[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 187 (Friday, December 7, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL STEM SCHOLARSHIP DATABASE ACT

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to be joining my colleagues 
from Illinois and Minnesota, Senators Obama, Durbin, and Coleman, in 
introducing the National Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, 
STEM, Scholarship Database Act of 2007, which is intended to address 
one of the obstacles that students experience in pursuing undergraduate 
and postbaccalaureate studies in STEM fields.
  There is growing concern that the United States is not preparing a 
sufficient number of students, teachers, and practitioners in STEM 
fields. An important aspect of U.S. efforts to maintain and improve 
economic competitiveness is the existence of a capable scientific and 
technological workforce.
  The change from a labor-based manufacturing to a knowledge-based 
manufacturing and service economy demands certain skills of our 
citizenry. The National Science Foundation, NSF, projects that in the 
increasingly changing context for science and technology, a workforce 
trained in the sciences and engineering is necessary for continued 
economic growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that science 
and engineering occupations are projected to grow by 21.4 percent from 
2004 to 2014, compared to a growth of 13 percent in all occupations 
during the same time period. Furthermore, the current scientific and 
engineering workforce is aging. The NSF reports that the number 
reaching retirement age will increase dramatically over the next two 
decades.
  A May 2007 report of the Department of Education states that: There 
is increasing concern about U.S. economic competitiveness, particularly 
the future ability of the nation's education institutions to produce 
citizens literate in STEM concepts and to produce future scientists, 
engineers, mathematicians, and technologists. Such experts are needed 
to maintain U.S. preeminence in science, technology, engineering and 
mathematics. While other countries around the world strive to improve 
their own education systems and to expand their economies, the U.S. 
will have to work even harder in the coming years to maintain its 
competitive edge.
  In addition to these statistics, we have anecdotal evidence from 
universities across the country and in my home State of Maine. Faculty 
from the University of Southern Maine and across the State point to 
decreasing undergraduate enrollments in STEM fields and an even greater 
decrease in the number of bachelor and master's degrees conferred in 
these fields. For many students, the obstacle is not a lack of interest 
but rather a lack of financial resources.
  On August 9, 2007, President Bush signed into law Public Law 110-69, 
The America COMPETES Act, H.R. 2272. The legislation is directed at 
increasing research investment, improving economic competitiveness, 
developing an innovation infrastructure, and strengthening and 
expanding science and mathematics programs at all points on the 
educational pipeline. The America COMPETES Act authorizes $33.6 billion 
for fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2010 for science, mathematics, 
engineering, and technology programs across the Federal Government. 
This Federal effort, while laudable, is essentially unknown to the 
average student interested in pursuing a degree in a STEM field. 
Moreover, it does little to help a rising college freshman today enter 
a degree program in aerospace engineering, veterinary medicine, or 
computer information systems.
  A major challenge facing many high school graduates and their 
families is how to afford college. Helping students locate financial 
aid might well increase the number of students entering STEM fields. 
For many first-generation college students, financial assistance may be 
available but the student may be unaware of the opportunities. As a 
result of Federal efforts in this area, there is a large array of 
financial aid opportunities available in the STEM fields; however, 
there is no simple way for potential applicants to explore them.
  The database created in this bill will have a complete list of STEM 
scholarships, fellowships, and other programs of financial assistance 
from all public and private sources for postsecondary and postgraduate 
study. The American Chemical Society and the National Science Teachers 
Association believe this measure will expand and strengthen the STEM 
education pipeline and help keep our nation competitive in the global 
economy by aiding capable students who are interested in STEM careers 
in their search for the right scholarship opportunity to support their 
studies.
  With less than 6 percent of the world's population, the United States 
cannot expect to dominate science and technology in the future as it 
did during the second half of the last century when we enjoyed a 
massively disproportionate share of the world's STEM resources. We must 
invest more in the resources we do have, encourage those resources to 
produce economically useful innovations, and organize the STEM 
enterprise by working to make sure that innovations developed here 
produce prosperity and progress for all.

                          ____________________