IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 363 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 25, 2007 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions 
AN ACT 
To authorize programs for support of the early career devel-
opment of science and engineering researchers, and for 
support of graduate fellowships, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sowing the Seeds 
Through Science and Engineering Research Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EARLY CAREER 
AWARDS FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 
RESEARCHERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall carry out a program to award 
grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of 
their careers at institutions of higher education and orga-
nizations described in subsection (c)(2) to conduct re-
search in fields relevant to the mission of the Foundation. 
The existing Faculty Early Career Development (CA-
REER) Program may be designated as the mechanism for 
awarding such grants. 
(b) SIZE AND DURATION OF AWARD.—The duration 
of awards under this section shall be 5 years, and the 
amount per year shall be at least $80,000. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—Award recipients shall be individ-
uals who are employed in a tenure-track position as an 
assistant professor or equivalent title, or who hold an 
equivalent position, at— 
(1) an institution of higher education in the 
United States; or 
(2) an organization in the United States that is 
a nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organiza-
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tion such as a museum, observatory, or research lab-
oratory. 
(d) SELECTION.—Award recipients shall be selected 
on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. 
(e) SELECTION
PROCESS
AND
CRITERIA
FOR 
AWARDS.—An applicant seeking funding under this sec-
tion shall submit a proposal to the Director at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Director may require. In evaluating the proposals sub-
mitted under this section, the Director shall consider, at 
a minimum— 
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work; 
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of 
the proposed research; 
(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates 
research and education, including undergraduate 
education in science and engineering disciplines; and 
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership 
at the frontiers of knowledge. 
(f) AWARDS.—In awarding grants under this section, 
the Director shall endeavor to ensure that the recipients 
are from a variety of types of institutions of higher edu-
cation and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organi-
zations. In support of this goal, the Director shall broadly 
disseminate information about when and how to apply for 
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grants under this section, including by conducting out-
reach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities that 
are part B institutions as defined in section 322(2) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)) and 
minority institutions (as defined in section 365(3) of that 
Act (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3))). In awarding grants under this 
section, the Director shall give special consideration to eli-
gible early-career researchers who have followed alter-
native career paths such as working part-time or in non-
academic settings, or who have taken a significant career 
break or other leave of absence. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—For each 
of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the Director shall 
allocate at least 3.5 percent of funds appropriated to the 
National Science Foundation for Research and Related 
Activities to the grants program under this section, except 
to the extent that a sufficient number of meritorious grant 
applications have not been received for a fiscal year. 
(h) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit to 
the Committee on Science and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report de-
scribing the distribution of the institutions from which in-
dividuals have participated in the Faculty Early Career 
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Development Program since fiscal year 2001 among each 
of the categories of institutions of higher education de-
fined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement 
of Teaching and the organizations in subsection (c)(2). 
(i) EVALUATION.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit 
to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report evalu-
ating the impact of the program carried out under this 
section on the ability of young faculty to compete for Na-
tional Science Foundation research grants. 
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EARLY CAREER AWARDS 
FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH-
ERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 
Science of the Department of Energy shall carry out a 
program to award grants to scientists and engineers at 
the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher 
education and organizations described in subsection (c)(2) 
to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the 
Department, giving priority to grants to expand domestic 
energy production and use through coal-to-liquids tech-
nology and advanced nuclear reprocessing. 
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(b) SIZE AND DURATION OF AWARD.—The duration 
of awards under this section shall be up to 5 years, and 
the amount per year shall be at least $80,000. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—Award recipients shall be individ-
uals who are employed in a tenure-track position as an 
assistant professor or equivalent title, or who hold an 
equivalent position, at— 
(1) an institution of higher education in the 
United States; or 
(2) an organization in the United States that is 
a nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organiza-
tion such as a museum, observatory, or research lab-
oratory. 
(d) SELECTION.—Award recipients shall be selected 
on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. 
(e) SELECTION
PROCESS
AND
CRITERIA
FOR 
AWARDS.—An applicant seeking funding under this sec-
tion shall submit a proposal to the Director of the Office 
of Science at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Director may require. In evalu-
ating the proposals submitted under this section, the Di-
rector shall consider, at a minimum— 
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work; 
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of 
the proposed research; 
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(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates 
research and education, including undergraduate 
education in science and engineering disciplines; and 
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership 
at the frontiers of knowledge. 
(f) COLLABORATION
WITH
NATIONAL
LABORA-
TORIES.—In awarding grants under this section, the Di-
rector shall give priority to proposals in which the pro-
posed work includes collaboration with the Department of 
Energy National Laboratories. 
(g) AWARDS.—In awarding grants under this section, 
the Director shall endeavor to ensure that the recipients 
are from a variety of types of institutions of higher edu-
cation and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organi-
zations. In support of this goal, the Director shall broadly 
disseminate information about when and how to apply for 
grants under this section, including by conducting out-
reach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities that 
are part B institutions as defined in section 322(2) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)) and 
minority institutions (as defined in section 365(3) of that 
Act (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3))). 
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy to carry out the Director’s responsibilities under this 
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section $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 
through 2012. 
(i) REPORT ON RECRUITING AND RETAINING EARLY 
CAREER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS AT 
THE
NATIONAL
LABORATORIES.—Not later than 3 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Direc-
tor of the Office of Science shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Science and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report on efforts to recruit and 
retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages 
of their careers at the Department of Energy National 
Laboratories. The report shall include— 
(1) a description of Department of Energy and 
National Laboratory policies and procedures, includ-
ing financial incentives, awards, promotions, time set 
aside for independent research, access to equipment 
or facilities, and other forms of recognition, designed 
to attract and retain young scientists and engineers; 
(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incen-
tives on the careers of young scientists and engi-
neers at Department of Energy National Labora-
tories, and also on the quality of the research at the 
National Laboratories and in Department of Energy 
programs; 
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(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist 
to efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and 
engineers, including limited availability of full time 
equivalent positions, legal and procedural require-
ments, and pay grading systems; and 
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to 
recruit and retain young researchers and the source 
of such funds. 
SEC. 4. INTEGRATIVE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND RE-
SEARCH TRAINEESHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) FUNDING.—For each of the fiscal years 2008 
through 2012, the Director of the National Science Foun-
dation shall allocate at least 1.5 percent of funds appro-
priated for Research and Related Activities to the Integra-
tive Graduate Education and Research Traineeship pro-
gram. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The Director shall coordinate 
with Federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, 
to expand the interdisciplinary nature of the Integrative 
Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program. 
(c) AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT FUNDS FROM OTHER 
AGENCIES.—The Director is authorized to accept funds 
from other Federal departments and agencies to carry out 
the Integrative Graduate Education and Research 
Traineeship program. 
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SEC. 5. PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATION AWARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall periodi-
cally present the Presidential Innovation Award, on the 
basis of recommendations received from the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy or on the 
basis of such other information as the President considers 
appropriate, to individuals who develop one or more 
unique scientific or engineering ideas in the national inter-
est at the time the innovation occurs. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The awards under this section shall 
be made to— 
(1) stimulate scientific and engineering ad-
vances in the national interest; 
(2) illustrate the linkage between science and 
engineering and national needs; 
(3) show the potential of such innovation to 
substantively enhance the economic competitiveness 
of the United States through development of 
commercializable intellectual property; and 
(4) provide an example to students of the con-
tribution they could make to society by entering the 
science and engineering profession. 
(c) CITIZENSHIP.—An individual is not eligible to re-
ceive the award under this section unless at the time such 
award is made the individual— 
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(1) is a citizen or other national of the United 
States; or 
(2) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United 
States for permanent residence who— 
(A) has filed an application for naturaliza-
tion in the manner prescribed by section 334 of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1445); and 
(B) is not permanently ineligible to become 
a citizen of the United States. 
(d) PRESENTATION.—The presentation of the award 
shall be made by the President with such ceremonies as 
he may deem proper, including attendance by appropriate 
Members of Congress. 
SEC. 6. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE FOR RESEARCH 
INFRASTRUCTURE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall establish a National Coordination Of-
fice for Research Infrastructure. Such Office shall— 
(1) identify and prioritize the deficiencies in re-
search facilities and major instrumentation located 
at academic institutions and at national laboratories 
that are available for use by academic researchers; 
and 
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(2) institute and coordinate the planning by 
Federal agencies for the acquisition, refurbishment, 
and maintenance of research facilities and major in-
strumentation required to address the deficiencies 
identified under paragraph (1). 
In prioritizing the deficiencies identified under paragraph 
(1), the Office shall consider research needs in areas rel-
evant to the Nation’s economic competitiveness. 
(b) STAFFING.—The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall appoint individuals to serve 
in the Office established under subsection (a) from among 
the principal Federal agencies that support research in the 
sciences, mathematics, and engineering, and shall at a 
minimum include individuals from the National Science 
Foundation and the Department of Energy. 
(c) REPORT.—The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall provide annually a report to 
Congress at the time of the President’s budget proposal— 
(1) describing the research infrastructure needs 
identified in accordance with subsection (a); 
(2) listing research facilities projects and budg-
et proposals, by agency, for major instrumentation 
acquisitions that are included in the President’s 
budget proposal; and 
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(3) explaining how these facilities projects and 
instrumentation acquisitions relate to the defi-
ciencies and priorities arrived at in accordance with 
subsection (a). 
SEC. 7. RESEARCH ON INNOVATION AND INVENTIVENESS. 
In carrying out its research programs on science pol-
icy and on the science of learning, the National Science 
Foundation may support research on the process of inno-
vation and the teaching of inventiveness. 
SEC. 8. REPORT ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS 
AND TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS TO RECRUIT 
AND RETAIN EARLY CAREER SCIENCE AND 
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS. 
Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Science and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a report on efforts to 
recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the 
early stages of their careers at the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology laboratories and joint insti-
tutes. The report shall include— 
(1) a description of National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology policies and procedures, includ-
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