the teaching profession beyond their
service obligation; and
``(4) remain in the teaching profession in a high-need
local educational agency beyond their service obligation.''.
(b) Special Partnership Program for Stipends.--The National
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended by
inserting after section 10 the following new section:
``SEC. 10A. SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FOR STIPENDS.
``(a) In General.--As part of the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program established under section 10, the
Director shall establish a separate type of award for
eligible entities described in subsection (b). Stipends under
this section shall be available only to mathematics, science,
and engineering professionals who, while receiving the
stipend, are enrolled in a program to receive certification
or licensing to teach.
``(b) Eligibility.--In order to be eligible to receive a
grant under this section, an institution of higher education
(or consortia of such institutions) shall enter into a
partnership with one or more private sector nonprofit
organizations, local or State government organizations, and
businesses. The members of the partnership shall provide the
teaching supplements described in subsection (f).
``(c) Use of Grants.--Grants provided under this section
shall be used by institutions of higher education or
consortia to develop and implement a program to encourage
science, mathematics, or engineering professionals to become
qualified as mathematics and science teachers, through--
``(1) administering stipends in accordance with this
section;
``(2) offering academic courses and field teaching
experiences designed to prepare stipend recipients to teach
in elementary and secondary schools, including such
preparation as is necessary to meet the requirements for
certification or licensing; and
``(3) offering programs to stipend recipients, both during
and after matriculation in the program for which the stipend
is received, to enable recipients to become better
mathematics and science teachers, to fulfill the service
requirements of this section, and to exchange ideas with
others in their fields.
``(d) Selection Process.--
``(1) Merit review.--Grants shall be provided under this
section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
``(2) Applications.--An eligible institution of higher
education or consortium seeking funding under this section
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) a description of the program that the applicant
intends to operate, including the number of stipends the
applicant intends to award, the type of activities proposed
for the recruitment of students to the program, and the
amount of the teaching supplements to be provided in
accordance with subsection (f);
``(B) a description of the selection process that will be
used in awarding stipends, including a description of the
rigorous, nationally recognized test that will be
administered during the selection process in order to
determine whether individuals applying for stipends have
advanced content knowledge of science or mathematics;
``(C) evidence that the applicant has the capability to
administer the program in accordance with the provisions of
this section, which may include a description of any existing
programs at the applicant's institution that are targeted to
the education of mathematics and science teachers and the
number of teachers graduated annually from such programs;
``(D) a description of the academic courses and field
teaching experiences described in subsection (c)(2),
including--
``(i) a description of an educational program that will
enable a student to obtain teacher certification or licensing
within 16 months; and
``(ii) evidence of agreements between the applicant and the
schools or school districts that are identified as the
locations at which field teaching experiences will occur;
``(E) a description of the programs described in subsection
(c)(3), including activities to assist new teachers in
fulfilling their service requirements under this section; and
``(F) evidence that the partnership will provide the
teaching supplements required under subsection (f).
``(3) Criteria.--In evaluating the applications submitted
under paragraph (2), the Director shall consider, at a
minimum--
``(A) the ability of the applicant to effectively carry out
the program and to meet the requirement of subsection (f);
``(B) the extent to which the applicant's mathematics,
science, or engineering faculty and its education faculty
have worked or will work collaboratively to design new or
revised curricula that recognizes the specialized pedagogy
required to teach mathematics and science effectively in
elementary and secondary schools;
``(C) the extent to which the applicant is committed to
making the program a central organizational focus;
``(D) the degree to which the proposed programming will
enable stipend recipients to become successful mathematics
and science teachers;
``(E) the number and quality of the students that will be
served by the program; and
``(F) the ability of the applicant to recruit students who
would otherwise not pursue a career in teaching.
``(e) Stipends.--Individuals shall be selected to receive
stipends under this section primarily on the basis of their
content knowledge of science or mathematics as demonstrated
by their performance on a test designated in accordance with
subsection (d)(2)(B). Among individuals demonstrating
equivalent content knowledge, consideration may be given to
financial need and to the goal of promoting the participation
of individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science
and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or
1885b).
``(f) Teaching Supplements.--The members of a partnership
shall identify a source of non-Federal funding to provide
salary supplements to individuals who participate in the
program under this section during the period of their service
obligation under subsection (h).
``(g) Amount and Duration.--Stipends under this section
shall be not less than $10,000 per year, except that no
individual shall receive for any year more than the cost of
attendance at that individual's institution. Individuals may
receive a maximum of 16 months of stipend support.
``(h) Service Obligation.--If an individual receives a
stipend under this section, that individual shall be required
to complete, within 6 years after completion of the
educational program for which the stipend was awarded, 4
years of service as a mathematics or science teacher in a
public secondary school.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 8(6) of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended--
(1) in the paragraph heading by inserting ``Teacher'' after
``Noyce''; and
(2) by inserting ``Teacher'' after ``Noyce''.
Subtitle B--Mathematics and Science Education Improvement
SEC. 121. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS
AMENDMENTS.
Section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)--
(A) by striking ``(A)'';
(B) by striking subparagraph (B);
(C) by inserting ``, through 1 or more of its departments
in science, mathematics, or engineering,'' after
``institution of higher education''; and
(D) by striking ``a State educational agency'' and
inserting ``education faculty from the participating
institution or institutions of higher education, a State
educational agency,'';
(2) in subsection (a)(3)(B)--
(A) by inserting ``content-specific'' before ``professional
development programs'';
(B) by inserting ``which are'' before ``designed''; and
(C) by inserting ``and which may include teacher training
activities to prepare mathematics and science teachers to
teach challenging mathematics, science, and technology
college-preparatory courses, including Advanced Placement and
International Baccalaureate courses'' after ``and science
teachers'';
(3) in subsection (a)(3)(C)--
(A) by inserting ``and laboratory experiences'' after
``technology''; and
(B) by inserting ``and laboratory'' after ``provide
technical'';
(4) in subsection (a)(3)(I) by inserting ``including model
induction programs for teachers in their first 2 years of
teaching,'' after ``and science,'';
(5) in subsection (a)(3)(K) by striking ``developing and
offering mathematics or science enrichment programs for
students, including after-school and summer programs;'' and
inserting ``developing educational programs and materials and
conducting mathematics, science, and technology enrichment
programs for students, including after-school programs and
summer camps for students described in subsection
(b)(2)(G);'';
(6) in subsection (a) by inserting at the end the
following:
``(8) Master's degree programs.--Activities carried out in
accordance with paragraph (3)(B) shall include the
development and offering of master's degree programs for in-
service mathematics and science teachers that will strengthen
their subject area knowledge and pedagogical skills, as
described in section 123 of the Act enacting this paragraph.
Grants provided under this section may be used to develop and
implement courses of instruction for the master's degree
programs, which may involve online learning, and develop
related educational materials.
``(9) Mentors for teachers and students of challenging
courses.--Partnerships carrying out activities to prepare
mathematics
[[Page H5499]]
and science teachers to teach challenging mathematics,
science, and technology college-preparatory courses,
including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate
courses, in accordance with paragraph (3)(B) shall encourage
companies employing scientists, mathematicians, or engineers
to provide mentors to teachers and students and provide for
the coordination of such mentoring activities.
``(10) Inventiveness.--Activities carried out in accordance
with paragraph (3)(H) may include the development and
dissemination of curriculum tools that will help foster
inventiveness and innovation.'';
(7) in subsection (b)(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E)
and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively, and
inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph:
``(E) the extent to which the evaluation described in
paragraph (1)(E) will be independent and based on objective
measures;'';
(8) in subsection (b) by inserting at the end the
following:
``(4) Minimum and maximum grant size.--A grant awarded
under this section shall be not less than $75,000 or greater
than $2,000,000 for any fiscal year.'';
(9) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking paragraph (2);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as
paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraphs:
``(2) Report on model projects.--The Director shall
determine which completed projects funded through the program
under this section should be seen as models to be replicated
on a more expansive basis at the State or national levels.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
paragraph, the Director shall transmit a report describing
the results of this study to the Committee on Science and
Technology and the Committee on Education and Labor of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
``(3) Report on evaluations.--Not later than 4 years after
the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Director shall
transmit a report summarizing the evaluations required under
subsection (b)(1)(E) of grants received under this program
and describing any changes to the program recommended as a
result of these evaluations to the Committee on Science and
Technology and the Committee on Education and Labor of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. Such report
shall be made widely available to the public.''; and
(10) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `mathematics and science teacher' means a
mathematics, science, or technology teacher at the elementary
school or secondary school level; and
``(2) the term `science', in the context of elementary and
secondary education, includes technology and pre-
engineering.''.
SEC. 122. TEACHER INSTITUTES.
(a) National Science Foundation Institutes.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall establish a grant
program to provide for summer or academic year teacher
institutes or workshops authorized by section 9(a)(3)(B) of
the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n(a)(3)(B)) and shall allow grantees under the
Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century program to operate 1
to 2 week summer teacher institutes with the goal of reaching
the maximum number of in-service mathematics and science
teachers, particularly elementary and middle school teachers,
to improve their content knowledge and pedagogical skills.
(2) Preparation to teach challenging courses.--The Director
shall ensure that activities supported for awards under
paragraph (1) include the development and implementation of
teacher training activities to prepare mathematics and
science teachers to teach challenging mathematics, science,
and technology college-preparatory courses, including
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.
(3) Awards.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Director shall give priority to applications that propose
programs that will attract mathematics and science teachers
from local educational agencies that--
(A) are receiving grants under title I of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq)
as a result of having within their jurisdictions
concentrations of children from low income families; and
(B) are experiencing a shortage of highly qualified
teachers, as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), in the
fields of science, mathematics, or technology.
(b) Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development.--
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Energy for the Laboratory Science Teacher Professional
Development program, $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2008,
$8,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $10,000,000 for fiscal year
2010, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and $10,000,000 for
fiscal year 2012.
SEC. 123. GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Director shall ensure that master's
degree programs for in-service mathematics and science
teachers that will strengthen their subject area knowledge
and pedagogical skills are instituted in accordance with
section 9(a)(8) of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n(a)(8)). The degree
programs shall be designed for current teachers, who will
enroll as part-time students, and to allow participants to
obtain master's degrees within a period of 3 years.
(b) Distribution of Awards.--The Director shall, in
awarding grants to carry out subsection (a), consider the
distribution of awards among institutions of higher education
of different sizes and geographic locations.
(c) Program Activities.--Activities supported through
master's degree programs established under subsection (a) may
include--
(1) development of courses of instruction and related
educational materials;
(2) stipends to defray the cost of attendance for students
in the degree program; and
(3) acquisition of computer and networking equipment needed
for online instruction under the degree program.
SEC. 124. CURRICULA.
Nothing in this title, or the amendments made by this
title, shall be construed to limit the authority of State
governments or local school boards to determine the curricula
of their students.
SEC. 125. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS
TALENT EXPANSION PROGRAM.
(a) Amendments.--Section 8(7) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``competitive, merit-
based'' and all that follows through ``in recent years.'' and
inserting ``competitive, merit-reviewed multiyear grants for
eligible applicants to improve undergraduate education in
science, mathematics, engineering, and technology through--
``(i) the creation of programs to increase the number of
students studying toward and completing associate's or
bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics, particularly in fields that have faced declining
enrollment in recent years; and
``(ii) the creation of centers (in this paragraph referred
to as `Centers') to develop undergraduate curriculum,
teaching methods for undergraduate courses, and methods to
better train professors and teaching assistants who teach
undergraduate courses to increase the number of students
completing undergraduate courses in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including the number of
nonmajors, and to improve student academic achievement in
those courses.
Grants made under clause (ii) shall be awarded jointly
through the Education and Human Resources Directorate and at
least 1 research directorate of the Foundation.'';
(2) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:
``(B) In selecting projects under subparagraph (A)(i), the
Director shall strive to increase the number of students
studying toward and completing baccalaureate degrees,
concentrations, or certificates in science, mathematics,
engineering, or technology who are--
``(i) individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C.
1885a or 1885b); or
``(ii) graduates of a secondary school that is administered
by a local educational agency that is receiving grants under
title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq) as a result of having within its
jurisdiction concentrations of children from low income
families.'';
(3) in subparagraph (C)--
(A) by inserting ``(i)'' before ``The types of'';
(B) by redesignating clauses (i) through (vi) as subclauses
(I) through (VI), respectively;
(C) by striking ``under this paragraph'' and inserting
``under subparagraph (A)(i)''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(ii) The types of activities the Foundation may support
under subparagraph (A)(ii) include--
``(I) creating model curricula and laboratory programs;
``(II) developing and demonstrating research-based
instructional methods and technologies;
``(III) developing methods to train graduate students and
faculty to be more effective teachers of undergraduates;
``(IV) conducting programs to disseminate curricula,
instructional methods, or training methods to faculty at the
grantee institutions and at other institutions;
``(V) conducting assessments of the effectiveness of the
Center at accomplishing the goals described in subparagraph
(A)(ii); and
``(VI) conducting any other activities the Director
determines will accomplish the goals described in
subparagraph (A)(ii).'';
(4) in subparagraph (D)(i), by striking ``under this
paragraph'' and inserting ``under subparagraph (A)(i)'';
(5) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking ``under this
paragraph'' and inserting ``under subparagraph (A)(i)'';
(6) after subparagraph (D)(iii), by adding at the end the
following new clause:
[[Page H5500]]
``(iv) A grant under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be awarded
for 5 years, and the Director may extend such a grant for up
to 2 additional 3 year periods.'';
(7) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``under this
paragraph'' both places it appears and inserting ``under
subparagraph (A)(i)'';
(8) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (J);
and
(9) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(F) Grants awarded under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be
carried out by a department or departments of science,
mathematics, or engineering at institutions of higher
education (or a consortia thereof), which may partner with
education faculty. Applications for awards under subparagraph
(A)(ii) shall be submitted to the Director at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Director
may require. At a minimum, the application shall include--
``(i) a description of the activities to be carried out by
the Center;
``(ii) a plan for disseminating programs related to the
activities carried out by the Center to faculty at the
grantee institution and at other institutions;
``(iii) an estimate of the number of faculty, graduate
students (if any), and undergraduate students who will be
affected by the activities carried out by the Center; and
``(iv) a plan for assessing the effectiveness of the Center
at accomplishing the goals described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
``(G) In evaluating the applications submitted under
subparagraph (F), the Director shall consider, at a minimum--
``(i) the ability of the applicant to effectively carry out
the proposed activities, including the dissemination
activities described in subparagraph (C)(ii)(IV); and
``(ii) the extent to which the faculty, staff, and
administrators of the applicant institution are committed to
improving undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering
education.
``(H) In awarding grants under subparagraph (A)(ii), the
Director shall endeavor to ensure that a wide variety of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields and
types of institutions of higher education, including 2-year
colleges and minority-serving institutions, are covered, and
that--
``(i) at least 1 Center is housed at a Doctoral/Research
University as defined by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching; and
``(ii) at least 1 Center is focused on improving
undergraduate education in an interdisciplinary area.
``(I) The Director shall convene an annual meeting of the
awardees under this paragraph to foster collaboration and to
disseminate the results of the Centers and the other
activities funded under this paragraph.''.
(b) Report on Data Collection.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
transmit to Congress a report on how the Director is
determining whether current grant recipients in the Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion
Program are making satisfactory progress as required by
section 8(7)(D)(ii) of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 and what funding actions have been
taken as a result of the Director's determinations.
SEC. 126. HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY DEFINITION.
Section 4(8) of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n note) is amended
to read as follows:
``(8) High-need local educational agency.--The term `high-
need local educational agency' means a local educational
agency that--
``(A) is receiving grants under title I of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq)
as a result of having within its jurisdiction concentrations
of children from low income families; and
``(B) is experiencing a shortage of highly qualified
teachers, as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), in the
fields of science, mathematics, or engineering.''.
SEC. 127. TEACHER LEADERS.
The National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002
is amended--
(1) in section 4(11)--
(A) by striking ``master teacher'' and inserting ``teacher
leader'';
(B) by striking ``master teacher'' and inserting ``teacher
leader''; and
(C) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``master teachers''
and inserting ``teacher leaders''; and
(2) in section 9--
(A) in subsection (a)(3)(E), by striking ``master
teachers'' and inserting ``teacher leaders''; and
(B) in subsection (a)(4)--
(i) by striking ``master teachers'' and inserting ``teacher
leaders''; and
(ii) by striking ``master teachers'' each place it appears
and inserting ``teacher leaders''.
SEC. 128. LABORATORY SCIENCE PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) To remain competitive in science and technology in the
global economy, the United States must increase the number of
students graduating from high school prepared to pursue
postsecondary education in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics.
(2) There is broad agreement in the scientific community
that learning science requires direct involvement by students
in scientific inquiry and that laboratory experience is so
integral to the nature of science that it must be included in
every science program for every science student.
(3) In America's Lab Report, the National Research Council
concluded that the current quality of laboratory experiences
is poor for most students and that educators and researchers
do not agree on how to define high school science
laboratories or on their purpose, hampering the accumulation
of research on how to improve labs.
(4) The National Research Council found that schools with
higher concentrations of non-Asian minorities and schools
with higher concentrations of poor students are less likely
to have adequate laboratory facilities than other schools.
(5) The Government Accountability Office reported that 49.1
percent of schools where the minority student population is
greater than 50.5 percent reported not meeting functional
requirements for laboratory science well or at all.
(6) 40 percent of those college students who left the
science fields reported some problems related to high school
science preparation, including lack of laboratory experience
and no introduction to theoretical or to analytical modes of
thought.
(7) It is in the national interest for the Federal
Government to invest in research and demonstration projects
to improve the teaching of laboratory science in the Nation's
high schools.
(b) Grant Program.--Section 8(8) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) as
clauses (i) through (vi), respectively;
(2) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``A program of
competitive''; and
(3) by inserting at the end the following new
subparagraphs:
``(B) In accordance with subparagraph (A)(v), the Director
shall establish a research pilot program designated as
`Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science' to award
grants to partnerships to improve laboratories and provide
instrumentation as part of a comprehensive program to enhance
the quality of mathematics, science, engineering, and
technology instruction at the secondary school level. Grants
under this subparagraph may be used for--
``(i) purchase, rental, or leasing of equipment,
instrumentation, and other scientific educational materials;
``(ii) maintenance, renovation, and improvement of
laboratory facilities;
``(iii) development of instructional programs designed to
integrate the laboratory experience with classroom
instruction and to be consistent with State mathematics and
science academic achievement standards;
``(iv) training in laboratory safety for school personnel;
``(v) design and implementation of hands-on laboratory
experiences to encourage the interest of individuals
identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering
Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in
mathematics, science, engineering, and technology and help
prepare such individuals to pursue postsecondary studies in
these fields; and
``(vi) assessment of the activities funded under this
subparagraph.
``(C) Grants may be made under subparagraph (B) only to a
partnership--
``(i) for a project that includes significant teacher
training and professional development components; or
``(ii) that establishes that appropriate teacher training
and professional development is being addressed, or has been
addressed, through other means.
``(D) Grants awarded under subparagraph (B) shall be to a
partnership that--
``(i) includes an institution of higher education or a
community college;
``(ii) includes a high-need local educational agency;
``(iii) includes a business or eligible nonprofit
organization; and
``(iv) may include a State educational agency, other public
agency, National Laboratory, or community-based organization.
``(E) The Federal share of the cost of activities carried
out using amounts from a grant under subparagraph (B) shall
not exceed 50 percent.
``(F) The Director shall require grant recipients to submit
a report to the Director on the results of the project
supported by the grant.''.
(c) Report.--The Director shall evaluate the effectiveness
of activities carried out under the research pilot projects
funded by the grant program established pursuant to the
amendment made by subsection (b) in improving student
performance in mathematics, science, engineering, and
technology. A report documenting the results of that
evaluation shall be submitted to the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committees
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate not later than 5
years after the date of enactment of this Act. The report
shall identify best practices and materials developed and
demonstrated by grant awardees.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--From the amount
authorized in section 303(a)(2)(B), (b)(2)(B), and (c)(2)(B)
of this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated
[[Page H5501]]
to carry out this section and the amendments made by this
section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may
be necessary for each of the 2 succeeding fiscal years.
SEC. 129. STUDY ON LABORATORY EQUIPMENT DONATIONS FOR
SCHOOLS.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Director shall transmit a report to the Congress
examining the extent to which institutions of higher
education are donating used laboratory equipment to
elementary and secondary schools. The Director, in
consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall survey
institutions of higher education to determine--
(1) how often, how much, and what type of equipment is
donated;
(2) what criteria or guidelines the institutions are using
to determine what types of equipment can be donated, what
condition the equipment should be in, and which schools
receive the equipment;
(3) whether the institutions provide any support to, or
follow-up with the schools; and
(4) how appropriate donations can be encouraged.
TITLE II--SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Sowing the Seeds Through
Science and Engineering Research Act''.
SEC. 202. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall carry out a program to award grants to
scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers
at institutions of higher education and organizations
described in subsection (c)(2) to conduct research in fields
relevant to the mission of the Foundation. The existing
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program may be
designated as the mechanism for awarding such grants.
(b) Size and Duration of Award.--The duration of awards
under this section shall be 5 years, and the amount per year
shall be at least $80,000.
(c) Eligibility.--Award recipients shall be individuals who
are employed in a tenure-track position as an assistant
professor or equivalent title, or who hold an equivalent
position, at--
(1) an institution of higher education in the United
States; or
(2) an organization in the United States that is a
nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization such as a
museum, observatory, or research laboratory.
(d) Selection.--Award recipients shall be selected on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
(e) Selection Process and Criteria for Awards.--An
applicant seeking funding under this section shall submit a
proposal to the Director at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Director may require. In
evaluating the proposals submitted under this section, the
Director shall consider, at a minimum--
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work;
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of the proposed
research;
(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates research
and education, including undergraduate education in science
and engineering disciplines; and
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership at the
frontiers of knowledge.
(f) Awards.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Director shall endeavor to ensure that the recipients are
from a variety of types of institutions of higher education
and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations. In
support of this goal, the Director shall broadly disseminate
information about when and how to apply for grants under this
section, including by conducting outreach to 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)) and minority institutions (as
defined in section 365(3) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3))).
In awarding grants under this section, the Director shall
give special consideration to eligible early-career
researchers who have followed alternative career paths such
as working part-time or in nonacademic settings, or who have
taken a significant career break or other leave of absence.
(g) Authorization of Appropriation.--For each of the fiscal
years 2008 through 2012, the Director shall allocate at least
3.5 percent of funds appropriated to the National Science
Foundation for Research and Related Activities to the grants
program under this section, except to the extent that a
sufficient number of meritorious grant applications have not
been received for a fiscal year.
(h) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit to the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate a report describing the
distribution of the institutions from which individuals have
participated in the Faculty Early Career Development Program
since fiscal year 2001 among each of the categories of
institutions of higher education defined by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the
organizations in subsection (c)(2).
(i) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit to the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate a report evaluating the
impact of the program carried out under this section on the
ability of young faculty to compete for National Science
Foundation research grants.
SEC. 203. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science of
the Department of Energy shall carry out a program to award
grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of
their careers at institutions of higher education and
organizations described in subsection (c)(2) to conduct
research in fields relevant to the mission of the Department,
giving priority to grants to expand domestic energy
production and use through coal-to-liquids technology and
advanced nuclear reprocessing.
(b) Size and Duration of Award.--The duration of awards
under this section shall be up to 5 years, and the amount per
year shall be at least $80,000.
(c) Eligibility.--Award recipients shall be individuals who
are employed in a tenure-track position as an assistant
professor or equivalent title, or who hold an equivalent
position, at--
(1) an institution of higher education in the United
States; or
(2) an organization in the United States that is a
nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization such as a
museum, observatory, or research laboratory.
(d) Selection.--Award recipients shall be selected on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
(e) Selection Process and Criteria for Awards.--An
applicant seeking funding under this section shall submit a
proposal to the Director of the Office of Science at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Director may require. In evaluating the proposals submitted
under this section, the Director shall consider, at a
minimum--
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work;
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of the proposed
research;
(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates research
and education, including undergraduate education in science
and engineering disciplines; and
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership at the
frontiers of knowledge.
(f) Collaboration With National Laboratories.--In awarding
grants under this section, the Director shall give priority
to proposals in which the proposed work includes
collaboration with the Department of Energy National
Laboratories.
(g) Awards.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Director shall endeavor to ensure that the recipients are
from a variety of types of institutions of higher education
and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations. In
support of this goal, the Director shall broadly disseminate
information about when and how to apply for grants under this
section, including by conducting outreach to 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)) and minority institutions (as
defined in section 365(3) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3))).
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out
the Director's responsibilities under this section
$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
(i) Report on Recruiting and Retaining Early Career Science
and Engineering Researchers at the National Laboratories.--
Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Director of the Office of Science shall transmit to
the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate a report on efforts to recruit and
retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of
their careers at the Department of Energy National
Laboratories. The report shall include--
(1) a description of Department of Energy and National
Laboratory policies and procedures, including financial
incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for
independent research, access to equipment or facilities, and
other forms of recognition, designed to attract and retain
young scientists and engineers;
(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the
careers of young scientists and engineers at Department of
Energy National Laboratories, and also on the quality of the
research at the National Laboratories and in Department of
Energy programs;
(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to
efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers,
including limited availability of full time equivalent
positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading
systems; and
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and
retain young researchers and the source of such funds.
SEC. 204. INTEGRATIVE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
TRAINEESHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Funding.--For each of the fiscal years 2008 through
2012, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall
allocate at
[[Page H5502]]
least 1.5 percent of funds appropriated for Research and
Related Activities to the Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Traineeship program.
(b) Coordination.--The Director shall coordinate with
Federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, to expand
the interdisciplinary nature of the Integrative Graduate
Education and Research Traineeship program.
(c) Authority To Accept Funds From Other Agencies.--The
Director is authorized to accept funds from other Federal
departments and agencies to carry out the Integrative
Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program.
SEC. 205. PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATION AWARD.
(a) Establishment.--The President shall periodically
present the Presidential Innovation Award, on the basis of
recommendations received from the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy or on the basis of such other
information as the President considers appropriate, to
individuals who develop one or more unique scientific or
engineering ideas in the national interest at the time the
innovation occurs.
(b) Purpose.--The awards under this section shall be made
to--
(1) stimulate scientific and engineering advances in the
national interest;
(2) illustrate the linkage between science and engineering
and national needs;
(3) show the potential of such innovation to substantively
enhance the economic competitiveness of the United States
through development of commercializable intellectual
property; and
(4) provide an example to students of the contribution they
could make to society by entering the science and engineering
profession.
(c) Citizenship.--An individual is not eligible to receive
the award under this section unless at the time such award is
made the individual--
(1) is a citizen or other national of the United States; or
(2) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for
permanent residence who--
(A) has filed an application for naturalization in the
manner prescribed by section 334 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1445); and
(B) is not permanently ineligible to become a citizen of
the United States.
(d) Presentation.--The presentation of the award shall be
made by the President with such ceremonies as he may deem
proper, including attendance by appropriate Members of
Congress.
SEC. 206. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE FOR RESEARCH
INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) In General.--The Office of Science and Technology
Policy shall establish a National Coordination Office for
Research Infrastructure. Such Office shall--
(1) identify and prioritize the deficiencies in research
facilities and major instrumentation located at academic
institutions and at national laboratories that are available
for use by academic researchers; and
(2) institute and coordinate the planning by Federal
agencies for the acquisition, refurbishment, and maintenance
of research facilities and major instrumentation required to
address the deficiencies identified under paragraph (1).
In prioritizing the deficiencies identified under paragraph
(1), the Office shall consider research needs in areas
relevant to the Nation's economic competitiveness.
(b) Staffing.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall appoint individuals to serve in the
Office established under subsection (a) from among the
principal Federal agencies that support research in the
sciences, mathematics, and engineering, and shall at a
minimum include individuals from the National Science
Foundation and the Department of Energy.
(c) Report.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall provide annually a report to Congress
at the time of the President's budget proposal--
(1) describing the research infrastructure needs identified
in accordance with subsection (a);
(2) listing research facilities projects and budget
proposals, by agency, for major instrumentation acquisitions
that are included in the President's budget proposal; and
(3) explaining how these facilities projects and
instrumentation acquisitions relate to the deficiencies and
priorities arrived at in accordance with subsection (a).
SEC. 207. RESEARCH ON INNOVATION AND INVENTIVENESS.
In carrying out its research programs on science policy and
on the science of learning, the National Science Foundation
may support research on the process of innovation and the
teaching of inventiveness.
SEC. 208. REPORT ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND
TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN EARLY
CAREER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.
Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology shall transmit to the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives and to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a report on efforts to recruit and retain young
scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers
at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
laboratories and joint institutes. The report shall include--
(1) a description of National Institute of Standards and
Technology policies and procedures, including financial
incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for
independent research, access to equipment or facilities, and
other forms of recognition, designed to attract and retain
young scientists and engineers;
(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the
careers of young scientists and engineers at the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and also on the
quality of the research at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology's laboratories and in the National
Institute of Standards and Technology's programs;
(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to
efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers,
including limited availability of full time equivalent
positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading
systems; and
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and
retain young researchers and the source of such funds.
SEC. 209. NASA'S CONTRIBUTION TO INNOVATION.
(a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that--
(1) a balanced science program as authorized by section
101(d) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-155) contributes
significantly to innovation in and the economic
competitiveness of the United States; and
(2) a robust National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
funded at the levels authorized under sections 202 and 203 of
that Act, would offer a balance among science, aeronautics,
exploration, and human space flight programs, all of which
can attract and employ scientists, engineers, and technicians
across a broad range of fields in science, technology,
mathematics, and engineering.
(b) Participation in Innovation and Competitiveness
Programs.--The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration shall fully participate in any
interagency efforts to promote innovation and economic
competitiveness through scientific research and development
within the spending levels cited in subsection (a).
SEC. 210. UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.
(a) Establishment.--The National Science Foundation shall
establish a program, to be known as the Undergraduate
Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics, or US-STEM, program, for awarding scholarships
to undergraduate scholars in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
(b) Eligibility.--A student is eligible for a scholarship
under this section only if the student--
(1) is enrolled at a public, 4-year college or university;
(2) will have completed at least one-half of the credit
requirements for an undergraduate degree before beginning
studies to be funded by the scholarship;
(3) has maintained a grade point average in undergraduate
studies of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0, or an equivalent
level as calculated by the National Science Foundation,
except that if the student's institution appeals this
criterion on the basis of undue hardship on the student, the
National Science Foundation may waive this paragraph;
(4) has a total family income of less than $75,000 per
year, with such amount to be adjusted annually by the
National Science Foundation for inflation;
(5) has not been convicted of a felony; and
(6) is a citizen or permanent resident alien of the United
States.
(c) Selection Criteria.--Scholarship recipients shall be
selected on the basis of merit and such other criteria as the
National Science Foundation shall establish.
(d) Awards.--The National Science Foundation shall announce
awards before April 1 for each upcoming academic year, and
may make up to 2,500 awards per year. Awards may be made for
a maximum of 2 academic years for each student, and
scholarship amounts shall be paid to the institution.
(e) Advisory Board.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall establish an advisory board, which shall
make recommendations to the Director for selection criteria
for scholarship recipients, and provide guidance and
oversight for the program.
TITLE III--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2007''.
SEC. 302. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the National Science
Board established under section 2 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861).
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Foundation.
(3) Elementary school.--The term ``elementary school'' has
the meaning given that term by section 9101(18) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801(18)).
(4) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation.
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given
such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
[[Page H5503]]
(6) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has
the meaning given that term by section 9101(38) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801(38)).
SEC. 303. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2008.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $6,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $5,080,000,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities, of which $115,000,000 shall be made
available for the Major Research Instrumentation program;
(B) $873,000,000 shall be made available for education and
human resources, of which--
(i) $94,000,000 shall be for Mathematics and Science
Education Partnerships established under section 9 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n), of which $32,000,000 shall be made available
for the purposes of section 122(a) of this Act and
$46,000,000 shall be made available for the purposes of
section 123 of this Act;
(ii) $70,000,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Scholarship
Program established under section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1);
(iii) $44,000,000 shall be for the Science, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technology Talent Expansion Program
established under section 8(7) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-368);
and
(iv) $51,620,000 shall be for the Advanced Technological
Education program established by section 3(a) of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (Public Law
102-476);
(C) $245,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $285,600,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,050,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $12,350,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(b) Fiscal Year 2009.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $6,980,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $5,457,400,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities, of which $123,100,000 shall be made
available for the Major Research Instrumentation program;
(B) $934,000,000 shall be made available for education and
human resources, of which--
(i) $100,600,000 shall be for Mathematics and Science
Education Partnerships established under section 9 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n), of which $35,200,000 shall be made available
for the purposes of section 122(a) of this Act and
$50,600,000 shall be made available for the purposes of
section 123 of this Act;
(ii) $101,000,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Scholarship
Program established under section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1);
(iii) $55,000,000 shall be for the Science, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technology Talent Expansion Program
established under section 8(7) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-368);
and
(iv) $55,200,000 shall be for the Advanced Technological
Education program as established by section 3(a) of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (Public Law
102-476);
(C) $262,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $309,760,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,120,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $12,720,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(c) Fiscal Year 2010.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $7,493,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $5,863,200,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities, of which $131,700,000 shall be made
available for the Major Research Instrumentation program;
(B) $1,003,000,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources, of which--
(i) $107,600,000 shall be for Mathematics and Science
Education Partnerships established under section 9 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n), of which $38,700,000 shall be made available
for the purposes of section 122(a) of this Act and
$55,700,000 shall be made available for the purposes of
section 123 of this Act;
(ii) $133,000,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Scholarship
Program established under section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1);
(iii) $60,000,000 shall be for the Science, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technology Talent Expansion Program
established under section 8(7) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-368);
and
(iv) $59,100,000 shall be for the Advanced Technological
Education program as established by section 3(a) of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (Public Law
102-476);
(C) $280,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $329,450,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,250,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $13,100,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(d) Major Research Instrumentation.--
(1) Award amount.--The minimum amount of an award under the
Major Research Instrumentation program shall be $100,000. The
maximum amount of an award under the program shall be
$4,000,000, except if the total amount appropriated for the
program for a fiscal year exceeds $125,000,000, in which case
the maximum amount of an award shall be $6,000,000.
(2) Use of funds.--In addition to the acquisition of
instrumentation and equipment, funds made available by awards
under the Major Research Instrumentation program may be used
to support the operations and maintenance of such
instrumentation and equipment.
(3) Cost sharing.--
(A) In general.--An institution of higher education
receiving an award shall provide at least 30 percent of the
cost from private or non-Federal sources.
(B) Exceptions.--Institutions of higher education that are
not Ph.D.-granting institutions are exempt from the cost
sharing requirement in subparagraph (A), and the Director may
reduce or waive the cost sharing requirement for--
(i) institutions--
(I) which are not ranked among the top 100 institutions
receiving Federal research and development funding, as
documented by the statistical data published by the
Foundation; and
(II) for which the proposed project will make a substantial
improvement in the institution's capabilities to conduct
leading edge research, to provide research experiences for
undergraduate students using leading edge facilities, and to
broaden the participation in science and engineering research
by individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science
and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or
1885b); and
(ii) consortia of institutions of higher education that
include at least one institution that is not a Ph.D-granting
institution.
(e) Undergraduate Education Programs.--The Director shall
continue to carry out programs in support of undergraduate
education, including those authorized in section 17 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n-6). Funding for these programs shall increase in
proportion to the increase in the total amount appropriated
to the Foundation in any year for which appropriations are
authorized by this title.
(f) Limit on Proposals.--
(1) Policy.--For programs that require as part of the
selection process for awards the submission of preproposals
and that also limit the number of preproposals that may be
submitted by an institution, the Director shall allow the
subsequent submission of a full proposal based on each
preproposal that is determined to have merit following the
Foundation's merit review process.
(2) Review and assessment of policies.--The Board shall
review and assess the effects on institutions of higher
education of the policies of the Foundation regarding the
imposition of limitations on the number of proposals that may
be submitted by a single institution for programs supported
by the Foundation. The Board shall determine whether current
policies are well justified and appropriate for the types of
programs that limit the number of proposal submissions. Not
later that 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Board shall summarize its findings and any
recommendations regarding changes to the current policy on
the restriction of proposal submissions in a report to the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
(g) Research Experiences for Undergraduates.--The Director
shall increase funding for the Research Experiences for
Undergraduates program in proportion to the increase in the
total amount appropriated to the Foundation for research and
related activities in any year for which appropriations are
authorized by this title.
(h) Global Warming Education.--
(1) Informal education.--As part of Informal Science
Education activities, the Director shall support activities
to create informal educational materials, exhibits, and
multimedia presentations relevant to global warming, climate
science, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
(2) K-12 instructional materials.--As part of Discovery
Research K-12 activities, the Director shall support the
development of K-12 educational materials relevant to global
warming, climate science, and greenhouse gas reduction
strategies.
SEC. 304. CENTERS FOR RESEARCH ON LEARNING AND EDUCATION
IMPROVEMENT.
(a) Funding for Centers.--The Director shall continue to
carry out the program of
[[Page H5504]]
Centers for Research on Learning and Education Improvement as
established in section 11 of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-2).
(b) Eligibility for Centers.--Section 11 of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C.
1862n-2) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``or eligible
nonprofit organizations'' after ``institutions of higher
education'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1) by inserting ``or an eligible
nonprofit organization'' after ``institution of higher
education''; and
(3) in subsection (b)(1) by striking ``of such
institutions'' and inserting ``thereof''.
SEC. 305. INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Board shall evaluate the role of the
Foundation in supporting interdisciplinary research,
including through the Major Research Instrumentation program,
the effectiveness of the Foundation's efforts in providing
information to the scientific community about opportunities
for funding of interdisciplinary research proposals, and the
process through which interdisciplinary proposals are
selected for support. The Board shall also evaluate the
effectiveness of the Foundation's efforts to engage
undergraduate students in research experiences in
interdisciplinary settings, including through the Research in
Undergraduate Institutions program and the Research
Experiences for Undergraduates program.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Board shall provide the results of
its evaluation under subsection (a), including a
recommendation for the proportion of the Foundation's
research and related activities funding that should be
allocated for interdisciplinary research, to the Committee on
Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate.
SEC. 306. PILOT PROGRAM OF GRANTS FOR NEW INVESTIGATORS.
(a) In General.--The Director shall carry out a pilot
program to award one-year grants to individuals to assist
them in improving research proposals that were previously
submitted to the Foundation but not selected for funding.
(b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall
be used to enable an individual to resubmit an updated
research proposal for review by the Foundation through the
agency's competitive merit review process. Uses of funds made
available under this section may include the generation of
new data and the performance of additional analysis.
(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an individual shall--
(1) not have previously received funding as the principal
investigator of a research grant from the Foundation; and
(2) have submitted a proposal to the Foundation, which may
include a proposal submitted to the Research in Undergraduate
Institutions program, that was rated very good or excellent
under the Foundation's competitive merit review process.
(d) Selection Process.--The Director shall make awards
under this section based on the advice of the program
officers of the Foundation.
(e) Program Administration.--The Director may carry out
this section through the Small Grants for Exploratory
Research program.
(f) National Science Board Review.--The Board shall conduct
a review and assessment of the pilot program under this
section, including the number of new investigators funded,
the distribution of awards by type of institution of higher
education, and the success rate upon resubmittal of proposals
by new investigators funded through this pilot program. Not
later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Board shall summarize its findings and any
recommendations regarding changes to or the continuation of
the pilot program in a report to the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
SEC. 307. BROADER IMPACTS MERIT REVIEW CRITERION.
(a) In General.--In evaluating research proposals under the
Foundation's broader impacts criterion, the Director shall
give special consideration to proposals that involve
partnerships between academic researchers and industrial
scientists and engineers that address research areas that
have been identified as having high importance for future
national economic competitiveness, such as nanotechnology.
(b) Partnerships With Industry.--The Director shall
encourage research proposals from institutions of higher
education that involve partnerships with businesses and
organizations representing businesses in fields that have
been identified as having high importance for future national
economic competitiveness and that include input on the
research agenda from and cost-sharing by the industry
partners.
(c) Report on Broader Impacts Criterion.--Not later than 1
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director
shall transmit to Congress a report on the impact of the
broader impacts grant criterion used by the Foundation. The
report shall--
(1) identify the criteria that each division and
directorate of the Foundation uses to evaluate the broader
impacts aspects of research proposals;
(2) provide a breakdown of the types of activities by
division that awardees have proposed to carry out to meet the
broader impacts criterion;
(3) provide any evaluations performed by the Foundation to
assess the degree to which the broader impacts aspects of
research proposals were carried out and how effective they
have been at meeting the goals described in the research
proposals;
(4) describe what national goals, such as improving
undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering
education, improving K-12 science and mathematics education,
promoting university-industry collaboration and technology
transfer, and broadening participation of underrepresented
groups, the broader impacts criterion is best suited to
promote; and
(5) describe what steps the Foundation is taking and should
take to use the broader impacts criterion to improve
undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering
education.
SEC. 308. POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWS.
(a) Mentoring.--The Director shall require that all grant
applications that include funding to support postdoctoral
researchers include a description of the mentoring activities
that will be provided for such individuals, and shall ensure
that this part of the application is evaluated under the
Foundation's broader impacts merit review criterion.
Mentoring activities may include career counseling, training
in preparing grant applications, guidance on ways to improve
teaching skills, and training in research ethics.
(b) Reports.--The Director shall require that annual
reports and the final report for research grants that include
funding to support postdoctoral researchers include a
description of the mentoring activities provided to such
researchers.
SEC. 309. RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH.
The Director shall require that each institution that
applies for financial assistance from the Foundation for
science and engineering research or education describe in its
grant proposal a plan to provide appropriate training and
oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research
to undergraduate students, graduate students, and
postdoctoral researchers participating in the proposed
research project.
SEC. 310. REPORTING OF RESEARCH RESULTS.
The Director shall ensure that all final project reports
and citations of published research documents resulting from
research funded, in whole or in part, by the Foundation, are
made available to the public in a timely manner and in
electronic form through the Foundation's Web site.
SEC. 311. SHARING RESEARCH RESULTS.
An investigator supported under a Foundation award, whom
the Director determines has failed to comply with the
provisions of section 734 of the Foundation Grant Policy
Manual, shall be ineligible for a future award under any
Foundation supported program or activity. The Director may
restore the eligibility of such an investigator on the basis
of the investigator's subsequent compliance with the
provisions of section 734 of the Foundation Grant Policy
Manual and with such other terms and conditions as the
Director may impose.
SEC. 312. FUNDING FOR SUCCESSFUL STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
(a) Evaluation of Programs.--The Director shall, on an
annual basis, evaluate all of the Foundation's grants that
are scheduled to expire within one year and--
(1) that have the primary purpose of meeting the objectives
of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunity Act (42
U.S.C. 1885 et seq.); or
(2) that have the primary purpose of providing teacher
professional development.
(b) Continuation of Funding.--For grants that are
identified under subsection (a) and that are deemed by the
Director to be successful in meeting the objectives of the
initial grant solicitation, the Director may extend the
duration of those grants for up to 3 additional years beyond
their scheduled expiration without the requirement for a
recompetition. The Director may extend such grants for an
additional 3 years following a second review within 1 year
before the extended completion date, in accordance with
subsection (a), and the determination by the Director that
the objectives of the grant are being achieved.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit a
report to the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate that--
(1) lists the grants which have been extended in duration
by the authority provided under this section; and
(2) provides any recommendations the Director may have
regarding the extension of the authority provided under this
section to programs other than those specified in subsection
(a).
SEC. 313. COST SHARING.
(a) In General.--The Board shall evaluate the impact of its
policy to eliminate cost sharing for research grants and
cooperative
[[Page H5505]]
agreements for existing programs that were developed around
industry partnerships and historically required industry cost
sharing, such as the Engineering Research Centers and
Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers. The Board
shall also consider the impact that the cost sharing policy
has on initiating new programs for which industry interest
and participation are sought.
(b) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Board shall report to the
Committee on Science and Technology and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, on the results of
the evaluation under subsection (a).
SEC. 314. DONATIONS.
Section 11(f) of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1870(f)) is amended by inserting at the end
before the semicolon ``, except that funds may be donated for
specific prize competitions''.
SEC. 315. ADDITIONAL REPORTS.
(a) Report on Funding for Major Facilities.--
(1) Preconstruction funding.--The Board shall evaluate the
appropriateness of the requirement that funding for detailed
design work and other preconstruction activities for major
research equipment and facilities come exclusively from the
sponsoring research division rather than being available, at
least in part, from the Major Research Equipment and
Facilities Construction account.
(2) Maintenance and operation costs.--The Board shall
evaluate the appropriateness of the Foundation's policies for
allocation of costs for, and oversight of, maintenance and
operation of major research equipment and facilities.
(3) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Board shall report on the results
of the evaluations under paragraphs (1) and (2) and on any
recommendations for modifying the current policies related to
allocation of funding for major research equipment and
facilities to the Committee on Science and Technology and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives,
and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate.
(b) Inclusion of Polar Facilities Upgrades in Major
Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Plan.--Section
201(a)(2)(D) of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 1862l(a)(2)(D)) is amended by
inserting ``and for major upgrades of facilities in support
of Antarctic research programs'' after ``facilities
construction account''.
(c) Report on Education Programs Within the Research
Directorates.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit to the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate a report cataloging all elementary
and secondary school, informal, and undergraduate educational
programs and activities supported through appropriations for
Research and Related Activities. The report shall display the
programs and activities by directorate, along with estimated
funding levels for the fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008, and
shall provide a description of the goals of each program and
activity. The report shall also describe how the programs and
activities relate to or are coordinated with the programs
supported by the Education and Human Resources Directorate.
(d) Report on Research in Undergraduate Institutions
Program.--The Director shall transmit to Congress along with
the fiscal year 2011 budget request a report listing the
funding success rates and distribution of awards for the
Research in Undergraduate Institutions program, by type of
institution based on the highest academic degree conferred by
the institution, for fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010.
(e) Annual Plan for Allocation of Education and Human
Resources Funding.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of legislation providing for the annual
appropriation of funds for the Foundation, the Director shall
submit to the Committee on Science and Technology and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives,
and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate, a plan for the allocation of education and human
resources funds authorized by this title for the
corresponding fiscal year, including any funds from within
the research and related activities account used to support
activities that have the primary purpose of improving
education or broadening participation.
(2) Specific requirements.--The plan shall include a
description of how the allocation of funding--
(A) will affect the average size and duration of education
and human resources grants supported by the Foundation;
(B) will affect trends in research support for the
effective instruction of mathematics, science, engineering,
and technology;
(C) will affect the K-20 pipeline for the study of
mathematics, science, engineering, and technology; and
(D) will encourage the interest of individuals identified
in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in mathematics,
science, engineering, and technology, and help prepare such
individuals to pursue postsecondary studies in these fields.
SEC. 316. ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS.
(a) Triannual Audit of the Office of the National Science
Board.--Section 15(a) of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 4862n-5) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``an annual audit'' and
inserting ``an audit every three years'';
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ``each year'' and
inserting ``every third year''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new
paragraph:
``(5) Materials relating to closed portions of meetings.--
To facilitate the audit required under paragraph (3) of this
subsection, 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.''.
(b) Limited Term Personnel for the National Science
Board.--Subsection (g) of section 4 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(g)) is amended to read
as follows:
``(g) The Board may, with the concurrence of a majority of
its members, permit the appointment of a staff consisting of
not more than 5 professional staff members, technical and
professional personnel on leave of absence from academic,
industrial, or research institutions for a limited term and
such operations and support staff members as may be
necessary. Such staff shall be appointed by the Chairman and
assigned at the direction of the Board. The professional
members and limited term technical and professional personnel
of such staff may be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing
appointments in the competitive service, and the provisions
of chapter 51 of such title relating to classification, and
shall be compensated at a rate not exceeding the maximum rate
payable under section 5376 of such title, as may be necessary
to provide for the performance of such duties as may be
prescribed by the Board in connection with the exercise of
its powers and functions under this Act. Section 14(a)(3)
shall apply to each limited term appointment of technical and
professional personnel under this subsection. Each
appointment under this subsection shall be subject to the
same security requirements as those required for personnel of
the Foundation appointed under section 14(a).''.
(c) Increase in Number of Waterman Awards to Three.--
Section 6(c) of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 1881a) is amended to read as follows:
``(c) Up to three awards may be made under this section in
any one fiscal year.''.
SEC. 317. NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD REPORTS.
Paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 4(j) of the National
Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(1) and (2))
are amended by striking ``, for submission to'' and ``for
submission to'', respectively, and inserting ``and''.
SEC. 318. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE REPORT ON DIVERSITY IN
STEM FIELDS.
(a) In General.--The Foundation shall enter into an
arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a
report, to be transmitted to the Congress not later than 1
year after the date of enactment of this Act, about barriers
to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields and
to identify strategies for bringing more underrepresented
minorities into the science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics workforce.
(b) Specific Requirements.--The Director shall ensure that
the study described in subsection (a) addresses--
(1) social and institutional factors that shape the
decisions of minority students to commit to education and
careers in the science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics fields;
(2) specific barriers preventing greater minority student
participation in the science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics fields;
(3) primary focus points for policy intervention to
increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented
minorities in America's future workforce;
(4) programs already underway to increase diversity in the
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, and
their level of effectiveness;
(5) factors that make such programs effective, and how to
expand and improve upon existing programs;
(6) the role of minority-serving institutions in the
diversification of America's workforce in these fields and
how that role can be supported and strengthened; and
(7) how the public and private sectors can better assist
minority students in their efforts to join America's
workforce in these fields.
[[Page H5506]]
SEC. 319. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING THE MATHEMATICS AND
SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION AND THE NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION.
It is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) although the mathematics and science education
partnership program at the National Science Foundation and
the mathematics and science partnership program at the
Department of Education practically share the same name, the
2 programs are intended to be complementary, not duplicative;
(2) the National Science Foundation partnership programs
are innovative, model reform initiatives that move promising
ideas in education from research into practice to improve
teacher quality, develop challenging curricula, and increase
student achievement in mathematics and science, and Congress
intends that the National Science Foundation peer-reviewed
partnership programs found to be effective should be put into
wider practice by dissemination through the Department of
Education partnership programs; and
(3) the Director of the National Science Foundation and the
Secretary of Education should have ongoing collaboration to
ensure that the 2 components of this priority effort for
mathematics and science education continue to work in concert
for the benefit of States and local practitioners nationwide.
SEC. 320. HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS UNDERGRADUATE
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Director is authorized to establish a
new program to award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis to Hispanic-serving institutions to enhance the quality
of undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology education at such institutions and to increase the
retention and graduation rates of students pursuing
associate's or baccalaureate degrees in science, mathematics,
engineering, or technology.
(b) Program Components.--Grants awarded under this section
shall support--
(1) activities to improve courses and curriculum in
science, mathematics, engineering, and technology;
(2) faculty development;
(3) stipends for undergraduate students participating in
research; and
(4) other activities consistent with subsection (a), as
determined by the Director.
(c) Instrumentation.--Funding for instrumentation is an
allowed use of grants awarded under this section.
SEC. 321. COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING FOR SCIENTISTS.
(a) Grant Supplements for Communications Training.--The
Director shall provide grant supplements, on a competitive,
merit-reviewed basis, to institutions receiving awards under
the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship
program. The grant supplements shall be used to train
graduate students in the communication of the substance and
importance of their research to nonscientist audiences,
including policymakers.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit a
report to the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, describing how
the activities required under subsection (a) have been
implemented. The report shall include data on the number of
graduate students trained and the number and size of grant
supplements awarded, and a description of the types of
activities funded through the grant supplements.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Technology Innovation and
Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007''.
Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations
SEC. 411. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES.
(a) Laboratory Activities.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for the scientific
and technical research and services laboratory activities of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology--
(1) $470,879,000 for fiscal year 2008;
(2) $497,750,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
(3) $537,569,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(b) Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program.--There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Commerce for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
program under section 17 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711a)--
(1) $7,860,000 for fiscal year 2008;
(2) $8,096,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
(3) $8,339,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(c) Construction and Maintenance.--There are authorized to
be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for construction
and maintenance of facilities of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology--
(1) $93,865,000 for fiscal year 2008;
(2) $86,371,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
(3) $49,719,000 for fiscal year 2010.
SEC. 412. INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Commerce for Industrial Technology Services activities of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology--
(1) $222,968,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which--
(A) $110,000,000 shall be for the Technology Innovation
Program under section 28 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n), of which at
least $45,000,000 shall be for new awards; and
(B) $112,968,000 shall be for the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and
278l), of which not more than $1,000,000 shall be for the
competitive grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
(2) $263,505,000 for fiscal year 2009, of which--
(A) $141,500,000 shall be for the Technology Innovation
Program under section 28 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n), of which at
least $45,000,000 shall be for new awards; and
(B) $122,005,000 shall be for the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Program under sections 25 and 26 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and
278l), of which not more than $4,000,000 shall be for the
competitive grant program under section 25(f) of such Act;
and
(3) $282,266,000 for fiscal year 2010, of which--
(A) $150,500,000 shall be for the Technology Innovation
Program under section 28 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n), of which at
least $45,000,000 shall be for new awards; and
(B) $131,766,000 shall be for the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Program under sections 25 and 26 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and
278l), of which not more than $4,000,000 shall be for the
competitive grant program under section 25(f) of such Act.
Subtitle B--Innovation and Technology Policy Reforms
SEC. 421. INSTITUTE-WIDE PLANNING REPORT.
Section 23 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278i) is amended by adding at the
end the following new subsections:
``(c) Concurrent with the submission to Congress of the
President's annual budget request in the first year after the
date of enactment of the Technology Innovation and
Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007, the Director shall
transmit to the Congress a 3-year programmatic planning
document for the Institute, including programs under the
Scientific and Technical Research and Services, Industrial
Technology Services, and Construction of Research Facilities
functions.
``(d) Concurrent with the submission to the Congress of the
President's annual budget request in each year after the date
of enactment of the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing
Stimulation Act of 2007, the Director shall transmit to the
Congress an update to the 3-year programmatic planning
document transmitted under subsection (c), revised to cover
the first 3 fiscal years after the date of that update.''.
SEC. 422. REPORT BY VISITING COMMITTEE.
Section 10(h)(1) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278(h)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``on or before January 31 in each year''
and inserting ``within 30 days after the submission to
Congress of the President's annual budget request in each
year''; and
(2) by adding to the end the following: ``Such report also
shall comment on the programmatic planning document and
updates thereto transmitted to the Congress by the Director
under section 23(c) and (d).''.
SEC. 423. MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP.
(a) MEP Advisory Board.--Section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) MEP Advisory Board.--(1) There is established within
the Institute a Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory
Board (in this Act referred to as the `MEP Advisory Board').
The MEP Advisory Board shall consist of 10 members broadly
representative of stakeholders, to be appointed by the
Director. At least 2 members shall be employed by or on an
advisory board for the Centers, and at least 5 other members
shall be from United States small businesses in the
manufacturing sector. No member shall be an employee of the
Federal Government.
``(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) or (C), the
term of office of each member of the MEP Advisory Board shall
be 3 years.
``(B) The original members of the MEP Advisory Board shall
be appointed to 3 classes. One class of 3 members shall have
an initial term of 1 year, one class of 3 members shall have
an initial term of 2 years, and one class of 4 members shall
have an initial term of 3 years.
``(C) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring
prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor
was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such
term.
``(D) Any person who has completed two consecutive full
terms of service on the MEP Advisory Board shall thereafter
be ineligible for appointment during the one-year period
following the expiration of the second such term.
``(3) The MEP Advisory Board shall meet no less than 2
times annually, and provide to the Director--
[[Page H5507]]
``(A) advice on Manufacturing Extension Partnership
programs, plans, and policies;
``(B) assessments of the soundness of Manufacturing
Extension Partnership plans and strategies; and
``(C) assessments of current performance against
Manufacturing Extension Partnership program plans.
``(4) In discharging its duties under this subsection, the
MEP Advisory Board shall function solely in an advisory
capacity, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act.
``(5) The MEP Advisory Board shall transmit an annual
report to the Secretary for transmittal to the Congress
within 30 days after the submission to the Congress of the
President's annual budget request in each year. Such report
shall address the status of the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program and comment on the relevant sections of
the programmatic planning document and updates thereto
transmitted to the Congress by the Director under section
23(c) and (d).''.
(b) Acceptance of Funds.--Section 25(d) of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(d))
is amended to read as follows:
``(d) Acceptance of Funds.--In addition to such sums as may
be appropriated to the Secretary and Director to operate the
Centers program, the Secretary and Director also may accept
funds from other Federal departments and agencies and under
section 2(c)(7) from the private sector for the purpose of
strengthening United States manufacturing. Such funds, if
allocated to a Center or Centers, shall not be considered in
the calculation of the Federal share of capital and annual
operating and maintenance costs under subsection (c).''.
(c) Manufacturing Extension Center Competitive Grant
Program.--Section 25 of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k), as amended by subsection
(a) of this section, is further amended by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
``(f) Competitive Grant Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish, within
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program under this
section and section 26 of this Act, a program of competitive
awards among participants described in paragraph (2) for the
purposes described in paragraph (3).
``(2) Participants.--Participants receiving awards under
this subsection shall be the Centers, or a consortium of such
Centers.
``(3) Purpose.--The purpose of the program under this
subsection is to develop projects to solve new or emerging
manufacturing problems as determined by the Director, in
consultation with the Director of the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Advisory Board, and small and medium-sized manufacturers. One
or more themes for the competition may be identified, which
may vary from year to year, depending on the needs of
manufacturers and the success of previous competitions. These
themes shall be related to projects associated with
manufacturing extension activities, including supply chain
integration and quality management, and including the
transfer of technology based on the technological needs of
manufacturers and available technologies from institutions of
higher education, laboratories, and other technology
producing entities, or extend beyond these traditional areas.
``(4) Applications.--Applications for awards under this
subsection shall be submitted in such manner, at such time,
and containing such information as the Director shall
require, in consultation with the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Advisory Board.
``(5) Selection.--Awards under this subsection shall be
peer reviewed and competitively awarded. The Director shall
select proposals to receive awards--
``(A) that utilize innovative or collaborative approaches
to solving the problem described in the competition;
``(B) that will improve the competitiveness of industries
in the region in which the Center or Centers are located; and
``(C) that will contribute to the long-term economic
stability of that region.
``(6) Program contribution.--Recipients of awards under
this subsection shall not be required to provide a matching
contribution.''.
SEC. 424. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAM.
Section 28 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n) is amended to read as
follows:
``TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAM
``Sec. 28. (a) Establishment.--There is established in the
Institute a Technology Innovation Program for the purpose of
assisting United States businesses and institutions of higher
education or other organizations, such as national
laboratories and nonprofit research institutes, to accelerate
the research and development and application of challenging,
high-risk, high-reward technologies in areas of critical
national need that promise widespread economic benefits for
the Nation.
``(b) Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall make grants under
this section for research and development on high-risk, high-
reward emerging and enabling technologies (including any
technological application that uses biological systems,
living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify
products or processes for specific use) that address critical
national needs and have a wide breadth of potential
application, and form an important technical basis for future
innovations. Such grants shall be made to--
``(A) eligible companies that are small- or medium-sized
businesses that are substantially involved in the research
and development, including having a leadership role in
programmatically steering the project and defining the
research agenda; or
``(B) joint ventures.
``(2) Single company grants.--No grant made under paragraph
(1)(A) shall exceed $3,000,000 over 3 years. The Federal
share of a project funded by such a grant shall not be more
than 50 percent of total project costs. An award under
paragraph (1)(A) may be extended beyond 3 years only if the
Director transmits to the Committee on Science and Technology
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a full
and complete explanation of such award, including reasons for
exceeding 3 years. Federal funds granted under paragraph
(1)(A) may be used only for direct costs and not for indirect
costs, profits, or management fees of a contractor.
``(3) Joint venture grants.--No grant made under paragraph
(1)(B) shall exceed $9,000,000 over 5 years. The Federal
share of a project funded by such a grant shall not be more
than 50 percent of total project costs.
``(c) Award Criteria.--The Director shall award grants
under this section only to an eligible company--
``(1) whose proposal has scientific and technological
merit;
``(2) whose application establishes that the proposed
technology has strong potential to generate substantial
benefits to the Nation that extend significantly beyond the
direct return to the applicant;
``(3) whose application establishes that the research has
strong potential for advancing the state-of-the-art and
contributing significantly to the United States scientific
and technical knowledge base;
``(4) whose application establishes that the research is
aimed at overcoming a scientific or technological barrier;
``(5) who has provided a technical plan that clearly
identifies the core innovation, the technical approach, major
technical hurdles, and the attendant risks, and that clearly
establishes the feasibility of the technology through
adequately detailed plans linked to major technical barriers;
``(6) whose application establishes that the team proposed
to carry out the work has a high level of scientific and
technical expertise to conduct research and development, has
a high level of commitment to the project, and has access to
appropriate research facilities;
``(7) whose proposal explains why Technology Innovation
Program support is necessary;
``(8) whose application includes a plan for advancing the
technology into commercial use; and
``(9) whose application assesses the project's
organizational structure and management plan.
``(d) External Review of Proposals.--In order to analyze
the need for or the value of any proposal made by a joint
venture or company requesting the Director's assistance under
this section, or to monitor the progress of any project which
receives funds under this section, the Director shall consult
with industry or other expert sources that do not have a
proprietary or financial interest in the proposal or project.
``(e) Intellectual Property Rights Ownership.--
``(1) In general.--Title to any intellectual property
developed by a joint venture from assistance provided under
this section may vest in any participant in the joint
venture, as agreed by the members of the joint venture,
notwithstanding section 202(a) and (b) of title 35, United
States Code. The United States may reserve a nonexclusive,
nontransferable, irrevocable paid-up license, to have
practiced for or on behalf of the United States in connection
with any such intellectual property, but shall not in the
exercise of such license publicly disclose proprietary
information related to the license. Title to any such
intellectual property shall not be transferred or passed,
except to a participant in the joint venture, until the
expiration of the first patent obtained in connection with
such intellectual property.
``(2) Licensing.--Nothing in this subsection shall be
construed to prohibit the licensing to any company of
intellectual property rights arising from assistance provided
under this section.
``(3) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the
term `intellectual property' means an invention patentable
under title 35, United States Code, or any patent on such an
invention, or any work for which copyright protection is
available under title 17, United States Code.
``(f) Program Operation.--Not later than 9 months after the
date of enactment of the Technology Innovation and
Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007, the Director shall
issue regulations--
``(1) establishing criteria for the selection of recipients
of assistance under this section;
``(2) establishing procedures regarding financial reporting
and auditing to ensure that contracts and awards are used for
the purposes specified in this section, are in accordance
with sound accounting practices, and are not funding existing
or planned research programs that would be conducted in the
same time period in the absence of financial assistance under
this section; and
[[Page H5508]]
``(3) providing for appropriate dissemination of Technology
Innovation Program research results.
``(g) Continuation of ATP Grants.--The Director shall,
through the Technology Innovation Program, continue to
provide support originally awarded under the Advanced
Technology Program, in accordance with the terms of the
original award.
``(h) Coordination With Other State and Federal Technology
Programs.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall,
as appropriate, coordinate with other senior State and
Federal officials to ensure cooperation and coordination in
State and Federal technology programs and to avoid
unnecessary duplication of efforts.
``(i) Acceptance of Funds From Other Federal Agencies.--In
addition to amounts appropriated to carry out this section,
the Secretary and the Director may accept funds from other
Federal agencies to support awards under the Technology
Innovation Program. Any award under this section which is
supported with funds from other Federal agencies shall be
selected and carried out according to the provisions of this
section.
``(j) TIP Advisory Board.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the
Institute a Technology Innovation Program Advisory Board. The
TIP Advisory Board shall consist of 10 members appointed by
the Director, at least 7 of which shall be from United States
industry, chosen to reflect the wide diversity of technical
disciplines and industrial sectors represented in Technology
Innovation Program projects. No member shall be an employee
of the Federal Government.
``(2) Terms of office.--(A) Except as provided in
subparagraph (B) or (C), the term of office of each member of
the TIP Advisory Board shall be 3 years.
``(B) The original members of the TIP Advisory Board shall
be appointed to 3 classes. One class of 3 members shall have
an initial term of 1 year, one class of 3 members shall have
an initial term of 2 years, and one class of 4 members shall
have an initial term of 3 years.
``(C) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring
prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor
was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such
term.
``(D) Any person who has completed two consecutive full
terms of service on the TIP Advisory Board shall thereafter
be ineligible for appointment during the one-year period
following the expiration of the second such term.
``(3) Purpose.--The TIP Advisory Board shall meet no less
than 2 times annually, and provide to the Director--
``(A) advice on programs, plans, and policies of the
Technology Innovation Program;
``(B) reviews of the Technology Innovation Program's
efforts to assess its economic impact;
``(C) reports on the general health of the program and its
effectiveness in achieving its legislatively mandated
mission;
``(D) guidance on areas of technology that are appropriate
for Technology Innovation Program funding; and
``(E) recommendations as to whether, in order to better
assess whether specific innovations to be pursued are being
adequately supported by the private sector, the Director
could benefit from advice and information from additional
industry and other expert sources without a proprietary or
financial interest in proposals being evaluated.
``(4) Advisory capacity.--In discharging its duties under
this subsection, the TIP Advisory Board shall function solely
in an advisory capacity, in accordance with the Federal
Advisory Committee Act.
``(5) Annual report.--The TIP Advisory Board shall transmit
an annual report to the Secretary for transmittal to the
Congress within 30 days after the submission to Congress of
the President's annual budget request in each year. Such
report shall address the status of the Technology Innovation
Program and comment on the relevant sections of the
programmatic planning document and updates thereto
transmitted to the Congress by the Director under section
23(c) and (d).
``(k) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
``(1) the term `eligible company' means a company that is
incorporated in the United States and does a majority of its
business in the United States, and that either--
``(A) is majority owned by citizens of the United States;
or
``(B) is owned by a parent company incorporated in another
country and the Director finds that--
``(i) the company's participation in the Technology
Innovation Program would be in the economic interest of the
United States, as evidenced by--
``(I) investments in the United States in research and
manufacturing (including the manufacture of major components
or subassemblies in the United States);
``(II) significant contributions to employment in the
United States; and
``(III) agreement with respect to any technology arising
from assistance provided under this section to promote the
manufacture within the United States of products resulting
from that technology (taking into account the goals of
promoting the competitiveness of United States industry); and
``(ii) the company is incorporated in a country which--
``(I) affords to United States-owned companies
opportunities, comparable to those afforded to any other
company, to participate in any joint venture similar to those
receiving funding under this section;
``(II) affords to United States-owned companies local
investment opportunities comparable to those afforded any
other company; and
``(III) affords adequate and effective protection for the
intellectual property rights of United States-owned
companies;
``(2) the term `high-risk, high-reward research' means
research that--
``(A) has the potential for yielding results with far-
ranging or wide-ranging implications;
``(B) addresses critical national needs related to
technology and measurement standards; and
``(C) is too novel or spans too diverse a range of
disciplines to fare well in the traditional peer review
process.
``(3) the term `institution of higher education' has the
meaning given that term in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001);
``(4) the term `joint venture' means a joint venture that--
``(A) includes either--
``(i) at least 2 separately owned for-profit companies that
are both substantially involved in the project and both of
which are contributing to the cost-sharing required under
this section, with the lead entity of the joint venture being
one of those companies that is a small or medium-sized
business; or
``(ii) at least one small or medium-sized business and one
institution of higher education or other organization, such
as a national laboratory or nonprofit research institute,
that are both substantially involved in the project and both
of which are contributing to the cost-sharing required under
this section, with the lead entity of the joint venture being
either that small or medium-sized business or that
institution of higher education; and
``(B) may include additional for-profit companies,
institutions of higher education, and other organizations,
such as national laboratories and nonprofit research
institutes, that may or may not contribute non-Federal funds
to the project; and
``(5) the term `TIP Advisory Board' means the advisory
board established under subsection (j).''.
SEC. 425. RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS.
Section 18 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-l) is amended by striking ``up
to 1 per centum of the'' and inserting ``up to 1.5 percent of
the''.
SEC. 426. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH PILOT GRANTS.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act is
amended--
(1) by redesignating the first section 32 (15 U.S.C. 271
note) as section 34 and moving it to the end of the Act; and
(2) by inserting before the section moved by paragraph (1)
the following new section:
``SEC. 33. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH PILOT GRANTS.
``(a) Authority.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish a pilot
program of awards to partnerships among participants
described in paragraph (2) for the purposes described in
paragraph (3). Awards shall be made on a peer-reviewed,
competitive basis.
``(2) Participants.--Such partnerships shall include at
least--
``(A) 1 manufacturing industry partner; and
``(B) 1 nonindustry partner.
``(3) Purpose.--The purpose of the program under this
section is to foster cost-shared collaborations among firms,
educational institutions, research institutions, State
agencies, and nonprofit organizations to encourage the
development of innovative, multidisciplinary manufacturing
technologies. Partnerships receiving awards under this
section shall conduct applied research to develop new
manufacturing processes, techniques, or materials that would
contribute to improved performance, productivity, and
competitiveness of United States manufacturing, and build
lasting alliances among collaborators.
``(b) Program Contribution.--Awards under this section
shall provide for not more than one-third of the costs of a
partnership. Not more than an additional one-third of such
costs may be obtained directly or indirectly from other
Federal sources.
``(c) Applications.--Applications for awards under this
section shall be submitted in such manner, at such time, and
containing such information as the Director shall require.
Such applications shall describe at a minimum--
``(1) how each partner will participate in developing and
carrying out the research agenda of the partnership;
``(2) the research that the grant would fund; and
``(3) how the research to be funded with the award would
contribute to improved performance, productivity, and
competitiveness of the United States manufacturing industry.
``(d) Selection Criteria.--In selecting applications for
awards under this section, the Director shall consider at a
minimum--
``(1) the degree to which projects will have a broad impact
on manufacturing;
``(2) the novelty and scientific and technical merit of the
proposed projects; and
[[Page H5509]]
``(3) the demonstrated capabilities of the applicants to
successfully carry out the proposed research.
``(e) Distribution.--In selecting applications under this
section the Director shall ensure, to the extent practicable,
a distribution of overall awards among a variety of
manufacturing industry sectors and a range of firm sizes.
``(f) Duration.--In carrying out this section, the Director
shall run a single pilot competition to solicit and make
awards. Each award shall be for a 3-year period.''.
SEC. 427. MANUFACTURING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
Section 18 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-1) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The
Director is authorized''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Manufacturing Fellowship Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--To promote the development of a
robust research community working at the leading edge of
manufacturing sciences, the Director shall establish a
program to award--
``(A) postdoctoral research fellowships at the Institute
for research activities related to manufacturing sciences;
and
``(B) senior research fellowships to established
researchers in industry or at institutions of higher
education who wish to pursue studies related to the
manufacturing sciences at the Institute.
``(2) Applications.--To be eligible for an award under this
subsection, an individual shall submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director may require.
``(3) Stipend levels.--Under this subsection, the Director
shall provide stipends for postdoctoral research fellowships
at a level consistent with the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
Program, and senior research fellowships at levels consistent
with support for a faculty member in a sabbatical
position.''.
SEC. 428. MEETINGS OF VISITING COMMITTEE ON ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY.
Section 10(d) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278(d)) is amended by striking
``quarterly'' and inserting ``twice each year''.
SEC. 429. MANUFACTURING RESEARCH DATABASE.
(a) Establishment.--The National Institute of Standards and
Technology shall provide for the establishment of a
manufacturing research database to enable private sector
individuals and Federal officials to access a broad range of
information on manufacturing research carried out with
funding support from the Federal Government.
(b) Contents.--The database established under subsection
(a) shall contain--
(1) all publicly available information maintained by a
Federal agency relating to manufacturing research projects
funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government; and
(2) information about all Federal programs that may be of
interest to manufacturers.
(c) Accessibility.--Information contained in the database
shall be accessible in a manner to enable users of the
database to easily retrieve information of specific interest
to them.
(d) Fees.--The National Institute of Standards and
Technology may authorize charging a nominal fee for using the
database to access information described in subsection (b)(1)
as necessary to recover the costs of maintaining the
database.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the National Institute of Standards and
Technology $2,000,000 for carrying out this section.
Subtitle C--Miscellaneous
SEC. 441. POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS.
Section 19 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-2) is amended by striking
``nor more than 60 new fellows'' and inserting ``nor more
than 120 new fellows''.
SEC. 442. FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS CLARIFICATION.
Section 2(b)(4) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(4)) is amended by inserting
``and grants and cooperative agreements,'' after
``arrangements,''.
SEC. 443. WORKING CAPITAL FUND TRANSFERS.
Section 12 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278b) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(g) Amount and Source of Transfers.--Not more than one-
quarter of one percent of the amounts appropriated to the
Institute for any fiscal year may be transferred to the fund,
in addition to any other transfer authority. In addition,
funds provided to the Institute from other Federal agencies
for the purpose of production of Standard Reference Materials
may be transferred to the fund.''.
SEC. 444. RETENTION OF DEPRECIATION SURCHARGE.
Section 14 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278d) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``Within'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Retention of Fees.--The Director is authorized to
retain all building use and depreciation surcharge fees
collected pursuant to OMB Circular A-25. Such fees shall be
collected and credited to the Construction of Research
Facilities Appropriation Account for use in maintenance and
repair of the Institute's existing facilities.''.
SEC. 445. NON-ENERGY INVENTIONS PROGRAM.
Section 27 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278m) is repealed.
SEC. 446. REDEFINITION OF THE METRIC SYSTEM.
Section 3570 of the Revised Statues of the United States
(derived from section 2 of the Act of July 28, 1866, entitled
``An Act to authorize the Use of the Metric System of Weights
and Measures'' (15 U.S.C. 205; 14 Stat. 339)) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 3570. METRIC SYSTEM DEFINED.
``The metric system of measurement shall be defined as the
International System of Units as established in 1960, and
subsequently maintained, by the General Conference of Weights
and Measures, and as interpreted or modified for the United
States by the Secretary of Commerce.''.
SEC. 447. REPEAL OF REDUNDANT AND OBSOLETE AUTHORITY.
The Act of July 21, 1950, entitled ``An Act To redefine the
units and establish the standards of electrical and
photometric measurements'' (15 U.S.C. 223 and 224) is
repealed.
SEC. 448. CLARIFICATION OF STANDARD TIME AND TIME ZONES.
(a) Section 1 of the Act of March 19, 1918, (commonly known
as the ``Calder Act'') (15 U.S.C. 261) is amended--
(1) by striking the second sentence and the extra period
after it and inserting ``Except as provided in section 3(a)
of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a), the
standard time of the first zone shall be Coordinated
Universal Time retarded by 4 hours; that of the second zone
retarded by 5 hours; that of the third zone retarded by 6
hours; that of the four zone retarded by 7 hours; that of the
fifth zone retarded by 8 hours; that of the sixth zone
retarded by 9 hours; that of the seventh zone retarded by 10
hours; that of the eighth zone retarded by 11 hours; and that
of the ninth zone shall be Coordinated Universal Time
advanced by 10 hours.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ``In this section,
the term `Coordinated Universal Time' means the time scale
maintained through the General Conference of Weights and
Measures and interpreted or modified for the United States by
the Secretary of Commerce in coordination with the Secretary
of the Navy.''.
(b) Section 3 of the Act of March 19, 1918, (commonly known
as the ``Calder Act'') (15 U.S.C. 264) is amended by striking
``third zone'' and inserting ``fourth zone''.
SEC. 449. PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMITTENT SERVICES.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology may procure the temporary or
intermittent services of experts or consultants (or
organizations thereof) in accordance with section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code to assist on urgent or short-term
research projects.
(b) Extent of Authority.--A procurement under this section
may not exceed 1 year in duration, and the Director shall
procure no more than 200 experts and consultants per year.
(c) Sunset.--This section shall cease to be effective after
September 30, 2010.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall
report to the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on whether
additional safeguards would be needed with respect to the use
of authorities granted under this section if such authorities
were to be made permanent.
SEC. 450. MALCOLM BALDRIGE AWARDS.
Section 17(c)(3) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711a(c)(3)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(3) In any year, not more than 18 awards may be made
under this section to recipients who have not previously
received an award under this section, and no award shall be
made within any category described in paragraph (1) if there
are no qualifying enterprises in that category.''.
TITLE V--HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
SEC. 501. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM.
Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15
U.S.C. 5511 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in the title heading, by striking ``AND THE NATIONAL
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK'' and inserting ``RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT'';
(2) in section 101(a)--
(A) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1)
and inserting the following:
``(A) provide for long-term basic and applied research on
high-performance computing;
``(B) provide for research and development on, and
demonstration of, technologies to advance the capacity and
capabilities of high-performance computing and networking
systems;
``(C) provide for sustained access by the research
community in the United States to high-performance computing
systems that are among the most advanced in the world in
[[Page H5510]]
terms of performance in solving scientific and engineering
problems, including provision for technical support for users
of such systems;
``(D) provide for efforts to increase software
availability, productivity, capability, security,
portability, and reliability;
``(E) provide for high-performance networks, including
experimental testbed networks, to enable research and
development on, and demonstration of, advanced applications
enabled by such networks;
``(F) provide for computational science and engineering
research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for
applications in all fields of science and engineering;
``(G) provide for the technical support of, and research
and development on, high-performance computing systems and
software required to address Grand Challenges;
``(H) provide for educating and training additional
undergraduate and graduate students in software engineering,
computer science, computer and network security, applied
mathematics, library and information science, and
computational science; and
``(I) provide for improving the security of computing and
networking systems, including Federal systems, including
research required to establish security standards and
practices for these systems.'';
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraphs
(3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively;
(C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph--
(i) by striking subparagraph (B);
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (C) as
subparagraphs (D) and (F), respectively;
(iii) by inserting before subparagraph (D), as so
redesignated by clause (ii) of this subparagraph, the
following new subparagraphs:
``(A) establish the goals and priorities for Federal high-
performance computing research, development, networking, and
other activities;
``(B) establish Program Component Areas that implement the
goals established under subparagraph (A), and identify the
Grand Challenges that the Program should address;
``(C) provide for interagency coordination of Federal high-
performance computing research, development, networking, and
other activities undertaken pursuant to the Program;''; and
(iv) by inserting after subparagraph (D), as so
redesignated by clause (ii) of this subparagraph, the
following new subparagraph:
``(E) develop and maintain a research, development, and
deployment roadmap for the provision of high-performance
computing systems under paragraph (1)(C); and''; and
(D) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph--
(i) by striking ``paragraph (3)(A)'' and inserting
``paragraph (2)(D)'';
(ii) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
``(A) provide a detailed description of the Program
Component Areas, including a description of any changes in
the definition of or activities under the Program Component
Areas from the preceding report, and the reasons for such
changes, and a description of Grand Challenges supported
under the Program;'';
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``specific
activities'' and all that follows through ``the Network'' and
inserting ``each Program Component Area'';
(iv) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``and for each
Program Component Area'' after ``participating in the
Program'';
(v) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``applies;'' and
inserting ``applies; and'';
(vi) by striking subparagraph (E) and redesignating
subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (E); and
(vii) in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated by clause
(vi) of this subparagraph, by inserting ``and the extent to
which the Program incorporates the recommendations of the
advisory committee established under subsection (b)'' after
``for the Program'';
(3) by striking subsection (b) of section 101 and inserting
the following:
``(b) Advisory Committee.--(1) The President shall
establish an advisory committee on high-performance computing
consisting of non-Federal members, including representatives
of the research, education, and library communities, network
providers, and industry, who are specially qualified to
provide the Director with advice and information on high-
performance computing. The recommendations of the advisory
committee shall be considered in reviewing and revising the
Program. The advisory committee shall provide the Director
with an independent assessment of--
``(A) progress made in implementing the Program;
``(B) the need to revise the Program;
``(C) the balance between the components of the Program,
including funding levels for the Program Component Areas;
``(D) whether the research and development undertaken
pursuant to the Program is helping to maintain United States
leadership in high-performance computing and networking
technology; and
``(E) other issues identified by the Director.
``(2) In addition to the duties outlined in paragraph (1),
the advisory committee shall conduct periodic evaluations of
the funding, management, coordination, implementation, and
activities of the Program, and shall report not less
frequently than once every two fiscal years to the Committee
on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate on its findings and recommendations. The first report
shall be due within one year after the date of enactment of
this paragraph.
``(3) Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act
shall not apply to the advisory committee established by this
subsection.''; and
(4) in section 101(c)(1)(A), by striking ``Program or'' and
inserting ``Program Component Areas or''.
SEC. 502. DEFINITIONS.
Section 4 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15
U.S.C. 5503) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and multidisciplinary
teams of researchers'' after ``high-performance computing
resources'';
(2) in paragraph (3)--
(A) by striking ``scientific workstations,'';
(B) by striking ``(including vector supercomputers and
large scale parallel systems)'';
(C) by striking ``and applications'' and inserting
``applications''; and
(D) by inserting ``, and the management of large data
sets'' after ``systems software'';
(3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``packet switched'';
(4) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (5);
(5) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (6) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(7) `Program Component Areas' means the major subject
areas under which are grouped related individual projects and
activities carried out under the Program.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Wu) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
General Leave
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 2272, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2272 is the culmination of a year-and-a-half-long
bipartisan effort by members of the Science and Technology Committee to
pass a package of competitiveness bills in response to recommendations
in the 2005 National Academy of Sciences report, Rising Above the
Gathering Storm. H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness Act of
2007, is simply a package of five bills, each of which already has
passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority over
the last 2 months.
We created a single bill as a basis for initiating discussions with
the other Chamber on a comprehensive competitiveness bill that we could
send to the President for his signature this year.
The five bills rolled into H.R. 2272 are H.R. 362, the 10,000
Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act; H.R. 363,
the Sowing the Seeds through Science and Engineering Research Act; H.R.
1867, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007; H.R.
1868, the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of
2007; and H.R. 1068, to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of
1991.
I want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall of the
Science and Technology Committee for their bipartisan leadership on
this bill and, in particular, on the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds
Science and Math Scholarship Act.
I also want to thank the ranking member of the Technology and
Innovation Subcommittee, Mr. Gingrey, and the Chair and ranking member
of the Research and Science Education Subcommittee, Mr. Baird and Mr.
Ehlers, for all of their hard work on the NIST and NSF bills.
I also want to thank all of the members of the Science and Technology
Committee on both sides of the aisle for their contributions to these
bills and for helping to move every one of them expeditiously and
unanimously through the committee.
I especially want to thank the staff of the Science and Technology
Committee on the majority side, Jim Wilson, Dahlia Sokolov, Colin
McCormick, Mike Quear and our chief of staff, Chuck Atkins; on the
minority side, Amy Carroll and Mele Williams. And
[[Page H5511]]
my friend from the other side may have additional names to add to that
list.
Let me spend just a moment reminding my colleagues why we introduced
this bill and why we urge support today.
In 2005, the National Academies assembled a blue-ribbon committee of
national leaders in academia, business and government to address
concerns about national prosperity in the global economy of the 21st
century. The Academies' report was titled Rising Above the Gathering
Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.
That report cataloged a number of worrisome indicators about the U.S.
position in an increasingly competitive world and provided
recommendations to enable the Nation to maintain its competitiveness.
The core recom-
mendations are as follows: Recruit and train highly qualified science
and math teachers; sustain and strengthen the Nation's traditional
commitment to long-term, basic research; make the United States the
most attractive setting in which to study and perform research so that
we can develop, recruit and retain the best and brightest minds; ensure
that the U.S. is the premier place in the world in which to innovate.
The bill before us today goes a long way in addressing all of those
recommendations.
H.R. 2272 puts and keeps the National Science Foundation and the NIST
research labs on a 10-year path to doubling their projects.
The bill helps to train thousands of new teachers and provide current
teachers with content and pedagogical expertise in their area of
teaching.
The bill expands programs to enhance the undergraduate education of
our future science and engineering workforce.
The bill expands early career grant programs for outstanding young
investigators at both the NSF and the Department of Energy.
The bill strengthens interagency planning and coordination for
research infrastructure and information technology.
Mr. Speaker, in this increasingly competitive world, where jobs are
rapidly being outsourced and we are importing more high-tech products
than we are exporting, now is the time to act. Now is the time to
strengthen our support for the creativity, innovation and talented
workforce that makes the United States unique and gives us our edge.
The day our universities are no longer the most sought after in the
world, the day we see a brain drain because our best and brightest
young scientists and entrepreneurs can't get the funding to do their
research and technology development here at home, the day that our
innovation is outsourced, that is the day that truly concerns me.
H.R. 2272 is a key piece of the innovation agenda to make sure that
that day never comes. It has the support of many businesses,
professional associations and higher education groups and has already
been passed in its five pieces by an overwhelming majority of Members
of the House on both sides of the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, I once again want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking
Member Hall and all the members of the Science and Technology Committee
for their hard work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 2272.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2272, the 21st Century
Competitiveness Act.
As my dear friend and colleague, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu)
just stated, this legislation pretty much packages five bills that have
already passed the House with, frankly, an overwhelming majority of the
votes. In order to force a conference with the other body, we're now
again trying to put these together.
As was stated here just a few weeks ago by Ranking Member Hall and,
frankly, right now by my dear friend Mr. Wu, H.R. 362 and H.R. 363
include many of the provisions from last year's competitiveness
legislation, as well as additional recommendations from the National
Academy of Sciences Rising Above the Gathering Storm report, again as
Mr. Wu just mentioned.
This report and the President's American Competitiveness Initiative,
known as ACI, have emphasized the importance of strengthening science,
technology, engineering and mathematics education in the United States
to ensure that the Nation's workforce can compete globally in high-
tech, high-value industries.
It's imperative, Mr. Speaker, that we do all we can to stay ahead of
the curve and ensure that the next generation of high-tech industries
and products are developed here in the United States, as Mr. Wu just
said. These provisions are steps in the right direction.
Also, as part of the ACI, President Bush targeted investment in
physical science research to be doubled over the next 10 years at the
National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, and the Office of Science at the Department of Energy.
I want to thank Mr. Ehlers and Mr. Gingrey for their extensive input
in developing these bills and my Democratic colleagues for
incorporating our priorities into this bipartisan legislation.
I would be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I didn't especially thank the
staff. As you know, Mr. Speaker, they do an incredible amount of work.
They do so usually behind the scenes, don't get a lot of the credit.
There's a couple here that have done an incredible job. Margaret
Caravelli is here to my left and Leslee Gilbert, who is also here, have
done an incredible job, and we never thank them enough. So, therefore,
I want to do that today here on the floor.
I'm glad that H.R. 2272 includes Mrs. Biggert's High Performance
Computing Act. This part of the bill will improve our investment in
high-performance computing research.
H.R. 2272 authorizes an investment in our future, an investment for
continued technological advancement, and an investment to keep the
United States as the leader, frankly, in the global marketplace.
I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 2272. I thank all those who
have worked on it. It's always a privilege to work with my dear friend,
Mr. Wu.
{time} 1700
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to support H.R. 2272,
the 21st Century Competitiveness Act, and I want to thank the gentleman
from Florida for yielding. I want to thank my chairman on the
Technology and Innovation Subcommittee, Mr. David Wu of Oregon.
This legislation we are voting on today is a combination of bills
which the House has already overwhelmingly passed, reauthorization
bills for both the National Science Foundation and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as bills to promote
science, technology, engineering and math, what we refer to as STEM
education in our country.
Last year, with the American Competitiveness Initiative, President
Bush laid out a vision to maintain America's edge in the global
marketplace. These goals were spurred by a report issued by the
National Academies, and it was entitled, as the gentleman from Florida
said, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.''
This report looked at ways in which the Federal Government could
enhance our country's science and technology enterprise so that we can
continue to compete and prosper globally.
The Commission made a variety of recommendations. Some of them
include reforming K-12 education, as well as expanding and
strengthening the basic research and science and engineering conducted
in America. This comprehensive innovation bill addresses these
concerns, and it helps to fulfill this vision. That's why I am proud,
proud, to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 2272.
One provision in this legislation reauthorizes the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, NIST, an agency in the Department of
Commerce, as one of the three agencies
[[Page H5512]]
highlighted by the President's American Competitiveness Initiative, and
it falls under the jurisdiction of the Technology and Innovation
Subcommittee of which, as I said at the outset, I am a proud member.
The NIST employees play a critical role in NIST research, which
enables cutting-edge technologies to make the leap from a basic
research situation into successful commercial products. This is
accomplished at NIST by conducting research that supports United States
technology infrastructure by developing the tools to measure, to
evaluate, and standardize processes and products in almost all
industrial sectors, bullet-proof vests all the way to nanotechnology.
From rewarding younger students for continuing their work in the
fields of science and engineering, to increasing the amount of grants
available to teachers and students who pursue continuing education in
the STEM, science, technology, engineering, math fields, to providing
financial aid to students who make a commitment that after college they
will teach, working to ensure that we have a strong United States
manufacturing base, H.R. 2272 takes many important and critical first
steps toward keeping America competitive.
Mr. Speaker, I again want to underline my wholehearted support for
the 21st Century Competitiveness Act, and I urge all my colleagues, as
I know they will, to do the same.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just want to urge
the adoption of this good legislation. I thank Mr. Wu for his
leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WU. I would also like to thank my colleague, Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart, for his leadership on the committee and for his good works on
these bills.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate to my colleagues that these are
five pieces of legislation which have already passed the House of
Representatives by massive margins. I urge all of my colleagues to
support this unified version of the bill.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to support
H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007.
America has long been a center for science and engineering discovery.
Just looking back over the 20th century, American ingenuity has been
truly incredible. From Ford's Model T in 1908 and on to the personal
computer in 1981, American innovations have transformed our Nation and
the world, again and again, creating whole new industries and
occupations. Going forward, new innovations will continue to be
critical, both in maintaining a solid industrial and economic base and
increasing our standard of living.
Federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, NSF, and
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, play a key
role by funding cutting-edge research and training the next generation
of scientists and engineers. Without Federal investment in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math, STEM, research and education, very
little of this achievement would have been possible--and we must
continue this strong Federal support to reinforce our global
competitiveness and our prosperity.
H.R. 2272, of which I am a cosponsor, will help strengthen and
improve research and education efforts at NSF and NIST, helping to
ensure that the United States continues to be a science and technology
leader. Specifically, the legislation will reauthorize both NIST and
NSF, as well as update the High Performance Computing Act of 1991.
For NSF, H.R. 2272 will continue the effort to double its funding
over a 10 year time period by authorizing almost $21 billion for fiscal
years 2008-2010. The bill will also encourage the participation of more
scientists who have not received NSF funding in the past through 1-year
seed grants. By targeting these grants toward these new recipients, the
legislation will help support early career researchers and encourage
higher-risk research.
The legislation also includes a needed funding increase for overall
laboratory research at NIST. As part of the American Competitiveness
initiative, NIST will use these funds to expand upon its world-class
research, ensuring that the United States will continue to be globally
competitive in many industries. I am also pleased to see that the
legislation reauthorizes and gradually increases funding for key
technology transfer programs like the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, MEP, program and the Technology Innovation Program, TIP.
NIST is particularly important to me because one of its key
laboratories is located in Boulder, Colorado, in my district. The
Boulder labs employ more than 350 people and serve as a science and
engineering center for significant research across the Nation.
A critical component of this legislation is that it includes funding
for construction at these laboratories. NIST's Boulder facilities have
contributed to great scientific advances, but they are now over 50
years old and have not been well maintained. Many environmental factors
such as the humidity and vibrations from traffic can affect the quality
of research performed at NIST. In fiscal year 2007, NIST-Boulder will
begin an extension of Building 1 to make room for a Precision Metrology
lab. This new facility will allow for incredibly precise control of
temperature, relative humidity, air filtration and vibration to advance
research on critical technologies, such as atomic clocks
telecommunications, and nanomaterials. To complete this extension, NIST
will need further funding in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. H.R. 2272
authorizes this critical funding.
As co-chair of the STEM Education caucus, I am also pleased that H.R.
2272 contains support and funding for NSF's STEM education programs.
These programs include the Math and Science Partnerships program and
the Noyce Scholarships program, as well as several STEM education
grants that focus on teacher professional development. These will help
increase the number of well-qualified science and math teachers across
the country, both through creating more teachers from current college
students and by providing better training for the teachers already in
our schools.
I would like to thank Science and Technology Committee Chairman
Gordon, as well as Ranking Member Hall and the other original
cosponsors, for introducing this critical bipartisan legislation and
working to bring it to the floor today.
I think we all recognize that investing in basic research and STEM
education is critical for a strong economy and national security, and
H.R. 2272 will help us improve the critical support for STEM education
and research. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for this
important legislation.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of
H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007. Innovation has
been a priority of the new Democratic majority in the 110th Congress;
we have worked to ensure that the United States continues to be the
global leader in technological innovation and progress. I strongly
support this legislation, which encourages our Nation to invest in
research and development, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.
According to a 2005 report by The National Academies, the United
States is in danger of losing the competitive edge it currently enjoys
in the global economy. Despite our proud tradition of innovation, this
report warns that immediate action is necessary to ensure that the
United States continues to be a leader in technological progress into
the 21st century. This Congress is fully committed to answering that
challenge.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2272 contains many important provisions to
strengthen America's prospects for global competitiveness. It improves
and strengthens a number of scholarship programs at all levels of
study, encouraging students and young people to pursue further
education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and
computing. Additionally, the bill establishes programs to provide
support for researchers in science and engineering fields.
H.R. 2272 also reaffirms our commitment to scientific excellence by
reauthorizing the National Science Foundation, NSF, for 3 years. The
NSF ensures a continued national supply of scientific and engineering
personnel, while promoting basic research and education across a wide
array of scientific and technological disciplines. By authorizing
continued funding for this institution, H.R. 2272 is an important step
towards ensuring continued American scientific progress.
In the interest of both economic prosperity and military capability,
the United States must continue producing a workforce knowledgeable to
maintain technological competitiveness. If we are to do this, this
Congress must continue funding and strengthening needed investments in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and
research. Supporting this bill is an important step, and I strongly
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2272.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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