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 published 
in a peer-reviewed publication, otherwise made publicly 
available, or incorporated in an application for a research 
grant or grant extension from the Foundation may not con-
tain any falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism, as estab-
lished in the Foundation’s Research Misconduct regulation 
(45 C.F.R. 689). 
(b) PUBLICATION.—The Director shall make publicly 
available any finding that research misconduct (as defined 
in 45 C.F.R. 689) has been committed, including the name 
of the principal investigator, within 30 days of the final 
administration action of the Foundation. 
SEC. 117. RESEARCH REPRODUCIBILITY AND REPLICATION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) the gold standard of good science is the abil-
ity of a researcher or research lab to reproduce a pub-
lished method and finding; 
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(2) there is growing concern that some published 
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 re-
producibility 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 
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 re-
sults of the assessment under paragraph (1), submit 
a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate on the findings of the assessment, 
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together with the agreement or disagreement of the 
Director and Board with each of its findings and rec-
ommendations. 
SEC. 118. RESEARCH GRANT CONDITIONS. 
The Foundation shall establish procedures to ensure 
that— 
(1) a research grant awarded by the Foundation 
to a principal investigator supports a scope of work 
not otherwise being directly funded by grants pro-
vided 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; 
(3) unpublished research results used to support 
a grant proposal made to the Foundation do not in-
clude 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 
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(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 Con-
gress a report detailing the results of a study on the use 
of scientific computing resources funded by the Foundation 
at institutions of higher education. Such study shall as-
sess— 
(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 be 
shared with other practitioners in the scientific com-
munity; 
(2) efficiencies that can be achieved by using 
shared hardware that can be cost effectively procured 
from cloud computing services; 
(3) efficiencies that can be achieved by using 
shared software from an open source repository or 
platform; and 
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(4) cost savings that could be achieved by poten-
tial 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 Policy 
guidelines. Breakthrough prizes shall center around techno-
logical breakthroughs that are of strategic importance 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 indi-
viduals employed pursuant to the Intergovernmental Per-
sonnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 note)— 
(1) the Foundation shall provide to Congress a 
written justification and waiver by the Deputy Direc-
tor 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 appli-
cable, adjustment for the certified Senior Executive 
Service Performance Appraisal System; 
(2) the Foundation shall provide to Congress a 
written justification and waiver by the Director in 
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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 em-
ploying 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); 
(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 waiver 
under paragraph (1) or (2). 
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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 innovation eco-
system by encouraging institutions, scientists, engi-
neers, and entrepreneurs to identify and explore the 
innovation and commercial potential of Foundation- 
funded research well beyond the laboratory; 
(2) the Foundation’s I-Corps includes investment 
in entrepreneurship and commercialization education, 
training, and mentoring, ultimately leading to the 
practical deployment of technologies, products, proc-
esses, and services that improve the Nation’s competi-
tiveness, promote economic growth, and benefit soci-
ety; and 
(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 foun-
dation for an American innovation ecosystem. 
SEC. 123. BRAIN RESEARCH THROUGH ADVANCING INNOVA-
TIVE NEUROTECHNOLOGIES INITIATIVE. 
The Foundation shall support research activities re-
lated to the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative 
Neurotechnologies Initiative. The Foundation is encouraged 
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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. 
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 mas-
ter’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: 
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‘‘(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 pre-
pare individuals to become master teachers in el-
ementary and secondary schools; and 
‘‘(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 activities, to fulfill the 
service requirements of this section, including the 
requirements of subsection (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 following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(g) SUPPORT
FOR MASTER TEACHING FELLOWS 
WHILE ENROLLED IN A MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM.— 
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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 sub-
section (c)(4)(A), except that if such fellow is enrolled in 
a part-time program, such amount shall be prorated accord-
ing to the length of the program.’’. 
(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 learn-
ing 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— 
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(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 in-
formal learning environments to improve STEM 
learning outcomes and increase engagement for K-12 
students, K-12 teachers, and the general public, in-
cluding 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 Ex-
perimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research 
(EPSCoR). The EPSCoR program helps ensure that aca-
demic research institutions in more than half the States de-
velop a strong research infrastructure and participate fully 
in federally funded research activities. The program should 
be a high priority for the Foundation. 
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TITLE 
II—SCIENCE, 
TECH-
NOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND 
MATHEMATICS 
SEC. 201. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) According to the National Science Board’s 
Science and Engineering Indicators, the science and 
engineering workforce has shown sustained growth for 
more than half a century, and workers with science 
and engineering degrees tend to earn more than com-
parable workers in other fields. 
(2) According to the Program for International 
Student Assessment 2012 results, America lags behind 
many other nations in STEM education. American 
students rank 21st in science and 26th in mathe-
matics. 
(3) Junior Achievement USA and ING found a 
decrease of 25 percent in the percentage of teenage 
students interested in STEM careers. 
(4) According to a 2007 report from the Depart-
ment of Labor, industries and firms dependent on a 
strong science and mathematics workforce have 
launched a variety of programs that target K-12 stu-
dents and undergraduate and graduate students in 
STEM fields. 
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(5) The Federal Government spends nearly $3 
billion annually on STEM education related program 
and activities, but encouraging STEM education ac-
tivities beyond the scope of the Federal Government, 
including privately sponsored competitions and pro-
grams in our schools, is crucial to the future technical 
and economic competitiveness of the United States. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) more effective coordination and adoption of 
performance measurement based on objective outcomes 
for federally supported STEM programs is needed; 
(2) leveraging private and nonprofit investments 
in STEM education will be essential to strengthening 
the Federal STEM portfolio; 
(3) strengthening the Federal STEM portfolio 
may require program consolidations and termi-
nations, but such changes should be based on evidence 
with stakeholder input; 
(4) coordinating STEM programs and activities 
across the Federal Government in order to limit du-
plication and engage stakeholders in STEM programs 
and related activities for which objective outcomes can 
be measured will bolster results of Federal STEM edu-
cation programs, improve the return on taxpayers’ 
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investments in STEM education programs, and in 
turn strengthen the United States economy; and 
(5) as the Committee on STEM Education im-
plements the 5-year Strategic Plan for Federal STEM 
education required under section 101(b)(5) of the 
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 
(42 U.S.C. 6621(b)(5)), STEM education stakeholders 
must be engaged and outcome-based evaluation 
metrics should be considered in the coordination and 
consolidation efforts for the Federal STEM portfolio. 
SEC. 202. STEM EDUCATION ADVISORY PANEL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall establish or 
designate a STEM Education Advisory Panel that incor-
porates key stakeholders from the education and industry 
sectors. The co-chairs shall be members of the President’s 
Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Advisory Panel established 
or designated by the President under subsection (a) shall 
consist primarily of members from academic institutions, 
nonprofit organizations, and industry and shall include in- 
school, out-of-school, and informal educational practi-
tioners. Members of the Advisory Panel shall be qualified 
to provide advice and information on STEM education re-
search, development, training, implementation, interven-
tions, professional development, or workforce needs or con-
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cerns. In selecting or designating an Advisory Panel, the 
President may also seek and give consideration to rec-
ommendations from the Congress, industry, the scientific 
community (including the National Academy of Sciences, 
scientific professional societies, and academia), State and 
local governments, and other appropriate organizations. 
(c) DUTIES.—The Advisory Panel shall advise the 
President, the Committee on STEM Education, and the 
STEM Education Coordinating Office established under 
section 204 on matters relating to STEM education, and 
shall each year provide general guidance to every Federal 
agency with STEM education programs or activities, in-
cluding in the preparation of requests for appropriations 
for activities related to STEM education. The Advisory 
Panel shall also assess and develop recommendations for— 
(1) progress made in implementing the STEM 
education Strategic Plan required under section 101 
of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621), and any needs or opportuni-
ties to update the strategic plan; 
(2) the management, coordination, and imple-
mentation of STEM education programs and activi-
ties across the Federal Government; 
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(3) the appropriateness of criteria used by Fed-
eral agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of Federal 
STEM education programs and activities; 
(4) ways to leverage private and nonprofit 
STEM investments and encourage public-private 
partnerships to strengthen STEM education and help 
build the STEM workforce pipeline; 
(5) ways to incorporate workforce needs into 
Federal STEM education programs, particularly for 
specific fields of national interest and areas experi-
encing high unemployment rates; 
(6) ways to better vertically and horizontally in-
tegrate Federal STEM programs and activities from 
pre-K through graduate study and the workforce, and 
from in-school to out-of-school in order to improve 
transitions for students moving through the STEM 
pipeline; 
(7) whether societal and workforce concerns are 
adequately addressed by current Federal STEM edu-
cation programs and activities; 
(8) the extent to which Federal STEM education 
programs and activities are contributing to recruit-
ment and retention of women and underrepresented 
students in the STEM education and workforce pipe-
line; and 
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180 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 3164(b)(1) of the Department of En-
ergy Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C. 
7381a(b)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘Under Sec-
retary for Science’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary 
for Science and Energy’’. 
(2) Section 641(h)(2) of the United States En-
ergy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
17231(h)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘Under Sec-
retary for Science’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary 
for Science and Energy’’. 
SEC. 712. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND TRANSITIONS AS-
SESSMENT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall trans-
mit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report which 
shall include— 
(1) an assessment of the Department’s current 
ability to carry out the goals of section 1001 of the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16391), includ-
ing an assessment of the role and effectiveness of the 
Director of the Office of Technology Transitions; and 
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