I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4502 

To strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide instruction in 

nanotechnology. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 26, 2010 

Mr. WU (for himself and Mr. LIPINSKI) 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 Edu5 cation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following 

8 findings: 

9 (1) The rapidly growing field of nanotechnology 

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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 nano8 technology to individuals in the United States, the 

9 United States must maintain world leadership in the 

10 field, including nanoscience and microtechnology, in 

11 the face of determined competition from other na12 tions. 

13 (4) According to the National Science Founda14 tion, foreign students on temporary visas earned 33 

15 percent of all science and engineering doctorates 

16 awarded in the United States in 2007, the last year 

17 for which data are available. Foreign students 

18 earned 63 percent of the engineering doctorates. 

19 (5) To maintain world leadership in nanotech20 nology, the United States must make a long-term in21 vestment in educating United States students in sec22 ondary schools and institutions of higher education, 

23 so that the students are able to conduct nanoscience 

24 research and develop and commercialize nanotech25 nology applications. 


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1 (6) Preparing United States students for ca2 reers in nanotechnology, including nanoscience, re3 quires that the students have access to the necessary 

4 scientific tools, including scanning electron micro5 scopes designed for teaching, and requires training 

6 to enable teachers and professors to use those tools 

7 in the classroom and the laboratory. 

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

9 strengthen the capacity of United States secondary 

10 schools and institutions of higher education to prepare 

11 students for careers in nanotechnology by providing grants 

12 to those schools and institutions to provide the tools nec13 essary for such preparation. 

14 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

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

16 the Director of the National Science Foundation. 

17 (2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘eligi18 ble institution’’ means an institution that is— 

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

20 secondary school that offers 1 or more ad21 vanced placement science courses or inter22 national baccalaureate science courses; 

23 (B) a community college, as defined in sec24 tion 3301 of the Elementary and Secondary 

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


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

2 or a branch, within the meaning of section 

3 498(j) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

4 (20 U.S.C. 1099c(j)), of such an institution; or 

5 (D) a informal learning science and tech6 nology center. 

7 (3) QUALIFIED NANOTECHNOLOGY EQUIP8 MENT.—The term ‘‘qualified nanotechnology equip9 ment’’ means equipment, instrumentation, or hard10 ware that is— 

11 (A) used for teaching nanotechnology in 

12 the classroom; and 

13 (B) manufactured in the United States at 

14 least 50 percent from articles, materials, or 

15 supplies that are mined, produced, or manufac16 tured, as the case may be, in the United States. 

17 (d) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

18 (1) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director 

19 shall establish a nanotechnology in the schools pro20 gram to strengthen the capacity of eligible institu21 tions to provide instruction in nanotechnology. In 

22 carrying out the program, the Director shall award 

23 grants of not more than $400,000 to eligible institu24 tions to provide such instruction. 

25 (2) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible institution 

2 shall use a grant awarded under this section— 

3 (i) to acquire qualified nanotechnology 

4 equipment and software designed for 

5 teaching students about nanotechnology in 

6 the classroom; 

7 (ii) to develop and provide educational 

8 services, including carrying out faculty de9 velopment, to prepare students or faculty 

10 seeking a degree or certificate that is ap11 proved by the State, or a regional accred12 iting body recognized by the Secretary of 

13 Education; and 

14 (iii) to provide teacher education and 

15 certification to individuals who seek to ac16 quire or enhance technology skills in order 

17 to use nanotechnology in the classroom or 

18 instructional process. 

19 (B) LIMITATIONS.— 

(i) USES.—Not more than 1 20 ⁄4 of the 

21 amount of the funds made available 

22 through a grant awarded under this sec23 tion may be used for software, educational 

24 services, or teacher education and certifi25 cation as described in this paragraph. 


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1 (ii) PROGRAMS.—In the case of a 

2 grant awarded under this section to an in3 stitution of higher education, equipment 

4 purchased using funds made available 

5 through the grant shall be used primarily 

6 by undergraduate programs. 

7 (3) APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION.— 

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

9 a grant under this section, an eligible institu10 tion shall submit an application to the Director 

11 at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 

12 by such information as the Director may rea13 sonably require. 

14 (B) PROCEDURE.—Not later than 180 

15 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

16 the Director shall establish a procedure for ac17 cepting such applications and publish an an18 nouncement of such procedure, including a 

19 statement regarding the availability of funds, in 

20 the Federal Register. 

21 (C) SELECTION.—In selecting eligible in22 stitutions to receive grants under this section, 

23 and encouraging eligible institutions to apply 

24 for such grants, the Director shall, to the great25 est extent practicable— 


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1 (i) select eligible entities in geographi2 cally diverse locations; 

3 (ii) encourage the application of his4 torically Black colleges and universities 

5 (meaning part B institutions, as defined in 

6 section 322 of the Higher Education Act 

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

8 institutions (as defined in section 365 of 

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

10 (iii) select eligible institutions that in11 clude institutions located in States partici12 pating in the Experimental Program to 

13 Stimulate Competitive Research (com14 monly known as ‘‘EPSCoR’’). 

15 (4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT AND LIMITA16 TION.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.— 

18 (i) REQUIREMENT.—The Director 

19 may not award a grant to an eligible insti20 tution under this section unless such insti21 tution agrees that, with respect to the 

22 costs to be incurred by the institution in 

23 carrying out the program for which the 

24 grant was awarded, such institution will 

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1 tions from public or private entities) non2 Federal contributions in an amount equal 

to 1 3 ⁄4 of the amount of the grant. 

4 (ii) WAIVER.—The Director shall 

5 waive the matching requirement described 

6 in clause (i) for any institution with no en7 dowment, or an endowment that has a dol8 lar value lower than $5,000,000, as of the 

9 date of the waiver. 

10 (B) LIMITATION.— 

11 (i) BRANCHES.—If a branch described 

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

13 under this section that exceeds $100,000, 

14 that branch shall not be eligible, until 2 

15 years after the date of receipt of the grant, 

16 to receive another grant under this section. 

17 (ii) OTHER ELIGIBLE INSTITU18 TIONS.—If an eligible institution other 

19 than a branch referred to in clause (i) re20 ceives a grant under this section that ex21 ceeds $100,000, that institution shall not 

22 be eligible, until 2 years after the date of 

23 receipt of the grant, to receive another 

24 grant under this section. 

25 (5) ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION.— 


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1 (A) REPORT BY INSTITUTIONS.—Each in2 stitution that receives a grant under this sec3 tion shall prepare and submit a report to the 

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

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

6 funds. 

7 (B) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.— 

8 (i) REVIEW.—The Director shall an9 nually review the reports submitted under 

10 subparagraph (A). 

11 (ii) EVALUATION.—At the end of 

12 every third year, the Director shall evalu13 ate the program authorized by this section 

14 on the basis of those reports. The Director, 

15 in the evaluation, shall describe the activi16 ties carried out by the institutions receiv17 ing grants under this section and shall as18 sess the short-range and long-range impact 

19 of the activities carried out under the 

20 grants on the students, faculty, and staff 

21 of the institutions. 

22 (C) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

23 than 6 months after conducting an evaluation 

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

25 prepare and submit a report to Congress based 


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1 on the evaluation. In the report, the Director 

2 shall include such recommendations, including 

3 recommendations concerning the continuing 

4 need for Federal support of the program car5 ried out under this section, as may be appro6 priate. 

7 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 are authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry 

9 out this section $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and 

10 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2012 

11 through 2014. 

Æ 


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