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having within their jurisdictions concentrations 
of children from low income families; and 
(B) are experiencing a shortage of highly 
qualified teachers, as defined in section 9101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), in the fields of 
science, mathematics, or technology. 
(b) LABORATORY SCIENCE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT.—There are authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary of Energy for the Laboratory Science 
Teacher Professional Development program, $3,000,000 
for fiscal year 2008, $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $10,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2011, and $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2012. 
SEC. 123. GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall ensure that 
master’s degree programs for in-service mathematics and 
science teachers that will strengthen their subject area 
knowledge and pedagogical skills are instituted in accord-
ance with section 9(a)(8) of the National Science Founda-
tion Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n(a)(8)). 
The degree programs shall be designed for current teach-
ers, who will enroll as part-time students, and to allow 
participants to obtain master’s degrees within a period of 
3 years. 
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(b) DISTRIBUTION OF AWARDS.—The Director shall, 
in awarding grants to carry out subsection (a), consider 
the distribution of awards among institutions of higher 
education of different sizes and geographic locations. 
(c) PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES.—Activities supported 
through master’s degree programs established under sub-
section (a) may include— 
(1) development of courses of instruction and 
related educational materials; 
(2) stipends to defray the cost of attendance for 
students in the degree program; and 
(3) acquisition of computer and networking 
equipment needed for online instruction under the 
degree program. 
SEC. 124. CURRICULA. 
Nothing in this title, or the amendments made by this 
title, shall be construed to limit the authority of State gov-
ernments or local school boards to determine the curricula 
of their students. 
SEC. 125. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND 
MATHEMATICS 
TALENT 
EXPANSION 
PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 8(7) of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amend-
ed— 
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(1) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘competi-
tive, merit-based’’ and all that follows through ‘‘in 
recent years.’’ and inserting ‘‘competitive, merit-re-
viewed multiyear grants for eligible applicants to im-
prove undergraduate education in science, mathe-
matics, engineering, and technology through— 
‘‘(i) the creation of programs to increase 
the number of students studying toward and 
completing associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathe-
matics, particularly in fields that have faced de-
clining enrollment in recent years; and 
‘‘(ii) the creation of centers (in this para-
graph referred to as ‘Centers’) to develop un-
dergraduate curriculum, teaching methods for 
undergraduate courses, and methods to better 
train professors and teaching assistants who 
teach undergraduate courses to increase the 
number of students completing undergraduate 
courses in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics, including the number of non-
majors, and to improve student academic 
achievement in those courses. 
Grants made under clause (ii) shall be awarded 
jointly through the Education and Human Re-
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sources Directorate and at least 1 research direc-
torate of the Foundation.’’; 
(2) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(B) In selecting projects under subparagraph 
(A)(i), the Director shall strive to increase the num-
ber of students studying toward and completing bac-
calaureate degrees, concentrations, or certificates in 
science, mathematics, engineering, or technology who 
are— 
‘‘(i) individuals identified in section 33 or 
34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Op-
portunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b); or 
‘‘(ii) graduates of a secondary school that 
is administered by a local educational agency 
that is receiving grants under title I of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) as a result of having 
within its jurisdiction concentrations of children 
from low income families.’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (C)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ before ‘‘The types 
of’’; 
(B) by redesignating clauses (i) through 
(vi) as subclauses (I) through (VI), respectively; 
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(C) by striking ‘‘under this paragraph’’ 
and inserting ‘‘under subparagraph (A)(i)’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(ii) The types of activities the Foundation may 
support under subparagraph (A)(ii) include— 
‘‘(I) creating model curricula and labora-
tory programs; 
‘‘(II) developing and demonstrating re-
search-based instructional methods and tech-
nologies; 
‘‘(III) developing methods to train grad-
uate students and faculty to be more effective 
teachers of undergraduates; 
‘‘(IV) conducting programs to disseminate 
curricula, instructional methods, or training 
methods to faculty at the grantee institutions 
and at other institutions; 
‘‘(V) conducting assessments of the effec-
tiveness of the Center at accomplishing the 
goals described in subparagraph (A)(ii); and 
‘‘(VI) conducting any other activities the 
Director determines will accomplish the goals 
described in subparagraph (A)(ii).’’; 
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(4) in subparagraph (D)(i), by striking ‘‘under 
this paragraph’’ and inserting ‘‘under subparagraph 
(A)(i)’’; 
(5) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking ‘‘under 
this paragraph’’ and inserting ‘‘under subparagraph 
(A)(i)’’; 
(6) after subparagraph (D)(iii), by adding at 
the end the following new clause: 
‘‘(iv) A grant under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall 
be awarded for 5 years, and the Director may extend 
such a grant for up to 2 additional 3 year periods.’’; 
(7) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘under 
this paragraph’’ both places it appears and inserting 
‘‘under subparagraph (A)(i)’’; 
(8) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub-
paragraph (J); and 
(9) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(F) Grants awarded under subparagraph 
(A)(ii) shall be carried out by a department or de-
partments of science, mathematics, or engineering at 
institutions of higher education (or a consortia 
thereof), which may partner with education faculty. 
Applications for awards under subparagraph (A)(ii) 
shall be submitted to the Director at such time, in 
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such manner, and containing such information as 
the Director may require. At a minimum, the appli-
cation shall include— 
‘‘(i) a description of the activities to be 
carried out by the Center; 
‘‘(ii) a plan for disseminating programs re-
lated to the activities carried out by the Center 
to faculty at the grantee institution and at 
other institutions; 
‘‘(iii) an estimate of the number of faculty, 
graduate students (if any), and undergraduate 
students who will be affected by the activities 
carried out by the Center; and 
‘‘(iv) a plan for assessing the effectiveness 
of the Center at accomplishing the goals de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)(ii). 
‘‘(G) In evaluating the applications submitted 
under subparagraph (F), the Director shall consider, 
at a minimum— 
‘‘(i) the ability of the applicant to effec-
tively carry out the proposed activities, includ-
ing the dissemination activities described in 
subparagraph (C)(ii)(IV); and 
‘‘(ii) the extent to which the faculty, staff, 
and administrators of the applicant institution 
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are committed to improving undergraduate 
science, mathematics, and engineering edu-
cation. 
‘‘(H) In awarding grants under subparagraph 
(A)(ii), the Director shall endeavor to ensure that a 
wide variety of science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics fields and types of institutions of high-
er education, including 2-year colleges and minority- 
serving institutions, are covered, and that— 
‘‘(i) at least 1 Center is housed at a Doc-
toral/Research University as defined by the 
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of 
Teaching; and 
‘‘(ii) at least 1 Center is focused on im-
proving undergraduate education in an inter-
disciplinary area. 
‘‘(I) The Director shall convene an annual 
meeting of the awardees under this paragraph to 
foster collaboration and to disseminate the results of 
the Centers and the other activities funded under 
this paragraph.’’. 
(b) REPORT ON DATA COLLECTION.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Di-
rector shall transmit to Congress a report on how the Di-
rector is determining whether current grant recipients in 
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the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
Talent Expansion Program are making satisfactory 
progress as required by section 8(7)(D)(ii) of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 and what 
funding actions have been taken as a result of the Direc-
tor’s determinations. 
SEC. 126. HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY DEFI-
NITION. 
Section 4(8) of the National Science Foundation Au-
thorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n note) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(8) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘high-need local educational agency’ 
means a local educational agency that— 
‘‘(A) is receiving grants under title I of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) as a result of 
having within its jurisdiction concentrations of 
children from low income families; and 
‘‘(B) is experiencing a shortage of highly 
qualified teachers, as defined in section 9101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), in the fields of 
science, mathematics, or engineering.’’. 
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SEC. 127. TEACHER LEADERS. 
The National Science Foundation Authorization Act 
of 2002 is amended— 
(1) in section 4(11)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘MASTER TEACHER’’ and 
inserting ‘‘TEACHER LEADER’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘master teacher’’ and in-
serting ‘‘teacher leader’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘master teachers’’ and inserting ‘‘teacher lead-
ers’’; and 
(2) in section 9— 
(A) in subsection (a)(3)(E), by striking 
‘‘master teachers’’ and inserting ‘‘teacher lead-
ers’’; and 
(B) in subsection (a)(4)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘MASTER TEACHERS’’ 
and inserting ‘‘TEACHER LEADERS’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘master teachers’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘teach-
er leaders’’. 
SEC. 128. LABORATORY SCIENCE PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) To remain competitive in science and tech-
nology in the global economy, the United States 
must increase the number of students graduating 
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from high school prepared to pursue postsecondary 
education in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics. 
(2) There is broad agreement in the scientific 
community that learning science requires direct in-
volvement by students in scientific inquiry and that 
laboratory experience is so integral to the nature of 
science that it must be included in every science pro-
gram for every science student. 
(3) In America’s Lab Report, the National Re-
search Council concluded that the current quality of 
laboratory experiences is poor for most students and 
that educators and researchers do not agree on how 
to define high school science laboratories or on their 
purpose, hampering the accumulation of research on 
how to improve labs. 
(4) The National Research Council found that 
schools with higher concentrations of non-Asian mi-
norities and schools with higher concentrations of 
poor students are less likely to have adequate labora-
tory facilities than other schools. 
(5) The Government Accountability Office re-
ported that 49.1 percent of schools where the minor-
ity student population is greater than 50.5 percent 
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reported not meeting functional requirements for 
laboratory science well or at all. 
(6) 40 percent of those college students who left 
the science fields reported some problems related to 
high school science preparation, including lack of 
laboratory experience and no introduction to theo-
retical or to analytical modes of thought. 
(7) It is in the national interest for the Federal 
Government to invest in research and demonstration 
projects to improve the teaching of laboratory 
science in the Nation’s high schools. 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM.—Section 8(8) of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through 
(F) as clauses (i) through (vi), respectively; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘A program of 
competitive’’; and 
(3) by inserting at the end the following new 
subparagraphs: 
‘‘(B) In accordance with subparagraph (A)(v), 
the Director shall establish a research pilot program 
designated as ‘Partnerships for Access to Labora-
tory Science’ to award grants to partnerships to im-
prove laboratories and provide instrumentation as 
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part of a comprehensive program to enhance the 
quality of mathematics, science, engineering, and 
technology instruction at the secondary school level. 
Grants under this subparagraph may be used for— 
‘‘(i) purchase, rental, or leasing of equip-
ment, instrumentation, and other scientific edu-
cational materials; 
‘‘(ii) maintenance, renovation, and im-
provement of laboratory facilities; 
‘‘(iii) development of instructional pro-
grams designed to integrate the laboratory ex-
perience with classroom instruction and to be 
consistent with State mathematics and science 
academic achievement standards; 
‘‘(iv) training in laboratory safety for 
school personnel; 
‘‘(v) design and implementation of hands- 
on laboratory experiences to encourage the in-
terest of individuals identified in section 33 or 
34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Op-
portunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in 
mathematics, science, engineering, and tech-
nology and help prepare such individuals to 
pursue postsecondary studies in these fields; 
and 
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‘‘(vi) assessment of the activities funded 
under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(C) Grants may be made under subparagraph 
(B) only to a partnership— 
‘‘(i) for a project that includes significant 
teacher training and professional development 
components; or 
‘‘(ii) that establishes that appropriate 
teacher training and professional development 
is being addressed, or has been addressed, 
through other means. 
‘‘(D) Grants awarded under subparagraph (B) 
shall be to a partnership that— 
‘‘(i) includes an institution of higher edu-
cation or a community college; 
‘‘(ii) includes a high-need local educational 
agency; 
‘‘(iii) includes a business or eligible non-
profit organization; and 
‘‘(iv) may include a State educational 
agency, other public agency, National Labora-
tory, or community-based organization. 
‘‘(E) The Federal share of the cost of activities 
carried out using amounts from a grant under sub-
paragraph (B) shall not exceed 50 percent. 
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‘‘(F) The Director shall require grant recipients 
to submit a report to the Director on the results of 
the project supported by the grant.’’. 
(c) REPORT.—The Director shall evaluate the effec-
tiveness of activities carried out under the research pilot 
projects funded by the grant program established pursu-
ant to the amendment made by subsection (b) in improv-
ing student performance in mathematics, science, engi-
neering, and technology. A report documenting the results 
of that evaluation shall be submitted to the Committee on 
Science and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation and on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
the Senate not later than 5 years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. The report shall identify best practices 
and materials developed and demonstrated by grant 
awardees. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—From 
the amount authorized in section 303(a)(2)(B), (b)(2)(B), 
and (c)(2)(B) of this Act, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this section and the amendments 
made by this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and 
such sums as may be necessary for each of the 2 suc-
ceeding fiscal years. 
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SEC. 129. STUDY ON LABORATORY EQUIPMENT DONATIONS 
FOR SCHOOLS. 
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall transmit a report to the 
Congress examining the extent to which institutions of 
higher education are donating used laboratory equipment 
to elementary and secondary schools. The Director, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Education, shall survey in-
stitutions of higher education to determine— 
(1) how often, how much, and what type of 
equipment is donated; 
(2) what criteria or guidelines the institutions 
are using to determine what types of equipment can 
be donated, what condition the equipment should be 
in, and which schools receive the equipment; 
(3) whether the institutions provide any support 
to, or follow-up with the schools; and 
(4) how appropriate donations can be encour-
aged. 
TITLE II—SCIENCE AND 
ENGINEERING RESEARCH 
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Sowing the Seeds 
Through Science and Engineering Research Act’’. 
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SEC. 202. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EARLY CAREER 
AWARDS FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 
RESEARCHERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall carry out a program to award 
grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of 
their careers at institutions of higher education and orga-
nizations described in subsection (c)(2) to conduct re-
search in fields relevant to the mission of the Foundation. 
The existing Faculty Early Career Development (CA-
REER) Program may be designated as the mechanism for 
awarding such grants. 
(b) SIZE AND DURATION OF AWARD.—The duration 
of awards under this section shall be 5 years, and the 
amount per year shall be at least $80,000. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—Award recipients shall be individ-
uals who are employed in a tenure-track position as an 
assistant professor or equivalent title, or who hold an 
equivalent position, at— 
(1) an institution of higher education in the 
United States; or 
(2) an organization in the United States that is 
a nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organiza-
tion such as a museum, observatory, or research lab-
oratory. 
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