[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 112 (Monday, June 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3187-H3206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE ACT
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 2225) to authorize appropriations for fiscal years
2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 for the National Science Foundation,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2225
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Science Foundation
for the Future Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Over the past seven decades, the National Science
Foundation has played a critical role in advancing the United
States academic research enterprise by supporting fundamental
research and education across science and engineering
disciplines.
(2) Discoveries enabled by sustained investment in
fundamental research and the education of the United States
science and engineering workforce have led to
transformational innovations and spawned new industries.
(3) While the traditional approach to investment in
research has delivered myriad benefits to society, a
concerted effort is needed to ensure the benefits of
federally funded science and engineering are enjoyed by all
Americans.
(4) As countries around the world increase investments in
research and STEM education, United States global leadership
in science and engineering is eroding, posing significant
risks to economic competitiveness, national security, and
public well-being.
(5) To address major societal challenges and sustain United
States leadership in innovation, the Federal Government must
increase investments in research, broaden participation in
the STEM workforce, and bolster collaborations among
universities, National Laboratories, field stations and
marine laboratories, companies, labor organizations, non-
profit funders of research, local policymakers, civil
societies and stakeholder communities, and international
partners.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Academies.--The term ``Academies'' means the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(2) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial
intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section
5002 of the William M. (MAC) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
(3) Awardee.--The term ``awardee'' means the legal entity
to which Federal assistance is awarded and that is
accountable to the Federal Government for the use of the
funds provided.
(4) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the National Science
Board.
(5) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(6) Emerging research institution.--The term ``emerging
research institution'' means an institution of higher
education with an
[[Page H3188]]
established undergraduate student program that has, on
average for 3 years prior to the time of application for an
award, received less than $35,000,000 in Federal research
funding.
(7) Federal research agency.--The term ``Federal research
agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural
research expenditure of over $100,000,000.
(8) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation.
(9) Historically black college and university.--The term
``historically Black college and university'' has the meaning
given the term ``part B institution'' in section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(10) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(11) Labor organization.--The term ``labor organization''
has the meaning given the term in section 2(5) of the
National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 152(5)), except that
such term shall also include--
(A) any organization composed of labor organizations, such
as a labor union federation or a State or municipal labor
body; and
(B) any organization which would be included in the
definition for such term under such section (5) but for the
fact that the organization represents--
(i) individuals employed by the United States, any wholly
owned Government corporation, any Federal Reserve Bank, or
any State or political subdivision thereof;
(ii) individuals employed by persons subject to the Railway
Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 151 et seq.); or
(iii) individuals employed as agricultural laborers.
(12) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means a Hispanic-serving institution,
an Alaska Native-serving institution, a Native Hawaiian-
serving institutions, a Predominantly Black Institution, an
Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving
institution, or a Native American-serving nontribal
institution as described in section 371 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
(13) Non-profit organization.--The term ``non-profit
organization'' means an organization which is described in
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and
exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such code.
(14) NSF includes.--The term ``NSF includes'' means the
initiative carried out under section 6(c).
(15) PreK-12.--The term ``preK-12'' means pre-kindergarten
through grade 12.
(16) Research and development award.--The term ``research
and development award'' means support provided to an
individual or entity by a Federal research agency to carry
out research and development activities, which may include
support in the form of a grant, contract, cooperative
agreement, or other such transaction. The term does not
include a grant, contract, agreement or other transaction for
the procurement of goods or services to meet the
administrative needs of a Federal research agency.
(17) Skilled technical work.--The term ``skilled technical
work'' means an occupation that requires a high level of
knowledge in a technical domain and does not require a
bachelor's degree for entry.
(18) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' has the meaning given the
term in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
(19) STEM education.--The term ``STEM education'' has the
meaning given the term in section 2 of the STEM Education Act
of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
(20) Tribal college or university.--The term ``Tribal
College or University'' has the meaning given such term in
section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059c).
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2022.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $12,504,890,000 for fiscal year 2022.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $10,025,000,000 shall be made available to carry out
research and related activities, of which--
(i) $55,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $1,400,000,000 shall be for the Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions;
(B) $1,583,160,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources, of which--
(i) $73,700,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program;
(ii) $59,500,000 shall be for the NSF Research Traineeship
Program;
(iii) $416,300,000 shall be for the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $70,000,000 shall be for the Cybercorps Scholarship
for Service Program;
(C) $249,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction, of which $76,250,000
shall be for the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Program;
(D) $620,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,620,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $23,120,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the Inspector General.
(b) Fiscal Year 2023.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $14,620,800,000 for fiscal year 2023.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $11,870,000,000 shall be made available to carry out
research and related activities, of which--
(i) $60,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $2,300,000,000 shall be for the Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions;
(B) $1,654,520,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources, of which--
(i) $80,400,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program;
(ii) $64,910,000 shall be for the NSF Research Traineeship
Program;
(iii) $454,140,000 shall be for the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $72,000,000 shall be for the Cybercorps Scholarship
for Service Program;
(C) $355,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction, of which $80,000,000
shall be for the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Program;
(D) $710,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,660,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $26,610,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the Inspector General.
(c) Fiscal Year 2024.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $15,945,020,000 for fiscal year 2024.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $13,050,000,000 shall be made available to carry out
research and related activities, of which--
(i) $70,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $2,900,000,000 shall be for the Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions;
(B) $1,739,210,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources, of which--
(i) $87,100,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program;
(ii) $70,320,000 shall be for the NSF Research Traineeship
Program;
(iii) $491,990,000 shall be for the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $78,000,000 shall be for the Cybercorps Scholarship
for Service Program;
(C) $370,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction, of which $85,000,000
shall be for the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Program;
(D) $750,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,700,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $31,110,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the Inspector General.
(d) Fiscal Year 2025.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $17,004,820,000 for fiscal year 2025.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $14,000,000,000 shall be made available to carry out
research and related activities, of which--
(i) $75,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $3,250,000,000 shall be for the Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions;
(B) $1,823,470,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources, of which--
(i) $93,800,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program;
(ii) $75,730,000 shall be for the NSF Research Traineeship
Program;
(iii) $529,830,000 shall be for the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $84,000,000 shall be for the Cybercorps Scholarship
for Service Program;
(C) $372,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction, of which $90,000,000
shall be for the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Program;
(D) $770,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,740,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $34,610,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the Inspector General.
(e) Fiscal Year 2026.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $17,939,490,000 for fiscal year 2026.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $14,800,000,000 shall be made available to carry out
research and related activities, of which--
(i) $80,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program; and
(ii) $3,400,000,000 shall be for the Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions;
(B) $1,921,600,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources, of which--
(i) $100,500,000 shall be for the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program;
(ii) $81,140,000 shall be for the NSF Research Traineeship
Program;
(iii) $567,680,000 shall be for the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $90,000,000 shall be for the Cybercorps Scholarship
for Service Program;
(C) $375,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction, of which $100,000,000
shall be for the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Program;
(D) $800,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
[[Page H3189]]
(E) $4,780,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $38,110,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the Inspector General.
SEC. 5. STEM EDUCATION.
(a) PreK-12 STEM Education.--
(1) Decadal survey of stem education research.--Not later
than 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director shall enter into a contract with the Academies to
review and assess the status and opportunities for PreK-12
STEM education research and make recommendations for research
priorities over the next decade.
(2) Scaling innovations in prek-12 stem education.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall establish a program to
award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of
such institutions or organizations) to establish no fewer
than 3 multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education
Research and Translation (in this section referred to as
``Centers'') to support research and development on
widespread and sustained implementation of STEM education
innovations.
(B) Application.--An institution of higher education or
non-profit organization (or a consortium of such institutions
or organizations) seeking funding under subparagraph (A)
shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Director
may require. The application shall include, at a minimum, a
description of how the proposed Center will--
(i) establish partnerships among academic institutions,
local or State education agencies, and other relevant
stakeholders in supporting programs and activities to
facilitate the widespread and sustained implementation of
promising, evidence-based STEM education practices, models,
programs, curriculum, and technologies;
(ii) support enhanced STEM education infrastructure,
including cyberlearning technologies, to facilitate the
widespread adoption of promising, evidence-based practices;
(iii) support research and development on scaling
practices, partnerships, and alternative models to current
approaches, including approaches sensitive to the unique
combinations of capabilities, resources, and needs of varying
localities, educators, and learners;
(iv) include a focus on the learning needs of under
resourced schools and learners in low-resource or
underachieving local education agencies in urban and rural
communities and the development of high-quality curriculum
that engages these learners in the knowledge and practices of
STEM fields;
(v) include a focus on the learning needs and unique
challenges facing students with disabilities; and
(vi) support research and development on scaling practices
and models to support and sustain highly-qualified STEM
educators in urban and rural communities.
(C) Additional considerations.--In awarding a grant under
this paragraph, the Director may also consider the extent to
which the proposed Center will--
(i) leverage existing collaborations, tools, and strategies
supported by the Foundation, including NSF INCLUDES and the
Convergence Accelerators;
(ii) support research on and the development and scaling of
innovative approaches to distance learning and education for
various student populations;
(iii) support education innovations that leverage new
technologies or deepen understanding of the impact of
technology on educational systems; and
(iv) include a commitment from local or State education
administrators to making the proposed reforms and activities
a priority.
(D) Partnership.--In carrying out the program under
subparagraph (A), the Director shall explore opportunities to
partner with the Department of Education, including through
jointly funding activities under this paragraph.
(E) Annual meeting.--The Director shall encourage and
facilitate an annual meeting of the Centers to foster
collaboration among the Centers and to further disseminate
the results of the Centers' activities.
(F) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress
a report describing the activities carried out pursuant to
this paragraph that includes--
(i) a description of the focus and proposed goals of each
Center; and
(ii) an assessment of the program's success in helping to
promote scalable solutions in PreK-12 STEM education.
(3) National academies study.--Not later than 45 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter
into an agreement with the Academies to conduct a study to--
(A) review the research literature and identify research
gaps regarding the interconnected factors that foster and
hinder successful implementation of promising, evidence-based
PreK-12 STEM education innovations at the local, regional,
and national level;
(B) present a compendium of promising, evidence-based PreK-
12 STEM education practices, models, programs, and
technologies;
(C) identify barriers to widespread and sustained
implementation of such innovations; and
(D) make recommendations to the Foundation, the Department
of Education, the National Science and Technology Council's
Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics Education, State and local educational agencies,
and other relevant stakeholders on measures to address such
barriers.
(4) Supporting pre-k-8 informal stem opportunities.--
Section 3 of the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 1862q)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Pre-k-8 Informal Stem Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall provide grants to institutions of higher
education or a non-profit organizations (or a consortia of
such intuitions or organization) on a merit-reviewed,
competitive basis for research on programming that engages
students in grades PREK-8, including underrepresented and
rural students, in STEM in order to prepare such students to
pursue degrees or careers in STEM.
``(2) Use of funds.--
``(A) In general.--Grants awarded under this section shall
be used toward research to advance the engagement of
students, including underrepresented and rural students, in
grades PREK-8 in STEM through providing before-school, after-
school, out-of-school, or summer activities, including in
single-gender environments or programming, that are designed
to encourage interest, engagement, and skills development for
students in STEM.
``(B) Permitted activities.--The activities described in
subparagraph (A) may include--
``(i) the provision of programming described in such
subparagraph for the purpose of research described in such
subparagraph;
``(ii) the use of a variety of engagement methods,
including cooperative and hands-on learning;
``(iii) exposure of students to role models in the fields
of STEM and near-peer mentors;
``(iv) training of informal learning educators, youth-
serving professionals, and volunteers who lead informal STEM
programs in using evidence-based methods consistent with the
target student population being served;
``(v) education of students on the relevance and
significance of STEM careers, provision of academic advice
and assistance, and activities designed to help students make
real-world connections to STEM content;
``(vi) the attendance of students at events, competitions,
and academic programs to provide content expertise and
encourage career exposure in STEM, which may include the
purchase of parts and supplies needed to participate in such
competitions;
``(vii) activities designed to engage parents and families
of students in grades PREK-8 in STEM;
``(viii) innovative strategies to engage students, such as
using leadership skills and outcome measures to impart youth
with the confidence to pursue STEM coursework and academic
study;
``(ix) coordination with STEM-rich environments, including
other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, out-of-
classroom settings, single-gender environments, institutions
of higher education, vocational facilities, corporations,
museums, or science centers; and
``(x) the acquisition of instructional materials or
technology-based tools to conduct applicable grant activity.
``(3) Application.--An applicant seeking funding under the
section shall submit an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as may be required.
Applications that include or partner with a nonprofit,
nongovernmental organization that has extensive experience
and expertise in increasing the participation of students in
PREK-8 in STEM are encouraged. The application may include
the following:
``(A) A description of the target audience to be served by
the research activity or activities for which such funding is
sought.
``(B) A description of the process for recruitment and
selection of students to participate in such activities.
``(C) A description of how such activity or activities may
inform programming that engages students in grades PREK-8 in
STEM.
``(D) A description of how such activity or activities may
inform programming that promotes student academic achievement
in STEM.
``(E) An evaluation plan that includes, at a minimum, the
use of outcome-oriented measures to determine the impact and
efficacy of programming being researched.
``(4) Evaluations.--Each recipient of a grant under this
section shall provide, at the conclusion of every year during
which the grant funds are received, an evaluation in a form
prescribed by the Director.
``(5) Accountability and dissemination.--
``(A) Evaluation required.--The Director shall evaluate the
activities established under this section. Such evaluation
shall--
``(i) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to assess
the results of research conducted under such grants; and
``(ii) to the extent practicable, integrate the findings of
the research resulting from the activity or activities funded
through the grant with the current research on serving
students with respect to the pursuit of degrees or careers in
STEM, including underrepresented and rural students, in
grades PREK-8.
``(B) Report on evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after
the completion of the
[[Page H3190]]
evaluation under subparagraph (A), the Director shall submit
to Congress and make widely available to the public a report
that includes--
``(i) the results of the evaluation; and
``(ii) any recommendations for administrative and
legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of
the program under this section.
``(6) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the
Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program
effectiveness and avoiding duplication of activities,
consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the programs and
policies of other relevant Federal agencies.''.
(b) Undergraduate STEM Education.--
(1) Research on stem education and workforce needs.--The
Director shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to four-
year institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support research and development activities
to--
(A) encourage greater collaboration and coordination
between institutions of higher education and industry to
enhance education, foster hands-on learn experiences, and
improve alignment with workforce needs;
(B) understand the current composition of the STEM
workforce and the factors that influence growth, retention,
and development of that workforce;
(C) increase the size, diversity, capability, and
flexibility of the STEM workforce; and
(D) increase dissemination and widespread adoption of
effective practices in undergraduate education and workforce
development.
(2) Advanced technological education program update.--
Section 3(b) of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of
1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(b)) is amended to read as follows:
``(b) National Coordination Network for Science and
Technical Education.--The Director shall award grants to
institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations,
and associate-degree granting colleges (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to establish a network of
centers for science and technical education. The centers
shall--
``(1) coordinate research, training, and education
activities funded by awards under subsection (a) and share
information and best practices across the network of
awardees;
``(2) serve as a national and regional clearinghouse and
resource to communicate and coordinate research, training,
and educational activities across disciplinary,
organizational, geographic, and international boundaries and
disseminate best practices; and
``(3) develop national and regional partnerships between
PreK-12 schools, two-year colleges, institutions of higher
education, workforce development programs, labor
organizations, and industry to meet workforce needs.''.
(3) Innovations in stem education at community colleges.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall award grants on a
merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to advance research on the
nature of learning and teaching at community colleges and to
improve outcomes for students who enter the workforce upon
completion of their STEM degree or credential or transfer to
4-year institutions, including by--
(i) examining how to scale up successful programs at
Community Colleges that are improving student outcomes in
foundational STEM courses;
(ii) supporting research on effective STEM teaching
practices in community college settings;
(iii) designing and developing new STEM curricula;
(iv) providing STEM students with hands-on training and
research experiences, internships, and other experiential
learning opportunities;
(v) increasing access to high quality STEM education
through new technologies;
(vi) re-skilling or up-skilling incumbent workers for new
STEM jobs;
(vii) building STEM career and seamless transfer pathways;
and
(viii) developing novel mechanisms to identify and recruit
talent into STEM programs, in particular talent from groups
historically underrepresented in STEM.
(B) Partnerships.--In carrying out activities under this
paragraph, the Director shall encourage applications to
develop, enhance, or expand cooperative STEM education and
training partnerships between institutions of higher
education, industry, and labor organizations.
(c) Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act.--
(1) Findings and purpose.--Section 2 of the Scientific and
Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862h) is
amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (3), by striking ``science, mathematics,
and technology'' and inserting ``science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics or STEM'';
(ii) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``educated'' and before
``trained''; and
(iii) in paragraph (5), by striking ``scientific and
technical education and training'' and inserting ``STEM
education and training''; and
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (2), by striking ``mathematics and
science'' and inserting ``STEM fields''; and
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking ``mathematics and
science instruction'' and inserting ``STEM instruction''.
(2) Modernizing references to stem.--Section 3 of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C.
1862i) is amended--
(A) in the section heading, by striking ``scientific and
technical education '' and inserting ``stem education'';
(B) in subsection (a)--
(i) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Scientific and
Technical Education '' and inserting ``STEM Education'';
(ii) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(I) by inserting ``and education to prepare the skilled
technical workforce to meet workforce demands'' before ``,
and to improve'';
(II) by striking ``core education courses in science and
mathematics'' and inserting ``core education courses in STEM
fields'';
(III) by inserting ``veterans and individuals engaged in''
before ``work in the home''; and
(IV) by inserting ``and on building a pathway from
secondary schools, to associate-degree-granting institutions,
to careers that require technical training'' before ``, and
shall be designed'';
(iii) in paragraph (1)--
(I) by inserting ``and study'' after ``development''; and
(II) by striking ``core science and mathematics courses''
and inserting ``core STEM courses'';
(iv) in paragraph (2), by striking ``science, mathematics,
and advanced-technology fields'' and inserting ``STEM and
advanced-technology fields'';
(v) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ``to support the
advanced-technology industries that drive the competitiveness
of the United States in the global economy'' before the
semicolon at the end;
(vi) in paragraph (4), by striking ``scientific and
advanced-technology fields'' and inserting ``STEM and
advanced-technology fields''; and
(vii) in paragraph (5), by striking ``advanced scientific
and technical education'' and inserting ``advanced STEM and
advanced-technology'';
(C) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) in subparagraph (A)--
(aa) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``to
encourage'' and all that follows through ``such means as--''
and inserting ``to encourage the development of career and
educational pathways with multiple entry and exit points
leading to credentials and degrees, and to assist students
pursuing pathways in STEM fields to transition from
associate-degree-granting colleges to bachelor-degree-
granting institutions, through such means as--'';
(bb) in clause (i), by striking ``to ensure'' and inserting
``to develop articulation agreements that ensure''; and
(cc) in clause (ii), by striking ``courses at the bachelor-
degree-granting institution'' and inserting ``the career and
educational pathways supported by the articulation
agreements'';
(II) in subparagraph (B)--
(aa) in clause (i), by inserting ``veterans and individuals
engaged in'' before ``work in the home'';
(bb) in clause (iii)--
(AA) by striking ``bachelor's-degree-granting
institutions'' and inserting ``institutions or work sites'';
and
(BB) by inserting ``or industry internships'' after
``summer programs''; and
(cc) by striking the flush text following clause (iv); and
(III) by striking subparagraph (C);
(ii) in paragraph (2)--
(I) by striking ``mathematics and science programs'' and
inserting ``STEM programs'';
(II) by inserting ``and, as appropriate, elementary
schools,'' after ``with secondary schools'';
(III) by striking ``mathematics and science education'' and
inserting ``STEM education'';
(IV) by striking ``secondary school students'' and
inserting ``students at these schools'';
(V) by striking ``science and advanced-technology fields''
and inserting ``STEM and advanced-technology fields''; and
(VI) by striking ``agreements with local educational
agencies'' and inserting ``articulation agreements or dual
credit courses with local secondary schools, or other means
as the Director determines appropriate,''; and
(iii) in paragraph (3)--
(I) by striking subparagraph (B);
(II) by striking ``shall--''and all that follows through
``establish a'' and inserting ``shall establish a'';
(III) by striking ``the fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics'' and inserting ``STEM fields'';
and
(IV) by striking ``; and'' and inserting ``, including jobs
at Federal and academic laboratories.'';
(D) in subsection (d)(2)--
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) as appropriate, applications that apply the best
practices for STEM education
[[Page H3191]]
and technical skills education through distance learning or
in a simulated work environment, as determined by research
described in subsection (f); and'';
(E) in subsection (g), by striking the second sentence;
(F) in subsection (h)(1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``2022'' and inserting
``2026'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``2022'' and
inserting ``2026''; and
(iii) in subparagraph (C)--
(I) by striking ``up to $2,500,000'' and inserting ``not
less than $3,000,000''; and
(II) by striking ``2022'' and inserting ``2026'';
(G) in subsection (i)--
(i) by striking paragraph (3); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively; and
(H) in subsection (j)--
(i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) the term advanced-technology includes technological
fields such as advanced manufacturing, agricultural-,
biological- and chemical-technologies, energy and
environmental technologies, engineering technologies,
information technologies, micro and nano-technologies,
cybersecurity technologies, geospatial technologies, and new,
emerging technology areas;'';
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking ``separate bachelor-
degree-granting institutions'' and inserting ``other
entities'';
(iii) by striking paragraph (7);
(iv) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as paragraphs
(7) and (8), respectively;
(v) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by subparagraph (D),
by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
(vi) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by subparagraph
(D)--
(I) by striking ``mathematics, science, engineering, or
technology'' and inserting ``science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics''; and
(II) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``;
and''; and
(vii) by adding at the end the following:
``(9) the term skilled technical workforce means workers--
``(A) in occupations that use significant levels of science
and engineering expertise and technical knowledge; and
``(B) whose level of educational attainment is less than a
bachelor degree.''.
(3) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 5 of the
Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C.
1862j) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director
for carrying out sections 2 through 4, $150,000,000 for
fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
(d) Graduate STEM Education.--
(1) Mentoring and professional development.--
(A) Mentoring plans.--
(i) Update.--Section 7008 of the America Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in
Technology, Education, and Science Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o) is
amended by--
(I) inserting ``and graduate student'' after
``postdoctoral''; and
(II) inserting ``The requirement may be satisfied by
providing such individuals with access to mentors, including
individuals not listed on the grant.'' after ``review
criterion.''.
(ii) Evaluation.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an
agreement with a qualified independent organization to
evaluate the effectiveness of the postdoctoral mentoring plan
requirement for improving mentoring for Foundation-supported
postdoctoral researchers.
(B) Career exploration.--
(i) In general.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education and
non-profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions
or organizations) to develop innovative approaches for
facilitating career exploration of academic and non-academic
career options and for providing opportunity-broadening
experiences, including work-integrated opportunities, for
graduate students and postdoctoral scholars that can then be
considered, adopted, or adapted by other institutions and to
carry out research on the impact and outcomes of such
activities.
(ii) Review of proposals.--In selecting grant recipients
under this subparagraph, the Director shall consider, at a
minimum--
(I) the extent to which the administrators of the
institution are committed to making the proposed activity a
priority; and
(II) the likelihood that the institution or organization
will sustain or expand the proposed activity effort beyond
the period of the grant.
(C) Development plans.--The Director shall require that
annual project reports for awards that support graduate
students and postdoctoral scholars include certification by
the principal investigator that each graduate student and
postdoctoral scholar receiving substantial support from such
award, as determined by the Director, in consultation with
faculty advisors, has developed and annually updated an
individual development plan to map educational goals, career
exploration, and professional development.
(D) Professional development supplement.--The Director
shall carry out a five-year pilot initiative to award up to
2,500 administrative supplements of up to $2,000 to existing
research grants annually, on a competitive basis, to support
professional development experiences for graduate students
and postdoctoral researchers who receive a substantial
portion of their support under such grants, as determined by
the Director. Not more than 10 percent of supplements awarded
under this subparagraph may be used to support professional
development experiences for postdoctoral researchers.
(E) Graduate education research.--The Director shall award
grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to support research on the
graduate education system and outcomes of various
interventions and policies, including--
(i) the effects of traineeships, fellowships, internships,
and teaching and research assistantships on outcomes for
graduate students;
(ii) the effects of graduate education and mentoring
policies and procedures on degree completion, including
differences by--
(I) gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender
identity, and citizenship; and
(II) student debt load;
(iii) the development and assessment of new or adapted
interventions, including approaches that improve mentoring
relationships, develop conflict management skills, and
promote healthy research teams; and
(iv) research, data collection, and assessment of the state
of graduate student mental health and wellbeing, factors
contributing to and consequences of poor graduate student
mental health, and the development, adaptation, and
assessment of evidence-based strategies and policies to
support emotional wellbeing and mental health.
(2) Graduate research fellowship program update.--
(A) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Foundation should increase the number of new graduate
research fellows supported annually over the next 5 years to
no fewer than 3,000 fellows.
(B) Program update.--Section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1869) is amended--
(i) in subsection (a), by inserting ``and as will address
national workforce demand in critical STEM fields'' after
``throughout the United States'';
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking ``of $12,000'' and
inserting ``of at least $16,000''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Outreach.--The Director shall ensure program outreach
to recruit fellowship applicants from fields of study that
are in areas of critical national need, from all regions of
the country, and from historically underrepresented
populations in STEM.''.
(C) Cybersecurity scholarships and graduate fellowships.--
The Director shall ensure that students pursuing master's
degrees and doctoral degrees in fields relating to
cybersecurity are considered as applicants for scholarships
and graduate fellowships under the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program under section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1869).
(3) Study on graduate student funding.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an
agreement with a qualified independent organization to
evaluate--
(i) the role of the Foundation in supporting graduate
student education and training through fellowships,
traineeships, and other funding models; and
(ii) the impact of different funding mechanisms on graduate
student experiences and outcomes, including whether such
mechanisms have differential impacts on subsets of the
student population.
(B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the organization charged with carrying
out the study under subparagraph (A) shall publish the
results of its evaluation, including a recommendation for the
appropriate balance between fellowships, traineeships, and
other funding models.
(4) Fellowships and traineeships for early-career ai
researchers.--
(A) Artificial intelligence traineeships.--
(i) In general.--The Director shall award grants to
institutions of higher education to establish traineeship
programs for graduate students who pursue artificial
intelligence-related research leading to a masters or
doctorate degree by providing funding and other assistance,
and by providing graduate students opportunities for research
experiences in government or industry related to the
students' artificial intelligence studies.
(ii) Use of funds.--A institution of higher education shall
use grant funds provided under clause (i) for the purposes
of--
(I) providing traineeships to students who are pursuing
research in artificial intelligence leading to a masters or
doctorate degree;
(II) paying tuition and fees for students receiving
traineeships;
(III) creating and requiring courses or training programs
in technology ethics for students receiving traineeships;
(IV) creating opportunities for research in technology
ethics for students receiving traineeships;
(V) establishing scientific internship programs for
students receiving traineeships in
[[Page H3192]]
artificial intelligence at for-profit institutions, nonprofit
research institutions, or government laboratories; and
(VI) other costs associated with the administration of the
program.
(B) Artificial intelligence fellowships.--The Director
shall award fellowships to masters and doctoral students and
postdoctoral researchers who are pursuing degrees or research
in artificial intelligence and related fields, including in
the field of technology ethics. In making such awards, the
Director shall conduct outreach, including through formal
solicitations, to solicit proposals from students and
postdoctoral researchers seeking to carry out research in
aspects of technology ethics with relevance to artificial
intelligence systems.
(e) Stem Workforce Data.--
(1) Skilled technical workforce portfolio review.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall conduct a full
portfolio analysis of the Foundation's skilled technical
workforce investments across all Directorates in the areas of
education, research, infrastructure, data collection, and
analysis.
(B) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
review under subparagraph (A) is complete, the Director shall
submit to Congress and make widely available to the public a
summary report of the portfolio review.
(2) Survey data.--
(A) Rotating topic modules.--To meet evolving needs for
data on the state of the science and engineering workforce,
the Director shall assess, through coordination with other
Federal statistical agencies and drawing on input from
relevant stakeholders, the feasibility and benefits of
incorporating questions or topic modules to existing National
Center for Science and Engineering Statistics surveys that
would vary from cycle to cycle.
(B) New data.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress
and the Board the results of an assessment, carried out in
coordination with other Federal agencies and with input from
relevant stakeholders, of the feasibility and benefits of
incorporating new questions or topic modules to existing
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
surveys on--
(i) the skilled technical workforce;
(ii) working conditions and work-life balance;
(iii) harassment and discrimination;
(iv) sexual orientation and gender identity;
(v) immigration and emigration; and
(vi) any other topics at the discretion of the Director.
(C) Longitudinal design.--The Director shall continue and
accelerate efforts to enhance the usefulness of National
Center for Science and Engineering Statistics survey data for
longitudinal research and analysis.
(D) Government accountability office review.--Not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a
report to Congress that--
(i) evaluates Foundation processes for ensuring the data
and analysis produced by the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics meets current and future needs; and
(ii) includes such recommendations as the Comptroller
General determines are appropriate to improve such processes.
(f) Cyber Workforce Development Research and Development.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants on a
merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or a consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to carry out research on the
cyber workforce.
(2) Research.--In carrying out research pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Director shall support research and
development activities to--
(A) Understand the current state of the cyber workforce,
including factors that influence growth, retention, and
development of that workforce;
(B) examine paths to entry and re-entry into the cyber
workforce;
(C) understand trends of the cyber workforce, including
demographic representation, educational and professional
backgrounds present, competencies available, and factors that
shape employee recruitment, development, and retention and
how to increase the size, diversity, and capability of the
cyber workforce;
(D) examine and evaluate training practices, models,
programs, and technologies; and
(E) other closely related topics as the Director determines
appropriate.
(3) Requirements.--In carrying out the activities described
in paragraph (2), the Director shall--
(A) collaborate with the National Institute of Standards
and Technology, including the National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Education, the Department of Homeland Security,
the Department of Defense, the Office of Personnel
Management, and other Federal departments and agencies, as
appropriate;
(B) align with or build on the National Initiative on
Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity Workforce Framework
wherever practicable and applicable;
(C) leverage the collective body of knowledge from existing
cyber workforce development research and education
activities; and
(D) engage with other Federal departments and agencies,
research communities, and potential users of information
produced under this subsection.
(g) Federal Cyber Scholarship-for-Service Program.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) since cybersecurity risks are constant in the growing
digital world, it is critical that the United States stay
ahead of malicious cyber activity with a workforce that can
safeguard our innovation, research, and work environments;
and
(B) Federal investments in the Federal Cyber Scholarship-
for-Service Program at the National Science Foundation play a
critical role in preparing and sustaining a strong, talented,
and much-needed national cybersecurity workforce and should
be strengthened.
(2) In general.--Section 302(b)(1) of the Cybersecurity
Enhancement Act of 2014 (15 U.S.C. 7442(b)(1)) is amended by
striking the semicolon at the end and inserting the following
``and cybersecurity-related aspects of other related fields
as appropriate, including artificial intelligence, quantum
computing and aerospace.''.
(h) Cybersecurity Workforce Data Initiative.--The Director,
acting through the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics established in section 505 of the
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C.
1862p) and in coordination with the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology and other appropriate
Federal statistical agencies, shall establish a cybersecurity
workforce data initiative that--
(1) assesses the feasibility of providing nationally
representative estimates and statistical information on the
cybersecurity workforce;
(2) utilizes the National Initiative for Cybersecurity
Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NIST
Special Publication 800-181), or other frameworks, as
appropriate, to enable a consistent measurement of the
cybersecurity workforce;
(3) utilizes and complements existing data on employer
requirements and unfilled positions in the cybersecurity
workforce;
(4) consults key stakeholders and the broader community of
practice in cybersecurity workforce development to determine
data requirements needed to strengthen the cybersecurity
workforce;
(5) evaluates existing Federal survey data for information
pertinent to developing national estimates of the
cybersecurity workforce;
(6) evaluates administrative data and other supplementary
data sources, as available, to describe and measure the
cybersecurity workforce; and
(7) collects statistical data, to the greatest extent
practicable, on credential attainment and employment outcomes
information for the cybersecurity workforce.
SEC. 6. BROADENING PARTICIPATION.
(a) Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching.--
(1) In general.--Section 117(a) of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C.1881b(a)) is
amended--
(A) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) by striking ``108'' and inserting ``110'';
(ii) by striking clause (iv);
(iii) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and'';
(iv) by redesignating clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (v) as
subclauses (I), (II), (III), and (IV), respectively, and
moving the margins of such subclauses (as so redesignated)
two ems to the right; and
(v) by striking ``In selecting teachers'' and all that
follows through ``two teachers--'' and inserting the
following:
``(C) In selecting teachers for an award authorized by this
subsection, the President shall select--
``(i) at least two teachers--''; and
(B) in subparagraph (C), as designated by paragraph
(1)(A)(v), by adding at the end the following:
``(ii) at least one teacher--
``(I) from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands;
``(II) from American Samoa;
``(III) from the Virgin Islands of the United States; and
``(IV) from Guam.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1)
shall apply with respect to awards made on or after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Update.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
over the next five years the Foundation should increase the
number of scholarships awarded under the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship program established under section 10 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n-1) by 50 percent.
(2) Outreach.--To increase the diversity of participants,
the Director shall support symposia, forums, conferences, and
other activities to expand and enhance outreach to--
(A) historically Black colleges and universities that are
part B institutions, as defined in section 322(2) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2));
(B) Tribal Colleges or Universities;
(C) Minority serving institutions;
(D) institutions of higher education that are located near
or serve rural communities;
(E) labor organizations;
(F) emerging research institutions; and
(G) higher education programs that serve or support
veterans.
[[Page H3193]]
(c) NSF INCLUDES Initiative.--The Director shall award
grants and cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis, to
institutions of higher education or non-profit organizations
(or consortia of such institutions or organizations) to carry
out a comprehensive national initiative to facilitate the
development of networks and partnerships to build on and
scale up effective practices in broadening participation in
STEM studies and careers of groups historically
underrepresented in such studies and careers.
(d) Broadening Participation on Major Facilities Awards.--
The Director shall require organizations seeking a
cooperative agreement for the management of the operations
and maintenance of a Foundation project to demonstrate prior
experience and current capabilities in employing best
practices in broadening participation in science and
engineering and ensure implementation of such practices is
considered in oversight of the award.
(e) Partnerships With Emerging Research Institutions.--The
Director shall establish a five-year pilot program to enhance
partnerships between emerging research institutions and
institutions classified as very high research activity by the
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
at the time of application. In carrying out this program, the
Director shall--
(1) require that each proposal submitted by a multi-
institution collaboration for an award, including those under
section 9, that exceeds $1,000,000, as appropriate, specify
how the applicants will support substantive, meaningful, and
mutually-beneficial partnerships with one or more emerging
research institutions;
(2) require awardees funded under paragraph (1) to direct
no less than 25 percent of the total award to one or more
emerging research institutions to build research capacity,
including through support for faculty salaries and training,
field and laboratory research experiences for undergraduate
and graduate students, and maintenance and repair of research
equipment and instrumentation;
(3) require awardees funded under paragraph (1) to report
on the partnership activities as part of the annual reporting
requirements of the Foundation;
(4) solicit feedback on the partnership directly from
partner emerging research institutions, in such form as the
Director deems appropriate; and
(5) submit a report to Congress after the third year of the
pilot program that includes--
(A) an assessment, drawing on feedback from the research
community and other sources of information, of the
effectiveness of the pilot program for improving the quality
of partnerships with emerging research institutions; and
(B) if deemed effective, a plan for permanent
implementation of the pilot program.
(f) Tribal Colleges and Universities Program Update.--
(1) In general.--Section 525 of the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a) by--
(i) striking ``Native American'' and inserting ``American
Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian''; and
(ii) inserting ``post-secondary credentials and'' before
``associate's''; and
(iii) striking ``or baccalaureate degrees'' and inserting
``, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees''; and
(B) in subsection (b) by striking ``undergraduate''; and
(C) in subsection (c) by inserting ``and STEM'' after
``laboratory''.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this program
$107,250,000 for fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2026.
(g) Diversity in Tech Research.--The Director shall award
grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to support basic and applied
research that yields a scientific evidence base for improving
the design and emergence, development and deployment, and
management and ultimate effectiveness of organizations of all
kinds, including research related to diversity, equity, and
inclusion in the technology sector.
(h) Continuing Support for EPSCoR.--
(1) Sense of congress.--
(A) In general.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(i) since maintaining the Nation's scientific and economic
leadership requires the participation of talented individuals
nationwide, EPSCoR investments into State research and
education capacities are in the Federal interest and should
be sustained; and
(ii) EPSCoR should maintain its experimental component by
supporting innovative methods for improving research capacity
and competitiveness.
(B) Definition of epscor.--In this subsection, the term
``EPSCoR'' has the meaning given the term in section 502 of
the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C.
1862p note).
(2) Update of epscor.--Section 517(f)(2) of the America
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-
9(f)(2)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) to increase the capacity of rural communities to
provide quality STEM education and STEM workforce development
programming to students, and teachers; and''.
(i) Fostering STEM Research Diversity and Capacity
Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall establish a program to
make awards on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to
eligible institutions to implement and study innovative
approaches for building research capacity in order to engage
and retain students from a range of institutions and diverse
backgrounds in STEM.
(2) Eligible institution defined.--In this subsection the
term ``eligible institution'' means an institution of higher
education that, according to the data published by the
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, is
not, on average, among the top 100 institutions in Federal
research and development expenditures during the 3 year
period prior to the year of the award.
(3) Purpose.--The program established in paragraph (1)
shall be focused on achieving simultaneous impacts at the
student, faculty, and institutional levels by increasing the
research capacity at eligible institutions and the number of
undergraduate and graduate students pursuing STEM degrees
from eligible institutions.
(4) Requirements.--In carrying out this program, the
Director shall--
(A) require eligible institutions seeking funding under
this subsection to submit an application to the Director at
such time, in such manner, containing such information and
assurances as the Director may require. The application shall
include, at a minimum a description of how the eligible
institution plans to sustain the proposed activities beyond
the duration of the grant;
(B) require applicants to identify disciplines and focus
areas in which the eligible institution can excel, and
explain how the applicant will use the award to build
capacity to bolster the institutional research
competitiveness of eligible entities to support grants
awarded by the Foundation and increase regional and national
capacity in STEM;
(C) require the awards funded under this subsection to
support research and related activities, which may include--
(i) development or expansion of research programs in
disciplines and focus areas in subparagraph (B);
(ii) faculty recruitment and professional development in
disciplines and focus areas in subparagraph (B), including
for early-career researchers;
(iii) stipends for undergraduate and graduate students
participating in research in disciplines and focus areas in
subparagraph (B);
(iv) acquisition of instrumentation necessary to build
research capacity at an eligible institution in disciplines
and focus areas in subparagraph (B);
(v) an assessment of capacity-building and research
infrastructure needs;
(vi) administrative research development support; and
(vii) other activities necessary to build research
capacity; and
(D) require that no eligible institution should receive
more than $10,000,000 in any single year of funds made
available under this section.
(5) Additional considerations.--In awarding a grant under
this subsection, the Director may also consider--
(A) the extent to which the applicant will support students
from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation
undergraduate students;
(B) the geographic and institutional diversity of the
applying institutions; and
(C) how the applicants can leverage public-private
partnerships and existing partnerships with Federal Research
Agencies.
(6) Duplication.--The Director shall ensure the awards made
under this subsection are complementary and not duplicative
of existing programs;
(7) Report.--The Director shall submit a report to Congress
after the third year of the program that includes--
(A) an assessment of the effectiveness of the program for
growing the geographic and institutional diversity of
institutions of higher education receiving research awards
from the Foundation;
(B) an assessment of the quality, quantity and geographic
and institutional diversity of institutions of higher
education conducting Foundation-sponsored research since the
establishment of the program in this subsection;
(C) an assessment of the quantity and diversity of
undergraduate and graduate students graduating from eligible
institutions with STEM degrees; and
(D) statistical summary data on the program, including the
geographic and institutional allocation of award funding, the
number and diversity of supported graduate and undergraduate
students, and how it contributes to capacity building at
eligible entities.
(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director $150,000,000 for each of
the fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out the
activities under this subsection.
(j) Capacity-building Program for Developing
Universities.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall make awards, on a
competitive basis, to eligible institutions described in
paragraph (2) to support the mission of the Foundation and to
build institutional research capacity at eligible
institutions.
(2) Eligible institution.--
[[Page H3194]]
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive an award under
this subsection, an institution--
(i) shall be--
(I) a historically Black college or university;
(II) a Tribal College or University;
(III) a minority-serving institution; or
(IV) an institution of higher education with an established
STEM capacity building program focused on traditionally
underrepresented populations in STEM, including Native
Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and Indians; and
(ii) shall have not more than $50,000,000 in annual
federally-financed research and development expenditures for
science and engineering as reported through the National
Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development
Survey.
(B) Partnerships.--An eligible institution receiving a
grant under this subsection may carry out the activities of
the grant through a partnership with other entities,
including community colleges and other eligible institutions.
(3) Proposals.--To receive an award under this subsection,
an eligible institution shall submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director may require, including a plan
that describes how the eligible institution will establish or
expand research office capacity and how such award would be
used to--
(A) conduct an assessment of capacity-building and research
infrastructure needs of an eligible institution;
(B) enhance institutional resources to provide
administrative research development support to faculty at an
eligible institution;
(C) bolster the institutional research competitiveness of
an eligible institution to support grants awarded by the
Foundation;
(D) support the acquisition of instrumentation necessary to
build research capacity at an eligible institution in
research areas directly associated with the Foundation;
(E) increase capability of an eligible institution to move
technology into the marketplace;
(F) increase engagement with industry to execute research
through the SBIR and STTR programs (as defined in section
9(e) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(e)) and direct
contracts at an eligible institution;
(G) provide student engagement and research training
opportunities at the undergraduate, graduate, and
postdoctoral levels at an eligible institution;
(H) further faculty development initiatives and strengthen
institutional research training infrastructure, capacity, and
competitiveness of an eligible institution; or
(I) address plans and prospects for long-term
sustainability of institutional enhancements at an eligible
institution resulting from the award including, if
applicable, how the award may be leveraged by an eligible
institution to build a broader base of support.
(4) Awards.--Awards made under this subsection shall be for
periods of 3 years, and may be extended for periods of not
more than 5 years.
(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Director $100,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out the activities in
this Act.
(k) Chief Diversity Officer of the NSF.--
(1) Chief diversity officer.--
(A) Appointment.--The Director shall appoint a senior
agency official within the Office of the Director as a Chief
Diversity Officer.
(B) Qualifications.--The Chief Diversity Officer shall have
significant experience, within the Federal Government and the
science community, with diversity- and inclusion-related
matters, including--
(i) civil rights compliance;
(ii) harassment policy, reviews, and investigations;
(iii) equal employment opportunity; and
(iv) disability policy.
(C) Oversight.--The Chief Diversity Officer shall direct
the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of the Foundation and
report directly to the Director in the performance of the
duties of the Chief Diversity Officer under this subsection.
(2) Duties.--The Chief Diversity Officer is responsible for
providing advice on policy, oversight, guidance, and
coordination with respect to matters of the Foundation
related to diversity and inclusion, including ensuring the
geographic diversity of the Foundation programs. Other duties
may include--
(A) establishing and maintaining a strategic plan that
publicly states a diversity definition, vision, and goals for
the Foundation;
(B) defining a set of strategic metrics that are--
(i) directly linked to key organizational priorities and
goals;
(ii) actionable; and
(iii) actively used to implement the strategic plan under
paragraph (1);
(C) advising in the establishment of a strategic plan for
diverse participation by individuals and institutions of
higher education, including community colleges, historically
Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges or
universities, minority-serving institutions, institutions of
higher education with an established STEM capacity building
program focused on traditionally underrepresented populations
in STEM, including Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and
Indians, and institutions from jurisdictions eligible to
participate under section 113 of the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g);
(D) advising in the establishment of a strategic plan for
outreach to, and recruiting from, untapped locations and
underrepresented populations;
(E) advising on a diversity and inclusion strategy for the
Foundation's portfolio of PreK-12 STEM education focused
programs and activities, including goals for addressing
barriers to participation;
(F) advising on the application of the Foundation's broader
impacts review criterion; and
(G) performing such additional duties and exercise such
powers as the Director may prescribe.
(3) Funding.--From any amounts appropriated for the
Foundation for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, the
Director shall allocate $5,000,000 to carry out this
subsection for each such year.
SEC. 7. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''
means the principal investigator, co-principal investigators,
and any other person at the institution who is responsible
for the design, conduct, or reporting of research or
educational activities funded or proposed for funding by the
Foundation.
(2) Foreign country of concern.--The term ``foreign country
of concern'' means the People's Republic of China, the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Russian
Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or any other
country deemed to be a country of concern as determined by
the Department of State.
(3) Malign foreign government talent recruitment program.--
The term ``malign foreign government talent recruitment
program'' means any program or activity that includes
compensation, including cash, research funding, honorific
titles, promised future compensation, or other types of
remuneration, provided by the foreign state or an entity
sponsored by the foreign state to the targeted individual in
exchange for the individual transferring knowledge and
expertise to the foreign country.
(b) Broader Impacts.--
(1) Assessment.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an
agreement with a qualified independent organization to assess
how the Broader Impacts review criterion is applied across
the Foundation and make recommendations for improving the
effectiveness for meeting the goals established in section
526 of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully
Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-14).
(2) Activities.--The Director shall award grants on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or
non-profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions
or organizations) to support activities to increase the
efficiency, effectiveness, and availability of resources for
implementing the Broader Impacts review criterion,
including--
(A) training and workshops for program officers, merit
review panelists, grant office administrators, faculty, and
students to improve understanding of the goals and the full
range of potential broader impacts available to researchers
to satisfy this criterion;
(B) repositories and clearinghouses for sharing best
practices and facilitating collaboration; and
(C) tools for evaluating and documenting societal impacts
of research.
(c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Director should continue to identify opportunities to
reduce the administrative burden on researchers.
(d) Research Integrity and Security.--
(1) Office of research security and policy.--The Director
shall maintain a Research Security and Policy office within
the Office of the Director with no fewer than 4 full-time
equivalent positions, in addition to the Chief of Research
Security established in paragraph (2) of this subsection. The
functions of the Research Security and Policy office shall be
to coordinate all research security policy issues across the
Foundation, including by--
(A) consulting and coordinating with the Foundation Office
of Inspector General and with other Federal research agencies
and intelligence and law enforcement agencies, as
appropriate, through the National Science and Technology
Council in accordance with the authority provided under
section 1746 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92; 42 U.S.C. 6601 note), to
identify and address potential security risks that threaten
research integrity and other risks to the research
enterprise;
(B) serving as the Foundation's primary resource for all
issues related to the security and integrity of the conduct
of Foundation-supported research;
(C) conducting outreach and education activities for
awardees on research policies and potential security risks;
(D) educating Foundation program managers and other
directorate staff on evaluating Foundation awards and
awardees for potential security risks; and
(E) communicating reporting and disclosure requirements to
awardees and applicants for funding.
(2) Chief of research security.--The Director shall appoint
a senior agency official within the Office of the Director as
a Chief of
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Research Security, whose primary responsibility is to manage
the office established under paragraph (1).
(3) Report to congress.--No later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide a
report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on the resources
and the number of full time employees needed to carry out the
functions of the Office established in paragraph (1).
(4) Online resource.--The Director shall develop an online
resource hosted on the Foundation's website containing up-to-
date information, tailored for institutions and individual
researchers, including--
(A) an explanation of Foundation research security
policies;
(B) unclassified guidance on potential security risks that
threaten scientific integrity and other risks to the research
enterprise;
(C) examples of beneficial international collaborations and
how such collaborations differ from foreign government
interference efforts that threaten research integrity;
(D) promising practices for mitigating security risks that
threaten research integrity; and
(E) additional reference materials, including tools that
assist organizations seeking Foundation funding and awardees
in information disclosure to the Foundation.
(5) Risk assessment center.--The Director shall enter into
an agreement with a qualified independent organization to
create a new risk assessment center to--
(A) help the Foundation develop the online resources under
paragraph (4); and
(B) help awardees in assessing and identifying issues
related to nondisclosure of current and pending research
funding, risks to the Foundation merit review process, and
other issues that may negatively affect the Foundation
proposal and award process due to undue foreign interference.
(6) Research grants.--The Director shall continue to award
grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to support research on the
conduct of research and the research environment, including
research on research misconduct or breaches of research
integrity and detrimental research practices.
(7) Authorities.--
(A) In general.--In addition to existing authorities for
preventing waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of federal
funds, the Director, acting through the Office of Research
Security and Policy and in coordination with the Foundation's
Office of Inspector General, shall have the authority to--
(i) conduct risk assessments, including through the use of
open-source analysis and analytical tools, of research and
development award applications and disclosures to the
Foundation, in coordination with the Risk Assessment Center
established in paragraph (5);
(ii) request the submission to the Foundation, by an
institution of higher education or other organization
applying for a research and development award, of supporting
documentation, including copies of contracts, grants, or any
other agreement specific to foreign appointments, employment
with a foreign institution, participation in a foreign talent
program and other information reported as current and pending
support for all covered individuals in a research and
development award application; and
(iii) upon receipt and review of the information provided
under clause (ii) and in consultation with the institution of
higher education or other organization submitting such
information, initiate the substitution or removal of a
covered individual from a research and development award,
reduce the award funding amount, or suspend or terminate the
award if the Director determines such contracts, grants, or
agreements include obligations that--
(I) interfere with the capacity for Foundation-supported
activities to be carried out; or
(II) create duplication with Foundation-supported
activities.
(B) Limitations.--In exercising the authorities under this
paragraph, the Director shall--
(i) take necessary steps, as practicable, to protect the
privacy of all covered individuals and other parties involved
in the application and disclosure assessments under clause
(A)(i);
(ii) endeavor to provide justification for requests for
supporting documentation made under clause (A)(ii);
(iii) require that allegations be proven by a preponderance
of evidence; and
(iv) as practicable, afford subjects an opportunity to
provide comments and rebuttal and an opportunity to appeal
before final administrative action is taken.
(8) Malign foreign talent recruitment program
prohibition.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a
requirement that, as part of an application for a research
and development award from the agency--
(i) each covered individual listed on the application for a
research and development award certify that they are not an
active participant of a malign foreign talent recruitment
program from a foreign country of concern and will not be a
participant in such a program for the duration of the award;
and
(ii) each institution of higher education or other
organization applying for such an award certify that each
covered individual who is employed by the institution of
higher education or other organization has been made aware of
the requirement under this subsection.
(B) International collaboration.--Each policy developed
under subparagraph (A) shall not prohibit--
(i) making scholarly presentations regarding scientific
information not otherwise controlled under current law;
(ii) participation in international conferences or other
international exchanges, partnerships or programs that
involve open and reciprocal exchange of scientific
information, and which are aimed at advancing international
scientific understanding; and
(iii) other international activities deemed appropriate by
the Director.
(C) Limitation.--The policy developed under subparagraph
(A) shall not apply retroactively to research and development
awards made prior to the establishment of the policy by the
Director.
(9) Security training modules.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director, in collaboration with
the Director of the National Institutes of Health and other
relevant Federal research agencies, shall enter into an
agreement or contract with a qualified entity for the
development of online research security training modules for
the research community, including modules focused on
international collaboration and international travel, foreign
interference, and rules for proper use of funds, disclosure,
conflict of commitment, and conflict of interest.
(B) Stakeholder input.--Prior to entering into the
agreement under clause (A), the Director shall seek input
from academic, private sector, intelligence, and law
enforcement stakeholders regarding the scope and content of
training modules, including the diversity of needs across
institutions of higher education and other grantees of
different sizes and types, and recommendations for minimizing
administrative burden on institutions of higher education and
researchers.
(C) Development.--The Director shall ensure that the entity
identified in (A)--
(i) develops modules that can be adapted and utilized
across Federal research agencies; and
(ii) develops and implements a plan for regularly updating
the modules as needed.
(D) Guidelines.--The Director, in collaboration with the
Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall develop
guidelines for institutions of higher education and other
organizations receiving Federal research and development
funds to use in developing their own training programs to
address the unique needs, challenges, and risk profiles of
such institutions, including adoption of training modules
developed under this paragraph.
(E) Implementation.--Drawing on stakeholder input under
subparagraph (B), not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a
requirement that, as part of an application for a research
and development award from the Foundation--
(i) each covered individual listed on the application for a
research and development award certify that they have
completed research security training that meets the
guidelines developed under clause (D) within one year of the
application; and
(ii) each institution of higher education or other
organization applying for such award certify that each
covered individual who is employed by the institution or
organization and listed on the application has been made
aware of the requirement under this subparagraph.
(10) Responsible conduct in research training.--Section
7009 of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully
Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act
(42 U.S.C. 1862o-1) is amended by--
(A) striking ``and postdoctoral researchers'' and inserting
``postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior
personnel''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the following
``, including mentor training''.
(11) National academies guide to responsible conduct in
research.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an
agreement with the Academies to update the report entitled
``On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in
Research'' issued by the Academies. The report, as so
updated, shall include--
(i) updated professional standards of conduct in research;
(ii) promising practices for preventing, addressing, and
mitigating the negative impact of harassment, including
sexual harassment and gender harassment as defined in the
2018 Academies report entitled ``Sexual Harassment of Women:
Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine''; and
(iii) promising practices for mitigating potential security
risks that threaten research integrity.
(B) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the effective
date of the agreement
[[Page H3196]]
under subparagraph (A), the Academies, as part of such
agreement, shall submit to the Director and the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate the report referred to in such
subparagraph, as updated pursuant to such subparagraph.
(e) Research Ethics.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) a number of emerging areas of research have potential
ethical, social, safety, and security implications that might
be apparent as early as the basic research stage;
(B) the incorporation of ethical, social, safety, and
security considerations into the research design and review
process for Federal awards, may help mitigate potential harms
before they happen;
(C) the Foundation's agreement with the Academies to
conduct a study and make recommendations with respect to
governance of research in emerging technologies is a positive
step toward accomplishing this goal; and
(D) the Foundation should continue to work with
stakeholders to understand and adopt policies that promote
best practices for governance of research in emerging
technologies at every stage of research.
(2) Ethics statements.--Drawing on stakeholder input, not
later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director shall amend award proposal instructions to
include a requirement for an ethics statement to be included
as part of any proposal for funding prior to making the
award. Such statement shall be considered by the Director in
the review of proposals, taking into consideration any
relevant input from the peer-reviewers for the proposal, and
shall factor into award decisions as deemed necessary by the
Director. Such statements may include, as appropriate--
(A) any foreseeable or quantifiable risks to society,
including how the research could enable products,
technologies, or other outcomes that could intentionally or
unintentionally cause significant societal harm;
(B) how technical or social solutions can mitigate such
risks and, as appropriate, a plan to implement such
mitigation measures; and
(C) how partnerships and collaborations in the research can
help mitigate potential harm and amplify potential societal
benefits.
(3) Guidance.--The Director shall solicit stakeholder input
to develop clear guidance on what constitutes a foreseeable
or quantifiable risk as described in paragraph (2)(A), and to
the extent practicable harmonize this policy with existing
ethical policies or related requirements for human subjects.
(4) Research.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or
non-profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions
or organizations) to support--
(A) research to assess the potential ethical and societal
implications of Foundation-supported research and products or
technologies enabled by such research, including the benefits
and risks identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(A); and
(B) the development and verification of approaches to
proactively mitigate foreseeable risks to society, including
the technical and social solutions identified pursuant to
paragraph (2)(B).
(5) Annual report.--The Director shall encourage awardees
to update their ethics statements as appropriate as part of
the annual reports required by all awardees under the award
terms and conditions.
(f) Research Reproducibility and Replicability.--Consistent
with existing Federal law for privacy, intellectual property,
and security, the Director shall facilitate the public access
to research products, including data, software, and code,
developed as part of Foundation-supported projects.
(1) Data management plans.--
(A) The Director shall require that every proposal for
funding for research include a machine-readable data
management plan that includes a description of how the
awardee will archive and preserve public access to data,
software, and code developed as part of the proposed project.
(B) In carrying out the requirement in subparagraph (A),
the Director shall--
(i) provide necessary resources, including trainings and
workshops, to educate researchers and students on how to
develop and review high quality data management plans;
(ii) ensure program officers and merit review panels are
equipped with the resources and training necessary to review
the quality of data management plans; and
(iii) ensure program officers and merit review panels treat
data management plans as essential elements of grant
proposals, where appropriate.
(2) Open repositories.--The Director shall--
(A) coordinate with the heads of other Federal research
agencies, and solicit input from the scientific community, to
develop and widely disseminate a set of criteria for trusted
open repositories, accounting for discipline-specific needs
and necessary protections for sensitive information, to be
used by Federally funded researchers for the sharing of data,
software, and code;
(B) work with stakeholders to identify significant gaps in
available repositories meeting the criteria developed under
subparagraph (A) and options for supporting the development
of additional or enhanced repositories;
(C) award grants on a competitive basis to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of
such institutions or organizations) for the development,
upgrades, and maintenance of open data repositories that meet
the criteria developed under subparagraph (A);
(D) work with stakeholders and build on existing models,
where appropriate, to establish a single, public, web-based
point of access to help users locate repositories storing
data, software, and code resulting from or used in
Foundation-supported projects;
(E) work with stakeholders to establish the necessary
policies and procedures and allocate the necessary resources
to ensure, as practicable, data underlying published findings
resulting from Foundation-supported projects are deposited in
repositories meeting the criteria developed under
subparagraph (A) at the time of publication;
(F) incentivize the deposition of data, software, and code
into repositories that meet the criteria developed under
subparagraph (A); and
(G) coordinate with the scientific publishing community to
develop uniform consensus standards around data archiving and
sharing.
(3) Research, development, and education.--The Director
shall award grants, on a competitive basis to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of
such institutions or organizations) to--
(A) support research and development of open source,
sustainable, usable tools and infrastructure that support
reproducibility for a broad range of studies across different
disciplines;
(B) support research on computational reproducibility,
including the limits of reproducibility and the consistency
of computational results in the development of new
computation hardware, tools, and methods; and
(C) support the education and training of students,
faculty, and researchers on computational methods, tools, and
techniques to improve the quality and sharing of data, code,
and supporting metadata to produce reproducible research.
(g) Climate Change Research.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or
non-profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions
or organizations) to support research to improve our
understanding of the climate system and related human and
environmental systems.
(2) Use of funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this
subsection may include--
(A) fundamental research on climate forcings, feedbacks,
responses, and thresholds in the earth system, including
impacts on and contributions from local and regional systems;
(B) research on climate-related human behaviors and
institutions;
(C) research on climate-related risk, vulnerability,
resilience, and adaptive capacity of coupled human-
environment systems, including risks to ecosystem stability
and risks to vulnerable populations;
(D) research to support the development and implementation
of effective strategies and tools for mitigating and adapting
to climate change, including social strategies and research
focused on local level forecasting, impacts, and challenges;
(E) research on the design, development, and assessment of
effective information and decision-support systems, including
understanding and developing effective dissemination
pathways;
(F) improved modeling, projections, analyses, and
assessments of climate and other Earth system changes;
(G) research to understand the atmospheric processes
related to solar radiation management strategies and
technologies and examine related economic, geopolitical,
societal, environmental, and ethical implications, not
including research designed to advance future deployment of
these strategies and technologies.
(H) the development of effective strategies for educating
and training future climate change researchers, and climate
change response and mitigation professionals, in both
research and development methods, as well as community
engagement and science communication;
(I) the development of effective strategies for public and
community engagement in the all stages of the research and
development process; and
(J) partnerships with other agencies to address climate
related challenges for specific agency missions.
(h) Violence Research.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or
non-profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions
or organizations) to support research to improve our
understanding of the nature, scope, causes, consequences,
prevention, and response to all forms of violence.
(2) Use of funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this
subsection may include--
(A) research on the magnitude and distribution of fatal and
nonfatal violence;
(B) research on risk and protective factors;
(C) research on the design, development, implementation,
and evaluation of interventions for preventing and responding
to violence;
(D) research on scaling up effective interventions; and
[[Page H3197]]
(E) one or more interdisciplinary research centers to
conduct violence research, foster new and expanded
collaborations, and support capacity building activities to
increase the number and diversity of new researchers trained
in cross-disciplinary violence research.
(i) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.--The
Director shall--
(1) actively communicate opportunities and solicit
proposals for social, behavioral, and economic science
researchers to participate in cross-cutting and
interdisciplinary programs, including the Convergence
Accelerator and agency priority activities, and the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure program; and
(2) ensure social, behavioral, and economic science
researchers are represented on relevant merit review panels
for such activities.
(j) Measuring Impacts of Federally Funded R&D.--The
Director shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis to institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to support research and development of data,
models, indicators, and associated analytical tools to
improve our understanding of the impacts of Federally funded
research on society, the economy, and the workforce,
including domestic job creation.
(k) Food-energy-water Research.--The Director shall award
grants on a competitive basis to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to--
(1) support research to significantly advance our
understanding of the food-energy-water system through
quantitative and computational modeling, including support
for relevant cyberinfrastructure;
(2) develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that
improve understanding of the behavior of food-energy-water
systems and increase decision support capability;
(3) support research that will lead to innovative solutions
to critical food-energy-water system problems; and
(4) grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and
managing the food-energy-water system, through education and
other professional development.
(l) Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories.--The
Director shall continue to support enhancing, repairing and
maintaining research instrumentation, laboratories,
telecommunications and housing at biological field stations
and marine laboratories.
(m) Sustainable Chemistry Research and Education.--In
accordance with section 263 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, the Director shall
carry out activities in support of sustainable chemistry,
including--
(1) establishing a program to award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or
non-profit organizations (or consortia of such institutions
or organizations) to support--
(A) individual investigators and teams of investigators,
including to the extent practicable, early career
investigators for research and development;
(B) collaborative research and development partnerships
among universities, industry, and non-profit organizations;
and
(C) integrating sustainable chemistry principles into
elementary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate chemistry
and chemical engineering curriculum and research training, as
appropriate to that level of education and training; and
(2) incorporating sustainable chemistry into existing
Foundation research and development programs.
(n) Risk and Resilience Research.--The Director shall award
grants on a competitive basis to institutions of higher
education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to advance knowledge of risk
assessment and predictability and to support the creation of
tools and technologies, including advancing data analytics
and utilization of artificial intelligence, for increased
resilience through--
(1) improvements in our ability to understand, model, and
predict extreme events and natural hazards, including
pandemics;
(2) the creation of novel engineered systems solutions for
resilient complex infrastructures, particularly those that
address critical interdependence among infrastructures and
leverage the growing infusion of cyber-physical-social
components into the infrastructures;
(3) development of equipment and instrumentation for
innovation in resilient engineered infrastructures;
(4) multidisciplinary research on the behaviors individuals
and communities engage in to detect, perceive, understand,
predict, assess, mitigate, and prevent risks and to improve
and increase resilience.
(5) advancements in multidisciplinary wildfire science,
including those related to air quality impacts, human
behavior, and early detection and warning; and
(o) UAV Technologies.--The Director shall carry out a
program of research and related activities for unmanned
aerial vehicle technologies, which may include a prize
competition pursuant to section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719) and
support for undergraduate and graduate curriculum
development.
(p) Leveraging International Expertise in Research.--The
Director shall explore and advance opportunities for
leveraging international capabilities and resources that
align with the Foundation and United States research
community priorities and have the potential to benefit United
States prosperity, security, health, and well-being,
including through binational research and development
organizations and foundations and by sending teams of
Foundation scientific staff for site visits of scientific
facilities and agencies in other countries.
(q) Biological Research Collections.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall continue to support
databases, tools, methods, and other activities that secure
and improve existing physical and digital biological research
collections, improve the accessibility of collections and
collection-related data for research and educational
purposes, develop capacity for curation and collection
management, and to transfer ownership of collections that are
significant to the biological research community, including
to museums and universities.
(2) Specimen management plan.--In consultation with other
relevant Federal research agencies, the Director shall
require that every proposal for funding for research that
involves collecting or generating specimens include a
specimen management plan that includes a description of how
the specimens and associated data will be accessioned into
and permanently maintained in an established biological
collection.
(3) Action center for biological collections.--The Director
shall award grants on a competitive basis to institutions of
higher education or non-profit organizations (or consortia of
such institutions or organizations) to establish an Action
Center for Biological Collections to facilitate coordination
and data sharing among communities of practice for research,
education, workforce training, evaluation, and business model
development.
(r) Clean Water Research and Technology Acceleration.--The
Director shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis to institutions of higher education or non-profit
organizations (or consortia of such institutions or
organizations) to--
(1) support transdisciplinary research to significantly
advance our understanding of water availability, quality, and
dynamics and the impact of human activity and a changing
climate on urban and rural water and wastewater systems;
(2) develop, pilot and deploy innovative technologies,
systems, and other approaches to identifying and addressing
challenges that affect water availability, quality, and
security, including through direct engagement with affected
communities and partnerships with the private sector, State,
tribal, and local governments, non-profit organizations and
water management professionals; and
(3) grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and
managing water and wastewater systems, through education,
training, and other professional development.
(s) Technology and Behavioral Science Research.--The
Director shall award grants on a merit-based, competitive
basis for research to--
(1) increase understanding of social media and consumer
technology access and use patterns and related psychological
and behavioral issues, particularly for adolescents; and
(2) explore the role of social media and consumer
technology in rising rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal
ideation, drug use, and deaths of despair, particularly for
communities experiencing long-term economic distress.
(t) Manufacturing Research Amendment.--Section 506(a) of
the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C.
1862p-1(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (6)--
(A) by striking ``and'' before ``virtual manufacturing'';
and
(B) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and
artificial intelligence and machine learning;''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) additive manufacturing, including new material
designs, complex materials, rapid printing techniques, and
real-time process controls; and
``(8) continuous manufacturing of biological products and
similar innovative monitoring and control techniques.''.
(u) Critical Minerals Mining Research and Development.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or
nonprofit organizations (or consortium of such institutions
or organizations) to support basic research that will
accelerate innovation to advance critical minerals mining
strategies and technologies for the purpose of making better
use of domestic resources and eliminating national reliance
on minerals and mineral materials that are subject to supply
disruptions.
(2) Use of funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this
subsection may include--
(A) advancing mining research and development activities to
develop new mapping and mining technologies and techniques,
including advanced critical mineral extraction, production,
separation, alloying, or processing techniques and
technologies that can decrease energy intensity, potential
environmental impact and costs of those activities;
(B) conducting long-term Earth observation of reclaimed
mine sites, including the study of the evolution of microbial
diversity at such sites;
[[Page H3198]]
(C) examining the application of artificial intelligence
for geological exploration of critical minerals, including
what the size and diversity of data sets would be required;
(D) examining the application of machine learning for
detection and sorting of critical minerals, including what
the size and diversity of data sets would be required;
(E) conducting detailed isotope studies of critical
minerals and the development of more refined geologic models;
(F) improved understanding of the geological and
geochemical processes through which critical minerals form
and are concentrated into economically viable deposits; or
(G) providing training and researcher opportunities to
undergraduate and graduate students to prepare the next
generation of mining engineers and researchers.
(3) Existing programs.--The Director shall ensure awards
made under this subsection are complementary and not
duplicative of existing programs across the foundation and
Federal Government.
(v) Study of AI Research Capacity.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall conduct a study, or
support the development of a study through the Science and
Technology Policy Institute or by any other appropriate
organization as determined by the Director, on artificial
intelligence research capacity at U.S. institutions of higher
education.
(2) Study contents.--The Director shall ensure that, at a
minimum, the study under subsection (a) addresses the
following topics:
(A) Which universities are putting out significant peer-
reviewed artificial intelligence research, including based on
quantity and number of citations.
(B) For each of the universities described in paragraph
(1), what specific factors enable their AI research,
including computing power, data sets and availability,
specialized curriculum, and industry and other partnerships.
(C) How universities not included in paragraph (1) could
implement the factors in paragraph (2) to produce AI
research, as well as case studies that universities can look
to as examples and potential pilot programs that the Federal
Government could develop or support to help universities
produce AI research.
(3) Workshops.--The Director may support workshops to help
inform the study required under this subsection.
(4) Publication.--The Director shall ensure that the study
carried out under this subsection is made publicly available
not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(w) Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture.--
(1) National science foundation directive on agricultural
sensor research.--In awarding grants under its sensor systems
and networked systems programs, the Director shall include in
consideration of portfolio balance research and development
on sensor connectivity in environments of intermittent
connectivity and intermittent computation--
(A) to improve the reliable use of advance sensing systems
in rural and agricultural areas; and
(B) that considers--
(i) direct gateway access for locally stored data;
(ii) attenuation of signal transmission;
(iii) loss of signal transmission; and
(iv) at-scale performance for wireless power.
(2) Updating considerations for precision agriculture
technology within the nsf advanced technical education
program.--Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology
Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended in subsection
(e)(3)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) applications that incorporate distance learning tools
and approaches.''.
(3) GAO review.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall provide--
(A) a technology assessment of precision agriculture
technologies, such as the existing use of--
(i) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency identification, and
related technologies that can monitor soil properties,
irrigation conditions, and plant physiology;
(ii) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency identification, and
related technologies that can monitor livestock activity and
health;
(iii) network connectivity and wireless communications that
can securely support digital agriculture technologies in
rural and remote areas;
(iv) aerial imagery generated by satellites or unmanned
aerial vehicles;
(v) ground-based robotics;
(vi) control systems design and connectivity, such as smart
irrigation control systems;
(vii) Global Positioning System-based applications; and
(viii) data management software and advanced analytics that
can assist decision making and improve agricultural outcomes;
and
(B) a review of Federal programs that provide support for
precision agriculture research, development, adoption,
education, or training, in existence on the date of enactment
of this Act.
(x) Astronomy and Satellite Constellations.--The Director
shall support research into and the design, development, and
testing of mitigation measures to address the impact of
satellite constellations on Foundation scientific programs
by--
(1) awarding grants on a competitive basis to support
investigations into the impacts of satellite constellations
on ground-based optical, infrared, and radio astronomy,
including through existing programs such Spectrum and
Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT)
and the Spectrum Innovation Initiative;
(2) supporting research on satellite impacts and benefits
and mitigation strategies to be carried out at one or more
Foundation supported Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers or large facilities, as appropriate; and
(3) supporting workshops related to the impact of satellite
constellations on scientific research and how those
constellations could be used to improve scientific research.
SEC. 8. RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Facility Operation and Maintenance.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall continue the Facility
Operation Transition pilot program for a total of five years.
(2) Cost sharing.--The Facility Operation Transition
program shall provide funding for 10-50 percent of the
operations and maintenance costs for major research
facilities that are within the first five years of operation,
where the share is determined based on--
(A) the operations and maintenance costs of the major
research facility; and
(B) the capacity of the managing directorate or division to
absorb such costs.
(3) Report.--After the fifth year of the pilot program, the
Director shall transmit a report to Congress that includes--
(A) an assessment, that includes feedback from the research
community, of the effectiveness of the pilot program for--
(i) supporting research directorates and divisions in
balancing investments in research grants and funding for the
initial operation and maintenance of major facilities;
(ii) incentivizing the development of new world-class
facilities;
(iii) facilitating interagency and international
partnerships;
(iv) funding core elements of multi-disciplinary
facilities; and
(v) supporting facility divestment costs; and
(B) if deemed effective, a plan for permanent
implementation of the pilot program.
(b) Reviews.--The Director shall periodically carry out
reviews within each of the directorates and divisions to
assess the cost and benefits of extending the operations of
research facilities that have exceeded their planned
operational lifespan.
(c) Helium Conservation.--
(1) Major research instrumentation support.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall support, through the
Major Research Instrumentation program, proposal requests
that include the purchase, installation, operation, and
maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to reduce
consumption of helium.
(B) Cost sharing.--The Director may waive the cost-sharing
requirement for helium conservation measures for non-Ph.D.-
granting institutions of higher education and Ph.D.-granting
institutions of higher education that are not ranked among
the top 100 institutions receiving Federal research and
development funding, as documented by the National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics.
(2) Annual report.--No later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act and annually for the subsequent two
years, the Director shall submit an annual report to Congress
on the use of funding awarded by the Foundation for the
purchase and conservation of helium. The report should
include--
(A) the volume and price of helium purchased;
(B) changes in pricing and availability of helium; and
(C) any supply disruptions impacting a substantial number
of institutions.
(d) Advanced Computing.--
(1) Computing needs.--To gather information about the
computational needs of Foundation-funded projects, the
Director shall require grant proposals submitted to the
Foundation, as appropriate, to include estimates of
computational resource needs for projects that require use of
advanced computing. The Director shall encourage and provide
access to tools that facilitate the inclusion of these
measures, including those identified in the 2016 Academies
report entitled ``Future Directions for NSF Advanced
Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and
Engineering in 2017-2020''.
(2) Reports.--The Director shall document and publish every
two years a summary of the amount and types of advanced
computing capabilities that are needed to fully meet the
Foundation's project needs as identified under paragraph (1).
(3) Roadmap.--To set priorities and guide strategic
decisions regarding investments in advanced computing
capabilities, the Director shall develop, publish, and
regularly update a 5-year advanced computing roadmap that--
(A) describes the advanced computing resources and
capabilities that would fully meet anticipated project needs,
including through investments in the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure program and the Major Research Equipment and
Facilities Construction account;
[[Page H3199]]
(B) draws on community input, information contained in
research proposals, allocation requests, insights from
Foundation-funded cyber-infrastructure operators, and
Foundation-wide information gathering regarding community
needs;
(C) considers computational needs of planned major
facilities;
(D) reflects anticipated technology trends;
(E) informs users and potential partners about future
facilities and services;
(F) addresses the needs of groups historically
underrepresented in STEM and geographic regions with low
availability and high demand for advanced computing
resources;
(G) considers how Foundation-supported advanced computing
capabilities can be leveraged for activities through the
Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions; and
(H) provides an update to Congress about the level of
funding necessary to fully meet computational resource needs
for the research community.
(4) Securing american research from cyber theft.--
(A) Networking and information technology research and
development update.--Section 101(a)(1) of the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is
amended--
(i) by moving the margins of subparagraphs (D) and (J)
through (O) two ems to the left;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (J) through (O) as
subparagraphs (K) through (P), respectively; and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following:
``(J) provide for improving the security, reliability, and
resiliency of computing and networking systems used by
institutions of higher education and other nonprofit research
institutions for the processing, storage and transmission of
sensitive federally funded research and associated data;''.
(B) Computing enclave pilot program.--
(i) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology and the Secretary of Energy, shall establish a
pilot program to award grants to ensure the security of
federally-supported research data and to assist regional
institutions of higher education and their researchers in
compliance with regulations regarding the safeguarding of
sensitive information and other relevant regulations and
Federal guidelines.
(ii) Structure.--In carrying out the pilot program
established pursuant to clause (i), the Director shall select
three institutions of higher education from among
institutions classified under the Indiana University Center
for Postsecondary Research Carnegie Classification as a
doctorate-granting university with a very high level of
research activity, and with a history of working with secure
information for the development, installation, maintenance,
or sustainment of secure computing enclaves.
(iii) Regionalization.--
(I) In general.--In selecting universities pursuant to
clause (ii), the Director shall give preference to
institutions of higher education with the capability of
serving other regional universities.
(II) Geographic dispersal.--The enclaves should be
geographically dispersed to better meet the needs of regional
interests.
(iv) Program elements.--The Director shall work with
institutions of higher education selected pursuant to clause
(ii) to--
(I) develop an approved design blueprint for compliance
with Federal data protection protocols;
(II) develop a comprehensive and confidential list, or a
bill of materials, of each binary component of the software,
firmware, or product that is required to deploy additional
secure computing enclaves;
(III) develop templates for all policies and procedures
required to operate the secure computing enclave in a
research setting;
(IV) develop a system security plan template; and
(V) develop a process for managing a plan of action and
milestones for the secure computing enclave.
(v) Duration.--Subject to other availability of
appropriations, the pilot program established pursuant to
clause (i) shall operate for not less than 3 years.
(vi) Report.--
(I) In general.--The Director shall report to Congress not
later than 6 months after the completion of the pilot program
under clause (i).
(II) Contents.--The report required under subclause (I)
shall include--
(aa) an assessment of the pilot program under clause (i),
including an assessment of the security benefits provided by
such secure computing enclaves;
(bb) recommendations related to the value of expanding the
network of secure computing enclaves; and
(cc) recommendations on the efficacy of the use of secure
computing enclaves by other Federal agencies in a broader
effort to expand security of Federal research.
(vii) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director, $38,000,000 for fiscal
years 2022 through 2024, to carry out the activities outlined
in this section.
(e) National Secure Data Service.--
(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the
Chief Statistician of the United States, shall establish a
demonstration project to develop, refine and test models to
inform the full implementation of the Commission on Evidence-
Based Policymaking recommendation for a government-wide data
linkage and access infrastructure for statistical activities
conducted for statistical purposes, as defined in chapter 35
of title 44, United States Code.
(2) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a
National Secure Data Service demonstration project. The
National Secure Data Service demonstration project shall be--
(A) aligned with the principles, best practices, and
priority actions recommended by the Advisory Committee on
Data for Evidence Building, to the extent feasible; and
(B) operated directly by or via a contract that is managed
by the National Center for Science and Engineering
Statistics.
(3) Data.--In carrying out this subsection, the Director
shall engage with Federal and State agencies to collect,
acquire, analyze, report, and disseminate statistical data in
the United States and other nations to support government-
wide evidence-building activities consistent with the
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018.
(4) Privacy and confidentiality protections.--If the
Director issues a management contract under paragraph (2),
the awardee shall be designated as an ``agent'' under chapter
35 of title 44, United States Code, subchapter III, section
3561 et seq., with all requirements and obligations for
protecting confidential information delineated in the
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act of 2018 and the Privacy Act of 1974.
(5) Technology.--In carrying out this subsection, the
Director shall consider application and use of systems and
technologies that incorporate protection measures to
reasonably ensure confidential data and statistical products
are protected in accordance with obligations under chapter 35
of title 44, United States Code, subchapter III, section 3561
et seq., including systems and technologies that ensure raw
data and other sensitive inputs are not accessible to
recipients of statistical outputs from the National Secure
Data Service demonstration project.
(6) Transparency.--The National Secure Data Service
established under paragraph (2) shall maintain a public
website with up-to-date information on supported projects.
(7) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the National Secure Data Service
demonstration project established under paragraph (2) shall
submit a report to Congress that includes--
(A) a description of policies for protecting data,
consistent with applicable federal law;
(B) a comprehensive description of all completed or active
data linkage activities and projects;
(C) an assessment of the effectiveness of the demonstration
project for mitigating risks and removing barriers to a
sustained implementation of the National Secure Data Service
as recommended by the Commission on Evidence-Based
Policymaking; and
(D) if deemed effective by the Director, a plan for scaling
up the demonstration project to facilitate data access for
evidence building while ensuring transparency and privacy.
(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this
subsection $9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through
2026.
SEC. 9. DIRECTORATE FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS.
(a) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of
appropriated funds, there is established within the
Foundation the Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions to advance research and development solutions to
address societal and national challenges for the benefit of
all Americans.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Directorate established
under subsection (a) is to support use-inspired research,
accelerate the translation of Foundation-supported
fundamental research and to advance technologies, facilitate
commercialization and use of Federally funded research, and
expand the pipeline of United States students and researchers
in areas of societal and national importance.
(c) Activities.--The Director shall achieve the purposes
described in subsection (b) by awarding financial assistance
through the Directorate to--
(1) support transformational advances in use-inspired and
translational research through diverse funding mechanisms and
models, including convergence accelerators;
(2) translate research into science and engineering
innovations, including through developing innovative
approaches to connect research with societal outcomes,
developing approaches to technology transfer that do not rely
only on traditional market and commercialization tools,
education and training for students and researchers on
engaging with end users and the public, partnerships that
facilitate research uptake, application, and scaling,
prototype development, entrepreneurial education, developing
tech-to-market strategies, and partnerships that connect
research products to businesses, accelerators, and incubators
and encourage the formation and growth of new companies;
(3) develop and expand sustainable and mutually-beneficial
use-inspired and translational research and development
partnerships and collaborations among institutions of higher
education, including minority serving institutions and
emerging research institutions, non-profit organizations,
[[Page H3200]]
labor organizations, businesses and other for-profit
entities, Federal or State agencies, community organizations,
other Foundation directorates, national labs, field stations
and marine laboratories, international entities as
appropriate, binational research and development foundations
and funds, excluding foreign entities of concern, and other
organizations;
(4) build capacity for use-inspired and translational
research at institutions of higher education, including
necessary administrative support;
(5) expand opportunities for researchers to contribute to
use-inspired and translational research including through
support for workshops and conferences, targeted incentives
and training, and multidisciplinary research centers;
(6) support the education, mentoring, and training of
undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral
researchers in use-inspired and translational approaches to
research and entrepreneurship in key focus areas identified
under subsection (g) through scholarships, fellowships, and
traineeships;
(7) support translational research infrastructure,
including platforms and testbeds, data management and
software tools, and networks and communication platforms for
interactive and collective learning and information sharing;
(8) identify social, behavioral, and economic drivers and
consequences of technological innovations; and
(9) ensure the programmatic work of the Directorate and
Foundation incorporates a worker perspective through
participation by labor organizations and workforce training
organizations.
(d) Assistant Director.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall appoint an Assistant
Director responsible for the management of the Directorate
established under this section.
(2) Term limit.--The Assistant Director appointed under
paragraph (1) shall serve a term lasting no longer than 4
years.
(3) Qualifications.--The Assistant Director shall be an
individual, who by reason of professional background and
experience, is specially qualified to--
(A) advise the Director on all matters pertaining to use-
inspired and translational research, development, and
commercialization at the Foundation, including partnership
with the private sector and other users of Foundation funded
research; and
(B) develop and implement the necessary policies and
procedures to promote a culture of use-inspired and
translational research within the Directorate and across the
Foundation and carry out the responsibilities under paragraph
(4).
(4) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the
Assistant Director shall include--
(A) advising the Director on all matters pertaining to use-
inspired and translational research and development
activities at the Foundation, including effective practices
for convergence research;
(B) identifying opportunities for and facilitating
coordination and collaboration, where appropriate, on use-
inspired and translational research, development,
commercialization, and societal application activities--
(i) among the offices, directorates, and divisions within
the Foundation; and
(ii) between the Foundation and stakeholders in academia,
the private sector, including non-profit entities, labor
organizations, Federal or State agencies, and international
entities, as appropriate;
(C) ensuring that the activities carried out under this
section are not duplicative of activities supported by other
parts of the Foundation or other relevant Federal agencies;
(D) approving all new programs within the Directorate;
(E) developing and testing diverse merit-review models and
mechanisms for selecting and providing awards for use-
inspired and translational research and development at
different scales, from individual investigator awards to
large multi-institution collaborations;
(F) assessing the success of programs;
(G) administering awards to achieve the purposes described
in subsection (b); and
(H) performing other such duties pertaining to the purposes
in subsection (b) as are required by the Director.
(5) Relationship to the director.--The Assistant Director
shall report to the Director.
(6) Relationship to other programs.--No other directorate
within the Foundation shall report to the Assistant Director.
(e) Advisory Committee.--
(1) In general.--In accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) the Director shall establish an
advisory committee to assess, and make recommendations
regarding, the activities carried out under this section.
(2) Membership.--The advisory committee members shall--
(A) be individuals with relevant experience or expertise,
including individuals from industry and national labs,
educators, academic subject matter experts, including
individuals with knowledge of the technical and social
dimensions of science and technology, technology transfer
experts, labor organizations, and representatives of civil
society, community organizations, and other nongovernmental
organizations; and
(B) consist of at least 10 members broadly representative
of stakeholders, including no less than 3 members from the
private sector, none of whom shall be an employee of the
Federal Government.
(3) Responsibilities.--The Committee shall be responsible
for--
(A) reviewing and evaluating activities carried out under
this section; and
(B) assessing the success of the Directorate in and
proposing new strategies for fulfilling the purposes in
subsection (b).
(f) Existing Programs.--The Convergence Accelerator, the
Growing Convergence Research Big Idea, and any other program,
at the discretion of the Director, may be managed by the
Directorate.
(g) Focus Areas.--In consultation with the Assistant
Director, the Board, and other Federal agencies and taking
into account advice under subsection (e), the Director shall
identify, and regularly update, up to 5 focus areas to guide
activities under this section. In selecting such focus areas,
the Director shall consider the following societal
challenges:
(1) Climate change and environmental sustainability.
(2) Global competitiveness and domestic job creation in
critical technologies.
(3) Cybersecurity.
(4) National security.
(5) STEM education and workforce.
(6) Social and economic inequality.
(h) Technology Research Institutes.--
(1) In general.--The Director may award grants and
cooperative agreements to institutions of higher education,
or consortia thereof, for the planning, establishment, and
support of Technology Research Institutes in key technology
areas, as determined by the Director.
(2) Uses of funds.--Funds awarded under this section may be
used by a Technology Research Institute to--
(A) conduct fundamental research to advance innovation in a
key technology;
(B) conduct research involving a key technology to solve
challenges with social, economic, health, scientific, and
national security implications;
(C) further the development, adoption, and
commercialization of innovations in key technology focus
areas, including through partnership with other Federal
agencies and Federal laboratories, industry, including
startup companies, labor organizations, civil society
organizations, and state and local, and Tribal governments.
(D) develop and manage multi-user research testbeds and
instrumentation for key technologies;
(E) develop and manage an accessible repository, as
appropriate, for research data and computational models
relevant to the relevant key technology field, consistent
with applicable privacy and intellectual property laws;
(F) convene national workshops for researchers and other
stakeholders in that technology area;
(G) establish traineeship programs for graduate students
who pursue research related to the technology leading to a
masters or doctorate degree by providing funding and other
assistance, and by providing graduate students opportunities
for research experiences in government or industry related to
the students' studies in that technology area;
(H) engage in outreach and engagement to broaden
participation in technology research and education; and
(I) support such other activities that the Director
determines appropriate.
(3) Considerations.--In making awards under this section,
the Director may consider the extent to which the activities
proposed--
(A) have the potential to create an innovation ecosystem,
or enhance existing ecosystems, to translate Technology
Research Institute research into applications and products,
as appropriate to the topic of each Institute;
(B) support transdisciplinary research and development
across multiple institutions of higher education and
organizations;
(C) support transdisciplinary education activities,
including curriculum development, research experiences, and
faculty professional development across undergraduate,
graduate, and professional academic programs;
(D) involve partnerships with multiple types of
institutions, including emerging research institutions,
historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges
or Universities, and minority serving institutions, and with
other Federal agencies, Federal laboratories, industry,
state, local, and Tribal governments, labor organizations,
civil society organizations, and other entities that may use
or be affected by the technology; and
(E) include a component that addresses the ethical,
societal, safety, and security implications relevant to the
application of the technology.
(4) Duration.--
(A) Initial period.--An award under this section shall be
for an initial period of 5 years.
(B) Renewal.--An established Technology Institute may apply
for, and the Director may grant, extended funding for periods
of 5 years on a merit-reviewed basis.
(5) Application.--An institution of higher education or
consortia thereof seeking financial assistance under this
section shall submit to the Director an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Director may require.
[[Page H3201]]
(6) Competitive, merit-review.--In making awards under the
section, the Director shall--
(A) use a competitive, merit review process that includes
peer review by a diverse group of individuals with relevant
expertise from both the private and public sectors; and
(B) ensure the focus areas of the Institute do not
substantially and unnecessarily duplicate the efforts of any
other Technology Research Institute or any other similar
effort at another Federal agency.
(7) Collaboration.--In making awards under this section,
the Director may collaborate with Federal departments and
agencies whose missions contribute to or are affected by the
technology focus area of the institute.
(i) Planning and Capacity Building Grants.--Section 602 of
the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C.
1862s-9) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d), the following:
``(e) Planning and Capacity Building Grants.--
``(1) In general.--Under the program established in section
508 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42
U.S.C. 1862p-2) and the activities authorized under this
section, the Director shall award grants to eligible entities
for planning and capacity building at institutions of higher
education.
``(2) Eligible entity defined.--In this subsection, the
term `eligible entity' means an institution of higher
education (or a consortium of such institutions) that,
according to the data published by the National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics, is not, on average, among
the top 100 institutions in Federal R&D expenditures during
the 3 year period prior to the year of the award.
``(3) Use of funds.--In addition to activities listed under
subsection (c), an eligible entity receiving a grant under
this subsection may use funds to--
``(A) ensure the availability of staff, including
technology transfer professionals, entrepreneurs in
residence, and other mentors as required to accomplish the
purpose of this subsection;
``(B) revise institution policies, including policies
related to intellectual property and faculty
entrepreneurship, and taking other necessary steps to
implement relevant best practices for academic technology
transfer;
``(C) develop new local and regional partnerships among
institutions of higher education and between institutions of
higher education and private sector entities and other
relevant organizations with the purpose of building networks,
expertise, and other capacity to identify promising research
that may have potential market value and enable researchers
to pursue further development and transfer of their ideas
into possible commercial or other use;
``(D) develop seminars, courses, and other educational
opportunities for students, post-doctoral researchers,
faculty, and other relevant staff at institutions of higher
education to increase awareness and understanding of
entrepreneurship, patenting, business planning, and other
areas relevant to technology transfer, and connect students
and researchers to relevant resources, including mentors in
the private sector; and
``(E) create and fund competitions to allow entrepreneurial
students and faculty to illustrate the commercialization
potential of their ideas.
``(4) Minimum duration and size of award.--Grants awarded
under this subsection shall be at least 3 years in duration
and $500,000 in total amount.
``(5) Application.--An eligible entity seeking funding
under this subsection shall submit an application to the
Director of the Foundation at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information and assurances as such Director
may require. The application shall include, at a minimum, a
description of how the eligible entity submitting an
application plans to sustain the proposed activities beyond
the duration of the grant.
``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--From within funds
authorized for the Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions, there are authorized to carry out the activities
under this subsection $40 million for each of fiscal years
2022 through 2026.''.
(j) Entrepreneurial Fellowships.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award fellowships to
Ph.D.-trained scientists and engineers to help develop
leaders capable of maturing promising ideas and technologies
from lab to market and forge connections between academic
research and government, industry, and finance.
(2) Applications.--An applicant for a fellowship under this
subsection shall submit to the Director an application at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Director may require. At a minimum, the Director shall
require that applicants--
(A) have completed a doctoral degree in a STEM field no
more than 5 years prior to the date of the application; and
(B) have included in the application a letter of support
from the intended host institution that describes how the
fellow will be embedded in that institution's research
environment.
(3) Outreach.--The Director shall conduct program outreach
to recruit fellowship applicants--
(A) from diverse research institutions;
(B) from all regions of the country; and
(C) from groups historically underrepresented in STEM
fields;
(4) The Director may enter into an agreement with a third-
party entity to administer the fellowships, subject to the
provisions of this subsection.
(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Director $100,000,000 for fiscal
years 2022 through 2026, to carry out the activities outlined
in this subsection.
(k) Low-income Scholarship Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall award scholarships to
low-income individuals to enable such individuals to pursue
associate, undergraduate, or graduate level degrees in
mathematics, engineering, or computer science.
(2) Eligibility.--
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a scholarship
under this section, an individual--
(i) must be a citizen of the United States, a national of
the United States (as defined in section 1101(a) of title 8),
an alien admitted as a refugee under section 1157 of title 8,
or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for
permanent residence;
(ii) shall prepare and submit to the Director an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director may require; and
(iii) shall certify to the Director that the individual
intends to use amounts received under the scholarship to
enroll or continue enrollment at an institution of higher
education (as defined in section 1001(a) of title 20) in
order to pursue an associate, undergraduate, or graduate
level degree in mathematics, engineering, computer science,
or other technology and science programs designated by the
Director.
(B) Ability.--Awards of scholarships under this section
shall be made by the Director solely on the basis of the
ability of the applicant, except that in any case in which 2
or more applicants for scholarships are deemed by the
Director to be possessed of substantially equal ability, and
there are not sufficient scholarships available to grant one
to each of such applicants, the available scholarship or
scholarships shall be awarded to the applicants in a manner
that will tend to result in a geographically wide
distribution throughout the United States of recipients'
places of permanent residence.
(3) Scholarship amount and renewal.--The amount of a
scholarship awarded under this section shall be determined by
the Director. The Director may renew scholarships for up to 5
years.
(4) Authorization.--Of amounts authorized for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions,
$100,000,000 shall be authorized for this program.
(l) Transfer of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Funds made available to carry out this
section shall be available for transfer to other offices,
directorates, or divisions within the Foundation for such use
as is consistent with the purposes for which such funds are
provided.
(2) Prohibition on transfer from other offices.--No funds
shall be available for transfer to the Directorate
established under this section from other offices,
directorates, or divisions within the Foundation.
(m) Authorities.--In addition to existing authorities
available to the Foundation, the Director may exercise the
following authorities in carrying out the activities under
this section:
(1) Awards.--In carrying out this section, the Director may
provide awards in the form of grants, contracts, cooperative
agreements, cash prizes, and other transactions.
(2) Appointments.--The Director shall have the authority to
make appointments of scientific, engineering, and
professional personnel for carrying out research and
development functions which require the services of specially
qualified personnel relating to the focus areas identified
under subsection (g) and such other areas of national
research priorities as the Director may determine.
(n) Ethical, Legal, and Societal Considerations.--The
Director shall establish policies regarding engagement with
experts in the social dimensions of science and technology
and set up formal avenues for public input, as appropriate,
to ensure that ethical, legal, and societal considerations
are explicitly integrated into the priorities for the
Directorate, including the selection of focus areas under
subsection (g), the award-making process, and throughout all
stages of supported projects.
(o) Reports and Roadmaps.--
(1) Annual report.--The Director shall provide to the
relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of
Congress an annual report describing projects supported by
the Directorate during the previous year.
(2) Roadmap.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide to the
relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of
Congress a roadmap describing the strategic vision that the
Directorate will use to guide investment decisions over the
following 3 years.
(p) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--After the Directorate has been in
operation for 6 years, the National Science Board shall
evaluate how well the Directorate is achieving the purposes
identified in subsection (b), including an assessment of the
impact of Directorate activities on the Foundation's primary
science mission.
[[Page H3202]]
(2) Inclusions.--The evaluation shall include--
(A) a recommendation on whether the Directorate should be
continued or terminated; and
(B) a description of lessons learned from operation of the
Directorate.
(3) Availability.--On completion of the evaluation, the
evaluation shall be made available to Congress and the
public.
SEC. 10. ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS.
(a) Supporting Veterans in Stem Careers.--Section 3(c) of
the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act is amended by
striking ``annual'' and inserting ``biennial''.
(b) Sunshine Act Compliance.--Section 15 of the National
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended--
(1) so that paragraph (3) reads as follows:
``(3) Compliance review.--The Inspector General of the
Foundation shall conduct a review of the compliance by the
Board with the requirements described in paragraph (2) as
necessary based on a triennial risk assessment. Any review
deemed necessary shall examine the proposed and actual
content of closed meetings and determine whether the closure
of the meetings was consistent with section 552b of title 5,
United States Code.''; and
(2) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and inserting the
following:
``(4) Materials relating to closed portions of meeting.--To
facilitate the risk assessment required under paragraph (3)
of this subsection, and any subsequent review conducted by
the Inspector General, the Office of the National Science
Board shall maintain the General Counsel's certificate, the
presiding officer's statement, and a transcript or recording
of any closed meeting, for at least 3 years after such
meeting.''.
(c) Science and Engineering Indicators Report Submission.--
Section 4(j)(1) of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(1)) is amended by striking ``January
15'' and inserting ``March 15''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. 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. 2025, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2225, the National Science
Foundation for the Future Act.
The United States has long been a beacon of excellence in science and
engineering. We are at a time of markedly increased global competition
in research and development. However, while we should be cognizant of
our increasing global competition, we must not be constrained by it. To
continue to lead, we must chart our own course.
First and foremost, we must significantly boost funding for science.
For years, we have allowed billions of dollars of excellent research to
go unfunded.
Second, we must fully leverage our STEM talent. We need to empower
more women, people of color, rural students, and other underrepresented
groups to contribute.
Finally, we must ensure the benefits of science are widely shared. We
are at a critical juncture in our Nation's history, and we need to be
more focused on the role of science in our society.
Science and technology are powerful tools for helping solve society's
most pressing challenges. But as this pandemic has demonstrated, some
communities and their needs have long been overlooked. We must give
voice to a wider range of stakeholders in guiding scientific research.
For more than seven decades, the National Science Foundation has
played a critical role in supporting research. Many of the innovations
that have fueled American prosperity and security would not have been
possible without NSF-funded science.
As we look to the agency's future, we must seize this opportunity to
build upon and leverage its strengths. I believe this legislation does
just that.
After a decade of flat funding, H.R. 2225 provides a much-needed
increase in funding. The bill sets NSF on a path for steady,
sustainable growth. The bill addresses challenges at all levels of STEM
education and training. It supports activities and partnerships to
broaden participation in NSF-funded projects.
Finally, this bill establishes a new directorate to accelerate
progress on emerging technologies and advanced research-driven
solutions to societal challenges like climate change and inequality.
This bill is the result of over a year and a half of close,
bipartisan collaboration. The Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology held multiple hearings and markups to inform its
development. We incorporated feedback from dozens of stakeholder
groups, policy experts, and thought leaders. And this is reflected in
the fact that the bill has been endorsed by 50 scientific societies,
universities, and industry associations.
I want to thank Ranking Member Lucas for his partnership in
developing this legislation. I also want to thank his staff, in
particular, Jennifer Wickre and Catherine Johnson, for their
contributions.
And the Science Committee staff on the Democratic side, I would like
to thank Dahlia Sokolov and Sara Barber for all of their hard work on
this bill.
I also want to thank Speaker Pelosi's staff, Kenneth Russell DeGraff
and Reva Price, for helping to get this bill to the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
{time} 1700
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2225, the National
Science Foundation for the Future Act.
This legislation is one of two Science Committee bills under
consideration today to reinforce America's global scientific leadership
and fend off competition from the Chinese Communist Party.
Together, the NSF for the Future Act and the Department of Energy
Science for the Future Act represent a comprehensive and sustainable
approach to building American competitiveness.
Before I discuss the specifics of the NSF for the Future Act, I want
to emphasize why it is so critical we act now to counter the threat
from the Communist leadership in China and reinvest in American science
and technology.
Make no mistake, this is a threat. For years, China has been working
to steal, both literally and figuratively, our playbook for innovation.
That is because leading the world in science and technology gives you a
significant advantage when it comes to national security,
cybersecurity, and economic growth.
It is no wonder, then, that we have seen the Chinese Communist Party
pursue a technological advantage over us through forced acquisitions,
malign foreign talent programs, and intellectual property theft.
They are also outspending us, plain and simple. China's R&D spending
increased more than 50 percent between 2011 and 2016. In that same
period, our investment fell by 12 percent, in absolute terms.
There is no question, we must act now to redouble our commitment to
American research and development if we are to remain the global leader
in science and technology.
This issue is so important that even our colleagues in the Senate
have decided to address it. And while some legislative observers have
noted that their approach to this has been less organized and focused,
I appreciate that they recognize the urgency of the problem we are
facing.
While the Senate chose to tack on countless special interest
provisions, the House Science Committee approached this in a
deliberative manner, spending more than a year working with
stakeholders in government, academia, and industry to identify the best
way to invest in our research enterprise and support American
competitiveness.
The result is two bipartisan bills that significantly increase
research funding while adding strong protections to keep it safe from
foreign theft.
The NSF for the Future Act doubles funding for basic research over 5
years, investing a total of $78 billion.
It also includes $13 billion in funding for a new Directorate for
Science and Engineering Solutions, focused on translating the
discoveries funded by the foundation into solutions that can be applied
to national and societal challenges.
[[Page H3203]]
H.R. 2225 helps expand our STEM workforce so that, as we create the
technological jobs of the future, we are also developing American
workers to fill them. It invests in STEM education at every level, from
pre-K to post-doc programs, ensuring all Americans have access to high-
quality STEM resources.
Our bill also expands the geographic diversity of American R&D by
building research capabilities at minority-serving institutions and
universities outside of the top 100 research institutions.
Importantly, the NSF for the Future Act has a strong focus on
protecting taxpayer-funded research from adversaries like China,
Russia, and Iran. Among the protections included in the bill is a
provision that prohibits any grant recipients from participating in
malign talent recruitment programs, like the Thousand Talents program.
Protections like these are all the more important as we increase
investments in our research enterprise.
H.R. 2225 is a strategic and sustainable approach to investing in
America science and technology. I would like to thank my colleague,
Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, for all of the work she has done with
me to get this bill before the floor today.
At every step in this process, Science Committee Republicans and
Democrats have worked together to identify the challenges we face and
craft the strongest possible legislation to support American
competitiveness. That is due in large part to the chairwoman's
leadership and our shared commitment to making sure America has the
best research and development enterprise in the world.
Mr. Speaker, with U.S. leadership in science and technology at risk,
the U.S. must recommit to supporting basic research, cutting-edge
facilities, and a thriving domestic STEM workforce.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to take action now by
supporting the NSF for the Future Act, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens), the chair of the Subcommittee
on Research and Technology.
Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the NSF for the Future
Act, a bipartisan bill to revitalize one of the most important pillars
of our Federal Government's investments in innovation, the National
Science Foundation.
I certainly want to recognize the great work of Chairwoman Johnson
and Ranking Member Lucas for their leadership in developing this
forward-looking legislation. I was so proud to help usher it through my
Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
The commitment to bipartisan collaboration and engagement with a wide
range of stakeholders has resulted in a carefully crafted bill that
provides a much-needed infusion of funding and addresses needs across
the agency's portfolio.
The NSF for the Future Act has been endorsed by nearly 50
organizations, including the AFL-CIO, American Society of Civil
Engineers, the Semiconductor Industry Association, and higher education
institutions across the country.
The bill puts forth a suite of sweeping proposals, from scaling up
preK-12 STEM education research innovations and modernizing higher
education student training to funding more research infrastructure and
expanding opportunities to participate in NSF-funded projects.
The NSF for the Future Act also supports the evolution of the NSF by
ramping up support for use-inspired and translational research through
the creation of a partnership-driven, solutions-oriented directorate.
The National Science Foundation plays a pivotal role in our research
ecosystem. As the only Federal agency charged with supporting
fundamental research across all scientific disciplines, we cannot risk
undermining or diminishing this function. Our capacity to innovate will
be constrained if we choke off the flow of fundamental research
dollars.
As members of the Science Committee, we know all too well what is at
stake and what we are doing to conduct our due diligence here today. We
have held hearing after hearing to explore the challenges and
opportunities for advancing NSF's mission through a comprehensive
reauthorization bill.
We heard from the NSF's director and chair of the National Science
Board that the agency is poised to take on an infusion of funding and
an expansion of its mission to deliver the benefits of research to the
American people.
We heard from stakeholders all across the country in academia and
from the private sector and innovation policy experts that the NSF is
an essential asset that has been squeezed by flat budgets for too long.
Yes, here today is a bipartisan effort to commit to doubling
scientific research funding in this country. We all remember the
headline we got several years ago that diminished the funding for this
agency, that gave us the projection of a lost generation in scientific
research, yet here today we are committed to action because innovation
is the great propellor of this Nation.
The challenges--the unique challenges that we have faced in the 21st
century have been bested time and time again because of what we do as
Americans: We innovate. And I know that all too well as a Member of
Congress from Michigan dedicated to the production and the patents and
the hard work to produce results.
Increasing the budget of the NSF is also not nearly enough. A new
directorate charged with use-inspired research with a focus on
expanding opportunities, forging new partnerships, and engagement with
the public is needed to chart the course forward for this agency. It is
time.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Waltz), the ranking member of the Research and Technology
Subcommittee.
Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2225, the NSF for
the Future Act, which I am proud to be an original cosponsor of, along
with Chairwoman Johnson, Ranking Member Lucas, and Chairwoman Stevens.
As ranking member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, I am
proud of the process this bill went through to get here today, with
well over a year's work, including meetings, roundtables, legislative
hearings, and two committee markups.
The final bill includes over 13 Republican amendments and standalone
pieces of legislation and 11 recommendations from the House GOP's China
Task Force. It is projected that China surpassed the United States in
2019, in total research and development spending.
I would like to thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for
their leadership throughout this process, which set the tone for
developing thoughtful legislation.
H.R. 2225 takes important steps in expanding the mission of the
National Science Foundation to ensure we maintain our edge against
rising global competition, while protecting the foundation's primary
mission of supporting fundamental research.
It makes key investments in the STEM workforce to expand the American
talent pipeline. It supports world-class research facilities, like
Embry-Riddle, Bethune-Cookman, and Stetson Universities, all of which
are in my district. It promotes the research needed to develop
revolutionary technologies that are crucial to our national and
economic security.
While making these investments, we also secure taxpayer-funded
research and technologies from adversaries like the Chinese Communist
Party.
The National Science Foundation Inspector General is seeing a 1,000
percent increase in FBI referrals for research theft inquiries. H.R.
2225 gives the NSF security office the resources, the authority, and
the tools for the foundation, for the sponsoring institutions, and for
the applicants to identify and address malign foreign influence and to
address research theft.
The bill also instructs the NSF to develop mandatory security
training to ensure that individual researchers, frankly, have no more
excuses and that they understand the threat and the Federal policies
and guidelines.
Lastly, Representative Randy Feenstra and I successfully added an
amendment during the full committee markup that bans grant applicants
from participating in malign foreign
[[Page H3204]]
talent programs, like the Chinese Communist Party's Thousand Talents
program.
It is critical that we strike a balance between keeping our research
enterprise open, but also protecting it from adversaries who seek to
take advantage of our open system.
There is more work to be done, but I think these provisions take some
big steps in striking that balance.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Foster).
Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, today we are considering H.R. 2225, the NSF
for the Future Act; and H.R. 3593, the DOE Science for the Future Act.
Both are tributes to the thoughtful bipartisanship of the leadership
and the staff of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, on which
I have the honor of serving.
Last Congress, the Science Committee found itself in the remarkable
position of discussing dueling bipartisan proposals to essentially
double the science budgets, which, needless to say, represents a big
change from years past.
Out of that shared commitment to the future came the thoughtful and
bipartisan NSF for the Future Act and the DOE Science for the Future
Act. These bills, which represent significant and overdue increases to
the budgets for the NSF and the DOE Office of Science, are crucial to
ensuring that our Nation maintains its leadership in the science that
will continue to change the world.
H.R. 2225 was specifically written to ensure that the NSF will have
the funds to accept a much larger fraction of the qualified research
proposals that it receives every year, which is the single most
important thing that we can do to ensure the health of the science it
supports.
{time} 1715
H.R. 3593 contains aggressive but feasible budget profiles for the
existing programs of DOE's Office of Science. It has specific language
to reexamine opportunities to expand these programs into new areas
under these more ambitious but now, hopefully, realistic budget growth
scenarios so that next-generation projects in fields like nuclear
fusion, bioinformatics, energy storage, basic energy research, and much
more can now be contemplated.
As the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress, I urge my colleagues to
support these bills, which I am proudly cosponsoring, to provide our
scientific researchers with the support that they need to lead us into
the future.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Feenstra).
Mr. FEENSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking
Member Lucas for all the work they have done on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the National Science
Foundation for the Future Act. This legislation contains several
provisions that would help ensure the United States continues to be a
global leader in science and technology. It invests in critical STEM
programs and research that will pave the way for new and exciting
technological developments.
I am pleased that this legislation also includes a proposal that I
introduced to protect American intellectual property from falling into
the wrong hands. My proposal, which passed the Science Committee with
unanimous support, prevents government-funded researchers from
participating in projects that are run by so-called foreign countries
of concern, including China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, and others
defined by the State Department.
Taxpayer dollars should not be spent on research that could end up in
the hands of our competitors or our adversaries. This is especially
true when it comes to China. My bipartisan proposal stands up to the
Chinese Communist Party and ensures that our taxpayer dollars are spent
wisely.
The NSF for the Future Act also contains language that I have worked
on with Congressman McNerney to advance precision agriculture
technology. These provisions aim to bolster research and development in
precision farming practices, which will help our producers improve
their efficiency and increase their bottom line.
In sum, the National Science Foundation for the Future Act includes
important provisions that will protect American interests and help
empower our agricultural community.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren).
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking
Member Lucas for their extraordinary bipartisan leadership on these
bills. These two bills recognize the urgency of Federal scientific
investment.
Over the past few decades, Federal spending on R&D flatlined as a
share of our economy, and it has fallen in absolute terms. Meanwhile,
global competitors jump-started their economic growth through such
investments that spur innovation.
Maintaining our leadership in research and development is arguably
more important than ever. Now is the time to be bold in our vision of
what is possible. We shortchange the Nation every year when we refuse
to fund a rich portfolio of research opportunities.
I want to talk about the NSF for the Future Act. It is part of the
remedy, and it strikes the appropriate balance of expanding popular and
effective projects and programs while expanding the Foundation's role
and mandate to new areas of evolving technologies.
The approach to the creation of a new directorate outlined in the
bill sets an appropriate benchmark as we engage with the Senate, and it
has received overwhelming support from the academic, scientific, and
business communities.
We need to make sure we get this right.
The bill would allow NSF to improve the speed and scale of its core
mission to advance basic and fundamental research while promoting
innovative solutions to the challenges we face as a nation.
We must support this effort, the NSF bill, as well as the Department
of Energy Science for the Future Act. I strongly urge my colleagues to
support these two pieces of legislation. I commend the committee for
its excellent work.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Kim).
Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
2225, the NSF for the Future Act, legislation that invests in our
country's future through targeted investments in research and
innovation at the university level, K-12 STEM education, and the
development and commercialization of new technologies.
I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 2225, which provides our country and
the National Science Foundation with the tools to preserve our
technological and economic supremacy in the face of the shifting
patterns of global competitiveness.
This bipartisan legislation would authorize $50 billion over 5 years
for American innovation and basic research. Additionally, the
legislation ensures taxpayer investments in innovation and research are
protected from theft and espionage by the Chinese Communist Party.
H.R. 2225 also contains important provisions to ensure our country is
developing a 21st century workforce by investing in STEM education at
all levels, from pre-K through 12th grades. I am proud to have worked
with my colleagues, Representative Gwen Moore, Ranking Member Lucas,
and Chairwoman Johnson, to include my legislation, H.R. 3859, the
Innovations in Informal STEM Learning Act.
H.R. 3859 sets up the pre-K through eighth grade informal STEM
program, which directs the NSF Director to award competitive, merit-
reviewed grants that support student participation in competitions,
after-school activities, and field experiences related to
STEM education. Additionally, this legislation would bridge the
achievement gap for minority and rural students by prioritizing STEM
education in those communities.
As our Nation fights to stay ahead as the world leader in innovation,
science, and technology, we must rely on the strength of our Nation's
diversity. We cannot afford to compete in the 21st century economy and
against China with one hand tied behind our back.
[[Page H3205]]
I commend Ranking Member Lucas and Chairwoman Johnson's leadership
for reaching a bipartisan agreement on this legislation. I urge my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 2225.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross).
Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the NSF for the
Future Act, a critical piece of legislation that would bolster our
Nation's research enterprise and enhance our status as a world leader
in science and research. It is so wonderful that it has been done in a
completely bipartisan way.
Included in this legislation is a bipartisan bill I introduced, the
NSF Technology Research Institutes Act. This important bill would
create a grant program at NSF that will fund technology research
activities at institutes of higher education. This will further our
national innovation enterprise and ensure our technology workforce has
the requisite skill set to work on cutting-edge research as the key to
success in the 21st century.
This program will enable our academic institutions, including those I
represent in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, to further
provide their students with critical research experience to build the
robust technology workforce our country urgently needs.
I look forward to working with the Senate to ensure this critical
bill is signed into law.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Obernolte), the ranking member of the Investigations
and Oversight Subcommittee.
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2225,
the National Science Foundation for the Future Act.
Mr. Speaker, I have been increasingly alarmed over the last few
months at the foreign-based attacks on our Nation's infrastructure.
Several weeks ago, the attack against Colonial Pipeline disrupted the
supply of gasoline throughout the East Coast. Also several weeks ago,
the computer attack against JBS meat processing threatened to disrupt
our Nation's food supply.
Mr. Speaker, the reason these are particularly concerning to me as a
computer scientist is the data that indicates that we have seriously
underinvested in our computer science workforce over the last several
decades, particularly compared with other countries.
This bill is a very meaningful step toward solving that problem. It
would roughly double the NSF's investment in basic scientific research
over the next few years, particularly in fields like computer science.
It includes a bill that I sponsored, H.R. 3844, the Fellowships and
Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act, that would make
meaningful investments in new fellowships and new traineeships to
enable the next generation of Americans to become educated and skilled
in the field of artificial intelligence.
Another bill that we are considering on the floor tonight, the
Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, would continue those
investments. It includes another piece of legislation that I authored,
the Next Generation Computing Research and Development Act, that would
make meaningful investments in exascale computing and next-generation
computing capabilities.
Mr. Speaker, taken together, this legislation will attempt to address
the problems that have plagued computer science and technical education
in this country.
Mr. Speaker, no discussion of this legislation would be complete
without some praise for the bipartisan path that this legislation has
followed. This legislation is bipartisan. It includes meaningful
contributions from both parties. It is deliberate. It has taken place
over the course of more than a year.
Mr. Speaker, it is inclusive. It includes input from hundreds of
different industry and academic institutions.
Mr. Speaker, this is the path that legislation in this Chamber should
follow.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support H.R. 2225.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
My colleagues have done a great job today of explaining all the many
reasons we need to pass the National Science Foundation for the Future
Act to keep America globally competitive. I thank them for their
support of this legislation.
I also want to thank my staff for all the hard work they have done on
this bill. America's scientific and technological competitiveness has
been my highest priority as ranking member of the Science Committee. My
staff has worked long and hard to create a smart, strategic approach to
doubling our investments in research and development, and I appreciate
all they have done.
I also want to thank Chairwoman Johnson's staff for working so
closely with us to ensure that we have a bipartisan plan to invest in
America's science and technology leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the NSF for the Future
Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I simply urge all of my colleagues
to support the National Science Foundation for the Future Act.
It is really time to acknowledge that we did have to do a lot of
extra homework to come to the final portions of this bill, and we did
it collaboratively. We involved the entire scientific community, and we
believe we have done a great job.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2225, the National Science Foundation
for the Future Act, includes my bill, H.R. 3795, to ensure educators
from the Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American
Samoa are represented in the annual Presidential Awards for Excellence
in Math and Science Teaching.
Established by Congress in 1983, the Presidential Award is the
highest recognition that an elementary or secondary school mathematics
or science teacher may receive in the United States. Over 4,800
teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom
and to their profession.
Unlike the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and
Department of Defense schools, each of which may recognize a STEM
educator, no more than two awards in total can go to teachers from the
four insular areas: the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands,
Guam, and American Samoa. This limitation has resulted in many years in
which no teacher from one of those four areas is selected. No teacher
from the Marianas, for instance, was selected last year. And this lack
of recognition defeats the purpose of the program, which is to inspire
excellence within each area and provide a role model for other local
STEM educators to emulate. These statutory limits, also, unfairly deny
deserving educators in the insular areas the national recognition and
professional development opportunities we provide to STEM educators
elsewhere in our nation.
My bill provides a more equitable process by requiring awards to at
least one teacher from each of the four areas. By ensuring teachers
from all parts of America are represented, more students and schools
will benefit from the expert-led training programs and collaboration
opportunities available to awardees during their visit to our nation's
capital.
I thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for all their
support to include into H.R. 2225 this important measure.
I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2225.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. -Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in proud support of
H.R. 2225, the ``National Science foundation for the Future Act,''
which authorizes appropriations for the National Science Foundation for
the next five fiscal years.
As a former member of the House Science committee, I believe science
and engineering academic research is an essential investment due to the
ongoing cybersecurity, national security, and public wellbeing threats
attacking the Nation.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports basic research that is
a primary driver of the U.S. economy, enhances the nation's security,
and advances knowledge to sustain global leadership.
Specifically, the NSF is the only federal agency whose mission
includes support for fundamental science and engineering fields.
NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and
engineering, providing grants and cooperative agreements to more than
2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school
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systems, businesses, informal science organizations, and other research
organizations throughout the U.S.
Pursuant to the National Science Foundation for the Future Act, NSF
will contract with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and
Medicine to assess the status and opportunities for Pre-K through 12
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer
science, (STEM) education research.
The NSF contributions have specifically benefitted Texas institutions
by previously investing $46,828,000 to STEM education and $356,731,000
in fundamental research.
The National Science Foundation for the Future Act will continue to
impact Texas STEM education.
For example, money distributed through the National Science
Foundation go to University of Houston STEM student researching at The
University of Houston Division of Research Department.
In the past, the NSF funding helped researchers at Rice University
develop a nanotechnology-based ``trap-and-zap'' approach to absorbing
and deactivating antibiotic-resistant genes.
More importantly the money from the NSF is contributed to the Science
and Technology Enhancement Program (STEP) at Texas Southern University
to help increase the number of African-American and female graduates in
all STEM fields.
H.R. 2225 carries out a national initiative to facilitate the
development of networks and partnerships to broaden participation in
STEM studies and careers of historically underrepresented groups like
students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The funds allocated to STEM programs like Texas Southern University
contribute to President Biden's plan to help build up and financially
support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Research has found that HBCUs are vital to helping underrepresented
students move to the top of the income ladder.
HBCUs are only three percent of four-year universities, and their
graduates make up approximately 80 percent of Black judges, half of
Black lawyers and doctors, and 25 percent of Black undergraduates
earning STEM degrees.
President Biden wants us to invest in HBCU's by creating or expanding
educational programs in high-demand fields (e.g., STEM, computer
sciences, nursing, and allied health), with an additional $2 billion
directed towards building a pipeline of skilled health care workers
with graduate degrees.
Through the American Jobs Plan, President Biden wants to eliminate
racial and gender inequities in research and development and science,
technology, engineering, and math.
President Biden wants to invest $40 billion in upgrading research
infrastructure in laboratories across the country, including brick-and-
mortar facilities and computing capabilities and networks. These funds
would be allocated across the federal R&D agencies, including at the
Department of Energy.
Half of those funds will be reserved for Historically Black Colleges
and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions,
including the creation of a new national lab focused on climate that
will be affiliated with an HBCU.
H.R. 2225 awards the NSF billions of dollars in the next five years
to address significant societal challenges and sustain United States
leadership in innovation by increasing investments in research,
specifically for underrepresented populations, like HBCU students, in
STEM.
I urge all Members to join me in voting for H.R. 2225, the ''National
Science foundation for the Future Act,'' to ensure that we fund our
STEM programs to prepare us for the future better.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2225, 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.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
____________________