Nanotechnology in the Schools Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a nanotechnology in the schools program awarding matching grants to certain eligible institutions for the purchase of nanotechnology equipment and software and the provision of nanotechnology education to students and teachers.
Lists as eligible grantees: (1) public, private, parochial, and charter secondary schools that offer advanced or international baccalaureate science courses; (2) community colleges; (3) four-year institutions of higher education; and (4) informal learning science and technology centers.
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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2436 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2436
To strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide
instruction in nanotechnology.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2007
Ms. Hooley (for herself, Mr. Wu, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr.
Honda, Mr. Lipinski, and Mr. Kind) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide
instruction in nanotechnology.
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 ``Nanotechnology in the Schools Act''.
SEC. 2. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The rapidly growing field of nanotechnology is
generating scientific and technological breakthroughs that will
benefit society by improving the way many things are designed
and made.
(2) Nanotechnology is likely to have a significant,
positive impact on the security, economic well-being, and
health of Americans as fields related to nanotechnology expand.
(3) In order to maximize the benefits of nanotechnology to
individuals in the United States, the United States must
maintain world leadership in the field, including nanoscience
and microtechnology, in the face of determined competition from
other nations.
(4) According to the National Science Foundation, foreign
students on temporary visas earned 32 percent of all science
and engineering doctorates awarded in the United States in
2003, the last year for which data is available. Foreign
students earned 55 percent of the engineering doctorates. Many
of these students expressed an intent to return to their
country of origin after completing their study.
(5) To maintain world leadership in nanotechnology, the
United States must make a long-term investment in educating
United States students in secondary schools and institutions of
higher education, so that the students are able to conduct
nanoscience research and develop and commercialize
nanotechnology applications.
(6) Preparing United States students for careers in
nanotechnology, including nanoscience, requires that the
students have access to the necessary scientific tools,
including scanning electron microscopes designed for teaching,
and requires training to enable teachers and professors to use
those tools in the classroom and the laboratory.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to strengthen the
capacity of United States secondary schools and institutions of higher
education to prepare students for careers in nanotechnology by
providing grants to those schools and institutions to provide the tools
necessary for such preparation.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(2) Eligible institution.--The term ``eligible
institution'' means an institution that is--
(A) a public, private, parochial, or charter
secondary school that offers 1 or more advanced
placement science courses or international
baccalaureate science courses;
(B) a community college, as defined in section 3301
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7011);
(C) a 4-year institution of higher education or a
branch, within the meaning of section 498(j) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099c(j)), of
such an institution; or
(D) a informal learning science and technology
center.
(3) Qualified nanotechnology equipment.--The term
``qualified nanotechnology equipment'' means equipment,
instrumentation, or hardware that is--
(A) used for teaching nanotechnology in the
classroom; and
(B) manufactured in the United States at least 50
percent from articles, materials, or supplies that are
mined, produced, or manufactured, as the case may be,
in the United States.
(d) Program Authorized.--
(1) Program authorized.--The Director shall establish a
nanotechnology in the schools program to strengthen the
capacity of eligible institutions to provide instruction in
nanotechnology. In carrying out the program, the Director shall
award grants of not more than $150,000 to eligible institutions
to provide such instruction.
(2) Activities supported.--
(A) In general.--An eligible institution shall use
a grant awarded under this section--
(i) to acquire qualified nanotechnology
equipment and software designed for teaching
students about nanotechnology in the classroom;
(ii) to develop and provide educational
services, including carrying out faculty
development, to prepare students or faculty
seeking a degree or certificate that is
approved by the State, or a regional
accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of
Education; and
(iii) to provide teacher education and
certification to individuals who seek to
acquire or enhance technology skills in order
to use nanotechnology in the classroom or
instructional process.
(B) Limitations.--
(i) Uses.--Not more than \1/4\ of the
amount of the funds made available through a
grant awarded under this section may be used
for software, educational services, or teacher
education and certification as described in
this paragraph.
(ii) Programs.--In the case of a grant
awarded under this section to a community
college or institution of higher education, the
funds made available through the grant may be
used only in undergraduate programs.
(3) Applications and selection.--
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under this section, an eligible institution shall
submit an application to the Director at such time, in
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the
Director may reasonably require.
(B) Procedure.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
establish a procedure for accepting such applications
and publish an announcement of such procedure,
including a statement regarding the availability of
funds, in the Federal Register.
(C) Selection.--In selecting eligible institutions
to receive grants under this section, and encouraging
eligible institutions to apply for such grants, the
Director shall, to the greatest extent practicable--
(i) select eligible entities in
geographically diverse locations;
(ii) encourage the application of
historically Black colleges and universities
(meaning part B institutions, as defined in
section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1061)) and minority institutions (as
defined in section 365 of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1067k)); and
(iii) select eligible institutions that
include institutions located in States
participating in the Experimental Program to
Stimulate Competitive Research (commonly known
as ``EPSCoR'').
(4) Matching requirement and limitation.--
(A) In general.--
(i) Requirement.--The Director may not
award a grant to an eligible institution under
this section unless such institution agrees
that, with respect to the costs to be incurred
by the institution in carrying out the program
for which the grant was awarded, such
institution will make available (directly or
through donations from public or private
entities) non-Federal contributions in an
amount equal to \1/4\ of the amount of the
grant.
(ii) Waiver.--The Director shall waive the
matching requirement described in clause (i)
for any institution with no endowment, or an
endowment that has a dollar value lower than
$5,000,000, as of the date of the waiver.
(B) Limitation.--
(i) Branches.--If a branch described in
subsection (c)(1)(C) receives a grant under
this section that exceeds $100,000, that branch
shall not be eligible, until 2 years after the
date of receipt of the grant, to receive
another grant under this section.
(ii) Other eligible institutions.--If an
eligible institution other than a branch
referred to in clause (i) receives a grant
under this section that exceeds $100,000, that
institution shall not be eligible, until 2
years after the date of receipt of the grant,
to receive another grant under this section.
(5) Annual report and evaluation.--
(A) Report by institutions.--Each institution that
receives a grant under this section shall prepare and
submit a report to the Director, not later than 1 year
after the date of receipt of the grant, on its use of
the grant funds.
(B) Review and evaluation.--
(i) Review.--The Director shall annually
review the reports submitted under subparagraph
(A).
(ii) Evaluation.--At the end of every third
year, the Director shall evaluate the program
authorized by this section on the basis of
those reports. The Director, in the evaluation,
shall describe the activities carried out by
the institutions receiving grants under this
section and shall assess the short-range and
long-range impact of the activities carried out
under the grants on the students, faculty, and
staff of the institutions.
(C) Report to congress.--Not later than 6 months
after conducting an evaluation under subparagraph
(B)(ii), the Director shall prepare and submit a report
to Congress based on the evaluation. In the report, the
Director shall include such recommendations, including
recommendations concerning the continuing need for
Federal support of the program carried out under this
section, as may be appropriate.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director to carry out this section $15,000,000 for
fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years
2009 through 2011.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
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