I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4968 

To authorize the National Science Foundation to award grants for implementing or expanding research-based reforms in master’s and doctoral 

level STEM education that emphasize preparation for diverse careers 

in the STEM workforce. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 25, 2010 

Ms. GIFFORDS 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 award 

grants for implementing or expanding research-based reforms in master’s and doctoral level STEM education 

that emphasize preparation for diverse careers in the 

STEM workforce. 

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

3 SECTION 1. 21ST CENTURY GRADUATE EDUCATION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 

5 Science Foundation shall award grants, on a competitive, 

6 merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher education to 


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1 implement or expand research-based reforms in master’s 

2 and doctoral level STEM education that emphasize prepa3 ration for diverse careers in the STEM workforce, includ4 ing at diverse types of institutions of higher education, in 

5 industry, and at government agencies and research labora6 tories. 

7 (b) USES OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 

8 under this section may include— 

9 (1) creation of multidisciplinary or interdiscipli10 nary courses or programs that formalize collabora11 tions for the purpose of improved student instruction 

12 and research in STEM; 

13 (2) expansion of graduate STEM research op14 portunities to include interdisciplinary research op15 portunities and research opportunities in industry, 

16 at Federal laboratories, and at international re17 search institutions or research sites; 

18 (3) development and implementation of future 

19 faculty training programs focused on improved in20 struction, mentoring, evaluation, and support of un21 dergraduate STEM students; 

22 (4) support and training for graduate students 

23 to participate in instructional activities beyond the 

24 traditional teaching assistantship, and especially as 

25 part of ongoing educational reform efforts, including 


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1 at K–12 schools and at primarily undergraduate in2 stitutions; 

3 (5) development and implementation of semi4 nars, workshops, and other professional development 

5 activities that increase the engagement and edu6 cation of graduate students in the innovation and 

7 technology transfer process; 

8 (6) development and implementation of semi9 nars, workshops, and other professional development 

10 activities that increase the ability of graduate stu11 dents to effectively communicate their research find12 ings to technical audiences outside of their own dis13 cipline and to nontechnical audiences; 

14 (7) expansion of successful STEM reform ef15 forts beyond a single academic unit to other STEM 

16 academic units within an institution; and 

17 (8) research on teaching and learning of STEM 

18 at the graduate level related to the proposed reform 

19 effort, including assessment and evaluation of the 

20 proposed reform activities and research on scalability 

21 and sustainability of approaches to reform. 

22 (c) SELECTION PROCESS.— 

23 (1) APPLICATIONS.—An institution of higher 

24 education seeking a grant under this section shall 

25 submit an application to the Director at such time, 


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1 in such manner, and containing such information as 

2 the Director may require. The application shall in3 clude, at a minimum— 

4 (A) a description of the proposed reform 

5 effort; 

6 (B) in the case of applications that propose 

7 an expansion of a previously implemented re8 form effort, a description of the previously im9 plemented reform effort; 

10 (C) evidence of institutional support for, 

11 and commitment to, the proposed reform effort, 

12 including long-term commitment to implement 

13 successful strategies from the current reform 

14 effort beyond the academic unit or units in15 cluded in the grant proposal; and 

16 (D) a description of the plans for assess17 ment and evaluation of the grant proposed re18 form activities. 

19 (2) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 

20 grant recipients under this section, the Director 

21 shall consider at a minimum— 

22 (A) the likelihood of success in under23 taking the proposed effort at the institution 

24 submitting the application, including the extent 

25 to which the faculty, staff, and administrators 


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1 of the institution are committed to making the 

2 proposed institutional reform a priority of the 

3 participating academic unit or units; 

4 (B) the degree to which the proposed re5 form will contribute to change in institutional 

6 culture and policy such that a greater value is 

7 placed on preparing graduate students for di8 verse careers in the STEM workforce; 

9 (C) the likelihood that the institution will 

10 sustain or expand the reform beyond the period 

11 of the grant; and 

12 (D) the degree to which scholarly assess13 ment and evaluation plans are included in the 

14 design of the reform effort. 

Æ 


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