(3) STEAM, which is the integration of arts 
and design, broadly defined, into Federal STEM 
programming, research, and innovation activities, is 
a method-validated approach to maintaining the 
competitiveness of the United States in both work-
force and innovation and to increasing and broad-
ening students’ engagement in the STEM fields; 
(4) STEM graduates need more than technical 
skills to thrive in the 21st century workforce; they 
also need to be creative, innovative, collaborative, 
and able to think critically; 
(5) STEAM should be recognized as providing 
value to STEM research and education programs 
across Federal agencies, without supplanting the 
focus on the traditional STEM disciplines; 
(6) Federal agencies should work cooperatively 
on interdisciplinary initiatives to support the inte-
gration of arts and design into STEM, and current 
interdisciplinary programs should be strengthened; 
(7) Federal agencies should allow for STEAM 
activities under current and future grant-making 
and other activities; and 
(8) Federal agencies should clarify that, where 
appropriate, data collection, surveys, and reporting 
on STEM activities and grant-making should exam-
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ine activities that involve cross-disciplinary learning 
that integrates specialized skills and expertise from 
both art and science. 
(b) NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL WORKSHOP.— 
The National Science Foundation shall enter into an ar-
rangement with the National Research Council to conduct 
a workshop on the integration of arts and design with 
STEM education. The workshop shall include a discussion 
of— 
(1) how the perspectives and experience of art-
ists and designers may contribute to the advance-
ment of science, engineering, and innovation, for ex-
ample through the development of visualization aids 
for large experimental and computational data sets; 
(2) how arts and design-based education experi-
ences might support formal and informal STEM 
education at the pre-K–12 level, particularly in fos-
tering creativity and risk taking, and encourage 
more students to pursue STEM studies, including 
students from groups historically underrepresented 
in STEM; 
(3) how the teaching of design principles can be 
better integrated into undergraduate engineering 
and other STEM curricula, including in the first two 
years of undergraduate studies, to enhance student 
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capacity for creativity and innovation and improve 
student retention, including students from groups 
historically underrepresented in STEM; and 
(4) what additional steps, if any, Federal 
science agencies should take to promote the inclu-
sion of arts and design principles in their respective 
STEM programs and activities in order to improve 
student STEM learning outcomes, increase the re-
cruitment and retention of students into STEM 
studies and careers, and increase innovation in the 
United States. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the National Research 
Council shall submit a report to Congress providing a 
summary description of the discussion and findings from 
the workshop required under subsection (b). 
SEC. 205. ENGAGING FEDERAL SCIENTISTS AND ENGI-
NEERS IN STEM EDUCATION. 
The Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy shall develop guidance for Federal agencies to in-
crease opportunities and training, as appropriate, for Fed-
eral scientists and engineers to participate in STEM en-
gagement activities through their respective agencies and 
in their communities. 
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Subtitle B—Broadening 
Participation in STEM 
SEC. 211. SHORT TITLE. 
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘STEM Opportuni-
ties Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 212. PURPOSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, acting through the Fed-
eral science agencies, shall carry out programs and activi-
ties with the purpose of ensuring that Federal science 
agencies and institutions of higher education receiving 
Federal research and development funding are fully en-
gaging their entire talent pool. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subtitle are as 
follows: 
(1) To promote research on and increase under-
standing of the participation and trajectories of 
women and underrepresented minorities in STEM 
careers at institutions of higher education and Fed-
eral science agencies, including Federal laboratories. 
(2) To raise awareness within Federal science 
agencies, including Federal laboratories, and institu-
tions of higher education about cultural and institu-
tional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, 
promotion, and other indicators of participation and 
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