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‘‘Subpart 6—Robert C. Byrd American 
Competitiveness Program 
‘‘SEC. 419A. ROBERT C. BYRD MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 
HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 
award scholarships to students who are enrolled in studies 
leading to baccalaureate and advanced degrees in physical, 
life, or computer sciences, mathematics, and engineering. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section—
‘‘(1) the term ‘computer science’ means the 
branch of knowledge or study of computers, includ-
ing such fields of knowledge or study as computer 
hardware, computer software, computer engineering, 
information systems, and robotics; 
‘‘(2) the term ‘eligible student’ means a student 
who—
‘‘(A) is a citizen of the United States; 
‘‘(B) is selected by the managing agent to 
receive a scholarship; 
‘‘(C) is enrolled full-time in an institution 
of higher education, other than a United States 
service academy; and 
‘‘(D) has shown a commitment to and is 
pursuing a major in studies leading to a bacca-
laureate, masters, or doctoral degree (or a com-
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bination thereof) in physical, life, or computer 
sciences, mathematics, or engineering; 
‘‘(3) the term ‘engineering’ means the science 
by which the properties of matter and the sources of 
energy in nature are made useful to humanity in 
structures, machines, and products, as in the con-
struction of engines, bridges, buildings, mines, and 
chemical plants, including such fields of knowledge 
or study as aeronautical engineering, chemical engi-
neering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, in-
dustrial engineering, materials engineering, manu-
facturing engineering, and mechanical engineering; 
‘‘(4) the term ‘life sciences’ means the branch 
of knowledge or study of living things, including 
such fields of knowledge or study as biology, bio-
chemistry, biophysics, microbiology, genetics, physi-
ology, botany, zoology, ecology, and behavioral biol-
ogy, except that the term does not encompass social 
psychology or the health professions; 
‘‘(5) the term ‘managing agent’ means an enti-
ty to which an award is made under subsection (c) 
to manage a program of Mathematics and Science 
Honors Scholarships; 
‘‘(6) the term ‘mathematics’ means the branch 
of knowledge or study of numbers and the system-
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atic treatment of magnitude, relationships between 
figures and forms, and relations between quantities 
expressed symbolically, including such fields of 
knowledge or study as statistics, applied mathe-
matics, and operations research; and 
‘‘(7) the term ‘physical sciences’ means the 
branch of knowledge or study of the material uni-
verse, including such fields of knowledge or study as 
astronomy, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, earth 
sciences, ocean sciences, physics, and planetary 
sciences. 
‘‘(c) AWARD.—
‘‘(1)(A) From funds authorized under section 
419F to carry out this section, the Secretary is au-
thorized, through a grant or cooperative agreement, 
to make an award to a private, non-profit organiza-
tion, other than an institution of higher education or 
system of institutions of higher education, to man-
age, through a public and private partnership, a pro-
gram of Mathematics and Science Honors Scholar-
ships under this section. 
‘‘(B) The award under subparagraph (A) shall 
be for a five-year period. 
‘‘(2)(A) One hundred percent of the funds 
awarded under paragraph (1)(A) for any fiscal year