they were loans bearing interest at the maximum
legal prevailing rate, as determined by the Treasurer
of the United States.
(c) EXCEPTIONS.—(1) The National Science Founda-
tion may provide for the partial or total waiver or suspen-
sion of any service obligation or payment by an individual
under this title whenever compliance by the individual is
impossible or would involve extreme hardship to the indi-
vidual, or if enforcement of such obligation with respect
to the individual would be unconscionable.
(2) Any obligation of an individual under this title
for payment under subsection (b) may be released by a
discharge in bankruptcy under title 11, United States
Code, only if such discharge is granted after the expiration
of the 5-year period beginning on the first date that such
payment is required.
SEC. 410. REPORT.
(a) 
DATA
COLLECTION.—Institutions 
receiving
grants under this title shall supply to the Director any
relevant statistical and demographic data on scholarship
recipients and stipend recipients the Director may request,
including information on employment required by section
407.
(b) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 7 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall sub-
mit to Congress a report assessing the impact of the im-
plementation of this title on drawing into teaching top
mathematics and science students, including students
from groups underrepresented in mathematics, science,
and engineering.
SEC. 411. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the National Science Foundation to carry out
this title $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002
through 2005.
(b) SPECIFIC APPROPRIATIONS.—There are author-
ized to be appropriated to the National Science Founda-
tion to support the activities described in subsections
(b)(1)(A) and (C) and (b)(2)(A) and (C) of section 402,
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
2006 through 2011.
TITLE V—REQUIREMENTS FOR
RESEARCH CENTERS
SEC. 501. REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH CENTERS.
The Director shall ensure that any National Science
Foundation program that awards grants for the establish-
ment of research centers at institutions of higher edu-
cation after the date of the enactment of this Act—
(1) requires that every center offer programs
for elementary and secondary mathematics and
science teachers and students to increase their un-
derstanding of the field in which the center special-
izes; and
(2) uses the quality of a center’s proposed
precollege education programs as a criterion in de-
termining grant awards.
TITLE VI—EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGIES
Subtitle A—Research Centers
SEC. 601. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CEN-
TERS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) The Director shall establish
a program to award grants to institutions of higher edu-
cation (or consortia thereof) to establish centers to evalu-
ate and improve the effectiveness of information tech-
nologies in elementary and secondary mathematics and
science education.
(2) Grants shall be awarded under this subtitle on
a merit-reviewed competitive basis.
(b) ACTIVITIES.—Centers established under this sub-
title shall, at a minimum—
(1) identify educational approaches and tech-
niques that are based on the use of information
technology and that have the potential for being ef-
fective in classroom settings;
(2) develop methods to measure the effective-
ness of various applications of information tech-
nology in mathematics and science education, includ-
ing methods to measure student performance;
(3) evaluate the effectiveness of the use of tech-
nology in elementary and secondary mathematics
and science education in a variety of classroom set-
tings; and
(4) identify the key variables that influence
educational effectiveness and the conditions nec-
essary to implement successfully an approach or
technique determined to be educationally effective
for a particular educational setting;
(5) ensure that the results of such evaluations
are widely disseminated; and
(6) develop a program to work with local edu-
cational agencies to help them apply the results of
the research conducted under this section.
SEC. 602. SELECTION PROCESS.
(a) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher edu-
cation (or a consortium of such institutions) seeking fund-
ing under this subtitle shall submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Director may require. The appli-
cation shall include, at a minimum, a description of—
(1) the approaches to the use of information
technology that the center will initially evaluate, how
it chose those approaches, how it will seek out any
additional approaches, and how assessment proce-
dures would be developed and applied;
(2) how the center will work with local edu-
cational agencies to evaluate the approaches in class-
rooms;
(3) how the center will disseminate the results
of its work; and
(4) how the center will develop an outreach pro-
gram to work with local educational agencies to help
them apply the results of its research.
(b) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—In evaluating the
applications submitted under subsection (a), the Director
shall consider, at a minimum, the ability of the applicant
to effectively evaluate information technology approaches
and to help local educational agencies apply the results
of those evaluations.
(c) AWARDS.—The Director shall ensure, to the ex-
tent practicable, that the program established under this
subtitle evaluates information technology—
(1) in a wide range of grade levels and geo-
graphic areas;
(2) in rural, suburban, and urban schools; and
(3) with a wide variety of students in terms of
race, ethnicity, and income.
SEC. 603. DOCUMENTATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RE-
SULTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The results of the research and
evaluations conducted in accordance with section 601 shall
be documented and widely disseminated, including
through publication in peer-reviewed scholarly journals.
(b) WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES, AND WEB SITES.—
The Director is authorized to sponsor and support work-
shops, conferences, and dedicated web sites to disseminate
information about the activities of the educational tech-
nology research centers established under section 601.
(c) DEPOSIT IN LIBRARY.—Information about effec-
tive approaches and techniques, including information and
materials necessary for their implementation, shall be de-
posited in the Digital Library.
SEC. 604. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Na-
tional Science Foundation to carry out the program estab-
lished under section 601—
(1) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002
through 2004; and
(2) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005
and 2006.
Subtitle B—Assistance
SEC. 611. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE.
Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced Technology
Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–476; 42 U.S.C. 1862i) is
amended by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g)
as subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h), respectively, and by
inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection:
‘‘(d) EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Director may make
awards on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to as-
sociate-degree granting colleges, bachelor-degree
granting institutions, or education service agencies
(or consortia thereof) to establish centers to assist
elementary and secondary schools in the use of in-
formation technology for mathematics, science, or
technology instruction.
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—Activities of centers funded
under this subsection may include—
‘‘(A) helping schools evaluate their need
for information technology;
‘‘(B) training teachers on how to best use
information technology in instruction; and
‘‘(C) providing other information and
training to help schools and teachers ensure
that they have access to appropriate informa-
tion technologies and are using them to max-
imum advantage.
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—An application to receive
funds under this subsection shall include, at a
minimum—
‘‘(A) a description of the services that will
be provided to schools and teachers;
‘‘(B) a list of the schools expected to be
served;
‘‘(C) a description of how the applicant will
draw on the expertise of its faculty and stu-
dents to assist schools and teachers; and
‘‘(D) a description of how the applicant
will operate the program after funding made
available by this subsection has expired.
‘‘(4) SELECTION.—In evaluating applications
submitted under paragraph (3), the Director shall
consider, at a minimum—
‘‘(A) the ability of the applicant to effec-
tively carry out the program;
‘‘(B) the number of schools and students
who would be served and the their need for as-
sistance;
‘‘(C) the extent to which the applicant has
worked with participating schools to ensure that
priority problems would be addressed by the as-
sistance provided under this subsection; and
‘‘(D) the ability of the applicant to con-
tinue to provide assistance after funding under
this subsection has expired.
‘‘(5) AWARDS.—(A) The Director shall ensure,
to the extent practicable, that the program estab-
lished by this subsection assists schools in rural,
suburban, and urban areas.
‘‘(B) No institution shall receive funds under
this subsection for more than three years.
‘‘(C) An institution receiving a grant under
subtitle A of title VI of the National Mathematics
and Science Partnerships Act may participate in the
program created by this section.
‘‘(6) REPORT.—Not later than April 1, 2005,
the Director shall provide a report to Congress as-
sessing the success of the program funded under
this subsection and the need of schools for continued
assistance, and, based on the experience with the
program, recommending ways information tech-
nology assistance to schools could be made more
broadly available.
‘‘(7) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Na-
tional Science Foundation to carry out this sub-
section $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002
through 2004.’’.
TITLE VII—MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
SEC. 701. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PROFICIENCY
SCHOLARSHIPS.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Proficiency in mathematics, science, and in-
formation technology is necessary to prepare all stu-
dents in the United States for participation in the
21st century and to guarantee that the United
States economy remains vibrant and competitive.
(2) In order to achieve such results, it is impor-
tant that the Federal Government shows interest in
economically disadvantaged students who have not
been provided with opportunities that will improve
their knowledge of mathematics, science, and tech-
nology.
(3) Many economically disadvantaged students
in urban and rural America share a common need
to receive a quality education, but often the schools
of such students lack the needed resources to lift
those students into the information age.
(4) The schools and businesses serving urban
and rural communities are strategically positioned to
form a unique partnership with students that will in-
crease their mathematics, science, and technology
proficiency and encourage and support their under-
graduate study in those fields for the benefit of the
Nation.
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish a
demonstration project to encourage businesses to offer
scholarships to eligible students (to enable them to attend
institutions of higher education) by providing grants to
improve mathematics, science, or technology education in
the schools attended by the eligible students.
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—(1) The Director shall provide
grants under this section to local educational agencies on
a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
(2) Funds awarded under this subsection may be
used to—
(A) provide teacher professional development in
mathematics, science, or technology;
(B) develop or implement mathematics, science,
or technology curriculums, and to purchase related
equipment; and