Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), acting through the Human Resources Directorate and not less than one research directorate of the NSF, to award competitive grants to eligible entities to enable them to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Requires an eligible entity that receives a grant to use those grant funds to carry out the following activities designed to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields: (1) online workshops, (2) mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, (3) internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM, and (4) conducting outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4833 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4833
To increase the participation of historically underrepresented
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education and industry.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 10, 2014
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York (for herself and Ms. Jackson Lee)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the participation of historically underrepresented
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education and industry.
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 ``Women and Minorities in STEM Booster
Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND
UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN STEM FIELDS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) One of the core missions of the National Science
Foundation is ``to achieve excellence in U.S. science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education''.
(2) According to the National Academy of Sciences, STEM
education at the undergraduate level is vital to developing a
workforce that will allow the United States to remain the
leader in the 21st century global economy.
(3) According to the National Academy of Sciences, in order
to maintain scientific and engineering leadership amid
increasing economic and educational globalization, the United
States must aggressively pursue the innovative capacity of all
people in the United States--women and men.
(4) According to the August 2011 report ``Women in STEM: A
Gender Gap to Innovation'', the Department of Commerce found
the following:
(A) ``According to the Census Bureau's 2009
American Community Survey (ACS), women comprise 48
percent of the U.S. workforce but just 24 percent of
STEM workers.''.
(B) ``[B]etween 2000 and 2009, women's share of the
STEM workforce remained constant at 24 percent, while
their share of all college-educated workers increased
from 46 to 49 percent''.
(C) ``The ACS data on undergraduate fields of study
show that women account for nearly half of employed
college graduates age 25 and over, but only about 25
percent of employed STEM degree holders and an even
smaller share--just about 20 percent--of STEM degree
holders working in STEM jobs.''.
(5) In 2007, underrepresented minority groups comprised
33.2 percent of the college-age population of the United
States, but only 17.7 percent of undergraduate students earning
a baccalaureate degree in a STEM field.
(6) The Higher Education Research Institute at the
University of California, Los Angeles, found that, while
freshmen from underrepresented minority groups express an
interest in pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree at the same
rate as all other freshmen, only 22.1 percent of Latino
students, 18.4 percent of African-American students, and 18.8
percent of Native American students studying in STEM fields
complete their degree within 5 years, compared to an
approximate 33 percent and 42 percent 5-year completion rate
for White and Asian students, respectively.
(7) According to the National Action Council for Minorities
in Engineering, Inc., no one race or ethnic category will be a
majority by 2050, and as the United States works to remain
competitive in the world of technological innovation, the
United States should address the need to increase the number of
individuals from underrepresented minority segments of the
population who work in engineering.
(b) Program Authorized.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation, acting through the Education and Human Resources
Directorate and not less than 1 research directorate of the National
Science Foundation, shall award grants to eligible entities, on a
competitive basis, to enable such eligible entities to carry out the
activities described in subsection (e), in order to increase the
participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(c) Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term ``eligible entity''
means--
(1) a department of science, technology, engineering, or
mathematics at an institution of higher education, as defined
under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001);
(2) a consortium of departments described in paragraph (1);
(3) a department or consortium described in this
subsection, in partnership with a department, college, or
school of education at such institution of higher education; or
(4) a nonprofit organization, which may include--
(A) a nonprofit scientific or professional society
or organization that represents 1 or more science or
engineering disciplines; or
(B) a nonprofit organization that has the primary
mission of advancing the participation of
underrepresented segments of the population in science
and engineering.
(d) Application.--Each eligible entity that desires to receive a
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Director of
the National Science Foundation at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Director of the National Science
Foundation may reasonably require.
(e) Authorized Activities.--An eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section shall use such grant funds to carry out the
following activities designed to increase the participation of women
and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics:
(1) Online workshops.
(2) Mentoring programs that partner science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics professionals with students.
(3) Internships for undergraduate and graduate students in
the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.
(4) Conducting outreach programs that provide elementary
school and secondary school students with opportunities to
increase their exposure to the fields of science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics.
(5) Such additional programs as the Director of the
National Science Foundation may determine.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2015, 2016, and 2017.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E943)
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
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