(13) Workshops held to educate faculty about 
unintentional biases have demonstrated success in 
raising awareness of such biases. 
(14) In 2012 the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration’s Office of Diversity and 
Equal Opportunity completed a report specifically 
designed to help NASA grant recipients identify why 
the dearth of women in STEM fields continues and 
to ensure that it is not due to discrimination. The 
report provides guidance to institutions of higher 
education on how to conduct meaningful self-evalua-
tions of campus culture and policies. This report and 
its guidance are equally applicable to all institutions 
of higher education receiving significant Federal re-
search funding. 
(15) The Federal Government provides over 60 
percent of research funding at institutions of higher 
education and, through its grant-making policies, 
has had significant influence on institution of higher 
education policies, including policies related to insti-
tutional culture and structure. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, acting through the 
Federal science agencies, shall carry out programs and ac-
tivities with the purpose of ensuring that Federal science 
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agencies and institutions of higher education receiving 
Federal research and development funding are fully en-
gaging their entire talent pool. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To promote research on and increase under-
standing of the participation and trajectories of 
women and underrepresented minorities in STEM 
careers at institutions of higher education and Fed-
eral science agencies, including Federal laboratories. 
(2) To raise awareness within Federal science 
agencies, including Federal laboratories, and institu-
tions of higher education about cultural and institu-
tional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, 
promotion, and other indicators of participation and 
achievement of women and underrepresented minori-
ties in academic and Government STEM research 
careers at all levels. 
(3) To identify, disseminate, and implement 
best practices at Federal science agencies, including 
Federal laboratories, and at institutions of higher 
education to remove or reduce cultural and institu-
tional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, 
and success of women and underrepresented minori-
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ties in academic and Government STEM research 
careers. 
(4) To provide grants to institutions of higher 
education to recruit, retain, and advance STEM fac-
ulty members from underrepresented minority 
groups and to implement or expand reforms in un-
dergraduate STEM education in order to increase 
the number of students from underrepresented mi-
nority groups receiving degrees in these fields. 
SEC. 3. FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY POLICIES FOR CARE-
GIVERS. 
(a) OSTP GUIDANCE.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
provide guidance to Federal science agencies to establish 
policies that— 
(1) apply to all— 
(A) intramural and extramural research 
awards; and 
(B) 
primary 
investigators 
who 
have 
caregiving responsibilities, including care for a 
newborn or newly adopted child and care for an 
immediate family member who is sick or dis-
abled; and 
(2) provide— 
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(A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of 
approved research awards; 
(B) no-cost extensions of research awards; 
(C) grant supplements as appropriate to 
research awards for research technicians or 
equivalent to sustain research activities; and 
(D) any other appropriate accommodations 
at the discretion of the director of each agency. 
(b) UNIFORMITY OF GUIDANCE.—In providing such 
guidance, the Director shall encourage uniformity and 
consistency in the policies across all agencies. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES.—Consistent with 
the guidance provided under this section, Federal science 
agencies shall maintain or develop and implement policies 
for caregivers and shall broadly disseminate such policies 
to current and potential grantees. 
(d) DATA
ON USAGE.—Federal science agencies 
shall— 
(1) collect data on the usage of the policies 
under subsection (c), by gender, at both institutions 
of higher education and Federal laboratories; and 
(2) report such data on an annual basis to the 
Director in such form as required by the Director. 
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SEC. 4. COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF DATA ON FED-
ERAL RESEARCH GRANTS. 
(a) COLLECTION OF DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Federal science agency 
shall collect standardized record-level annual infor-
mation on demographics, primary field, award type, 
review rating (as practicable), budget request, fund-
ing outcome, and awarded budget for all applications 
for merit-reviewed research and development grants 
to institutions of higher education and Federal lab-
oratories supported by that agency. 
(2) UNIFORMITY AND STANDARDIZATION.—The 
Director shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity 
and standardization of the data collection required 
under paragraph (1). 
(3) RECORD-LEVEL DATA.— 
(A) REQUIREMENT.—On an annual basis, 
beginning with the deadline under subpara-
graph (C), each Federal science agency shall 
submit to the Director of the National Science 
Foundation record-level data collected under 
paragraph (1) in the form required by such Di-
rector. 
(B) PREVIOUS DATA.—As part of the first 
submission under subparagraph (A), each Fed-
eral science agency, to the extent practicable, 
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shall also submit comparable record-level data 
for the 5 years preceding the deadline under 
subparagraph (C). 
(C) DEADLINE.—The deadline under this 
paragraph is a date that is not later than 2 
years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) REPORTING OF DATA.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall publish statistical sum-
mary data collected under this section, disaggregated and 
cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, gender, age, and years 
since completion of doctoral degree, including in conjunc-
tion with the National Science Foundation’s report re-
quired by section 37 of the Science and Technology Equal 
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96– 
516). 
SEC. 5. POLICIES FOR REVIEW OF FEDERAL RESEARCH 
GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in collaboration 
with the interagency working group on inclusion in 
STEM, shall identify information and best practices useful 
for educating program officers and members of standing 
peer review committees at Federal science agencies 
about— 
(1) research on implicit bias based on gender, 
race, or ethnicity; and 
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policies and practices in subsection (d) to ensure effective 
measures are in place to minimize the impact of implicit 
bias on the grant review process. 
(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
report to Congress on what steps all Federal science agen-
cies have taken to implement policies and practices to min-
imize the effects of bias in the review of extramural and 
intramural Federal research grants. 
SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF FAC-
ULTY. 
(a) COLLECTION OF DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and at least every 
5 years thereafter, the Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall carry out a survey to col-
lect institution-level data on the demographics of 
STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at dif-
ferent types of institutions of higher education. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—To the extent prac-
ticable, the Director of the National Science Foun-
dation shall consider, by gender, race, ethnicity, citi-
zenship status, age, and years since completion of 
doctoral degree— 
(A) the number and percentage of faculty; 
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(B) the number and percentage of faculty 
at each rank; 
(C) the number and percentage of faculty 
who are in nontenure-track positions, including 
teaching and research; 
(D) the number and percentage of faculty 
who are reviewed for promotion, including ten-
ure, and the percentage of that number who are 
promoted, including being awarded tenure; 
(E) faculty years in rank; 
(F) the number and percentage of faculty 
to leave tenure-track positions; 
(G) the number and percentage of faculty 
hired, by rank; and 
(H) the number and percentage of faculty 
in leadership positions. 
(b) EXISTING SURVEYS.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation— 
(1) may carry out the requirements under sub-
section (a) by collaborating with statistical centers 
at other Federal agencies to modify or expand, as 
necessary, existing Federal surveys of higher edu-
cation; or 
(2) may award a grant or contract to an insti-
tution of higher education or other nonprofit organi-
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zation to design and carry out the requirements 
under subsection (a). 
(c) REPORTING DATA.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall publish statistical summary data 
collected under this section, including as part of the Na-
tional Science Foundation’s report required by section 37 
of the Science and Technology Equal Opportunities Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96–516). 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $3,000,000 in each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2020 to develop and carry out the 
initial survey required in subsection (a). 
SEC. 7. CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO EX-
PANDING 
THE 
ACADEMIC 
AND 
FEDERAL 
STEM WORKFORCE. 
(a) BEST PRACTICES AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion shall develop written guidance for institutions of 
higher education on the best practices for— 
(A) conducting periodic campus culture 
surveys of STEM departments, with a par-
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ticular focus on identifying any cultural or in-
stitutional barriers to or successful enablers for 
the recruitment, retention, promotion, and 
other indicators of participation and achieve-
ment, of women and underrepresented minori-
ties in STEM degree programs and academic 
STEM careers; and 
(B) providing educational opportunities, in-
cluding workshops as described in subsection 
(c), for STEM faculty and administrators to 
learn about current research on implicit bias in 
recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of fac-
ulty in STEM and recruitment and evaluation 
of undergraduate and graduate students in 
STEM degree programs. 
(2) EXISTING
GUIDANCE.—In developing the 
guidance in paragraph (1), the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall utilize guidance al-
ready developed by the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the Department of Energy, 
and the Department of Education. 
(3) DISSEMINATION OF GUIDANCE.—The Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation shall broadly 
disseminate the guidance developed in paragraph (1) 
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to institutions of higher education that receive Fed-
eral research funding. 
(4) REPORTS
TO
THE
NATIONAL
SCIENCE 
FOUNDATION.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall develop a policy that— 
(A) applies to, at a minimum, the institu-
tions classified under the Indiana University 
Center for Postsecondary Research Carnegie 
Classification on January 1, 2015, as a doc-
torate-granting university with a very high level 
of research activity; and 
(B) requires each institution identified in 
subparagraph (A), not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, to report to 
the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion on activities and policies developed and im-
plemented based on the guidance provided in 
paragraph (1). 
(b) BEST
PRACTICES
AT
FEDERAL
LABORA-
TORIES.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director shall develop written guidance for 
Federal laboratories to develop and implement prac-
tices and policies to— 
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(A) conduct periodic laboratory-wide cul-
ture surveys of research personnel at all levels, 
with a particular focus on identifying any cul-
tural or institutional barriers to the recruit-
ment, retention, and success of women and 
underrepresented minorities in STEM careers 
at Federal laboratories; and 
(B) provide educational opportunities, in-
cluding workshops as described in subsection 
(c), for STEM research personnel to learn 
about current research in implicit bias in re-
cruitment, evaluation, and promotion of re-
search personnel at Federal laboratories. 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES.—Consistent 
with the guidance provided in paragraph (1), Fed-
eral science agencies with Federal laboratories shall 
maintain or develop and implement policies for their 
respective Federal laboratories. 
(c) WORKSHOPS TO ADDRESS CULTURAL BARRIERS 
TO EXPANDING THE ACADEMIC AND FEDERAL STEM 
WORKFORCE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, 
in consultation with the interagency working group 
on inclusion in STEM, shall recommend a uniform 
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policy for Federal science agencies to carry out a 
program of workshops that educate STEM depart-
ment chairs at institutions of higher education, sen-
ior managers at Federal laboratories, and other fed-
erally funded researchers about methods that mini-
mize the effects of implicit bias in the career ad-
vancement, including hiring, tenure, promotion, and 
selection for any honor based in part on the recipi-
ent’s research record, of academic and Federal 
STEM researchers. 
(2) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—The Direc-
tor shall ensure that workshops supported under this 
subsection are coordinated across Federal science 
agencies and jointly supported as appropriate. 
(3) MINIMIZING COSTS.—To the extent prac-
ticable, workshops shall be held in conjunction with 
national or regional STEM disciplinary meetings to 
minimize costs associated with participant travel. 
(4) PRIORITY FIELDS FOR ACADEMIC PARTICI-
PANTS.—In considering the participation of STEM 
department chairs and other academic researchers, 
the Director shall prioritize workshops for the broad 
fields of STEM in which the national rate of rep-
resentation of women among tenured or tenure-track 
faculty or non-faculty researchers at doctorate- 
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granting institutions of higher education is less than 
25 percent, according to the most recent data avail-
able from the National Center for Science and Engi-
neering Statistics. 
(5) ORGANIZATIONS ELIGIBLE TO CARRY OUT 
WORKSHOPS.—Federal science agencies may carry 
out the program of workshops under this subsection 
by making grants to eligible organizations. In addi-
tion to any other organizations made eligible by the 
Federal science agencies, the following organizations 
are eligible for grants under this subsection: 
(A) Nonprofit scientific and professional 
societies and organizations that represent one 
or more STEM disciplines. 
(B) Nonprofit organizations that have the 
primary mission of advancing the participation 
of women or underrepresented minorities in 
STEM. 
(6) CHARACTERISTICS
OF
WORKSHOPS.—The 
workshops shall have the following characteristics: 
(A) Invitees to workshops shall include at 
least— 
(i) the chairs of departments in the 
relevant STEM discipline or disciplines 
from at least the top 50 institutions of 
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higher education, as determined by the 
amount of Federal research and develop-
ment funds obligated to each institution of 
higher education in the prior year based on 
data available from the National Science 
Foundation; and 
(ii) in the case of Federal laboratories, 
individuals with personnel management re-
sponsibilities comparable to those of an in-
stitution of higher education department 
chair. 
(B) Activities at the workshops shall in-
clude research presentations and interactive dis-
cussions or other activities that increase the 
awareness of the existence of implicit bias in re-
cruitment, hiring, tenure review, promotion, and 
other forms of formal recognition of individual 
achievement for faculty and other federally 
funded STEM researchers and shall provide 
strategies to overcome such bias. 
(C) Research presentations and other 
workshop programs, as appropriate, shall in-
clude a discussion of the unique challenges 
faced by underrepresented sub-groups, includ-
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ing minority women, minority men, and first 
generation minority graduates in research. 
(D) Workshop programs shall include in-
formation on best practices for mentoring un-
dergraduate and graduate women and under-
represented minority students. 
(7) DATA ON WORKSHOPS.—Any proposal for 
funding by an organization seeking to carry out a 
workshop under this subsection shall include a de-
scription of how such organization will— 
(A) collect data on the rates of attendance 
by invitees in workshops, including information 
on the home institution and department of 
attendees, and the rank of faculty attendees; 
(B) conduct attitudinal surveys on work-
shop attendees before and after the workshops; 
and 
(C) collect follow-up data on any relevant 
institutional policy or practice changes reported 
by attendees not later than one year after at-
tendance in such a workshop. 
(8) REPORT TO NSF.—Organizations receiving 
funding to carry out workshops under this sub-
section shall report the data required in paragraph 
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(7) to the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion in such form as required by such Director. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall submit a report to 
Congress that includes— 
(1) a summary and analysis of the types and 
frequency of activities and policies developed and 
carried out under subsection (a) based on the re-
ports submitted under paragraph (4) of such sub-
section; and 
(2) a description and evaluation of the status 
and effectiveness of the program of workshops re-
quired under subsection (c), including a summary of 
any data reported under paragraph (8) of such sub-
section. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $2,000,000 in each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2022 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 8. RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION AT THE NATIONAL 
SCIENCE FOUNDATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall award research grants and carry 
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out dissemination activities consistent with the purposes 
of this Act, including— 
(1) research grants to analyze the record-level 
data collected under section 4 and section 6, con-
sistent with policies to ensure the privacy of individ-
uals identifiable by such data; 
(2) research grants to study best practices for 
work-life accommodation; 
(3) research grants to study the impact of poli-
cies and practices that are implemented under this 
Act or that are otherwise consistent with the pur-
poses of this Act; 
(4) collaboration with other Federal science 
agencies and professional associations to exchange 
best practices, harmonize work-life accommodation 
policies and practices, and overcome common bar-
riers to work-life accommodation; 
(5) collaboration with institutions of higher 
education in order to clarify and catalyze the adop-
tion of a coherent and consistent set of work-life ac-
commodation policies and practices; and 
(6) research grants to study the use of stand-
ardized graduate student admission exams and its 
impact on the recruitment, retention, and success of 
women, underrepresented minorities, and first gen-
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eration graduates in graduate STEM degree pro-
grams. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $5,000,000 in each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2022 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 9. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to Congress 
that includes— 
(1) a description and evaluation of the status 
and usage of caregiver policies at all Federal science 
agencies, including any recommendations for revis-
ing or expanding such policies; 
(2) a description of any significant updates to 
the policies for review of Federal research grants re-
quired under section 5, and any evidence of the im-
pact of such policies on the review or awarding of 
Federal research grants; and 
(3) a description and evaluation of the status of 
Federal laboratory policies and practices required 
under section 7(b), including any recommendations 
for revising or expanding such policies. 
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SEC. 10. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR 
INCREASING DIVERSITY AMONG STEM FAC-
ULTY AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) for the development of in-
novative reform efforts designed to increase the recruit-
ment, retention, and advancement of individuals from 
underrepresented minority groups in academic STEM ca-
reers. 
(b) MERIT REVIEW; COMPETITION.—Grants shall be 
awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competi-
tive basis. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 
under this section may include— 
(1) institutional assessment activities, such as 
data analyses and policy review, in order to identify 
and address specific issues in the recruitment, reten-
tion, and advancement of faculty members from 
underrepresented minority groups; 
(2) implementation of institution-wide improve-
ments in workload distribution, such that faculty 
members from underrepresented minority groups are 
not disadvantaged in the amount of time available to 
focus on research, publishing papers, and engaging 
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in other activities required to achieve tenure status 
and run a productive research program; 
(3) development and implementation of training 
courses for administrators and search committee 
members to ensure that candidates from underrep-
resented minority groups are not subject to implicit 
biases in the search and hiring process; 
(4) development and hosting of intra- or inter- 
institutional workshops to propagate best practices 
in recruiting, retaining, and advancing faculty mem-
bers from underrepresented minority groups; 
(5) professional development opportunities for 
faculty members from underrepresented minority 
groups; 
(6) activities aimed at making undergraduate 
STEM students from underrepresented minority 
groups aware of opportunities for academic careers 
in STEM fields; 
(7) activities to identify and engage exceptional 
graduate students from underrepresented minority 
groups at various stages of their studies and to en-
courage them to enter academic careers; and 
(8) other activities consistent with subsection 
(a), as determined by the Director of the National 
Science Foundation. 
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(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) seeking funding 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Director of the National Science Foundation at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion and assurances as such Director may require. 
The application shall include, at a minimum, a de-
scription of— 
(A) the reform effort that is being pro-
posed for implementation by the institution of 
higher education; 
(B) any available evidence of specific dif-
ficulties in the recruitment, retention, and ad-
vancement of faculty members from underrep-
resented minority groups in STEM academic 
careers within the institution of higher edu-
cation submitting an application, and how the 
proposed reform effort would address such 
issues; 
(C) how the institution of higher education 
submitting an application plans to sustain the 
proposed reform effort beyond the duration of 
the grant; and 
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(D) how the success and effectiveness of 
the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and 
assessed in order to contribute to the national 
knowledge base about models for catalyzing in-
stitutional change. 
(2) REVIEW
OF
APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 
grant recipients under this section, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall consider, at a 
minimum— 
(A) the likelihood of success in under-
taking the proposed reform effort at the institu-
tion of higher education submitting the applica-
tion, including the extent to which the adminis-
trators of the institution are committed to mak-
ing the proposed reform effort a priority; 
(B) the degree to which the proposed re-
form effort will contribute to change in institu-
tional culture and policy such that greater value 
is placed on the recruitment, retention, and ad-
vancement of faculty members from underrep-
resented minority groups; 
(C) the likelihood that the institution of 
higher education will sustain or expand the pro-
posed reform effort beyond the period of the 
grant; and 
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(D) the degree to which evaluation and as-
sessment plans are included in the design of the 
proposed reform effort. 
(3) GRANT
DISTRIBUTION.—The Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall ensure, to the 
extent practicable, that grants awarded under this 
section are made to a variety of types of institutions 
of higher education. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $10,000,000 in each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2022 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 11. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR 
BROADENING 
PARTICIPATION 
IN 
UNDER-
GRADUATE STEM EDUCATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) to implement or expand 
research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM edu-
cation for the purpose of recruiting and retaining students 
from minority groups who are underrepresented in STEM 
fields, with a priority focus on natural science and engi-
neering fields. 
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(b) MERIT REVIEW; COMPETITION.—Grants shall be 
awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competi-
tive basis. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 
under this section may include— 
(1) implementation or expansion of innovative, 
research-based approaches to broaden participation 
of underrepresented minority groups in STEM 
fields; 
(2) implementation or expansion of bridge, co-
hort, tutoring, or mentoring programs designed to 
enhance the recruitment and retention of students 
from underrepresented minority groups in STEM 
fields; 
(3) implementation or expansion of outreach 
programs linking institutions of higher education 
and K–12 school systems in order to heighten 
awareness among pre-college students from under-
represented minority groups of opportunities in col-
lege-level STEM fields and STEM careers; 
(4) implementation or expansion of faculty de-
velopment programs focused on improving retention 
of undergraduate STEM students from underrep-
resented minority groups; 
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(5) implementation or expansion of mechanisms 
designed to recognize and reward faculty members 
who demonstrate a commitment to increasing the 
participation of students from underrepresented mi-
nority groups in STEM fields; 
(6) expansion of successful reforms aimed at in-
creasing the number of STEM students from under-
represented minority groups beyond a single course 
or group of courses to achieve reform within an en-
tire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform 
efforts beyond a single academic unit to other 
STEM academic units within an institution of high-
er education; 
(7) expansion of opportunities for students from 
underrepresented minority groups to conduct STEM 
research in industry, at Federal labs, and at inter-
national research institutions or research sites; 
(8) provision of stipends for students from 
underrepresented minority groups participating in 
research; 
(9) development of research collaborations be-
tween research-intensive universities and primarily 
undergraduate minority-serving institutions; 
(10) support for graduate students and post-
doctoral fellows from underrepresented minority 
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groups to participate in instructional or assessment 
activities at primarily undergraduate institutions, in-
cluding primarily undergraduate minority-serving in-
stitutions and two-year institutions of higher edu-
cation; and 
(11) other activities consistent with subsection 
(a), as determined by the Director of the National 
Science Foundation. 
(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Director of the National Science Foundation at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion and assurances as such Director may require. 
The application shall include, at a minimum— 
(A) a description of the proposed reform 
effort; 
(B) a description of the research findings 
that will serve as the basis for the proposed re-
form effort or, in the case of applications that 
propose an expansion of a previously imple-
mented reform, a description of the previously 
implemented reform effort, including data about 
the 
recruitment, 
retention, 
and 
academic 
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achievement of students from underrepresented 
minority groups; 
(C) evidence of an institutional commit-
ment to, and support for, the proposed reform 
effort, including a long-term commitment to im-
plement successful strategies from the current 
reform beyond the academic unit or units in-
cluded in the grant proposal; 
(D) a description of existing or planned in-
stitutional policies and practices regarding fac-
ulty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching as-
signment that reward faculty contributions to 
improving the education of students from 
underrepresented minority groups in STEM; 
and 
(E) how the success and effectiveness of 
the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and 
assessed in order to contribute to the national 
knowledge base about models for catalyzing in-
stitutional change. 
(2) REVIEW
OF
APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 
grant recipients under this section, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall consider, at a 
minimum— 
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(A) the likelihood of success of the pro-
posed reform effort at the institution submit-
ting the application, including the extent to 
which the faculty, staff, and administrators of 
the institution are committed to making the 
proposed institutional reform a priority of the 
participating academic unit or units; 
(B) the degree to which the proposed re-
form effort will contribute to change in institu-
tional culture and policy such that greater value 
is placed on faculty engagement in the retention 
of students from underrepresented minority 
groups; 
(C) the likelihood that the institution will 
sustain or expand the proposed reform effort 
beyond the period of the grant; and 
(D) the degree to which evaluation and as-
sessment plans are included in the design of the 
proposed reform effort. 
(3) PRIORITY.—For applications that include 
an expansion of existing reforms beyond a single 
academic unit, the Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall give priority to applications for 
which a senior institutional administrator, such as a 
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dean or other administrator of equal or higher rank, 
serves as the principal investigator. 
(4) GRANT
DISTRIBUTION.—The Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall ensure, to the 
extent practicable, that grants awarded under this 
section are made to a variety of types of institutions 
of higher education, including two-year and minor-
ity-serving institutions of higher education. 
(e) EDUCATION RESEARCH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—All grants made under this 
section shall include an education research compo-
nent that will support the design and implementa-
tion of a system for data collection and evaluation 
of proposed reform efforts in order to build the 
knowledge base on promising models for increasing 
recruitment and retention of students from under-
represented minority groups in STEM education at 
the undergraduate level across a diverse set of insti-
tutions. 
(2) DISSEMINATION.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall coordinate with rel-
evant Federal agencies in disseminating the results 
of the research under this subsection to ensure that 
best practices in broadening participation in STEM 
education at the undergraduate level are made read-
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ily available to all institutions of higher education, 
other Federal agencies that support STEM pro-
grams, non-Federal funders of STEM education, 
and the general public. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $15,000,000 in each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2022 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy (‘‘OSTP’’). 
(2) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Fed-
eral laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Inno-
vation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 
(3) FEDERAL
SCIENCE
AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘Federal science agency’’ means any Federal agency 
with at least $100,000,000 in research and develop-
ment expenditures in fiscal year 2016. 
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
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(5) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON INCLU-
SION
IN
STEM.—The term ‘‘interagency working 
group on inclusion in STEM’’ means the interagency 
working group established by section 308 of the 
American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 
U.S.C. 6626). 
(6) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means the 
academic and professional disciplines of science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
Æ 
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