science. In determining the research focus of the 
Centers, the Director shall consult with the National 
Academy of Sciences and the Secretary of Education 
and take into account the extent to which other Fed-
eral programs support research on similar questions. 
(B) The proposal solicitation issued by the Di-
rector shall state the focus of each Center and appli-
cants shall apply for designation as a specific Cen-
ter. 
(C) At least one Center shall focus on devel-
oping ways in which the results of research described 
in paragraph (2) can be applied, duplicated, and 
scaled up for use in low-performing elementary 
schools and secondary schools to improve the teach-
ing and student achievement levels in mathematics 
and science. 
(D) To the extent practicable and relevant to 
its focus, every Center shall include, as part of its 
research, work designed to quantitatively assess and 
improve the ways that information technology is 
used in the teaching of mathematics and science. 
(b) SELECTION PROCESS.—
(1) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher 
education (or a consortium of such institutions) 
seeking funding under this section shall submit an
application to the Director at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Di-
rector may require. The application shall include, at 
a minimum, a description of—
(A) the initial research projects that will be 
undertaken by the Center and the process by 
which new projects will be identified; 
(B) how the Center will work with other 
research institutions and schools to broaden the 
national research agenda on learning and teach-
ing; 
(C) how the Center will promote active col-
laboration among physical, biological, and social 
science researchers; 
(D) how the Center will promote active 
participation by elementary and secondary 
mathematics and science teachers and adminis-
trators; and 
(E) how the results of the Center’s re-
search can be incorporated into educational 
practices, and how the Center will assess the 
success of those practices. 
(2) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—In evaluating 
the applications submitted under paragraph (1), the 
Director shall consider, at a minimum—
(A) the ability of the applicant to effec-
tively carry out the research program, including 
the activities described in paragraph (1)(E); 
(B) the experience of the applicant in con-
ducting research on the science of teaching and 
learning and the capacity of the applicant to 
foster new multidisciplinary collaborations; 
(C) the capacity of the applicant to attract 
elementary school and secondary school teach-
ers from a diverse array of schools, and with di-
verse professional experiences, for participation 
in Center activities; and 
(D) the capacity of the applicant to attract 
and provide adequate support for graduate stu-
dents to pursue research at the intersection of 
educational practice and basic research on 
human cognition and learning. 
(3) AWARDS.—The Director shall ensure, to the 
extent practicable, that the Centers funded under 
this section conduct research and develop edu-
cational practices designed to improve the edu-
cational performance of a broad range of students, 
including individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of 
the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
(c) ANNUAL CONFERENCE.—The Director shall con-
vene an annual meeting of the Centers to foster collabora-
tion among the Centers and to further disseminate the re-
sults of the Centers’ activities. 
(d) COORDINATION.—The Director shall coordinate 
with the Secretary of Education in—
(1) disseminating the results of the research 
conducted pursuant to grants awarded under this 
section to elementary school teachers and secondary 
school teachers; and 
(2) providing programming, guidance, and sup-
port to ensure that such teachers—
(A) understand the implications of the re-
search disseminated under paragraph (1) for 
classroom practice; and 
(B) can use the research to improve such 
teachers’ performance in the classroom. 
SEC. 12. DUPLICATION OF PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall review the edu-
cation programs of the Foundation that are in operation 
as of the date of enactment of this Act to determine 
whether any of such programs duplicate the programs au-
thorized under this Act. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—As programs authorized 
under this Act are implemented, the Director shall—
(1) terminate any duplicative program being 
carried out by the Foundation or merge the duplica-
tive program into a program authorized under this 
Act; and 
(2) not establish any new program that dupli-
cates a program that has been implemented pursu-
ant to this Act. 
(c) REPORT.—
(1) REVIEW.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall review the edu-
cation programs of the Foundation to ensure compli-
ance with the provisions of this section. 
(2) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter as part of the annual Office of Science 
and Technology Policy’s budget submission to Con-
gress, the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall complete a report on the re-
view carried out under this subsection and shall sub-
mit the report to the Committee on Science and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation, the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
SEC. 13. MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION. 
(a) REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.—The Director shall 
conduct a review and assessment of the major research 
instrumentation program and, not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, submit a report of find-
ings and recommendations to the Committee on Science 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
the Senate. The report shall include—
(1) estimates of the needs, by major field of 
science and engineering and by types of institutions 
of higher education, for the types of research instru-
mentation that are eligible for acquisition under the 
guidelines of the major research instrumentation 
program; 
(2) a description of the distribution of awards 
and funding levels by year, by major field of science 
and engineering, and by type of institution of higher 
education for the program, since the inception of the 
major research instrumentation program; and 
(3) an analysis of the impact of the major re-
search instrumentation program on the research in-
strumentation needs that were documented in the 
Foundation’s 1994 survey of academic research in-
strumentation needs.
(b) NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ASSESSMENT 
ON INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ADVANCED IN-
STRUMENTATION CENTERS.—
(1) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 3 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
shall enter into an arrangement with the National 
Academy of Sciences to assess the need for an inter-
agency program to establish and support fully 
equipped, state-of-the-art university-based centers 
for interdisciplinary research and advanced instru-
mentation development. 
(2) TRANSMITTAL
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 15 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Science of the House of Representatives, 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate, and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate the assessment conducted by the National Acad-
emy of Sciences together with the Foundation’s re-
action to the assessment authorized under para-
graph (1).
SEC. 14. MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 
CONSTRUCTION PLAN. 
(a) PRIORITIZATION
OF
PROPOSED
MAJOR
RE-
SEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF PRIORITIES.—(A) The 
Director shall—
(i) develop a list indicating by number the 
relative priority for funding under the major re-
search equipment and facilities construction ac-
count that the Director assigns to each project 
the Board has approved for inclusion in a fu-
ture budget request; and 
(ii) submit the list described in clause (i) 
to the Board for approval. 
(B) The Director shall update the list prepared 
under subparagraph (A) each time the Board ap-
proves a new project that would receive funding 
under the major research equipment and facilities 
construction account, as necessary to prepare re-
ports under paragraph (2), and, from time to time, 
submit any updated list to the Board for approval. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and not 
later than each June 15 thereafter, the Director 
shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 
and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate a report containing—
(A) the most recent Board-approved pri-
ority list developed under paragraph (1)(A); 
(B) a description of the criteria used to de-
velop such list; and 
(C) a description of the major factors for 
each project that determined the ranking of 
such project on the list, based on the applica-
tion of the criteria described pursuant to sub-
paragraph (B). 
(3) CRITERIA.—The criteria described pursuant 
to paragraph (2)(B) shall include, at a minimum—
(A) scientific merit; 
(B) broad societal need and probable im-
pact; 
(C) consideration of the results of formal 
prioritization efforts by the scientific commu-
nity; 
(D) readiness of plans for construction and 
operation; 
(E) the applicant’s management and ad-
ministrative capacity of large research facilities;
(F) international and interagency commit-
ments; and 
(G) the order in which projects were ap-
proved by the Board for inclusion in a future 
budget request. 
(b) FACILITIES PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 201(a)(1) of the Na-
tional Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1998 
(42 U.S.C. 1862l(a)(1)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall prepare, 
and include as part of the Foundation’s annual 
budget request to Congress, a plan for the proposed 
construction of, and repair and upgrades to, national 
research facilities, including full life-cycle cost infor-
mation.’’. 
(2) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—Section 201(a)(2) of 
the National Science Foundation Authorization Act 
of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 1862l(a)(2)) is amended—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘(1);’’ and inserting ‘‘(1), including costs for 
instrumentation development;’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon;
(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘construction.’’ and inserting ‘‘construction;’’; 
and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) for each project funded under the 
major research equipment and facilities con-
struction account—
‘‘(i) estimates of the total project cost 
(from planning to commissioning); and 
‘‘(ii) the source of funds, including 
Federal funding identified by appropria-
tions category and non-Federal funding; 
‘‘(E) estimates of the full life-cycle cost of 
each national research facility; 
‘‘(F) information on any plans to retire na-
tional research facilities; and 
‘‘(G) estimates of funding levels for grants 
supporting research that will be conducted 
using each national research facility.’’. 
(3) DEFINITION.—Section 2 of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1998 (42 
U.S.C. 1862k note) is amended—
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3) 
through (5) as paragraphs (4) through (6), re-
spectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following: 
‘‘(3) FULL LIFE-CYCLE COST.—The term ‘full 
life-cycle cost’ means all costs of planning, develop-
ment, procurement, construction, operations and 
support, and shut-down costs, without regard to 
funding source and without regard to what entity 
manages the project or facility involved.’’. 
(c) PROJECT MANAGEMENT.—No national research 
facility project funded under the major research equip-
ment and facilities construction account shall be managed 
by an individual whose appointment to the Foundation is 
temporary. 
(d) BOARD APPROVAL OF MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIP-
MENT AND FACILITIES PROJECTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall explicitly 
approve any project to be funded out of the major 
research equipment and facilities construction ac-
count before any funds may be obligated from such 
account for such project. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than September 15 of 
each fiscal year, the Board shall report to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Com-
mittee on Science of the House of Representatives 
on the conditions of any delegation of authority 
under section 4 of the National Science Foundation 
Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863) that relates to funds 
appropriated for any project in the major research 
equipment and facilities construction account. 
(e) NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES STUDY ON 
MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES CON-
STRUCTION.—
(1) STUDY.—Not later than 3 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
enter into an arrangement with the National Acad-
emy of Sciences to perform a study on setting prior-
ities for a diverse array of disciplinary and inter-
disciplinary Foundation-sponsored large research fa-
cility projects. 
(2) TRANSMITTAL
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 15 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Science and the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives, and to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions, and the Committee on Appropriations 
of the Senate, the study conducted by the National