[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 206 (Monday, December 18, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H10158-H10160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STEM RESEARCH AND EDUCATION EFFECTIVENESS AND TRANSPARENCY ACT

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4375) to provide for a study on broadening participation in 
certain National Science Foundation research and education programs, to 
collect data on Federal research grants to science agencies, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4375

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Research and Education 
     Effectiveness and Transparency Act''.

     SEC. 2. BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN STEM PROGRAM 
                   EFFECTIVENESS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall submit a report to Congress on the 
     effectiveness of all National Science Foundation research and 
     education programs for broadening the participation of women 
     and other historically underrepresented individuals in STEM 
     studies and careers, including--
       (1) development or identification of performance metrics to 
     evaluate such programs;
       (2) information on student outcomes using all available 
     data, including dropout rates, enrollment in graduate 
     programs, internships or apprenticeships, and employment;
       (3) identification of any data gaps for evaluating the 
     effectiveness and outcomes of National Science Foundation 
     programs to broaden participation; and
       (4) recommendations for maintaining, translating, and 
     disseminating outcomes data for STEM programs funded by the 
     National Science Foundation.
       (b) Definition of STEM.--In this section, the term ``STEM'' 
     has the meaning given the

[[Page H10159]]

     term in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act 
     of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).

     SEC. 3. COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF DATA ON FEDERAL RESEARCH 
                   GRANTS.

       (a) Collection of Data.--
       (1) In general.--Each Federal science agency shall collect 
     standardized record-level annual information on demographics, 
     primary field, award type, review rating, budget request, 
     funding outcome, and awarded budget for all applications for 
     merit-reviewed research and development grants to 
     institutions of higher education and Federal laboratories 
     supported by that agency.
       (2) Uniformity and standardization.--The Director shall 
     establish a policy to ensure uniformity and standardization 
     of the data collection required under paragraph (1).
       (3) Record-level data.--
       (A) Requirement.--On an annual basis, beginning with the 
     deadline under subparagraph (C), each Federal science agency 
     shall submit to the Director of the National Science 
     Foundation record-level data collected under paragraph (1) in 
     the form required by such Director.
       (B) Previous data.--As part of the first submission under 
     subparagraph (A), each Federal science agency, to the extent 
     practicable, shall submit comparable record-level data for 
     the 5 years preceding the deadline under subparagraph (C).
       (C) Deadline.--The deadline under this paragraph is not 
     later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
       (b) Reporting of Data.--The Director of the National 
     Science Foundation shall publish statistical summary data 
     collected under this section, disaggregated and cross-
     tabulated demographically and by years since completion of 
     doctoral degree, including in conjunction with the National 
     Science Foundation's report required by section 37 of the 
     Science and Technology Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1885d; Public Law 96-516).
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
       (2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' 
     has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 
     Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
     3703).
       (3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science 
     agency'' means any Federal agency with at least $100,000,000 
     in research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2017.
       (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Comstock) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie 
Bernice Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. 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. 4375, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness 
and Transparency Act, contains two provisions aimed at providing better 
information on how to make taxpayer-funded investments in STEM and 
research and development more effective, transparent, and fair.
  First, the bill requires the National Science Foundation, for the 
first time, to report and make recommendations to Congress regarding 
the effectiveness of its research and education programs aimed at 
broadening the participation of women and historically underrepresented 
individuals in STEM.
  This report will give Congress, the National Science Foundation, and 
other stakeholders objective information about what kinds of 
interventions and assistance are efficient, scalable, and effective.
  In order to have a vibrant economy that provides opportunity and 
prosperity for all, we must be the leader in STEM fields. To do that, 
we need to develop the talent of all Americans. This report will help 
us focus resources on what works.
  According to the Society of Women Engineers, which partnered with the 
Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California's Hastings 
College of Law, women represent only about 15 percent of the 
engineering workforce.
  This is an important issue because studies have found that companies 
with higher female representation tend to achieve more and have higher 
profits. According to Catalyst research of Fortune 500 companies, firms 
with the most female representation showed a 35 percent higher return 
on equity and 34 percent higher return to shareholders.
  Second, the bill requires all Federal science agencies to collect 
standardized information, including demographics, for each application 
received for research and development grants. Agencies are to submit 
the information annually to the National Science Foundation, which is 
directed to publish an annual statistical summary.
  This information will provide better transparency to how taxpayer 
dollars are spent on research and scientists, who are involved in that 
research, across the Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee, Ms. Johnson, for joining me in sponsoring this 
bill, which, as I mentioned, also applies to really getting a much more 
diverse workforce, and understanding that our diverse workforce is a 
strength; and by only embracing that strength, are we going to be able 
to have and lead in STEM throughout the world. So I appreciate Ms. 
Johnson's longtime commitment to ensuring STEM reaches into all 
communities and provides opportunities for all.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and 
Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this bill, and I thank 
the Research and Technology Subcommittee chairwoman, Mrs. Comstock, for 
introducing it.
  Research shows that the underrepresentation of women and minorities 
in STEM fields is not due to a lack of interest or motivation. There 
are real institutional and cultural barriers preventing talented 
individuals from realizing their dreams of working in STEM careers. We 
must better understand these barriers so that we may develop and 
support the most effective policies and programs.
  H.R. 4375 directs the NSF to report on the effectiveness of current 
portfolio of broadening participation programs. This bill also includes 
one provision from my STEM Opportunities Act that requires all Federal 
science agencies to collect and report annually on data for all 
research grant applications and awards.
  This would enable researchers to conduct a cross-agency assessment of 
the participation and success of Federal grant applicants across 
demographic groups. With information about the participation and 
success of women and minorities throughout the process of applying for 
Federal research funding, including such details as the award size, we 
can identify and root out any inequities that reflect implicit bias in 
the process.

  This bill is a small, but important, step in the right direction 
toward ensuring equitable access to STEM education and careers.
  I want to take a moment to advocate for this House considering my 
STEM Opportunities Act, H.R. 2653, in its entirety. That would allow us 
to continue the steps we are taking today to broaden participation in 
STEM in our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Johnson for her work on this legislation in 
moving this forward. I know as I go around my district and I see young 
people, and I see the engagement of a very diverse population in STEM, 
this is really going to be the future of our workforce. It is exciting 
to be able to know that we will be able to have a small role in that 
today, to make sure that we are reaching everybody, because we cannot 
leave anybody behind with our need for more STEM resources, and to be 
able to make sure that we have that workforce of the 21st century. I 
know in Virginia alone, we have 34,000 or so cyber jobs that we are 
still looking for people

[[Page H10160]]

for. So this will help with that pipeline.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4375, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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