(2) approaches and techniques for scaling the 
synthesis of new nanoscale materials to achieve in-
dustrial-level production rates. 
(b) GREEN
NANOTECHNOLOGY.—Interdisciplinary 
research centers supported under the Program in accord-
ance with section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century Nanotech-
nology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 
7501(b)(4)) that are focused on nanomanufacturing re-
search shall include as part of the activities of such cen-
ters— 
(1) research on methods and approaches to de-
velop environmentally benign nanoscale products and 
nanoscale manufacturing processes, taking into con-
sideration relevant findings and results of research 
supported under the Environmental, Health, and 
Safety program component area, or any successor 
program component area; 
(2) fostering the transfer of the results of such 
research to industry; and 
(3) providing for the education of scientists and 
engineers through interdisciplinary studies in the 
principles and techniques for the design and develop-
ment of environmentally benign nanoscale products 
and processes. 
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SEC. 118. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle, terms that are defined in section 10 
of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Devel-
opment Act (15 U.S.C. 7509) have the meaning given 
those terms in that section. 
TITLE II—STEM EDUCATION AND 
DIVERSITY 
Subtitle A—STEM Education and 
Workforce 
SEC. 201. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET PROPOSAL.—It is 
the sense of Congress that Federal agencies need to de-
velop and implement a comprehensive Federal STEM edu-
cation strategy that focuses on leveraging the limited 
STEM education funding and other assets we have to in-
vest for maximum student learning benefit, and that such 
a strategy will involve a reorganization of the current port-
folio of Federal STEM investments. However, it is the 
sense of Congress that the Administration’s fiscal year 
2014 proposal to consolidate or eliminate 120 STEM pro-
grams across 14 Federal agencies lacked input or support 
from the Federal agencies and the stakeholder commu-
nities implicated in the proposal, was not based on evi-
dence about program effectiveness, lacks clarity in how it 
will meet the goals of the strategic plan required in the 
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, and 
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is not an adequate basis for implementing changes to ex-
isting agency and interagency STEM activities. 
(b) COSTEM.—It is the sense of Congress that the 
National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on 
STEM Education (CoSTEM), required under the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, has taken im-
portant initial steps toward developing a comprehensive 
and defensible strategic plan through its completion of its 
first ‘‘Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan,’’ 
but that much more work must be done to develop a clear 
evidence base for reorganization decisions and to solicit 
and take into account views and experience from stake-
holders who help implement or are the beneficiaries of 
Federal STEM programs across the Nation. It is further 
the sense of Congress that agencies, through CoSTEM, 
should play a leading role in developing the Administra-
tion’s budget proposals for STEM education just as they 
play a leading role in developing the budget proposals for 
other major interagency initiatives, such as the National 
Nanotechnology Initiative. 
(c) MISSION AGENCIES.—It is the sense of Congress 
that science mission agencies such as the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of 
Energy are essential partners in contributing to the goals 
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and implementation of a Federal STEM strategic plan be-
cause such agencies have unique scientific and techno-
logical facilities as well as highly trained scientists who 
are eager and able to contribute to improved STEM learn-
ing outcomes in their own communities. It is further the 
sense of Congress that the Department of Education can 
play an important role in implementing any Federal 
STEM education strategy because of its unique relation-
ship with States, local educational agencies, schools, and 
institutions of higher education, as well as its capacity to 
scale and disseminate proven programs and models, but 
that the Department must take steps to build capacity in 
STEM education to maximize the effectiveness of any 
Governmentwide leadership role in K–12 STEM edu-
cation. 
SEC. 202. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL STEM EDUCATION. 
Section 101 of America COMPETES Reauthoriza-
tion Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(5)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
through (D) as subparagraphs (B) through (E), 
respectively; and 
(B) by inserting before subparagraph (B), 
as so redesigned by subparagraph (A) of this 
paragraph, the following new subparagraph: 
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‘‘(A) have as its primary goal to leverage 
the limited STEM education funding and other 
assets, including intellectual capital, invested by 
Federal STEM agencies for maximum benefit 
to student learning;’’; 
(2) by striking the second subsection (b); 
(3) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (f); 
(4) by inserting after subsection (b), the fol-
lowing new subsections: 
‘‘(c) COORDINATOR FOR STEM EDUCATION.—The 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
shall designate an associate director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy as the Coordinator for 
STEM Education. When an appropriate associate director 
is not available, the Director may designate another ap-
propriate senior government official as the Coordinator for 
STEM Education. The Coordinator shall chair the com-
mittee established under subsection (a). The Coordinator 
shall, with the assistance of appropriate senior officials 
from other Committee on STEM Education agencies, en-
sure that the requirements of this section are satisfied. 
‘‘(d) STAKEHOLDER INPUT.— 
‘‘(1) INTERAGENCY
CONSOLIDATION.—For all 
agency proposals to consolidate or transfer budgets 
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dent’s Council of Advisors on Science and Tech-
nology. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Advisory Panel es-
tablished or designated by the President under this 
subsection shall consist of members from academic 
institutions, industry, informal education providers, 
nonprofit STEM education organizations, founda-
tions, and local and State educational agencies. 
Members of the Advisory Panel shall be qualified to 
provide advice on Federal STEM education pro-
grams, best practices in STEM education, assess-
ment of STEM education programs, STEM edu-
cation standards, industry needs for STEM grad-
uates, and public-private STEM education partner-
ships. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The Advisory Panel shall advise 
the President and the committee established under 
subsection (a) on implementing the Federal STEM 
education strategic plan required under subsection 
(b)(5) and coordinating Federal STEM programs 
with nongovernmental STEM initiatives and State 
and local educational agencies. 
‘‘(4) REPORT.—The Advisory Panel shall re-
port, not more than 1 year after enactment of the 
America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014, on 
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options for evidence-based implementation of the 
Federal STEM strategic plan required under sub-
section (b)(5), including options for designating cer-
tain agencies as coordinating leads for different pri-
ority investment areas, timelines for implementation, 
and specific management, budget, policy, or other 
steps that agencies must take to effectively imple-
ment the strategic plan. 
‘‘(5) SUNSET.—The authorization for the Advi-
sory Panel established under this subsection shall 
expire 3 years after the date of enactment of the 
America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014.’’; 
and 
(5) in subsection (f), as so redesignated by 
paragraph (3) of this section— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘progress made in imple-
menting’’ after ‘‘describing’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (3); and 
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and 
(5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively. 
SEC. 203. GRAND CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation and the Secretary of Education shall 
collaborate in— 
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(1) identifying, prioritizing, and developing 
strategies to address grand challenges in research 
and development, including assessment, on the 
teaching and learning of STEM at the pre-K–12 
level, in formal and informal settings, for diverse 
learning populations, including individuals identified 
in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering 
Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
1885b); and 
(2) ensuring the dissemination and promoting 
the utilization of the results of such research and de-
velopment. 
(b) STAKEHOLDER INPUT.—In identifying the grand 
challenges under subsection (a), the Director and the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) take into consideration critical research 
gaps identified in existing reports, including reports 
by the National Academies, on the teaching and 
learning of STEM at the pre-K–12 level in formal 
and informal settings; and 
(2) solicit input from a wide range of stake-
holders, including officials from State educational 
agencies and local educational agencies, STEM 
teachers, STEM education researchers, scientific 
and engineering societies, STEM faculty at institu-
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tions of higher education, informal STEM education 
providers, businesses with a large STEM workforce, 
and other stakeholders in the teaching and learning 
of STEM at the pre-K–12 level, and may enter into 
an arrangement with the National Research Council 
for these purposes. 
(c) TOPICS TO CONSIDER.—In identifying the grand 
challenges under subsection (a), the Director and the Sec-
retary shall, at a minimum, consider research and develop-
ment on— 
(1) scalability, sustainability, and replication of 
successful STEM activities, programs, and models, 
in formal and informal environments; 
(2) model systems that support improved teach-
ing and learning of STEM across entire local edu-
cational agencies and States, including rural areas, 
and encompassing and integrating the teaching and 
learning of STEM in formal and informal venues; 
(3) implementation of new State mathematics 
and science standards; 
(4) what makes a STEM teacher effective and 
STEM teacher professional development effective, 
including development of tools and methodologies to 
measure STEM teacher effectiveness; 
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(5) cyber-enabled and other technology tools for 
teaching and learning, including massive open online 
courses; 
(6) STEM teaching and learning in informal 
environments, including development of tools and 
methodologies for assessing STEM teaching and 
learning in informal environments; and 
(7) how integrating engineering with mathe-
matics and science education may— 
(A) improve student learning of mathe-
matics and science; 
(B) increase student interest and persist-
ence in STEM; or 
(C) improve student understanding of engi-
neering design principles and of the built world. 
(d) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 12 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Direc-
tor and the Secretary shall report to Congress with a de-
scription of— 
(1) the grand challenges identified pursuant to 
this section; 
(2) the role of each agency in supporting re-
search and development activities to address the 
grand challenges; 
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(3) the common metrics that will be used to as-
sess progress toward meeting the grand challenges; 
(4) plans for periodically updating the grand 
challenges; 
(5) how the agencies will disseminate and pro-
mote the utilization of the results of research and 
development activities carried out under this section 
to STEM education practitioners, to other Federal 
agencies that support STEM programs and activi-
ties, and to non-Federal funders of STEM edu-
cation; and 
(6) how the agencies will support implementa-
tion of best practices identified by the research and 
development activities. 
SEC. 204. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ADVANCED RESEARCH 
PROJECT AGENCY-EDUCATION. 
(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—From the amounts 
appropriated for section 14007 of division A of the Amer-
ican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 
111–5), the Secretary of Education may reserve up to 30 
percent to— 
(1) establish and carry out the Advanced Re-
search Projects Agency-Education (in this section 
referred to as ‘‘ARPA–ED’’) to— 
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(A) identify and promote advances in 
learning, fundamental and applied sciences, and 
engineering that may be translated into new 
learning technologies; 
(B) develop, test, and evaluate new learn-
ing technologies and related processes; and 
(C) accelerate transformational techno-
logical advances in education; 
(2) convene an advisory panel under subsection 
(d); and 
(3) carry out the evaluation and dissemination 
requirements under subsection (e). 
(b) APPOINTMENTS.— 
(1) DIRECTOR.—ARPA–ED shall be under the 
direction of the Director of ARPA–ED, who shall be 
appointed by the Secretary. 
(2) QUALIFIED
INDIVIDUALS.—The Secretary 
shall appoint, for a term of not more than 4 years, 
qualified individuals who represent scientific, engi-
neering, professional, and other personnel with ex-
pertise in carrying out the activities described in this 
section to positions in ARPA–ED, at rates of com-
pensation determined by the Secretary, without re-
gard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
except that such rates of compensation shall not to 
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exceed the rate for level I of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5312 of such title. 
(c) FUNCTIONS OF ARPA–ED.—Upon consultation 
with the advisory panel convened under subsection (d), the 
Secretary shall select public and private entities to carry 
out the activities described in subsection (a)(1) by— 
(1) awarding such entities grants, contracts, co-
operative agreements, or cash prizes; or 
(2) entering into such other transactions with 
such entities as the Secretary may prescribe in regu-
lations. 
(d) ADVISORY PANEL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall convene 
an advisory panel to advise and consult with the 
Secretary, the Director, and the qualified individuals 
appointed under subsection (b)(2) on— 
(A) ensuring that the awards made and 
transaction entered into under subsection (c) 
are consistent with the purposes described in 
subsection (a)(1); and 
(B) ensuring the relevance, accessibility, 
and utility of such awards and transactions to 
education practitioners. 
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(2) APPOINTMENT
OF
MEMBERS.—The Sec-
retary shall appoint the following qualified individ-
uals to serve on the advisory panel: 
(A) Education practitioners. 
(B) Experts in technology. 
(C) Specialists in rapid gains in student 
achievement and school turnaround. 
(D) Specialists in personalized learning. 
(E) Researchers, including at least one 
representative from a comprehensive center es-
tablished under section 203 of the Educational 
Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 
9602) or the regional laboratories system estab-
lished under section 174 of the Education 
Sciences Reform Act (20 U.S.C. 9564). 
(F) Other individuals with expertise who 
will contribute to the overall rigor and quality 
of ARPA–ED. 
(3) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Ad-
visory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 
apply to the panel convened under this subsection 
and any appointee to such panel shall not be consid-
ered an ‘‘employee’’ under section 2105 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(e) EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION.— 
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(1) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall obtain 
independent, periodic, and rigorous evaluation of— 
(A) the effectiveness of the processes 
ARPA–Ed is using to achieve the purposes de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1); 
(B) the relevance, accessibility, and utility 
of the awards made and transactions entered 
into under subsection (c) to education practi-
tioners; and 
(C) the effectiveness of the projects carried 
out through such awards and transactions, 
using evidence standards developed in consulta-
tion with the Institute of Education Sciences, 
and the suitability of such projects for further 
investment or increased scale. 
(2) DISSEMINATION AND USE.—The Secretary 
shall disseminate information to education practi-
tioners, including teachers, principals, and local and 
State superintendents, on effective practices and 
technologies developed under ARPA–ED, as appro-
priate, through— 
(A) the comprehensive centers established 
under 203 of the Educational Technical Assist-
ance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602); 
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(B) the regional laboratories system estab-
lished under section 174 of the Education 
Sciences Reform Act (20 U.S.C. 9564); and 
(C) such other means as the Secretary de-
termines to be appropriate. 
(f) 
ADMINISTRATIVE
REQUIREMENTS.—Notwith-
standing section 437(d) of the General Education Provi-
sions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)), the Secretary shall estab-
lish such processes as may be necessary for the Secretary 
to manage and administer ARPA–ED, which are not con-
strained by other Department-wide administrative require-
ments that may prevent ARPA–ED from carrying out the 
purposes described in subsection (a)(1). 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Education. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of ARPA–ED. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
SEC. 205. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNER-
SHIPS STEM PILOT GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Labor shall 
establish a competitive grant pilot program for the pur-
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pose of developing, offering, improving, or providing 
STEM education or career training programs for workers. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Entities eligible for a grant 
under this section are any of the following (or a con-
sortium of any of the following) in partnership with 
employers or an association of employers— 
(A) a junior or community college (as de-
fined in section 312(f) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1085(f))); 
(B) a postsecondary vocational institution 
(as defined in section 102(c) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))); 
(C) a four-year public institution of higher 
education (as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)) that offers two-year degrees, will use 
funds provided under this section for activities 
at the certificate and associate degree levels, 
and is not reasonably close, as determined by 
the Secretary of Labor, to a community college; 
(D) a tribal college or university (as de-
fined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b))); or 
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(E) at the discretion of the Secretary of 
Labor, a private, not-for-profit, two-year insti-
tution of higher education in Puerto Rico, 
Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, Amer-
ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands, the Federated States of Micro-
nesia, or the Republic of Palau. 
(2) ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.—In addition 
to partnering with employers or an association of 
employers, the eligible entities described in para-
graph (1) may partner with any of the following or-
ganizations: 
(A) An adult education provider or institu-
tion of higher education (as defined in section 
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001)). 
(B) A community-based organization. 
(C) A joint labor-management partnership. 
(D) Any other organization that the Sec-
retary of Labor considers appropriate. 
(3) WORKFORCE
INVESTMENT
BOARD.—Any 
such partnership shall collaborate with, and may in-
clude, the State or local workforce investment board. 
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(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit a grant proposal to the 
Secretary of Labor at such time and containing such infor-
mation as the Secretary may require. The proposal shall 
include, at a minimum, a detailed description of— 
(1) the specific project for which the grant pro-
posal is submitted, including the manner in which 
the grant will be used to develop, offer, improve, or 
provide a STEM education or career training pro-
gram; 
(2) the extent to which the project will meet the 
STEM education or career training needs of workers 
in the area served by the eligible entity; 
(3) the extent to which the project will meet the 
needs of employers in the region for skilled workers 
in in-demand industry sectors and in-demand occu-
pations, including high technology areas, nanotech-
nology, and advanced manufacturing; 
(4) the extent to which the project fits within 
any overall strategic plan developed by an eligible 
entity; and 
(5) any previous experience of the eligible entity 
in providing STEM education or career training pro-
grams, the absence of which shall not automatically 
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disqualify an eligible institution from receiving a 
grant under this section. 
(d) SPECIFICATIONS OF GRANTS.— 
(1) DURATION.—A grant shall be awarded 
under this section for a period of up to 36 months 
in duration. 
(2) SIZE OF GRANT.—The amount of a grant 
awarded under this subsection may not exceed 
$3,000,000 for an individual entity and $20,000,000 
for a consortium. 
(e) CRITERIA FOR AWARD.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Grants under this section 
shall be awarded based on— 
(A) a determination of the merits of the 
grant proposal submitted by the eligible entity 
to develop, offer, improve, or provide STEM 
education or career training programs to be 
made available to workers; 
(B) an assessment of the likely employ-
ment opportunities available in the region to in-
dividuals who complete a STEM education or 
career training program that the eligible entity 
proposes to develop, offer, improve, or provide; 
(C) an assessment of prior demand for 
STEM training programs by individuals eligible 
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for training served by the eligible entity as well 
as availability and capacity of existing STEM 
training programs to meet future demand for 
STEM training programs; and 
(D) any additional criteria established by 
the Secretary of Labor. 
(2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary of Labor shall 
give priority to eligible entities that— 
(A) include a partnership with a business 
or industry or sector partnership that— 
(i) pays a portion of the costs of such 
programs; or 
(ii) agrees to hire individuals who 
have completed a particular postsecondary 
degree, certificate, or credential resulting 
from the training program of the eligible 
entity; 
(B) enter into a partnership with a labor 
organization or labor-management training pro-
gram that provides technical expertise for occu-
pationally specific education necessary for a rec-
ognized postsecondary STEM credential leading 
to an occupation in an in-demand industry sec-
tor; 
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(C) are focused on serving individuals with 
barriers to employment, particularly individuals 
who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or 
longer; 
(D) are community colleges serving areas 
with high unemployment rates, including rural 
areas; and 
(E) are eligible entities that include an in-
stitution of higher education eligible for assist-
ance under title III or V of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965. 
(f) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this sec-
tion shall be used for one or more of the following: 
(1) The development, offering, improvement, or 
provision of STEM academic programs or training 
programs that provide relevant job training for 
skilled occupations that will meet the needs of em-
ployers in in-demand industry sectors, which may in-
clude registered apprenticeship programs, on-the-job 
training programs, and programs that support em-
ployers in upgrading the skills of their workforce. 
(2) The development and implementation of 
policies and programs to expand opportunities for 
students to earn a recognized postsecondary STEM 
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credential or degree in in-demand industry sectors 
and in-demand occupations, including by— 
(A) facilitating the transfer of academic 
credits between institutions of higher education, 
including the transfer of academic credits for 
courses in the same field of study; 
(B) expanding articulation agreements and 
policies that guarantee transfer between such 
institutions, including through common course 
numbering and general core curriculum; and 
(C) developing or enhancing student sup-
port services programs. 
(3) The creation of workforce programs that 
provide a sequence of education and occupational 
training that leads to a recognized postsecondary 
STEM credential or degree, including programs 
that— 
(A) blend basic skills and occupational 
training; 
(B) facilitate means of transitioning from 
noncredit occupational, basic skills, or develop-
mental coursework to for-credit coursework 
within and across institutions; 
(C) build or enhance linkages including the 
development of dual enrollment programs and 
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early college high schools between secondary 
education or adult education programs (includ-
ing programs established under the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006); 
(D) implement other innovative programs 
designed to increase the provision of training 
for students, including students who are vet-
eran members of the National Guard or Re-
serves, to enter skilled occupations in in-de-
mand industry sectors; and 
(E) support paid internships that will allow 
students to simultaneously earn credit for work- 
based learning and gain relevant employment 
experience in an in-demand industry sector or 
in-demand occupation, which shall include op-
portunities that transition individuals into em-
ployment. 
(4) The support of regional or national in-de-
mand industry sectors to develop skills consortia 
that will identify pressing workforce needs and de-
velop solutions such as— 
(A) standardizing industry certifications; 
(B) developing new training technologies; 
and 
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(C) collaborating with industry employers 
to define and describe how specific skills lead to 
particular jobs and career opportunities. 
(g) AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Labor $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 
2016 to carry out this section. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this sec-
tion— 
(1) the term ‘‘in-demand industry sector’’ 
means an industry sector that has a substantial cur-
rent or potential impact (including through jobs that 
lead to economic self-sufficiency and opportunities 
for advancement) on the State, regional, or local 
economy, as appropriate, and that contributes to the 
growth or stability of other supporting businesses, or 
the growth of other industry sectors; and 
(2) the term ‘‘in-demand occupation’’ means an 
occupation that currently has or is projected to have 
a number of positions (including positions that lead 
to economic self-sufficiency and opportunities for ad-
vancement) in an industry sector so as to have a sig-
nificant impact on the State, regional, or local econ-
omy. 
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SEC. 206. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORT ON 
STEAM EDUCATION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (STEM) Talent Expansion Program 
set an important goal of increasing the number of 
students graduating with associate or baccalaureate 
degrees in the STEM fields, and this should con-
tinue to be a focus of that program; 
(2) to further the goal of the STEM Talent Ex-
pansion Program, as well as STEM education pro-
motion programs across the Federal Government, in-
novative approaches are needed to enhance STEM 
education in the United States; 
(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; 
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(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-
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-
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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 
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. 
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(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. 207. 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. 
Subtitle B—Broadening 
Participation in STEM 
SEC. 211. SHORT TITLE. 
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘STEM Opportuni-
ties Act of 2014’’. 
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 
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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 
achievement of women and underrepresented minori-
ties in academic and Government STEM research 
careers at all levels. 
(3) To identify, disseminate, and implement 
best practices at Federal science agencies, including 
Federal laboratories, and at institutions of higher 
education to remove or reduce cultural and institu-
tional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, 
and success of women and underrepresented minori-
ties in academic and Government STEM research 
careers. 
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(4) To provide grants to institutions of higher 
education to recruit, retain, and advance STEM fac-
ulty members from underrepresented minority 
groups and to implement or expand reforms in un-
dergraduate STEM education in order to increase 
the number of students from underrepresented mi-
nority groups receiving degrees in these fields. 
SEC. 213. FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY POLICIES FOR CARE-
GIVERS. 
(a) OSTP GUIDANCE.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall provide 
guidance to Federal science agencies to establish policies 
that— 
(1) apply to all— 
(A) intramural and extramural research 
awards; and 
(B) 
primary 
investigators 
who 
have 
caregiving responsibilities, including care for a 
newborn or newly adopted child and care for an 
immediate family member who is sick or dis-
abled; and 
(2) provide— 
(A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of 
approved research awards; 
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(B) no-cost extensions of research awards; 
(C) grant supplements as appropriate to 
research awards for research technicians or 
equivalent to sustain research activities; and 
(D) any other appropriate accommodations 
at the discretion of the head of each agency. 
(b) UNIFORMITY OF GUIDANCE.—In providing such 
guidance, the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall encourage uniformity and consistency 
in the policies across all agencies. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES.—Consistent with 
the guidance provided under this section, Federal science 
agencies shall maintain or develop and implement policies 
for caregivers and shall broadly disseminate such policies 
to current and potential grantees. 
(d) DATA
ON USAGE.—Federal science agencies 
shall— 
(1) collect data on the usage of the policies 
under subsection (c), by gender, at both institutions 
of higher education and Federal laboratories; and 
(2) report such data on an annual basis to the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy in such form as required by the Director. 
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SEC. 214. COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF DATA ON FED-
ERAL RESEARCH GRANTS. 
(a) COLLECTION OF DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Federal science agency 
shall collect standardized record-level annual infor-
mation on demographics, primary field, award type, 
budget request, funding outcome, and awarded 
budget for all applications for merit-reviewed re-
search and development grants to institutions of 
higher education and Federal laboratories supported 
by that agency. 
(2) UNIFORMITY AND STANDARDIZATION.—The 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity 
and standardization of the data collection required 
under paragraph (1). 
(3) RECORD-LEVEL DATA.— 
(A) REQUIREMENT.—On an annual basis, 
beginning with the deadline under subpara-
graph (C), each Federal science agency shall 
submit to the Director of the National Science 
Foundation record-level data collected under 
paragraph (1) in the form required by such Di-
rector. 
(B) PREVIOUS DATA.—As part of the first 
submission under subparagraph (A), each Fed-
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eral science agency, to the extent practicable, 
shall also submit comparable record-level data 
for the 5 years preceding the deadline under 
subparagraph (C). 
(C) DEADLINE.—The deadline under this 
paragraph is 2 years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
(b) REPORTING OF DATA.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall publish statistical sum-
mary data collected under this section, disaggregated and 
cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, gender, age, and years 
since completion of doctoral degree, including in conjunc-
tion with the National Science Foundation’s report re-
quired by section 37 of the Science and Technology Equal 
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96– 
516). 
SEC. 215. POLICIES FOR REVIEW OF FEDERAL RESEARCH 
GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, in collaboration with the 
Director of the National Science Foundation, shall identify 
information and best practices useful for educating pro-
gram officers and members of standing peer review com-
mittees at Federal science agencies about— 
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(1) research on implicit bias based on gender, 
race, or ethnicity; and 
(2) methods to minimize the effect of such bias 
in the review of extramural and intramural Federal 
research grants. 
(b) GUIDANCE TO ALL FEDERAL SCIENCE AGEN-
CIES.—The Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall disseminate the information and best 
practices identified in subsection (a) to all Federal science 
agencies and provide guidance as necessary on policies to 
implement such practices within each agency. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES.—Consistent with 
the guidance provided in subsection (b), Federal science 
agencies shall maintain or develop and implement policies 
and practices to minimize the effects of implicit bias in 
the review of extramural and intramural Federal research 
grants. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall report 
to Congress on what steps all Federal science agencies 
have taken to implement policies and practices to minimize 
the effects of bias in the review of extramural and intra-
mural Federal research grants. 
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SEC. 216. COLLECTION OF DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF 
FACULTY. 
(a) COLLECTION OF DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and at least every 
5 years thereafter, the Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall carry out a survey to col-
lect institution-level data on the demographics of 
STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at dif-
ferent types of institutions of higher education. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—To the extent prac-
ticable, the Director of the National Science Foun-
dation shall consider, by gender, race, ethnicity, citi-
zenship status, age, and years since completion of 
doctoral degree— 
(A) the number and percentage of faculty; 
(B) the number and percentage of faculty 
at each rank; 
(C) the number and percentage of faculty 
who are in nontenure-track positions, including 
teaching and research; 
(D) the number and percentage of faculty 
who are reviewed for promotion, including ten-
ure, and the percentage of that number who are 
promoted, including being awarded tenure; 
(E) faculty years in rank; 
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(F) the number and percentage of faculty 
to leave tenure-track positions; 
(G) the number and percentage of faculty 
hired, by rank; and 
(H) the number and percentage of faculty 
in leadership positions. 
(b) EXISTING SURVEYS.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation— 
(1) may carry out the requirements under sub-
section (a) by collaborating with statistical centers 
at other Federal agencies to modify or expand, as 
necessary, existing Federal surveys of higher edu-
cation; or 
(2) may award a grant or contract to an insti-
tution of higher education or other nonprofit organi-
zation to design and carry out the requirements 
under subsection (a). 
(c) REPORTING DATA.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall publish statistical summary data 
collected under this section, including as part of the Na-
tional Science Foundation’s report required by section 37 
of the Science and Technology Equal Opportunities Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96–516). 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
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National Science Foundation $3,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2014 through 2016 to develop and carry out the 
initial survey required in subsection (a). 
SEC. 217. CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO EX-
PANDING 
THE 
ACADEMIC 
AND 
FEDERAL 
STEM WORKFORCE. 
(a) BEST PRACTICES AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion shall develop written guidance for institutions of 
higher education on the best practices for— 
(A) conducting periodic campus culture 
surveys of STEM departments, with a par-
ticular focus on identifying any cultural or in-
stitutional barriers to or successful enablers for 
the recruitment, retention, promotion, and 
other indicators of participation and achieve-
ment, of women and underrepresented minori-
ties in STEM degree programs and academic 
STEM careers; and 
(B) providing educational opportunities, in-
cluding workshops as described in subsection 
(c), for STEM faculty and administrators to 
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learn about current research on implicit bias in 
recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of fac-
ulty in STEM and recruitment and evaluation 
of undergraduate and graduate students in 
STEM degree programs. 
(2) EXISTING
GUIDANCE.—In developing the 
guidance in paragraph (1), the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall utilize guidance al-
ready developed by the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the Department of Energy, 
and the Department of Education. 
(3) DISSEMINATION OF GUIDANCE.—The Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation shall broadly 
disseminate the guidance developed in paragraph (1) 
to institutions of higher education that receive Fed-
eral research funding. 
(4) REPORTS
TO
THE
NATIONAL
SCIENCE 
FOUNDATION.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall develop a policy that— 
(A) applies to, at a minimum, the institu-
tions classified by the Carnegie Foundation for 
the Advancement of Teaching on January 1, 
2013, as a doctorate-granting university with a 
very high level of research activity; and 
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(B) requires each institution identified in 
subparagraph (A), not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, to report to 
the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion on activities and policies developed and im-
plemented based on the guidance provided in 
paragraph (1). 
(b) BEST
PRACTICES
AT
FEDERAL
LABORA-
TORIES.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall develop written guidance for Fed-
eral laboratories to develop and implement practices 
and policies to— 
(A) conduct periodic laboratorywide culture 
surveys of research personnel at all levels, with 
a particular focus on identifying any cultural or 
institutional barriers to the recruitment, reten-
tion, and success of women and underrep-
resented minorities in STEM careers at Federal 
laboratories; and 
(B) provide educational opportunities, in-
cluding workshops as described in subsection 
(c), for STEM research personnel to learn 
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about current research in implicit bias in re-
cruitment, evaluation, and promotion of re-
search personnel at Federal laboratories. 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES.—Consistent 
with the guidance provided in paragraph (1), Fed-
eral science agencies with Federal laboratories shall 
maintain or develop and implement policies for their 
respective Federal laboratories. 
(c) WORKSHOPS TO ADDRESS CULTURAL BARRIERS 
TO EXPANDING THE ACADEMIC AND FEDERAL STEM 
WORKFORCE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
of the National Science Foundation shall recommend 
a uniform policy for Federal science agencies to 
carry out a program of workshops that educate 
STEM department chairs at institutions of higher 
education, senior managers at Federal laboratories, 
and other federally funded researchers about meth-
ods that minimize the effects of implicit bias in the 
career advancement, including hiring, tenure, pro-
motion, and selection for any honor based in part on 
the recipient’s research record, of academic and Fed-
eral STEM researchers. 
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(2) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—The Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation shall ensure 
that workshops supported under this subsection are 
coordinated across Federal science agencies and 
jointly supported as appropriate. 
(3) MINIMIZING COSTS.—To the extent prac-
ticable, workshops shall be held in conjunction with 
national or regional STEM disciplinary meetings to 
minimize costs associated with participant travel. 
(4) PRIORITY FIELDS FOR ACADEMIC PARTICI-
PANTS.—In considering the participation of STEM 
department chairs and other academic researchers, 
the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall prioritize workshops for the broad fields of 
STEM in which the national rate of representation 
of women among tenured or tenure-track faculty or 
non-faculty researchers at doctorate-granting institu-
tions of higher education is less than 25 percent, ac-
cording to the most recent data available from the 
National Center for Science and Engineering Statis-
tics. 
(5) ORGANIZATIONS ELIGIBLE TO CARRY OUT 
WORKSHOPS.—Federal science agencies may carry 
out the program of workshops under this subsection 
by making grants to eligible organizations. In addi-
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tion to any other organizations made eligible by the 
Federal science agencies, the following organizations 
are eligible for grants under this subsection: 
(A) Nonprofit scientific and professional 
societies and organizations that represent one 
or more STEM disciplines. 
(B) Nonprofit organizations that have the 
primary mission of advancing the participation 
of women or underrepresented minorities in 
STEM. 
(6) CHARACTERISTICS
OF
WORKSHOPS.—The 
workshops shall have the following characteristics: 
(A) Invitees to workshops shall include at 
least— 
(i) the chairs of departments in the 
relevant STEM discipline or disciplines 
from at least the top 50 institutions of 
higher education, as determined by the 
amount of Federal research and develop-
ment funds obligated to each institution of 
higher education in the prior year based on 
data available from the National Science 
Foundation; and 
(ii) in the case of Federal laboratories, 
individuals with personnel management re-
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sponsibilities comparable to those of an in-
stitution of higher education department 
chair. 
(B) Activities at the workshops shall in-
clude research presentations and interactive dis-
cussions or other activities that increase the 
awareness of the existence of implicit bias in re-
cruitment, hiring, tenure review, promotion, and 
other forms of formal recognition of individual 
achievement for faculty and other federally 
funded STEM researchers and shall provide 
strategies to overcome such bias. 
(C) Research presentations and other 
workshop programs, as appropriate, shall in-
clude a discussion of the unique challenges 
faced by underrepresented subgroups, including 
minority women, minority men, and first gen-
eration minority graduates in research. 
(D) Workshop programs shall include in-
formation on best practices for mentoring un-
dergraduate and graduate women and under-
represented minority students. 
(7) DATA ON WORKSHOPS.—Any proposal for 
funding by an organization seeking to carry out a 
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workshop under this subsection shall include a de-
scription of how such organization will— 
(A) collect data on the rates of attendance 
by invitees in workshops, including information 
on the home institution and department of 
attendees, and the rank of faculty attendees; 
(B) conduct attitudinal surveys on work-
shop attendees before and after the workshops; 
and 
(C) collect follow-up data on any relevant 
institutional policy or practice changes reported 
by attendees not later than 1 year after attend-
ance in such a workshop. 
(8) REPORT TO NSF.—Organizations receiving 
funding to carry out workshops under this sub-
section shall report the data required in paragraph 
(7) to the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion in such form as required by such Director. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall submit a report to 
Congress that includes— 
(1) a summary and analysis of the types and 
frequency of activities and policies developed and 
carried out under subsection (a) based on the re-
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ports submitted under paragraph (4) of such sub-
section; and 
(2) a description and evaluation of the status 
and effectiveness of the program of workshops re-
quired under subsection (c), including a summary of 
any data reported under paragraph (8) of such sub-
section. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2014 through 2018 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 218. RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION AT THE NA-
TIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall award research grants and carry 
out dissemination activities consistent with the purposes 
of this subtitle, including— 
(1) research grants to analyze the record-level 
data collected under section 214 and section 216, 
consistent with policies to ensure the privacy of indi-
viduals identifiable by such data; 
(2) research grants to study best practices for 
work-life accommodation; 
(3) research grants to study the impact of poli-
cies and practices that are implemented under this 
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subtitle or that are otherwise consistent with the 
purposes of this subtitle; 
(4) collaboration with other Federal science 
agencies and professional associations to exchange 
best practices, harmonize work-life accommodation 
policies and practices, and overcome common bar-
riers to work-life accommodation; and 
(5) collaboration with institutions of higher 
education in order to clarify and catalyze the adop-
tion of a coherent and consistent set of work-life ac-
commodation policies and practices. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2014 through 2018 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 219. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall submit a report to Congress that in-
cludes— 
(1) a description and evaluation of the status 
and usage of caregiver policies at all Federal science 
agencies, including any recommendations for revis-
ing or expanding such policies; 
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(2) a description of any significant updates to 
the policies for review of Federal research grants re-
quired under section 215, and any evidence of the 
impact of such policies on the review or awarding of 
Federal research grants; and 
(3) a description and evaluation of the status of 
Federal laboratory policies and practices required 
under section 217(b), including any recommenda-
tions for revising or expanding such policies. 
SEC. 220. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR 
INCREASING DIVERSITY AMONG STEM FAC-
ULTY AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) for the development of in-
novative reform efforts designed to increase the recruit-
ment, retention, and advancement of individuals from 
underrepresented minority groups in academic STEM ca-
reers. 
(b) MERIT REVIEW; COMPETITION.—Grants shall be 
awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competi-
tive basis. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 
under this section may include— 
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(1) institutional assessment activities, such as 
data analyses and policy review, in order to identify 
and address specific issues in the recruitment, reten-
tion, and advancement of faculty members from 
underrepresented minority groups; 
(2) implementation of institution-wide improve-
ments in workload distribution, such that faculty 
members from underrepresented minority groups are 
not disadvantaged in the amount of time available to 
focus on research, publishing papers, and engaging 
in other activities required to achieve tenure status 
and run a productive research program; 
(3) development and implementation of training 
courses for administrators and search committee 
members to ensure that candidates from underrep-
resented minority groups are not subject to implicit 
biases in the search and hiring process; 
(4) development and hosting of intra- or inter- 
institutional workshops to propagate best practices 
in recruiting, retaining, and advancing faculty mem-
bers from underrepresented minority groups; 
(5) professional development opportunities for 
faculty members from underrepresented minority 
groups; 
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(6) activities aimed at making undergraduate 
STEM students from underrepresented minority 
groups aware of opportunities for academic careers 
in STEM fields; 
(7) activities to identify and engage exceptional 
graduate students from underrepresented minority 
groups at various stages of their studies and to en-
courage them to enter academic careers; and 
(8) other activities consistent with subsection 
(a), as determined by the Director of the National 
Science Foundation. 
(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) seeking funding 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Director of the National Science Foundation at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion and assurances as such Director may require. 
The application shall include, at a minimum, a de-
scription of— 
(A) the reform effort that is being pro-
posed for implementation by the institution of 
higher education; 
(B) any available evidence of specific dif-
ficulties in the recruitment, retention, and ad-
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vancement of faculty members from underrep-
resented minority groups in STEM academic 
careers within the institution of higher edu-
cation submitting an application, and how the 
proposed reform effort would address such 
issues; 
(C) how the institution of higher education 
submitting an application plans to sustain the 
proposed reform effort beyond the duration of 
the grant; and 
(D) how the success and effectiveness of 
the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and 
assessed in order to contribute to the national 
knowledge base about models for catalyzing in-
stitutional change. 
(2) REVIEW
OF
APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 
grant recipients under this section, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall consider, at a 
minimum— 
(A) the likelihood of success in under-
taking the proposed reform effort at the institu-
tion of higher education submitting the applica-
tion, including the extent to which the adminis-
trators of the institution are committed to mak-
ing the proposed reform effort a priority; 
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(B) the degree to which the proposed re-
form effort will contribute to change in institu-
tional culture and policy such that greater value 
is placed on the recruitment, retention, and ad-
vancement of faculty members from underrep-
resented minority groups; 
(C) the likelihood that the institution of 
higher education will sustain or expand the pro-
posed reform effort beyond the period of the 
grant; and 
(D) the degree to which evaluation and as-
sessment plans are included in the design of the 
proposed reform effort. 
(3) GRANT
DISTRIBUTION.—The Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall ensure, to the 
extent practicable, that grants awarded under this 
section are made to a variety of types of institutions 
of higher education. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $10,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out this section. 
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SEC. 221. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR 
BROADENING 
PARTICIPATION 
IN 
UNDER-
GRADUATE STEM EDUCATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher 
education (or consortia thereof) to implement or expand 
research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM edu-
cation for the purpose of recruiting and retaining students 
from minority groups who are underrepresented in STEM 
fields, with a priority focus on natural science and engi-
neering fields. 
(b) MERIT REVIEW; COMPETITION.—Grants shall be 
awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competi-
tive basis. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 
under this section may include— 
(1) implementation or expansion of innovative, 
research-based approaches to broaden participation 
of underrepresented minority groups in STEM 
fields; 
(2) implementation or expansion of bridge, co-
hort, tutoring, or mentoring programs designed to 
enhance the recruitment and retention of students 
from underrepresented minority groups in STEM 
fields; 
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(3) implementation or expansion of outreach 
programs linking institutions of higher education 
and K–12 school systems in order to heighten 
awareness among pre-college students from under-
represented minority groups of opportunities in col-
lege-level STEM fields and STEM careers; 
(4) implementation or expansion of faculty de-
velopment programs focused on improving retention 
of undergraduate STEM students from underrep-
resented minority groups; 
(5) implementation or expansion of mechanisms 
designed to recognize and reward faculty members 
who demonstrate a commitment to increasing the 
participation of students from underrepresented mi-
nority groups in STEM fields; 
(6) expansion of successful reforms aimed at in-
creasing the number of STEM students from under-
represented minority groups beyond a single course 
or group of courses to achieve reform within an en-
tire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform 
efforts beyond a single academic unit to other 
STEM academic units within an institution of high-
er education; 
(7) expansion of opportunities for students from 
underrepresented minority groups to conduct STEM 
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research in industry, at Federal laboratories, and at 
international research institutions or research sites; 
(8) provision of stipends for students from 
underrepresented minority groups participating in 
research; 
(9) development of research collaborations be-
tween research-intensive universities and primarily 
undergraduate minority-serving institutions; 
(10) support for graduate students and post-
doctoral fellows from underrepresented minority 
groups to participate in instructional or assessment 
activities at primarily undergraduate institutions, in-
cluding primarily undergraduate minority-serving in-
stitutions and two-year institutions of higher edu-
cation; and 
(11) other activities consistent with subsection 
(a), as determined by the Director of the National 
Science Foundation. 
(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher 
education (or consortium thereof) seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Director of the National Science Foundation at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
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tion and assurances as such Director may require. 
The application shall include, at a minimum— 
(A) a description of the proposed reform 
effort; 
(B) a description of the research findings 
that will serve as the basis for the proposed re-
form effort or, in the case of applications that 
propose an expansion of a previously imple-
mented reform, a description of the previously 
implemented reform effort, including data about 
the 
recruitment, 
retention, 
and 
academic 
achievement of students from underrepresented 
minority groups; 
(C) evidence of an institutional commit-
ment to, and support for, the proposed reform 
effort, including a long-term commitment to im-
plement successful strategies from the current 
reform beyond the academic unit or units in-
cluded in the grant proposal; 
(D) a description of existing or planned in-
stitutional policies and practices regarding fac-
ulty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching as-
signment that reward faculty contributions to 
improving the education of students from 
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underrepresented minority groups in STEM; 
and 
(E) how the success and effectiveness of 
the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and 
assessed in order to contribute to the national 
knowledge base about models for catalyzing in-
stitutional change. 
(2) REVIEW
OF
APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 
grant recipients under this section, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall consider, at a 
minimum— 
(A) the likelihood of success of the pro-
posed reform effort at the institution submit-
ting the application, including the extent to 
which the faculty, staff, and administrators of 
the institution are committed to making the 
proposed institutional reform a priority of the 
participating academic unit or units; 
(B) the degree to which the proposed re-
form effort will contribute to change in institu-
tional culture and policy such that greater value 
is placed on faculty engagement in the retention 
of students from underrepresented minority 
groups; 
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(C) the likelihood that the institution will 
sustain or expand the proposed reform effort 
beyond the period of the grant; and 
(D) the degree to which evaluation and as-
sessment plans are included in the design of the 
proposed reform effort. 
(3) PRIORITY.—For applications that include 
an expansion of existing reforms beyond a single 
academic unit, the Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall give priority to applications for 
which a senior institutional administrator, such as a 
dean or other administrator of equal or higher rank, 
serves as the principal investigator. 
(4) GRANT
DISTRIBUTION.—The Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall ensure, to the 
extent practicable, that grants awarded under this 
section are made to a variety of types of institutions 
of higher education, including two-year and minor-
ity-serving institutions of higher education. 
(e) EDUCATION RESEARCH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—All grants made under this 
section shall include an education research compo-
nent that will support the design and implementa-
tion of a system for data collection and evaluation 
of proposed reform efforts in order to build the 
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knowledge base on promising models for increasing 
recruitment and retention of students from under-
represented minority groups in STEM education at 
the undergraduate level across a diverse set of insti-
tutions. 
(2) DISSEMINATION.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall coordinate with rel-
evant Federal agencies in disseminating the results 
of the research under this subsection to ensure that 
best practices in broadening participation in STEM 
education at the undergraduate level are made read-
ily available to all institutions of higher education, 
other Federal agencies that support STEM pro-
grams, non-Federal funders of STEM education, 
and the general public. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $15,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 222. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) THIS SUBTITLE.—In this subtitle: 
(1) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Fed-
eral laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Inno-
vation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 
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(2) FEDERAL
SCIENCE
AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘Federal science agency’’ means any Federal agency 
with at least $100,000,000 in research and develop-
ment expenditures in fiscal year 2012. 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(4) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, including 
computer science. 
(b) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AUTHORIZA-
TION ACT OF 2002.—Section 4 of the National Science 
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n 
note) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (16) as para-
graph (17); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (15) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(16) 
STEM.—The 
term 
‘STEM’ 
means 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, 
including computer science.’’. 
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TITLE III—NATIONAL SCIENCE 
FOUNDATION 
Subtitle A—General Provisions 
SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2015.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Foundation $7,520,900,000 for 
fiscal year 2015. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $6,099,360,000 shall be made avail-
able for research and related activities; 
(B) $888,830,000 shall be made available 
for education and human resources, of which 
$62,000,000 shall be for informal STEM edu-
cation activities under section 327; 
(C) $200,760,000 shall be made available 
for major research equipment and facilities con-
struction; 
(D) $312,900,000 shall be made available 
for agency operations and award management; 
(E) $4,430,000 shall be made available for 
the Office of the National Science Board, in-
cluding salaries and compensation for members 
of the Board and staff appointed under section 
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4 of the National Science Foundation Act of 
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and training 
costs for members of the Board and such staff, 
general and Board operating expenses, rep-
resentational expenses for the Board, honorary 
awards made by the Board, Board reports 
(other than the report entitled ‘‘Science and 
Engineering Indicators’’), and contracts; and 
(F) $14,630,000 shall be made available 
for the Office of Inspector General. 
(b) FISCAL YEAR 2016.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Foundation $7,885,770,000 for 
fiscal year 2016. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $6,404,330,000 shall be made avail-
able for research and related activities; 
(B) $933,270,000 shall be made available 
for education and human resources, of which 
$65,100,000 shall be for informal STEM edu-
cation activities under section 327; 
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available 
for major research equipment and facilities con-
struction; 
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(D) $328,550,000 shall be made available 
for agency operations and award management; 
(E) $4,560,000 shall be made available for 
the Office of the National Science Board, in-
cluding salaries and compensation for members 
of the Board and staff appointed under section 
4 of the National Science Foundation Act of 
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and training 
costs for members of the Board and such staff, 
general and Board operating expenses, rep-
resentational expenses for the Board, honorary 
awards made by the Board, Board reports 
(other than the report entitled ‘‘Science and 
Engineering Indicators’’), and contracts; and 
(F) $15,060,000 shall be made available 
for the Office of Inspector General. 
(c) FISCAL YEAR 2017.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Foundation $8,269,670,000 for 
fiscal year 2017. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $6,724,550,000 shall be made avail-
able for research and related activities; 
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100 
(B) $979,930,000 shall be made available 
for education and human resources, of which 
$68,360,000 shall be for informal STEM edu-
cation activities under section 327; 
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available 
for major research equipment and facilities con-
struction; 
(D) $344,970,000 shall be made available 
for agency operations and award management; 
(E) $4,700,000 shall be made available for 
the Office of the National Science Board, in-
cluding salaries and compensation for members 
of the Board and staff appointed under section 
4 of the National Science Foundation Act of 
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and training 
costs for members of the Board and such staff, 
general and Board operating expenses, rep-
resentational expenses for the Board, honorary 
awards made by the Board, Board reports 
(other than the report entitled ‘‘Science and 
Engineering Indicators’’), and contracts; and 
(F) $15,520,000 shall be made available 
for the Office of Inspector General. 
(d) FISCAL YEAR 2018.— 
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101 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Foundation $8,672,740,000 for 
fiscal year 2018. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $7,060,780,000 shall be made avail-
able for research and related activities; 
(B) $1,028,930,000 shall be made avail-
able for education and human resources, of 
which $71,770,000 shall be for informal STEM 
education activities under section 327; 
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available 
for major research equipment and facilities con-
struction; 
(D) $362,220,000 shall be made available 
for agency operations and award management; 
(E) $4,840,000 shall be made available for 
the Office of the National Science Board, in-
cluding salaries and compensation for members 
of the Board and staff appointed under section 
4 of the National Science Foundation Act of 
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and training 
costs for members of the Board and such staff, 
general and Board operating expenses, rep-
resentational expenses for the Board, honorary 
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102 
awards made by the Board, Board reports 
(other than the report entitled ‘‘Science and 
Engineering Indicators’’), and contracts; and 
(F) $15,980,000 shall be made available 
for the Office of Inspector General. 
(e) FISCAL YEAR 2019.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Foundation $9,095,970,000 for 
fiscal year 2019. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $7,413,810,000 shall be made avail-
able for research and related activities; 
(B) $1,080,370,000 shall be made avail-
able for education and human resources, of 
which $75,360,000 shall be for informal STEM 
education activities under section 327; 
(C) $200,000,000 shall be made available 
for major research equipment and facilities con-
struction; 
(D) $380,330,000 shall be made available 
for agency operations and award management; 
(E) $4,980,000 shall be made available for 
the Office of the National Science Board, in-
cluding salaries and compensation for members 
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103 
of the Board and staff appointed under section 
4 of the National Science Foundation Act of 
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863), travel and training 
costs for members of the Board and such staff, 
general and Board operating expenses, rep-
resentational expenses for the Board, honorary 
awards made by the Board, Board reports 
(other than the report entitled ‘‘Science and 
Engineering Indicators’’), and contracts; and 
(F) $16,460,000 shall be made available 
for the Office of Inspector General. 
SEC. 302. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON SUPPORT FOR ALL 
FIELDS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. 
It is the sense of Congress that in order to achieve 
its mission ‘‘to promote the progress of science; to advance 
the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the 
national defense . . .’’ the National Science Foundation 
must continue to support unfettered, competitive, merit- 
reviewed basic research across all fields of science and en-
gineering, including the social and behavioral sciences. It 
is further the sense of Congress that the Foundation’s 
process for selecting proposals for funding, which includes 
merit review based on both intellectual merit and broader 
impacts, remains the gold standard for the world, and that 
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104 
program officers and division directors at the Foundation 
play an essential role in this process. 
SEC. 303. MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF LARGE FA-
CILITIES. 
(a) LARGE FACILITIES OFFICE.—The Director shall 
maintain a Large Facilities Office within the Foundation. 
The functions of the Large Facilities Office shall be to 
support the research directorates in the development and 
implementation of major research facilities, including by— 
(1) serving as the Foundation’s primary re-
source for all policy or process issues related to the 
development and implementation of major research 
facilities; 
(2) serving as a Foundation-wide resource on 
project management, including providing expert as-
sistance on nonscientific and nontechnical aspects of 
project planning, budgeting, implementation, man-
agement, and oversight; and 
(3) coordinating and collaborating with research 
directorates to share best management practices and 
lessons learned from prior projects. 
(b) OVERSIGHT OF LARGE FACILITIES.—The Direc-
tor shall appoint a senior agency official within the Office 
of the Director whose primary responsibility is oversight 
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of major research facilities. The duties of this official shall 
include— 
(1) oversight of the development, construction, 
and operation of major research facilities across the 
Foundation; 
(2) in collaboration with the directors of the re-
search directorates and other senior agency officials 
as appropriate, ensuring that the requirements of 
section 14(a) of the National Science Foundation 
Authorization Act of 2002 are satisfied; 
(3) serving as a liaison to the National Science 
Board for approval and oversight of major research 
facilities; and 
(4) periodically reviewing and updating as nec-
essary Foundation policies and guidelines for the de-
velopment and construction of major research facili-
ties. 
(c) POLICIES FOR COSTING LARGE FACILITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall ensure 
that the Foundation’s policies for developing and 
managing major research facility construction costs 
are consistent with the best practices described in 
the March 2009 General Accountability Office Re-
port GAO–09–3SP. 
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(2) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
submit to Congress a report describing the Founda-
tion’s policies for developing and managing major re-
search facility construction costs, including a de-
scription of any aspects of the policies that diverge 
from the best practices recommended in General Ac-
countability Office Report GAO–09–3SP. 
SEC. 304. DATA MANAGEMENT PLANS. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF DATA MANAGEMENT POLI-
CIES.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Director shall develop and implement 
a policy requiring that all proposals for research funding 
from the Foundation include a plan for long-term manage-
ment of data resulting from such funding. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The policy shall— 
(1) include a clear definition of what constitutes 
data for the purposes of data management plans; 
(2) include mechanisms to ensure appropriate 
evaluation of the merits of submitted data manage-
ment plans required under this section; 
(3) include mechanisms to ensure that research-
ers comply with approved data management plans; 
and 
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(4) allow for the inclusion of appropriate costs 
for data management in proposals for research 
grants. 
(c) PUBLIC DATABASES.—The Foundation shall pro-
mote the deposit of data covered under this section in pub-
licly accessible databases, where appropriate and available. 
SEC. 305. SUPPORT FOR POTENTIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE 
RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish and 
periodically update grant solicitation, merit review, and 
funding policies and mechanisms designed to identify and 
provide support for high-risk, high-reward basic research 
proposals. 
(b) POLICIES AND MECHANISMS.—Such policies and 
mechanisms may include— 
(1) development of solicitations specifically for 
high-risk, high-reward basic research; 
(2) establishment of review panels for the pri-
mary purpose of selecting high-risk, high-reward 
proposals; 
(3) development of guidance to standard review 
panels to encourage the identification and consider-
ation of high-risk, high-reward proposals; and 
(4) support for workshops and other con-
ferences with the primary purpose of identifying new 
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opportunities for high-risk, high-reward basic re-
search, especially at interdisciplinary interfaces. 
(c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 
term ‘‘high-risk, high-reward basic research’’ means re-
search driven by ideas that have the potential to radically 
change our understanding of an important existing sci-
entific or engineering concept, or leading to the creation 
of a new paradigm or field of science or engineering, and 
that is characterized by its challenge to current under-
standing or its pathway to new frontiers. 
SEC. 306. STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH 
PARTNERSHIPS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For any Foundation research 
grant, in an amount greater than $5,000,000, to be car-
ried out through a partnership that includes one or more 
minority-serving institutions or predominantly under-
graduate institutions and one or more institutions de-
scribed in subsection (b), the Director shall award funds 
directly, according to the budget justification described in 
the grant proposal, to at least two of the institutions of 
higher education in the partnership, including at least one 
minority-serving institution or one predominantly under-
graduate institution, to ensure a strong and equitable 
partnership. 
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(b) INSTITUTIONS.—The institutions referred to in 
subsection (a) are institutions of higher education that are 
among the 100 institutions receiving, over the 3-year pe-
riod immediately preceding the awarding of grants, the 
highest amount of research funding from the Foundation. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide a re-
port to Congress on institutional research partnerships 
identified in subsection (a) funded in the 2 previous fiscal 
years and make any recommendations for how such part-
nerships can continue to be strengthened. 
SEC. 307. INNOVATION CORPS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the National Science Foundation’s Innova-
tion Corps (I-Corps) was established to foster a na-
tional innovation ecosystem by encouraging institu-
tions, scientists, engineers, 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 invest-
ments in entrepreneurship and commercialization 
education, training, and mentoring, ultimately lead-
ing to the practical deployment of technologies, 
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products, processes, and services that improve the 
Nation’s competitiveness, promote economic growth, 
and benefit society; 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 
foundation for an American innovation ecosystem. 
(b) PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall carry out 
a program to award grants for entrepreneurship and 
commercialization education to Foundation-funded 
researchers to increase the economic and social im-
pact of federally funded research. 
(2) PURPOSES.—The purpose of the program 
shall be to increase the capacity of STEM research-
ers and students to successfully engage in entrepre-
neurial activities and to help transition the results of 
federally funded research into the marketplace by— 
(A) identifying STEM research that can 
lead to the practical deployment of technologies, 
products, processes, and services that improve 
the Nation’s economic competitiveness; 
(B) bringing STEM researchers and stu-
dents together with entrepreneurs, venture cap-
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italists, and other industry representatives expe-
rienced in commercialization of new tech-
nologies; 
(C) supporting entrepreneurship and com-
mercialization education and training for fac-
ulty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and other 
STEM researchers; and 
(D) promoting the development of regional 
and national networks of entrepreneurs, venture 
capitalists, and other industry representatives 
who can serve as mentors to researchers and 
students 
at 
Foundation-funded 
institutions 
across the country. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
USE
OF
FUNDS.—Grants 
awarded under this subsection may be used to help 
support— 
(A) prototype and proof-of-concept devel-
opment for the funded project; and 
(B) additional activities needed to build a 
national infrastructure for STEM entrepreneur-
ship. 
(4) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Director 
may establish agreements with other Federal agen-
cies that fund scientific research to make research-
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ers funded by those agencies eligible to participate 
in the Foundation’s Innovation Corps program. 
SEC. 308. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this title: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Foundation. 
(2) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ 
means the National Science Foundation. 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(4) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, including 
computer science. 
Subtitle B—STEM Education 
SEC. 321. NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD REPORT ON CONSOLI-
DATION OF STEM EDUCATION ACTIVITIES AT 
THE FOUNDATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The National Science Board shall 
review and evaluate the appropriateness of the Founda-
tion’s portfolio of STEM education programs and activi-
ties at the pre-K–12 and undergraduate levels, including 
informal education, taking into account the mission of the 
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Foundation and the 2013 Federal STEM Education 5- 
Year Strategic Plan. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the National Science Board shall 
submit to Congress a report summarizing their findings 
and including— 
(1) an analysis of how well the Foundation’s 
portfolio of STEM education programs is contrib-
uting to the mission of the Foundation; 
(2) an analysis of how well STEM education 
programs and activities are coordinated and best 
practices are shared across the Foundation; 
(3) an analysis of how well the Foundation’s 
portfolio of STEM education programs is aligned 
with and contributes to priority STEM education in-
vestment areas described in the 2013 Federal STEM 
Education 5-Year Strategic Plan; 
(4) any Board recommendations regarding in-
ternal reorganization, including consolidation, of the 
Foundation’s STEM education programs and activi-
ties, taking into account both the mission of the 
Foundation and the 2013 Federal STEM Education 
5-Year Strategic Plan; 
(5) any Board recommendations regarding the 
Foundation’s role in helping to implement the Fed-
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eral STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan, includ-
ing opportunities for the Foundation to more effec-
tively partner and collaborate with other Federal 
agencies; and 
(6) any additional Board recommendations re-
garding specific management, policy, budget, or 
other steps the Foundation should take to increase 
effectiveness and accountability across its portfolio 
of STEM education programs and activities. 
SEC. 322. MODELS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall enter into an 
agreement with the National Research Council to convene 
a workshop or roundtable to examine models of Federal 
support for STEM graduate students, including the Foun-
dation’s Graduate Research Fellowship program and com-
parable fellowship programs at other agencies, traineeship 
programs, and the research assistant model. 
(b) 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— 
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(1) how current Federal programs and models, 
including programs and models at the Foundation, 
can be improved; 
(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). 
(c) 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; 
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(5) in oral and written communication, to both 
technical and nontechnical audiences; 
(6) in innovation, entrepreneurship, and busi-
ness ethics; and 
(7) in program management. 
(d) GRADUATE STUDENT INPUT.—The participants 
in the workshop or roundtable shall include current or re-
cent STEM graduate students. 
(e) 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. 323. UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION REFORM. 
Section 17 of the National Science Foundation Au-
thorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–6) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 17. UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION REFORM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, through the Direc-
torate for Education and Human Resources, shall award 
grants, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institu-
tions of higher education (or to consortia thereof) and to 
other eligible nonprofit organizations to reform under-
graduate STEM education for the purpose of increasing 
the number and quality of students studying toward and 
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completing baccalaureate degrees in STEM and improving 
the STEM learning outcomes for all undergraduate stu-
dents. 
‘‘(b) INTERDIRECTORATE WORKING GROUP ON UN-
DERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION.—In carrying out the 
requirements of this section, the Directorate for Education 
and Human Resources shall collaborate and coordinate 
with the Research Directorates, including through the es-
tablishment of an interdirectorate working group on un-
dergraduate STEM education reform, in order to identify 
and implement new and expanded opportunities for col-
laboration between STEM disciplinary researchers and 
education researchers on the reform of undergraduate 
STEM education. 
‘‘(c) GRANTS.—Research and development supported 
by grants under this section may encompass a single dis-
cipline, multiple disciplines, or interdisciplinary education 
at the undergraduate level, and may include— 
‘‘(1) research foundational to the improvement 
of teaching, learning, and retention; 
‘‘(2) development, implementation, and assess-
ment of innovative, research-based approaches to 
transforming teaching, learning, and retention; and 
‘‘(3) scaling of successful efforts on learning 
and learning environments, broadening participation, 
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workforce preparation, employing emerging tech-
nologies, or other reforms in STEM education, in-
cluding expansion of successful STEM reform ef-
forts beyond a single course or group of courses to 
achieve reform within an entire academic unit, or ex-
pansion of successful reform efforts beyond a single 
academic unit to other STEM academic units within 
an institution or to comparable academic units at 
other institutions. 
‘‘(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS.—An institution of higher 
education or other eligible nonprofit organization 
seeking a grant under this section shall submit an 
application to the Director at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Di-
rector may require. In addition to a description of 
the proposed research, development, or scaling ef-
fort, including a description of the research findings 
that will serve as the basis for the proposed effort, 
applications shall include, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) evidence of institutional support for, 
and commitment to, the proposed effort, includ-
ing long-term commitment to implement and 
scale successful strategies resulting from the 
current effort; 
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‘‘(B) a description of existing or planned 
institutional policies and practices regarding 
faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching 
assignment that reward faculty contributions to 
undergraduate STEM education; and 
‘‘(C) a description of the plans for assess-
ment and evaluation of the effort, including evi-
dence of participation by individuals with expe-
rience in assessment and evaluation of teaching 
and learning programs. 
‘‘(2) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—In selecting 
grant recipients for funding under this section, the 
Director shall consider, as appropriate to the scale 
of the proposed effort— 
‘‘(A) the likelihood of success in under-
taking the proposed effort at the institution 
submitting the application, including the extent 
to which the faculty, staff, and administrators 
of the institution are committed to making un-
dergraduate STEM education reform a priority 
of the participating academic unit or units; 
‘‘(B) the degree to which the proposed ef-
fort will contribute to change in institutional 
culture and policy such that a greater value is 
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placed on faculty engagement in undergraduate 
education; 
‘‘(C) the likelihood that the institution will 
sustain or expand the effort beyond the period 
of the grant; and 
‘‘(D) the degree to which the proposed ef-
fort will contribute to the systematic accumula-
tion of knowledge on STEM education. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—The Director shall give pri-
ority to proposals focused on the first 2 years of un-
dergraduate education, including STEM education 
at 2-year institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(4) GRANT
DISTRIBUTION.—The Director 
shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants 
awarded under this section are made to a variety of 
types of institutions of higher education.’’. 
SEC. 324. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EDUCATION. 
Section 506(b) of the America COMPETES Reau-
thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p–1(b)) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EDUCATION.— 
The Director shall award grants, on a competitive, merit 
reviewed basis, to community colleges for the development 
and implementation of innovative advanced manufacturing 
education reforms to ensure an adequate and well-trained 
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advanced manufacturing workforce. Activities supported 
by grants under this subsection may include— 
‘‘(1) the development or expansion of edu-
cational materials, courses, curricula, strategies, and 
methods that will lead to improved advanced manu-
facturing degree or certification programs, including 
the integration of industry standards and workplace 
competencies into the curriculum; 
‘‘(2) the development and implementation of 
faculty professional development programs that en-
hance a faculty member’s capabilities and teaching 
skills in advanced manufacturing, including efforts 
to understand current advanced manufacturing tech-
nologies and practices; 
‘‘(3) the establishment of centers that provide 
models and leadership in advanced manufacturing 
education and serve as regional or national clearing-
houses for educational materials and methods, in-
cluding in rural areas; 
‘‘(4) activities to enhance the recruitment and 
retention of students into certification and degree 
programs in advanced manufacturing, including the 
provision of improved mentoring and internship op-
portunities; 
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‘‘(5) the establishment of partnerships with pri-
vate sector entities to ensure the development of an 
advanced manufacturing workforce with the skills 
necessary to meet regional economic needs; and 
‘‘(6) other activities as determined appropriate 
by the Director.’’. 
SEC. 325. STEM EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS. 
Section 9 of the National Science Foundation Au-
thorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘MATH-
EMATICS AND SCIENCE’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘mathematics and science’’ each 
place it appears in subsections (a) and (b) and in-
serting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘mathematics or science’’ each 
place it appears in subsection (a)(3) and (4)(A) and 
inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(4) by striking ‘‘mathematics, science, or engi-
neering’’ in subsection (a)(2)(B) and inserting 
‘‘STEM’’; 
(5) by striking ‘‘mathematics, science, and tech-
nology’’ in subsection (a)(3)(B)(ii)(II) and (8) and 
inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 
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(6) by striking ‘‘professional mathematicians, 
scientists, and engineers’’ in subsection (a)(3)(F) 
and inserting ‘‘STEM professionals’’; 
(7) by striking ‘‘mathematicians, scientists, and 
engineers’’ in subsection (a)(3)(J) and (M) and in-
serting ‘‘STEM professionals’’; 
(8) by striking ‘‘scientists, technologists, engi-
neers, or mathematicians’’ in subsection (a)(8) and 
inserting ‘‘STEM professionals’’; 
(9) by striking ‘‘science, technology, engineer-
ing, and mathematics’’ each place it appears in sub-
section (a)(3)(K) and (10) and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(10) by striking ‘‘science, technology, engineer-
ing, or mathematics’’ in subsection (a)(10)(A)(ii)(II) 
and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(11) by striking ‘‘science, mathematics, engi-
neering, and technology’’ each place it appears in 
subsection (a)(5) and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(12) by striking ‘‘science, mathematics, engi-
neering, or technology’’ in subsection (a)(5) and in-
serting ‘‘STEM’’; 
(13) by striking ‘‘mathematics, science, engi-
neering, and technology’’ in subsection (b)(1) and 
(2) and inserting ‘‘STEM’’; and 
(14) by striking subsection (d). 
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SEC. 326. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS. 
Section 10A of the National Science Foundation Au-
thorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1a) is amend-
ed— 
(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), by— 
(i) inserting ‘‘for teachers with mas-
ter’s degrees in their field’’ after ‘‘Teach-
ing 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— 
‘‘(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)’’; and 
(4) by adding after subsection (f) the following 
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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SEC. 327. 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 
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. 
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SEC. 328. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT IM-
PROVED K–12 LEARNING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, acting through the 
Directorate for Education and Human Resources, shall 
award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to support re-
search and development on alignment, implementation, 
impact, and ongoing improvement of standards and equiv-
alent learning expectations used by States in mathematics, 
science, and, as appropriate, other State-based STEM 
standards. 
(b) RESEARCH AREAS.—In making awards under 
this section, the Director shall consider proposals for re-
search and development, including, as appropriate, large- 
scale research and development, of— 
(1) resources, including virtual resources such 
as web portals, for content, professional develop-
ment, and research results; 
(2) teacher education and professional develop-
ment; 
(3) learning progressions; 
(4) assessments; 
(5) metrics for evaluating the impact of stand-
ards; and 
(6) other areas of research and development 
that are likely to contribute to the alignment, imple-
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mentation, impact, and ongoing improvement of 
standards in STEM subjects. 
TITLE IV—NATIONAL INSTITUTE 
OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY 
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘National Institute of 
Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 402. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2015.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
$892,500,000 for the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology for fiscal year 2015. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $683,550,000 shall be authorized for 
scientific and technical research and services 
laboratory activities; 
(B) $58,800,000 shall be authorized for 
the construction and maintenance of facilities; 
and 
(C) $150,150,000 shall be authorized for 
industrial technology services activities, of 
which— 
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(i) $134,400,000 shall be authorized 
for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership under section 25 of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) and the pro-
gram under section 26 of such Act (15 
U.S.C. 278l), of which not more than 
$20,000,000 shall be for the competitive 
grant program under section 25(f) of such 
Act; and 
(ii) $15,750,000 shall be authorized 
for the Advanced Manufacturing Tech-
nology 
Consortia 
program 
established 
under section 33 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
278r). 
(b) FISCAL YEAR 2016.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
$937,130,000 for the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology for fiscal year 2016. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $717,730,000 shall be authorized for 
scientific and technical research and services 
laboratory activities; 
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(B) $61,740,000 shall be authorized for 
the construction and maintenance of facilities; 
and 
(C) $157,660,000 shall be authorized for 
industrial technology services activities, of 
which— 
(i) $141,120,000 shall be authorized 
for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership under section 25 of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) and the pro-
gram under section 26 of such Act (15 
U.S.C. 278l), of which not more than 
$20,000,000 shall be for the competitive 
grant program under section 25(f) of such 
Act; and 
(ii) $16,540,000 shall be authorized 
for the Advanced Manufacturing Tech-
nology 
Consortia 
program 
established 
under section 33 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
278r). 
(c) FISCAL YEAR 2017.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
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$983,980,000 for the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology for fiscal year 2017. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $753,610,000 shall be authorized for 
scientific and technical research and services 
laboratory activities; 
(B) $64,830,000 shall be authorized for 
the construction and maintenance of facilities; 
and 
(C) $165,540,000 shall be authorized for 
industrial technology services activities, of 
which— 
(i) $148,180,000 shall be authorized 
for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership under section 25 of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) and the pro-
gram under section 26 of such Act (15 
U.S.C. 278l), of which not more than 
$20,000,000 shall be for the competitive 
grant program under section 25(f) of such 
Act; and 
(ii) $17,360,000 shall be authorized 
for the Advanced Manufacturing Tech-
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nology 
Consortia 
program 
established 
under section 33 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
278r). 
(d) FISCAL YEAR 2018.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
$1,033,180,000 for the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology for fiscal year 2018. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $791,290,000 shall be authorized for 
scientific and technical research and services 
laboratory activities; 
(B) $68,070,000 shall be authorized for 
the construction and maintenance of facilities; 
and 
(C) $173,820,000 shall be authorized for 
industrial technology services activities, of 
which— 
(i) $155,580,000 shall be authorized 
for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership under section 25 of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) and the pro-
gram under section 26 of such Act (15 
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U.S.C. 278l), of which not more than 
$20,000,000 shall be for the competitive 
grant program under section 25(f) of such 
Act; and 
(ii) $18,230,000 shall be authorized 
for the Advanced Manufacturing Tech-
nology 
Consortia 
program 
established 
under section 33 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
278r). 
(e) FISCAL YEAR 2019.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Commerce 
$1,084,840,000 for the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology for fiscal year 2019. 
(2) SPECIFIC
ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized by paragraph (1)— 
(A) $830,860,000 shall be authorized for 
scientific and technical research and services 
laboratory activities; 
(B) $71,470,000 shall be authorized for 
the construction and maintenance of facilities; 
and 
(C) $182,510,000 shall be authorized for 
industrial technology services activities, of 
which— 
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(i) $163,360,000 shall be authorized 
for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership under section 25 of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) and the pro-
gram under section 26 of such Act (15 
U.S.C. 278l), of which not more than 
$20,000,000 shall be for the competitive 
grant program under section 25(f) of such 
Act; and 
(ii) $19,140,000 shall be authorized 
for the Advanced Manufacturing Tech-
nology 
Consortia 
program 
established 
under section 33 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
278r). 
SEC. 403. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CON-
SORTIA. 
Section 33 of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278r) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 33. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CON-
SORTIA. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall carry 
out a program to facilitate the development of and 
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provide support to industry-led consortia that will 
identify, 
prioritize, 
and 
address 
long-term, 
precompetitive industrial research needs in the area 
of advanced manufacturing. 
‘‘(2) PROGRAM OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of 
the program established under this section include 
the following: 
‘‘(A) To promote collective public-private 
efforts to develop key technology platforms and 
infrastructure for advanced manufacturing. 
‘‘(B) To enable the prioritization of public 
research portfolios to be more responsive to the 
long-term technology development needs of in-
dustry. 
‘‘(C) To leverage Federal investment in ad-
vanced manufacturing with shared investment 
by the private sector. 
‘‘(D) To increase industrial research and 
development investment in precompetitive tech-
nology platforms and infrastructure. 
‘‘(E) To accelerate technological innovation 
in advanced manufacturing. 
‘‘(F) To foster broad participation by in-
dustry, the Federal Government, institutions of 
higher education, and State, local, and tribal 
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