I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nanotechnology in the 

5 Schools Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 

9 (1) The rapidly growing field of nanotechnology 

10 is generating scientific and technological breakVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:48 May 24, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2436.IH H2436

bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
2 

•HR 2436 IH

1 throughs that will benefit society by improving the 

2 way many things are designed and made. 

3 (2) Nanotechnology is likely to have a signifi4 cant, positive impact on the security, economic well5 being, and health of Americans as fields related to 

6 nanotechnology expand. 

7 (3) In order to maximize the benefits of 

8 nanotechnology to individuals in the United States, 

9 the United States must maintain world leadership in 

10 the field, including nanoscience and microtechnology, 

11 in the face of determined competition from other na12 tions. 

13 (4) According to the National Science Founda14 tion, foreign students on temporary visas earned 32 

15 percent of all science and engineering doctorates 

16 awarded in the United States in 2003, the last year 

17 for which data is available. Foreign students earned 

18 55 percent of the engineering doctorates. Many of 

19 these students expressed an intent to return to their 

20 country of origin after completing their study. 

21 (5) To maintain world leadership in 

22 nanotechnology, the United States must make a 

23 long-term investment in educating United States 

24 students in secondary schools and institutions of 

25 higher education, so that the students are able to 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
3 

•HR 2436 IH

1 conduct nanoscience research and develop and com2 mercialize nanotechnology applications. 

3 (6) Preparing United States students for ca4 reers in nanotechnology, including nanoscience, re5 quires that the students have access to the necessary 

6 scientific tools, including scanning electron micro7 scopes designed for teaching, and requires training 

8 to enable teachers and professors to use those tools 

9 in the classroom and the laboratory. 

10 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 

11 strengthen the capacity of United States secondary 

12 schools and institutions of higher education to prepare 

13 students for careers in nanotechnology by providing grants 

14 to those schools and institutions to provide the tools nec15 essary for such preparation. 

16 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

18 the Director of the National Science Foundation. 

19 (2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘eligi20 ble institution’’ means an institution that is— 

21 (A) a public, private, parochial, or charter 

22 secondary school that offers 1 or more ad23 vanced placement science courses or inter24 national baccalaureate science courses; 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
4 

•HR 2436 IH

1 (B) a community college, as defined in sec2 tion 3301 of the Elementary and Secondary 

3 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7011); 

4 (C) a 4-year institution of higher education 

5 or a branch, within the meaning of section 

6 498(j) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

7 (20 U.S.C. 1099c(j)), of such an institution; or 

8 (D) a informal learning science and tech9 nology center. 

10 (3) QUALIFIED NANOTECHNOLOGY EQUIP11 MENT.—The term ‘‘qualified nanotechnology equip12 ment’’ means equipment, instrumentation, or hard13 ware that is— 

14 (A) used for teaching nanotechnology in 

15 the classroom; and 

16 (B) manufactured in the United States at 

17 least 50 percent from articles, materials, or 

18 supplies that are mined, produced, or manufac19 tured, as the case may be, in the United States. 

20 (d) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

21 (1) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director 

22 shall establish a nanotechnology in the schools pro23 gram to strengthen the capacity of eligible institu24 tions to provide instruction in nanotechnology. In 

25 carrying out the program, the Director shall award 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
5 

•HR 2436 IH

1 grants of not more than $150,000 to eligible institu2 tions to provide such instruction. 

3 (2) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible institution 

5 shall use a grant awarded under this section— 

6 (i) to acquire qualified nanotechnology 

7 equipment and software designed for 

8 teaching students about nanotechnology in 

9 the classroom; 

10 (ii) to develop and provide educational 

11 services, including carrying out faculty de12 velopment, to prepare students or faculty 

13 seeking a degree or certificate that is ap14 proved by the State, or a regional accred15 iting body recognized by the Secretary of 

16 Education; and 

17 (iii) to provide teacher education and 

18 certification to individuals who seek to ac19 quire or enhance technology skills in order 

20 to use nanotechnology in the classroom or 

21 instructional process. 

22 (B) LIMITATIONS.— 

(i) USES.—Not more than 1 23 ⁄4 of the 

24 amount of the funds made available 

25 through a grant awarded under this secVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:48 May 24, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2436.IH H2436

bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
6 

•HR 2436 IH

1 tion may be used for software, educational 

2 services, or teacher education and certifi3 cation as described in this paragraph. 

4 (ii) PROGRAMS.—In the case of a 

5 grant awarded under this section to a com6 munity college or institution of higher edu7 cation, the funds made available through 

8 the grant may be used only in under9 graduate programs. 

10 (3) APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive 

12 a grant under this section, an eligible institu13 tion shall submit an application to the Director 

14 at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 

15 by such information as the Director may rea16 sonably require. 

17 (B) PROCEDURE.—Not later than 180 

18 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

19 the Director shall establish a procedure for ac20 cepting such applications and publish an an21 nouncement of such procedure, including a 

22 statement regarding the availability of funds, in 

23 the Federal Register. 

24 (C) SELECTION.—In selecting eligible in25 stitutions to receive grants under this section, 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
7 

•HR 2436 IH

1 and encouraging eligible institutions to apply 

2 for such grants, the Director shall, to the great3 est extent practicable— 

4 (i) select eligible entities in geographi5 cally diverse locations; 

6 (ii) encourage the application of his7 torically Black colleges and universities 

8 (meaning part B institutions, as defined in 

9 section 322 of the Higher Education Act 

10 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)) and minority 

11 institutions (as defined in section 365 of 

12 such Act (20 U.S.C. 1067k)); and 

13 (iii) select eligible institutions that in14 clude institutions located in States partici15 pating in the Experimental Program to 

16 Stimulate Competitive Research (com17 monly known as ‘‘EPSCoR’’). 

18 (4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT AND LIMITA19 TION.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.— 

21 (i) REQUIREMENT.—The Director 

22 may not award a grant to an eligible insti23 tution under this section unless such insti24 tution agrees that, with respect to the 

25 costs to be incurred by the institution in 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
8 

•HR 2436 IH

1 carrying out the program for which the 

2 grant was awarded, such institution will 

3 make available (directly or through dona4 tions from public or private entities) non5 Federal contributions in an amount equal 

to 1 6 ⁄4 of the amount of the grant. 

7 (ii) WAIVER.—The Director shall 

8 waive the matching requirement described 

9 in clause (i) for any institution with no en10 dowment, or an endowment that has a dol11 lar value lower than $5,000,000, as of the 

12 date of the waiver. 

13 (B) LIMITATION.— 

14 (i) BRANCHES.—If a branch described 

15 in subsection (c)(1)(C) receives a grant 

16 under this section that exceeds $100,000, 

17 that branch shall not be eligible, until 2 

18 years after the date of receipt of the grant, 

19 to receive another grant under this section. 

20 (ii) OTHER ELIGIBLE INSTITU21 TIONS.—If an eligible institution other 

22 than a branch referred to in clause (i) re23 ceives a grant under this section that ex24 ceeds $100,000, that institution shall not 

25 be eligible, until 2 years after the date of 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
9 

•HR 2436 IH

1 receipt of the grant, to receive another 

2 grant under this section. 

3 (5) ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION.— 

4 (A) REPORT BY INSTITUTIONS.—Each in5 stitution that receives a grant under this sec6 tion shall prepare and submit a report to the 

7 Director, not later than 1 year after the date of 

8 receipt of the grant, on its use of the grant 

9 funds. 

10 (B) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.— 

11 (i) REVIEW.—The Director shall an12 nually review the reports submitted under 

13 subparagraph (A). 

14 (ii) EVALUATION.—At the end of 

15 every third year, the Director shall evalu16 ate the program authorized by this section 

17 on the basis of those reports. The Director, 

18 in the evaluation, shall describe the activi19 ties carried out by the institutions receiv20 ing grants under this section and shall as21 sess the short-range and long-range impact 

22 of the activities carried out under the 

23 grants on the students, faculty, and staff 

24 of the institutions. 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS
10 

•HR 2436 IH

1 (C) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

2 than 6 months after conducting an evaluation 

3 under subparagraph (B)(ii), the Director shall 

4 prepare and submit a report to Congress based 

5 on the evaluation. In the report, the Director 

6 shall include such recommendations, including 

7 recommendations concerning the continuing 

8 need for Federal support of the program car9 ried out under this section, as may be appro10 priate. 

11 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

12 are authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry 

13 out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and 

14 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2009 

15 through 2011. 

Æ 


bajohnson on PRODPC74 with BILLS