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Foundation shall also require awardees seeking 
subsequent management fees to report to the 
Foundation, prior to the consideration of such 
a request, any sources of non-Federal funds re-
ceived in excess of $100,000. This reporting 
shall apply to the period following any initial 
management fee award and for the consider-
ation of any subsequent fee. 
(D) EXPENSE REPORTING.—The Founda-
tion shall require awardees to track and report 
to the Foundation annually all expenses reim-
bursed or otherwise paid for with management 
fee funds, in accordance with Federal account-
ing practices as established in Government Ac-
countability Office Report GAO–12–331G, or 
any successor report thereto. 
(E) REVIEW.—The Inspector General of 
the Foundation may audit or review any Foun-
dation award for compliance with this sub-
section. 
(F) PROHIBITED USES.—An awardee may 
not use management fees for— 
(i) costs allowable under Cost Prin-
ciples Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR part 
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200, Subpart E, or any successor regula-
tion thereto; 
(ii) alcoholic beverages; 
(iii) tickets to concerts, or sporting 
and other entertainment events; 
(iv) vacation or other travel for non-
business purposes; 
(v) charitable contributions; 
(vi) social or sporting club member-
ships; 
(vii) meals or social activities for non-
business purposes; 
(viii) luxury or personal items; 
(ix) lobbying, as described in the Uni-
form Guidance at 2 CFR 200.450 or FAR 
31.205–22; or 
(x) any other purpose the Foundation 
determines is inappropriate. 
(G) REVIEW.—The Foundation shall re-
view management fee usage under each Foun-
dation award on at least an annual basis for 
compliance with this paragraph and the Foun-
dation’s Large Facilities Manual. 
(4) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
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submit to Congress a report describing the Founda-
tion’s policies for developing and managing major 
multi-user research facility construction costs, in-
cluding a description of any aspects of the policies 
that diverge from the best practices recommended in 
Government Accountability Office Report GAO–09– 
3SP, or any successor report thereto, and the Uni-
form Guidance in 2 CFR part 200. 
SEC. 109. WHISTLEBLOWER EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Foundation shall be subject 
to section 4712 of title 41, United States Code. 
(b) EDUCATION AND TRAINING.—The Foundation 
shall provide education and training for Foundation man-
agers and staff on the requirements of such section 4712, 
and provide information on the law to all grantees, con-
tractors, and employees of such grantees and contractors. 
SEC. 110. GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the essential elements of the NSF Research 
Traineeship Program, formerly the Integrative Graduate 
Education and Research Traineeship program, (or any 
successor thereto) should be maintained, including— 
(1) collaborative research that transcends tradi-
tional disciplinary boundaries to solve large and 
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complex research problems of significant scientific 
and societal importance; and 
(2) providing students the opportunity to be-
come leaders in the science and engineering of the 
future. 
(b) MODELS
FOR SUPPORT.—The Director shall 
enter into an agreement with the National Research Coun-
cil to convene a workshop or roundtable to examine models 
of Federal support for STEM graduate students, includ-
ing the Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship pro-
gram and comparable fellowship programs at other agen-
cies, traineeship programs, and the research assistant 
model. 
(c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the workshop or 
roundtable shall be to compare and evaluate the extent 
to which each of these models helps to prepare graduate 
students for diverse careers utilizing STEM degrees, in-
cluding at diverse types of institutions of higher education, 
in industry, and at government agencies and research lab-
oratories, and to make recommendations regarding— 
(1) how current Federal programs and models, 
including programs and models at the Foundation, 
can be improved; 
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(2) the appropriateness of the current distribu-
tion of funding among the different models at the 
Foundation and across the agencies; and 
(3) the appropriateness of creating a new edu-
cation and training program for graduate students 
distinct from programs that provide direct financial 
support, including the grants authorized in section 
527 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization 
Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p–15). 
(d) CRITERIA.—At a minimum, in comparing pro-
grams and models, the workshop or roundtable partici-
pants shall consider the capacity of such programs or 
models to provide students with knowledge and skills— 
(1) to become independent, creative, successful 
researchers; 
(2) to participate in large interdisciplinary re-
search projects, including in an international con-
text; 
(3) to adhere to the highest standards for re-
search ethics; 
(4) to become high-quality teachers utilizing the 
most currently available evidence-based pedagogy; 
(5) in oral and written communication, to both 
technical and nontechnical audiences; 
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(6) in innovation, entrepreneurship, and busi-
ness ethics; and 
(7) in program management. 
(e) GRADUATE STUDENT INPUT.—The participants 
in the workshop or roundtable shall include current or re-
cent STEM graduate students. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the National Research Council 
shall submit to Congress a summary report of the findings 
and recommendations of the workshop or roundtable con-
vened under this section. 
SEC. 111. PERMISSIBLE SUPPORT. 
A grant made by the Education and Human Re-
sources Directorate to support informal education may be 
used— 
(1) to support the participation of underrep-
resented students in nonprofit competitions, out-of- 
school activities, and field experiences related to 
STEM subjects (such as robotics, science research, 
invention, mathematics, and technology competi-
tions), including— 
(A) the purchase of parts and supplies 
needed to participate in such competitions; and 
(B) incentives and stipends for teachers 
and instructional leaders who are involved in 
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assisting students and preparing students for 
such competitions, if such activities fall outside 
the regular duties and responsibilities of such 
teachers and instructional leaders; and 
(2) to broaden underrepresented secondary 
school students’ access to, and interest in, careers 
that require academic preparation in STEM sub-
jects. 
SEC. 112. EXPANDING STEM OPPORTUNITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within the Directorate for Edu-
cation and Human Resources (or any successor thereto), 
under existing programs targeting broadening participa-
tion, the Director shall provide grants on a merit-reviewed, 
competitive basis for research on programming that en-
gages underrepresented students in grades kindergarten 
through 8 in STEM. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this 
section shall be used for research to advance the en-
gagement of underrepresented students in grades 
kindergarten through 8 in STEM through the devel-
opment and implementation of innovative before- 
school, after-school, out-of-school, or summer activi-
ties, including programs (if applicable to the target 
population) provided in a single-gender environment, 
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that are designed to encourage interest, engagement, 
and skills development of underrepresented students 
in STEM. Such research shall be conducted in learn-
ing environments that actively provide programming 
to underrepresented students in grades kindergarten 
through 8 in STEM. 
(2) PERMITTED
ACTIVITIES.—Such activities 
may include— 
(A) the development and implementation of 
programming described in subsection (a) for the 
purpose of research; 
(B) the use of a variety of engagement 
methods, including cooperative and hands-on 
learning; 
(C) exposure of underrepresented youth to 
role models in the fields of STEM, including re-
searchers in the National Laboratories, and 
nearpeer mentors; 
(D) training of informal learning educators 
and youth-serving professionals using evidence- 
based methods consistent with the target stu-
dent population being served; 
(E) education of students on the relevance 
and significance of STEM careers, provision of 
academic advice and assistance, and activities 
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designed to help students make real-world con-
nections to STEM content activities; 
(F) the attendance of underrepresented 
youth at events, competitions, and academic 
programs to provide content expertise and en-
courage career exposure in STEM; 
(G) activities designed to engage parents of 
underrepresented youth; 
(H) innovative strategies to engage under-
represented youth, such as using leadership 
skill outcome measures to encourage youth with 
the confidence to pursue STEM coursework and 
academic study; 
(I) coordination with STEM-rich environ-
ments, including other nonprofit, nongovern-
mental organizations, classroom and out-of- 
classroom settings, institutions of higher edu-
cation, vocational facilities, corporations, muse-
ums, National Laboratories, or science centers; 
(J) the acquisition of instructional mate-
rials or technology-based tools to conduct appli-
cable grant activity; 
(K) efforts to effectively expand, broaden, 
or scale-up existing activities or programs; 
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(L) creating State and regional workshops 
to train K–12 teachers in science and tech-
nology project-based learning to provide instruc-
tion in how to initiate robotics and other STEM 
competition team development programs; and 
(M) encouraging and supporting efforts led 
by institutions of higher education, businesses, 
and local public and private educational agen-
cies to establish collaborative efforts to provide 
K–12 students residing in areas with unemploy-
ment rates that exceed the national average by 
1 percent or more. 
(c) APPLICATION.—An applicant seeking funding 
under the section shall submit an application at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as may 
be required. The application shall include, at a minimum, 
the following: 
(1) A description of the target audience to be 
served by the program. 
(2) A description of the process for recruitment 
and selection of students, as appropriate. 
(3) A description of how such research activity 
may inform programming that engages underrep-
resented students in grades kindergarten through 8 
in STEM. 
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(4) A description of how such research activity 
may inform programming that promotes student 
academic achievement in STEM. 
(5) An evaluation plan that includes, at a min-
imum, the use of outcome-oriented measures to de-
termine the impact and efficacy of activities being 
researched. 
(d) AWARDS.—In awarding grants under this section, 
the Director shall give priority to applicants which, for the 
purpose of grant activity, include or partner with a non-
profit, nongovernmental organization that has extensive 
experience and expertise in increasing the participation of 
underrepresented students in STEM. 
(e) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.— 
(1) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—Not later than 5 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall evaluate the grants provided under 
this section. In addition to evaluating the effective-
ness of the grant activities, such evaluation shall— 
(A) use a common set of benchmarks and 
assessment tools to identify best practices and 
materials developed or demonstrated by the re-
search; and 
(B) to the extent practicable, combine the 
research resulting from the grant activity with 
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the current research on serving underrep-
resented 
students 
in 
grades 
kindergarten 
through 8. 
(2) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 
180 days after the completion of the evaluation 
under paragraph (1), the Director shall submit to 
Congress and make widely available to the public a 
report that includes— 
(A) the results of the evaluation; and 
(B) any recommendations for administra-
tive and legislative action that could optimize 
the effectiveness of the program. 
(f) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this section, the 
Director shall consult, cooperate, and coordinate, to en-
hance program effectiveness and to avoid duplication, with 
the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agen-
cies. 
SEC. 113. REVIEW OF EDUCATION 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— 
(1) whether any of such programs duplicate tar-
get groups, services provided, fields of focus, or ob-
jectives; and 
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(2) how those programs are being evaluated 
and assessed for outcome-oriented effectiveness. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter as part 
of the annual budget submission to Congress, the Director 
shall complete a report on the review carried out under 
this section and shall submit the report to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on 
Appropriations 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, and shall make the report widely available to the 
public. 
SEC. 114. RECOMPETITION OF AWARDS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— 
(1) the merit-reviewed competition of grant and 
award proposals is a hallmark of the Foundation 
grant and award making process; 
(2) the majority of Foundation-funded multi- 
user research facilities have transitioned to 5-year 
cooperative agreements, and every 5 years the pro-
gram officer responsible for the facility makes a rec-
ommendation to the National Science Board as to 
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the renewal, recompetition, or termination of sup-
port for the facility; and 
(3) requiring the recompetition of expiring 
awards is based on the conviction that competition 
is most likely to ensure the effective stewardship of 
Foundation funds for supporting research and edu-
cation. 
(b) RECOMPETITION.—The Director shall ensure that 
the system for recompetition of Maintenance and Oper-
ations of facilities, equipment and instrumentation is fair, 
consistent, and transparent and is applied in a manner 
that renews grants and awards in a timely manner. The 
Director shall periodically evaluate whether the criteria of 
the system are being applied in a manner that is trans-
parent, reliable, and valid. 
SEC. 115. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING INDUSTRY 
INVESTMENT IN STEM EDUCATION. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) in order to bolster the STEM workforce 
pipeline, many industry sectors are becoming in-
volved in K–12 initiatives and supporting under-
graduate and graduate work in STEM subject areas 
and fields; 
(2) partnerships with education providers, 
STEM focused competitions, and other opportunities 
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have become important aspects of private sector ef-
forts to strengthen the STEM workforce; 
(3) understanding the work that private sector 
organizations are undertaking in STEM fields 
should inform the Federal Government’s role in 
STEM education; and 
(4) successful private sector STEM initiatives, 
as reflected by measurements of relevant outcomes, 
should be encouraged and supported by the Founda-
tion. 
SEC. 116. MISREPRESENTATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—The findings and conclusions of 
any article authored by a principal investigator receiving 
a research grant from the Foundation, using the results 
of the research conducted under the grant, that is pub-
lished in a peer-reviewed publication, otherwise made pub-
licly available, or incorporated in an application for a re-
search grant or grant extension from the Foundation may 
not contain any falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism, as 
established in the Foundation’s Research Misconduct reg-
ulation (45 CFR 689). 
(b) PUBLICATION.—The Director shall make publicly 
available any finding that research misconduct (as defined 
in 45 CFR 689) has been committed, including the name 
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of the principal investigator, within 30 days of the final 
administration action of the Foundation. 
SEC. 117. RESEARCH REPRODUCIBILITY AND REPLICA-
TION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the gold standard of good science is the 
ability of a researcher or research lab to reproduce 
a published method and finding; 
(2) there is growing concern that some pub-
lished research findings cannot be reproduced or 
replicated, which can negatively affect the public’s 
trust in science; 
(3) there are a complex set of factors affecting 
reproducibility and replication; and 
(4) the increasing interdisciplinary nature and 
complexity of scientific research may be a contrib-
uting factor to issues with research reproducibility 
and replication. 
(b) REPORT.—The Director shall— 
(1) not later than 45 days after the date of en-
actment of this Act, enter into an agreement with 
the National Research Council to provide, within 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, a re-
port to assess research and data reproducibility and 
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replicability issues in interdisciplinary research and 
to make recommendations on how to improve rigor 
and transparency in scientific research; and 
(2) not later than 60 days after receiving the 
results of the assessment under paragraph (1), sub-
mit a report to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate on the findings of the assess-
ment, together with the agreement or disagreement 
of the Director and Board with each of its findings 
and recommendations. 
SEC. 118. RESEARCH GRANT CONDITIONS. 
The Foundation shall establish procedures to ensure 
that— 
(1) a research grant awarded by the Founda-
tion to a principal investigator supports a scope of 
work not otherwise being directly funded by grants 
provided by other Federal agencies; 
(2) a principal investigator includes in any ap-
plication for a research grant awarded by the Foun-
dation a list of all Federal research funding received 
by the principal investigator, as well as any funding 
that is being requested as of that time; 
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(3) unpublished research results used to sup-
port a grant proposal made to the Foundation do 
not include any knowing misrepresentations of data; 
(4) principal investigators who receive Founda-
tion research grant funding under more than one 
grant at the same time have sufficient resources to 
conduct the proposed research under each of those 
grants appropriately under the terms of the grant; 
and 
(5) barriers to early career and new investigator 
applicants are addressed, including taking into ac-
count the broader accomplishments and potential of 
the individual investigator in addition to the poten-
tial impact of the project. 
SEC. 119. COMPUTING RESOURCES STUDY. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall transmit to the 
Congress a report detailing the results of a study on the 
use of scientific computing resources funded by the Foun-
dation at institutions of higher education. Such study shall 
assess— 
(1) efficiencies that can be achieved by using 
shared scientific computing resources for projects 
that have similar scientific computing requirements 
or projects where specialized software solutions could 
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be shared with other practitioners in the scientific 
community; 
(2) efficiencies that can be achieved by using 
shared hardware that can be cost effectively pro-
cured from cloud computing services; 
(3) efficiencies that can be achieved by using 
shared software from an open source repository or 
platform; and 
(4) cost savings that could be achieved by po-
tential sharing of scientific computing resources 
across all Foundation grants. 
SEC. 120. SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH PRIZES. 
The Director shall place a high priority on designing 
and administering pilot programs for scientific break-
through prizes, in conjunction with private entities, that 
are consistent with Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy guidelines. Breakthrough prizes shall center around 
technological breakthroughs that are of strategic impor-
tance to the Nation, and have the capacity to spur new 
economic growth. 
SEC. 121. ROTATING PERSONNEL. 
In order to control the costs to the Foundation of 
individuals employed pursuant to the Intergovernmental 
Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 note)— 
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(1) the Foundation shall provide to Congress a 
written justification and waiver by the Deputy Di-
rector in instances in which such an individual is to 
be paid at a rate that exceeds the maximum rate of 
pay for the Senior Executive Service, including, if 
applicable, adjustment for the certified Senior Exec-
utive Service Performance Appraisal System; 
(2) the Foundation shall provide to Congress a 
written justification and waiver by the Director in 
instances in which such an individual is to be paid 
at a rate that exceeds the annual salary rate of the 
Vice President of the United States; and 
(3) the Foundation shall provide an annual re-
port to Congress on the costs to the Foundation of 
employing such individuals, including— 
(A) the timeliness and completeness of 
Foundation actions in response to recommenda-
tions and findings from the Office of Inspector 
General related to the employment of such indi-
viduals; 
(B) actions taken by the Foundation to re-
duce the cost to the Foundation of the employ-
ment of such individuals at pay levels that ex-
ceed the threshold described in paragraph (1); 
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(C) the value to the Foundation of employ-
ing individuals pursuant to the Intergovern-
mental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 
note) whose pay is set below the threshold de-
scribed in paragraph (1); and 
(D) the value to the Foundation of employ-
ing individuals who are not permanent employ-
ees whose pay requires a justification and waiv-
er under paragraph (1) or (2). 
SEC. 122. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING INNOVATION 
CORPS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I- 
Corps) was established to foster a national innova-
tion ecosystem by encouraging institutions, sci-
entists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to identify and 
explore the innovation and commercial potential of 
Foundation-funded research well beyond the labora-
tory; 
(2) the Foundation’s I-Corps includes invest-
ment in entrepreneurship and commercialization 
education, training, and mentoring, ultimately lead-
ing to the practical deployment of technologies, 
products, processes, and services that improve the 
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Nation’s competitiveness, promote economic growth, 
and benefit society; 
(3) by building networks of entrepreneurs, edu-
cators, mentors, institutions, and collaborations, and 
supporting specialized education and training, I- 
Corps is at the leading edge of a strong, lasting 
foundation for an American innovation ecosystem; 
and 
(4) I-Corps should continue to promote a strong 
innovation system by investing in and supporting fe-
male entrepreneurs, who are historically underrep-
resented 
in 
entrepreneurial 
fields, 
through 
mentorship, education, and training. 
SEC. 123. BRAIN RESEARCH THROUGH ADVANCING INNO-
VATIVE NEUROTECHNOLOGIES INITIATIVE. 
The Foundation shall support research activities re-
lated to the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative 
Neurotechnologies Initiative. The Foundation is encour-
aged to work in conjunction with the Interagency Working 
Group on Neuroscience (IWGN) to determine how to use 
the data infrastructure of the Foundation and other appli-
cable agencies to help neuroscientists collect, standardize, 
manage, and analyze the large amounts of data that will 
result from research attempting to understand how the 
brain functions. 
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SEC. 124. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 10A of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
1862n—1a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘or 
bachelor’s’’ after ‘‘master’s’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (2)(B); 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘for teachers with 
master’s degrees in their field’’ after 
‘‘Teaching Fellowships’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
of subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) in the case of National Science Foundation 
Master Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bach-
elor’s degrees in their field and working toward a 
master’s degree— 
‘‘(A) offering academic courses leading to 
a master’s degree and leadership training to 
prepare individuals to become master teachers 
in elementary and secondary schools; and 
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‘‘(B) offering programs both during and 
after matriculation in the program for which 
the fellowship is received to enable fellows to 
become 
highly 
effective 
mathematics 
and 
science teachers, including mentoring, training, 
induction, and professional development activi-
ties, to fulfill the service requirements of this 
section, including the requirements of sub-
section (e), and to exchange ideas with others 
in their fields.’’; 
(3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(g)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)’’; 
(4) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) 
as subsections (h) through (j), respectively; and 
(5) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(g) SUPPORT FOR MASTER TEACHING FELLOWS 
WHILE ENROLLED IN A MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM.— 
A National Science Foundation Master Teacher Fellow 
may receive a maximum of 1 year of fellowship support 
while enrolled in a master’s degree program as described 
in subsection (c)(4)(A), except that if such fellow is en-
rolled in a part-time program, such amount shall be pro-
rated according to the length of the program.’’. 
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(b) DEFINITION.—Section 10(i)(5) of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
1862n–1(i)(5)) is amended by inserting ‘‘computer 
science,’’ after ‘‘means a science,’’. 
SEC. 125. INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Director, through the Directorate 
for Education and Human Resources, shall continue to 
award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to support— 
(1) research and development of innovative out- 
of-school STEM learning and emerging STEM 
learning environments in order to improve STEM 
learning outcomes and engagement in STEM; and 
(2) research that advances the field of informal 
STEM education. 
(b) USES OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 
under this section may encompass a single STEM dis-
cipline, multiple STEM disciplines, or integrative STEM 
initiatives and shall include— 
(1) research and development that improves our 
understanding of learning and engagement in infor-
mal environments, including the role of informal en-
vironments in broadening participation in STEM; 
and 
(2) design and testing of innovative STEM 
learning models, programs, and other resources for 
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informal learning environments to improve STEM 
learning outcomes and increase engagement for K– 
12 students, K–12 teachers, and the general public, 
including design and testing of the scalability of 
models, programs, and other resources. 
SEC. 126. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COM-
PETITIVE RESEARCH. 
The Foundation shall continue to operate a robust 
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research 
(EPSCoR). The EPSCoR program helps ensure that aca-
demic research institutions in more than half the States 
develop a strong research infrastructure and participate 
fully in federally funded research activities. The program 
should be a high priority for the Foundation. 
SEC. 127. HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM IN EDU-
CATION AND SCIENCE. 
Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion shall establish the program described in section 7033 
of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o–12) 
for Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined in section 502 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a)). 
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(4) the issues influencing the ability of United 
States scientists and engineers to collaborate with 
foreign counterparts. 
(e) ADDITIONAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Di-
rector of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall 
transmit, not later than 60 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act and annually thereafter, to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, 
and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate, a report that lists and describes all foreign travel 
by Office of Science and Technology Policy staff and 
detailees. Each report shall specify the dates of each trip, 
the purpose of the trip, Office of Science and Technology 
Policy participants on the trip, total Office of Science and 
Technology Policy costs associated with the trip, and de-
tails of all international meetings, including meeting par-
ticipants and topics addressed. 
SEC. 304. ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH FUNDING MODELS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The heads of 
Federal science agencies, in consultation with the Director 
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall con-
duct appropriate pilot programs to validate alternative re-
search funding models, including— 
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SEC. 402. STANDARDS AND CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT. 
Section 2 of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘authorized to take’’ and inserting 
‘‘authorized to serve as the President’s principal 
adviser on standards policy pertaining to the 
Nation’s technological competitiveness and in-
novation ability and to take’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘compare 
standards’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Fed-
eral Government’’ and inserting ‘‘facilitate 
standards-related information sharing and co-
operation between Federal agencies’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (13), by striking ‘‘Fed-
eral, State, and local’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘private sector’’ and inserting ‘‘tech-
nical standards activities and conformity assess-
ment activities of Federal, State, and local gov-
ernments with private sector’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (22), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (23) as 
paragraph (25); and 
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