I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4955 

To authorize the National Science Foundation to provide grants for implementing or expanding research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM 

education for the purpose of increasing the number and quality of students studying toward and completing baccalaureate degrees in STEM. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 25, 2010 

Ms. KOSMAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 

Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the National Science Foundation to provide 

grants for implementing or expanding research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM education for the purpose 

of increasing the number and quality of students studying toward and completing baccalaureate degrees in 

STEM. 

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 ‘‘Transforming Under5 graduate STEM Education Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN 

2 STEM. 

3 Section 17 of the National Science Foundation Au4 thorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–6) is amended 

5 to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 17. TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION 

7 IN STEM. 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall award grants, 

9 on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of 

10 higher education to implement or expand research-based 

11 reforms in undergraduate STEM education for the pur12 pose of increasing the number and quality of students 

13 studying toward and completing baccalaureate degrees in 

14 STEM. 

15 ‘‘(b) USES OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by 

16 grants under this section may include— 

17 ‘‘(1) development, implementation, and assess18 ment of innovative, research-based approaches to 

19 transforming the teaching and learning of discipli20 nary or interdisciplinary STEM at the under21 graduate level; 

22 ‘‘(2) expansion of successful STEM reform ef23 forts beyond a single course or group of courses to 

24 achieve reform within an entire academic unit, or ex25 pansion of successful reform efforts beyond a single 


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1 academic unit to other STEM academic units within 

2 an institution; 

3 ‘‘(3) creation of multidisciplinary or inter4 disciplinary courses or programs that formalize col5 laborations for the purpose of improved student in6 struction and research in STEM; 

7 ‘‘(4) expansion of undergraduate STEM re8 search opportunities to include interdisciplinary re9 search opportunities and research opportunities in 

10 industry, at Federal labs, and at international re11 search institutions or research sites; 

12 ‘‘(5) implementation or expansion of bridge, co13 hort, tutoring, or mentoring programs proven to en14 hance student recruitment or persistence to degree 

15 completion in STEM; 

16 ‘‘(6) improvement of undergraduate STEM 

17 education for nonmajors, including education ma18 jors; 

19 ‘‘(7) implementation of technology-driven re20 form efforts, including the installation of technology 

21 to facilitate such reform, that directly impact under22 graduate STEM instruction or research experiences; 

23 ‘‘(8) development and implementation of faculty 

24 development programs focused on improved instrucVerDate Nov 24 2008 03:57 Mar 27, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4955.IH H4955

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1 tion, mentoring, evaluation, and support of under2 graduate STEM students; 

3 ‘‘(9) support for graduate students and 

4 postdoctoral fellows to participate in instructional or 

5 assessment activities at primarily undergraduate in6 stitutions; and 

7 ‘‘(10) research on teaching and learning of 

8 STEM at the undergraduate level related to the pro9 posed reform effort, including assessment and eval10 uation of the proposed reform activities and research 

11 on scalability and sustainability of approaches to re12 form. 

13 ‘‘(c) SELECTION PROCESS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS.—An institution of higher 

15 education seeking a grant under this section shall 

16 submit an application to the Director at such time, 

17 in such manner, and containing such information as 

18 the Director may require. The application shall in19 clude, at a minimum— 

20 ‘‘(A) a description of the proposed reform 

21 effort; 

22 ‘‘(B) a description of the research findings 

23 that will serve as the basis for the proposed re24 form effort or, in the case of applications that 

25 propose an expansion of a previously impleVerDate Nov 24 2008 03:57 Mar 27, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4955.IH H4955

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1 mented reform effort, a description of the pre2 viously implemented reform effort, including 

3 data on student recruitment, persistence to de4 gree completion, and academic achievement; 

5 ‘‘(C) evidence of institutional support for, 

6 and commitment to, the proposed reform effort, 

7 including long-term commitment to implement 

8 successful strategies from the current reform 

9 effort beyond the academic unit or units in10 cluded in the grant proposal; 

11 ‘‘(D) a description of existing or planned 

12 institutional policies and practices regarding 

13 faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching 

14 assignment that reward faculty contributions to 

15 undergraduate STEM education; and 

16 ‘‘(E) a description of the plans for assess17 ment and evaluation of the proposed reform ac18 tivities, including evidence of participation by 

19 individuals with experience in assessment and 

20 evaluation of teaching and learning programs. 

21 ‘‘(2) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 

22 grant recipients under this section, the Director 

23 shall consider at a minimum— 

24 ‘‘(A) the likelihood of success in under25 taking the proposed effort at the institution 


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1 submitting the application, including the extent 

2 to which the faculty, staff, and administrators 

3 of the institution are committed to making the 

4 proposed institutional reform a priority of the 

5 participating academic unit or units; 

6 ‘‘(B) the degree to which the proposed re7 form will contribute to change in institutional 

8 culture and policy such that a greater value is 

9 placed on faculty engagement in undergraduate 

10 education; 

11 ‘‘(C) the likelihood that the institution will 

12 sustain or expand the reform beyond the period 

13 of the grant; and 

14 ‘‘(D) the degree to which scholarly assess15 ment and evaluation plans are included in the 

16 design of the reform effort. 

17 ‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—For proposals that include an 

18 expansion of existing reform efforts beyond a single 

19 academic unit, the Director shall give priority to 

20 proposals for which a senior institutional adminis21 trator, including a dean or other administrator of 

22 equal or higher rank, serves as the principal investi23 gator. 

24 ‘‘(4) GRANT DISTRIBUTION.—The Director 

25 shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants 


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1 awarded under this section are made to a variety of 

2 types of institutions of higher education.’’. 

Æ 


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