National Science Foundation for the Future Act
This bill reauthorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) through FY2026 and authorizes programs and activities at the NSF.
The bill establishes requirements for the NSF, including to
The bill also establishes within the NSF a Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to advance research and development solutions to address societal and national challenges.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2225 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2225
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025,
and 2026 for the National Science Foundation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2021
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mr. Lucas, Ms. Stevens, and Mr.
Waltz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025,
and 2026 for the National Science Foundation, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``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, companies, 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) 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.
(3) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the National Science
Board.
(4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(5) Emerging research institution.--The term ``emerging
research institution'' means an institution of higher education
with an 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.
(6) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science
agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural
research expenditure of over $100,000,000.
(7) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation.
(8) 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)).
(9) 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.
(10) NSF includes.--The term ``NSF includes'' means the
initiative carried out under section 6(c).
(11) PreK-12.--The term ``preK-12'' means pre-kindergarten
through grade 12.
(12) 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.
(13) 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).
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2022.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $11,469,200,000 for fiscal year 2022.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $9,444,100,000 shall be made available to carry
out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $208,150,000 shall be for the Graduate
Research Fellowship Program;
(ii) $55,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(iii) $1,000,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,333,860,000 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) $208,150,000 shall be for the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program; and
(iv) $66,000,000 shall be for the
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program;
(C) $190,000,000 shall be made available for major
research equipment and facilities construction, of
which $65,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $473,500,000 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 $12,668,000,000 for fiscal year 2023.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $10,367,460,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $227,070,000 shall be for the Graduate
Research Fellowship Program;
(ii) $60,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(iii) $1,500,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,391,320,000 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) $227,070,000 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 $75,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale Research
Infrastructure Program;
(D) $522,940,000 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 $14,148,200,000 for fiscal year 2024.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $11,702,420,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $245,990,000 shall be for the Graduate
Research Fellowship Program;
(ii) $70,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(iii) $2,250,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,457,590,000 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) $245,990,000 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) $582,380,000 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 $16,036,900,000 for fiscal year 2025.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $13,440,840,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $264,920,000 shall be for the Graduate
Research Fellowship Program;
(ii) $75,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(iii) $3,375,000,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,522,890,000 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) $264,920,000 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) $661,830,000 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 $18,325,020,000 for fiscal year 2026.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $15,549,390,000 shall be made available to
carry out research and related activities, of which--
(i) $283,840,000 shall be for the Graduate
Research Fellowship Program;
(ii) $80,000,000 shall be for the Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure Program; and
(iii) $5,062,500,000 shall be for the
Directorate for Science and Engineering
Solutions;
(B) $1,601,470,000 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) $283,840,000 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) $756,270,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(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 Tranformative 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, 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
(v) 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.
(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 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; and
(C) increase the size, diversity, capability, and
flexibility of the STEM workforce.
(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, and industry to meet
workforce needs.''.
(c) 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 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 graduate student
professional development experiences for graduate
students who receive a substantial portion of their
support under such grants, as determined by the
Director.
(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 across
gender, race and ethnicity, and citizenship;
and
(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.
(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 ``up to $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.''.
(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.
(d) 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.
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) minority institutions, as defined in section
365(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067k(3));
(C) institutions of higher education that are
located near or serve rural communities;
(D) emerging research institutions; and
(E) higher education programs that serve or support
veterans.
(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,
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'';
(ii) inserting ``post-secondary credentials
and'' before ``associate's''; and
(iii) striking ``or baccalaureate degrees''
and inserting ``, baccalaureate, and graduate
degrees'';
(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.
SEC. 7. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH.
(a) 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.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Director should continue to identify opportunities to reduce the
administrative burden on researchers.
(c) 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. 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
science 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 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) 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) inserting the following at the end: ``,
including mentor training, and training to raise
awareness of potential security threats and Federal
export control, disclosure, and reporting
requirements''.
(8) 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 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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
science 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.
(f) 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;
(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 social strategies and tools
for mitigating and adapting to climate change,
including at the local level;
(E) improved modeling, projections, analyses, and
assessments of climate and other Earth system changes;
(F) 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; and
(G) the development of effective strategies for
public and community engagement in the all stages of
the research and development process.
(g) 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
(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.
(h) 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 Big Ideas 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.
(i) 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.
(j) 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.
(k) 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
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 infrastructures, particularly those that leverage the
growing infusion of cyber-physical-social components into the
infrastructures; and
(3) research on the behaviors individuals and communities
engage in to detect, predict, assess, mitigate, and prevent
risks and to improve and increase resilience.
(l) 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
by sending teams of Foundation scientific staff for site visits of
scientific facilities and agencies in other countries.
(m) 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.--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.
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 grant proposals submitted to the
Foundation, the Director shall encourage and provide access to
tools to facilitate the inclusion of relevant measures of
computational performance needs in proposals for projects that
require advanced computing, including the measures 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 on a
regular basis a summary of the amount and types of advanced
computing capabilities that are needed to respond to Foundation
research opportunities 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) draws on community input, information contained
in research proposals, allocation requests, and
Foundation-wide information gathering regarding
community needs;
(B) reflects anticipated technology trends;
(C) informs users and potential partners about
future facilities and services; and
(D) addresses the needs of groups historically
underrepresented in STEM and geographic regions with
low availability and high demand for advanced computing
resources.
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 accelerate the translation of Foundation-supported
fundamental research and to advance technologies, support use-inspired
research, 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 (a) 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, 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;
(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, businesses and
other for-profit entities, Federal or State agencies, community
organizations, other Foundation directorates, national labs,
international entities as appropriate, 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 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; and
(8) identify social, behavioral, and economic drivers and
consequences of technological innovations.
(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, technology transfer experts, and
representatives of civil society 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 in critical technologies.
(3) Cybersecurity.
(4) National security.
(5) STEM education and workforce.
(6) Social and economic inequality.
(h) 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.
(i) 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--
(A) make appointments of scientific, engineering,
and professional personnel without regard to the civil
service laws as the Director determines necessary 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; and
(B) fix the basic pay of such personnel at rates
not in excess of the basic rate of pay of the Vice
President under section 104 of title 3, United States
Code, without regard to the civil service laws.
(j) Ethical, Legal, and Societal Considerations.--The Director
shall establish policies 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.
(k) 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.
(l) 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.
(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.
(m) Limitation.--No amounts may be appropriated for the Directorate
for each of fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 unless--
(1) a specific appropriation is made for the Directorate;
and
(2) the amount appropriated for the activities of the
Foundation, other than the activities authorized under this
section, for each such fiscal year exceeds the amount
appropriated for the Foundation for fiscal year 2021, as
adjusted for inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price
Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
Department of Labor.
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''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E305)
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 117-73.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 117-73.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 51.
Ms. Johnson (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3187-3206)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2225.
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H3222-3223)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 345 - 67 (Roll no. 186).(text: CR H3187-3202)
Roll Call #186 (House)On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 345 - 67 (Roll no. 186). (text: CR H3187-3202)
Roll Call #186 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.