[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4372 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4372
To direct Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and
Technology Policy to undertake activities to improve the quality of
undergraduate STEM education and enhance the research capacity at the
Nation's HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 18, 2019
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mr. Waltz) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and
Technology Policy to undertake activities to improve the quality of
undergraduate STEM education and enhance the research capacity at the
Nation's HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``MSI STEM Achievement Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Evidence suggests that the supply of STEM workers is
not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving needs of the public
and private sector, resulting in a deficit often referred to as
a STEM skills shortage.
(2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United
States will need one million additional STEM professionals than
it is on track to produce in the coming decade.
(3) STEM occupations offer higher wages, more opportunities
for advancement, and a higher degree of job security than non-
STEM occupations.
(4) The composition of the STEM workforce does not reflect
the current or projected diversity of the Nation, with
Hispanics, African Americans, and other racial and ethnic
minorities, significantly underrepresented in the STEM
workforce compared to their presence in the workforce more
generally.
(5) A stronger national commitment to increasing the
diversity of the STEM workforce is needed to help address the
STEM skills shortage.
(6) According to a 2019 National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine report entitled ``Minority Serving
Institutions: America's Underutilized Resource for
Strengthening the STEM Workforce'', two- and four-year minority
serving institutions enroll nearly 30 percent of all
undergraduate students--a percentage that is expected to grow
in the coming years--in the United States higher education
system and play a critical role in providing important pathways
to STEM-related education, training, and careers for students
of color.
(7) HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs are highly successful at
educating underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and
can serve as best practice models for other colleges and
universities to further expand participation of
underrepresented minorities in the STEM workforce.
(8) Increased investment in STEM infrastructure at HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs has the potential to increase these
institutions' ability to educate even more students in the STEM
disciplines.
(9) With the demand for STEM skills exceeding the supply of
STEM graduates, success of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in educating
and training science and engineering leaders is increasingly
important for United States economic growth and
competitiveness.
SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REVIEW.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall report to Congress--
(1) an inventory of competitive funding programs and
initiatives carried out by Federal science agencies that are
targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs or partnerships with HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs;
(2) an assessment of Federal science agency outreach
activities to increase the participation and competitiveness of
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in the funding programs and initiatives
identified in paragraph (1); and
(3) recommendations of the Comptroller General to increase
the participation of and the rate of success of HBCUs, TCUs,
and MSIs in competitive funding programs offered by Federal
science agencies.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher
education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia thereof) to--
(1) conduct research described in subsection (b) with
respect to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(2) conduct activities described in subsection (c) to build
the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to graduate students who
are competitive in attaining and advancing in the STEM
workforce;
(3) build the research capacity and competitiveness of
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM disciplines; and
(4) identify and broadly disseminate effective models for
programs and practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs that promote
the education and workforce preparation of minority students
pursuing STEM studies and careers in which such students are
underrepresented.
(b) Research.--Research described in this subsection is research on
the contribution of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to the education and training
of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and to the meeting
of national STEM workforce needs, including--
(1) the diversity with respect to local context, cultural
differences, and institutional structure among HBCUs, TCUs, and
MSIs and any associated impact on education and research
endeavors;
(2) effective practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and
associated outcomes on student recruitment, retention, and
advancement in STEM fields, including the ability for students
to compete for fellowships, employment, and advancement in the
workforce;
(3) contributions made by HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to local,
regional, and national workforces;
(4) the unique challenges and opportunities for HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs in attaining the resources needed for
integrating effective practices in STEM education, including
providing research experiences for underrepresented minority
students;
(5) the access of students at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to STEM
infrastructure and any associated outcomes for STEM competency;
(6) models of STEM curriculum, learning, and teaching
successful at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs for increasing
participation, retention, and success of underrepresented
minority students; and
(7) successful or promising partnerships between HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs and other institutions of higher education,
private sector and non-profit organizations, Federal
laboratories, and international research institutions.
(c) Capacity Building.--Activities described in this subsection
include the design, development, implementation, expansion, and
assessment of--
(1) metrics of success to best capture the achievements of
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and students of such institutions to
account for institutional context and missions, faculty
investment, student populations, student needs, and
institutional resource constraints;
(2) enhancements to undergraduate STEM curriculum at HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs to increase the participation, retention, degree
completion, and success of underrepresented students;
(3) professional development programs to increase the
numbers and the high-quality preparation of STEM faculty at
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including programs to encourage STEM
doctoral students to teach at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and
(4) mechanisms for institutions of higher education that
are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs to partner with HBCUs, TCUs, and
MSIs on STEM education, including the facilitation of student
transfer, mentoring programs for students and junior faculty,
joint research projects, and student access to graduate
education.
(d) Research Experiences.--Grants under this section may fund the
development or expansion of opportunities for the exchange of students
and faculty to conduct research, including through partnerships with
institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs,
private sector and non-profit organizations, Federal laboratories, and
international research institutions.
(e) Partnerships.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Director of the National Science Foundation shall--
(1) encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and consortia thereof
and partnerships with one or more HBCU, TCU, or MSI, to submit
proposals;
(2) require proposals submitted in partnership with one or
more HBCU, TCU, or MSI include a plan for establishing a
sustained partnership that is jointly developed and managed,
draws from the capacities of each institution, and is mutually
beneficial; and
(3) encourage proposals submitted in partnership with the
private sector, non-profit organizations, Federal laboratories,
and international research institutions, as appropriate.
(f) MSI Centers of Innovation.--Grants under this section may fund
the establishment of no more than five MSI Centers of Innovation to
leverage successes of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM education and
research training of underrepresented minority students as models for
other institutions, including both HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and
institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs.
Such centers will be located on campuses of selected institutions of
higher education and serve as incubators to allow institutions of
higher education to experiment, pilot, evaluate, and scale up promising
practices.
SEC. 5. AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) In General.--In consultation with outside stakeholders and the
heads of the Federal science agencies, the Director shall develop a
uniform set of policy guidelines for Federal science agencies to carry
out a sustained program of outreach activities to increase clarity,
transparency, and accountability for Federal science agency investments
in STEM education and research activities at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.
(b) Outreach Activities.--In developing policy guidelines under
subsection (a) the Director shall include guidelines that require each
Federal science agency--
(1) to designate a liason for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs
responsible for--
(A) enhancing direct communication with HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs to increase the Federal science agency's
understanding of the capacity and needs of such
institutions and to raise awareness of available
Federal funding opportunities at such institutions;
(B) coordinating programs, activities, and
initiatives while accounting for the capacity and needs
of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(C) tracking Federal science agency investments in
and engagement with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and
(D) reporting progress toward increasing
participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in grant
programs;
(2) to publish annual forecasts of funding opportunities
and proposal deadlines, including for grants, contracts,
subcontracts, and cooperative agreements;
(3) to conduct on-site reviews of research facilities at
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, as practicable, and make recommendations
regarding strategies for becoming more competitive in research;
(4) to hold geographically accessible or virtual workshops
on research priorities of the Federal science agency and on how
to write competitive grant proposals;
(5) to ensure opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to
directly communicate with Federal science agency officials
responsible for managing competitive grant programs in order to
receive feedback on research ideas and proposals, including
guidance on the Federal science agency's peer review process;
(6) to foster mutually beneficial public-private
collaboration among Federal science agencies, industry, Federal
laboratories, academia, and nonprofit organizations to--
(A) identify alternative sources of funding for
STEM education and research at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(B) provide access to high-quality, relevant
research experiences for students and faculty of HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs;
(C) expand the professional networks of students
and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(D) broaden STEM educational opportunities for
students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and
(E) support the transition of students of HBCUs,
TCUs, and MSIs into the STEM workforce; and
(7) to publish an annual report that provides an account of
Federal science agency investments in HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs,
including data on the level of participation of HBCUs, TCUs,
and MSIs as prime recipients/contractors or subrecipients/
subcontractors.
(c) Strategic Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director, in collaboration with the
head of each Federal science agency, shall submit to Congress a
report containing a strategic plan for each Federal science
agency to increase the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to
compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative
agreements and to encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to
participate in Federal programs.
(2) Considerations.--In developing a strategic plan under
paragraph (1), the Director and each head of each Federal
science agency shall consider--
(A) issuing new or expanding existing funding
opportunities targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(B) modifying existing research and development
program solicitations to incentivize effective
partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(C) offering planning grants for HBCUs, TCUs, and
MSIs to develop or equip grant offices with the
requisite depth of knowledge to submit competitive
grant proposals and manage awarded grants;
(D) offering additional training programs and
individualized and timely guidance to grant officers
and faculty researchers at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to
ensure they understand the requirements for an
effective grant proposal; and
(E) other approaches for making current competitive
funding models more accessible for under-resourced
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Director shall
report to Congress on the implementation by Federal science agencies of
the policy guidelines developed under this section.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(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 such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-
Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
(3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science
agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural
research expenditure of over $100,000,000.
(4) HBCU.--The term ``HBCU'' has the meaning given the term
``part B institution'' in section 322 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(6) Minority serving institution.--The term ``minority
serving institution'' or ``MSI'' means Hispanic-Serving
Institutions as defined in section 502 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C 1101a); Alaska Native Serving
Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions as
defined in section 317 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1059d); and Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian
American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving
Institutions, and Native American-Serving Nontribal
Institutions as defined in section 371 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).
(7) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' has the meaning given the term
in the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.).
(8) TCU.--The term ``TCU'' has the meaning given the term
``Tribal College or University'' in section 316 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c).
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