I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4502 
To strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide instruction in 
nanotechnology. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 26, 2010 
Mr. WU (for himself and Mr. LIPINSKI) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology 
A BILL 
To strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide 
instruction in nanotechnology. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nanotechnology Edu-
cation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following 
findings: 
(1) The rapidly growing field of nanotechnology 
is generating scientific and technological break-
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throughs that will benefit society by improving the 
way many things are designed and made. 
(2) Nanotechnology is likely to have a signifi-
cant, positive impact on the security, economic well- 
being, and health of Americans as fields related to 
nanotechnology expand. 
(3) In order to maximize the benefits of nano-
technology to individuals in the United States, the 
United States must maintain world leadership in the 
field, including nanoscience and microtechnology, in 
the face of determined competition from other na-
tions. 
(4) According to the National Science Founda-
tion, foreign students on temporary visas earned 33 
percent of all science and engineering doctorates 
awarded in the United States in 2007, the last year 
for which data are available. Foreign students 
earned 63 percent of the engineering doctorates. 
(5) To maintain world leadership in nanotech-
nology, the United States must make a long-term in-
vestment in educating United States students in sec-
ondary schools and institutions of higher education, 
so that the students are able to conduct nanoscience 
research and develop and commercialize nanotech-
nology applications. 
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(6) Preparing United States students for ca-
reers in nanotechnology, including nanoscience, re-
quires that the students have access to the necessary 
scientific tools, including scanning electron micro-
scopes designed for teaching, and requires training 
to enable teachers and professors to use those tools 
in the classroom and the laboratory. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 
strengthen the capacity of United States secondary 
schools and institutions of higher education to prepare 
students for careers in nanotechnology by providing grants 
to those schools and institutions to provide the tools nec-
essary for such preparation. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the National Science Foundation. 
(2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘eligi-
ble institution’’ means an institution that is— 
(A) a public, private, parochial, or charter 
secondary school that offers 1 or more ad-
vanced placement science courses or inter-
national baccalaureate science courses; 
(B) a community college, as defined in sec-
tion 3301 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7011); 
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(C) a 4-year institution of higher education 
or a branch, within the meaning of section 
498(j) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1099c(j)), of such an institution; or 
(D) a informal learning science and tech-
nology center. 
(3) 
QUALIFIED
NANOTECHNOLOGY
EQUIP-
MENT.—The term ‘‘qualified nanotechnology equip-
ment’’ means equipment, instrumentation, or hard-
ware that is— 
(A) used for teaching nanotechnology in 
the classroom; and 
(B) manufactured in the United States at 
least 50 percent from articles, materials, or 
supplies that are mined, produced, or manufac-
tured, as the case may be, in the United States. 
(d) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) PROGRAM
AUTHORIZED.—The Director 
shall establish a nanotechnology in the schools pro-
gram to strengthen the capacity of eligible institu-
tions to provide instruction in nanotechnology. In 
carrying out the program, the Director shall award 
grants of not more than $400,000 to eligible institu-
tions to provide such instruction. 
(2) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible institution 
shall use a grant awarded under this section— 
(i) to acquire qualified nanotechnology 
equipment and software designed for 
teaching students about nanotechnology in 
the classroom; 
(ii) to develop and provide educational 
services, including carrying out faculty de-
velopment, to prepare students or faculty 
seeking a degree or certificate that is ap-
proved by the State, or a regional accred-
iting body recognized by the Secretary of 
Education; and 
(iii) to provide teacher education and 
certification to individuals who seek to ac-
quire or enhance technology skills in order 
to use nanotechnology in the classroom or 
instructional process. 
(B) LIMITATIONS.— 
(i) USES.—Not more than 1⁄4 of the 
amount of the funds made available 
through a grant awarded under this sec-
tion may be used for software, educational 
services, or teacher education and certifi-
cation as described in this paragraph. 
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(ii) PROGRAMS.—In the case of a 
grant awarded under this section to an in-
stitution of higher education, equipment 
purchased using funds made available 
through the grant shall be used primarily 
by undergraduate programs. 
(3) APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section, an eligible institu-
tion shall submit an application to the Director 
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
by such information as the Director may rea-
sonably require. 
(B) PROCEDURE.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director shall establish a procedure for ac-
cepting such applications and publish an an-
nouncement of such procedure, including a 
statement regarding the availability of funds, in 
the Federal Register. 
(C) SELECTION.—In selecting eligible in-
stitutions to receive grants under this section, 
and encouraging eligible institutions to apply 
for such grants, the Director shall, to the great-
est extent practicable— 
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(i) select eligible entities in geographi-
cally diverse locations; 
(ii) encourage the application of his-
torically Black colleges and universities 
(meaning part B institutions, as defined in 
section 322 of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)) and minority 
institutions (as defined in section 365 of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1067k)); and 
(iii) select eligible institutions that in-
clude institutions located in States partici-
pating in the Experimental Program to 
Stimulate Competitive Research (com-
monly known as ‘‘EPSCoR’’). 
(4) MATCHING
REQUIREMENT
AND
LIMITA-
TION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.— 
(i) 
REQUIREMENT.—The 
Director 
may not award a grant to an eligible insti-
tution under this section unless such insti-
tution agrees that, with respect to the 
costs to be incurred by the institution in 
carrying out the program for which the 
grant was awarded, such institution will 
make available (directly or through dona-
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tions from public or private entities) non- 
Federal contributions in an amount equal 
to 1⁄4 of the amount of the grant. 
(ii) 
WAIVER.—The 
Director 
shall 
waive the matching requirement described 
in clause (i) for any institution with no en-
dowment, or an endowment that has a dol-
lar value lower than $5,000,000, as of the 
date of the waiver. 
(B) LIMITATION.— 
(i) BRANCHES.—If a branch described 
in subsection (c)(1)(C) receives a grant 
under this section that exceeds $100,000, 
that branch shall not be eligible, until 2 
years after the date of receipt of the grant, 
to receive another grant under this section. 
(ii) 
OTHER
ELIGIBLE
INSTITU-
TIONS.—If an eligible institution other 
than a branch referred to in clause (i) re-
ceives a grant under this section that ex-
ceeds $100,000, that institution shall not 
be eligible, until 2 years after the date of 
receipt of the grant, to receive another 
grant under this section. 
(5) ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION.— 
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(A) REPORT BY INSTITUTIONS.—Each in-
stitution that receives a grant under this sec-
tion shall prepare and submit a report to the 
Director, not later than 1 year after the date of 
receipt of the grant, on its use of the grant 
funds. 
(B) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.— 
(i) REVIEW.—The Director shall an-
nually review the reports submitted under 
subparagraph (A). 
(ii) EVALUATION.—At the end of 
every third year, the Director shall evalu-
ate the program authorized by this section 
on the basis of those reports. The Director, 
in the evaluation, shall describe the activi-
ties carried out by the institutions receiv-
ing grants under this section and shall as-
sess the short-range and long-range impact 
of the activities carried out under the 
grants on the students, faculty, and staff 
of the institutions. 
(C) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 6 months after conducting an evaluation 
under subparagraph (B)(ii), the Director shall 
prepare and submit a report to Congress based 
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on the evaluation. In the report, the Director 
shall include such recommendations, including 
recommendations concerning the continuing 
need for Federal support of the program car-
ried out under this section, as may be appro-
priate. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry 
out this section $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2012 
through 2014. 
Æ 
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