(4) leveraging online programs to supplement 
STEM studies for rural students that need physical 
and academic accommodation; and 
(5) any other activity the Director determines 
will accomplish the goals of this subsection. 
(c) EVALUATIONS.—All proposals for grants under 
this section shall include an evaluation plan that includes 
the use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact 
and efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under 
this section shall include results from these evaluative ac-
tivities in annual and final projects. 
(d) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.— 
(1) EVALUATION
REQUIRED.—The Director 
shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded under 
this section. Such evaluation shall— 
(A) use a common set of benchmarks and 
tools to assess the results of research conducted 
under such grants and identify best practices; 
and 
(B) to the extent practicable, integrate 
findings from activities carried out pursuant to 
research conducted under this section, with re-
spect to the pursuit of careers and degrees in 
STEM, with those activities carried our pursu-
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ant to other research on serving rural students 
and communities. 
(2) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 
180 days after the completion of the evaluation 
under paragraph (1), the Director shall submit to 
Congress and make widely available to the public a 
report that includes— 
(A) the results of the evaluation; and 
(B) any recommendations for administra-
tive and legislative action that could optimize 
the effectiveness of the grants awarded under 
this section. 
(e) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this section, the 
Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program effec-
tiveness and avoiding duplication of activities, consult, co-
operate, and coordinate with the programs and policies of 
other relevant Federal agencies. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES EVALUATION. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 12 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an 
agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under 
which the National Academy agrees to conduct an evalua-
tion and assessment that— 
(1) evaluates the quality and quantity of cur-
rent Federal programming and research directed at 
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examining STEM education for students in grades 
Pre–K through 12 and workforce development in 
rural areas; 
(2) assesses the impact of the scarcity of 
broadband connectivity in rural communities has on 
STEM and technical literacy for students in grades 
Pre–K through 12 in rural areas; and 
(3) assesses the core research and data needed 
to understand the challenges rural areas are facing 
in providing quality STEM education and workforce 
development; and 
(4) makes recommendations for improving 
STEM education for students in grades Pre–K 
through 12 and workforce development in rural 
areas. 
(b) REPORT TO DIRECTOR.—The agreement entered 
into under subsection (a) shall require the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, not later than 24 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, to submit to the Director a re-
port on the study conducted under such subsection, includ-
ing the National Academy’s findings and recommenda-
tions. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry 
out this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2020. 
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SEC. 6. CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH EPSCOR. 
Section 517(f)(2) of the America COMPETES Reau-
thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p–9(f)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) to increase the capacity of rural com-
munities to provide quality STEM education 
and STEM workforce development program-
ming to students, and teachers; and’’. 
SEC. 7. NIST ENGAGEMENT WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES. 
(a) MEP OUTREACH.—Section 25 of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
278k) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘commu-
nity colleges and area career and technical edu-
cation schools’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘secondary schools (as defined in section 8101 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), community col-
leges, and area career and technical education 
schools, including those in underserved and 
rural communities,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (7)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘and local colleges’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘local high 
schools and local colleges, including those 
in underserved and rural communities,’’; 
and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or other applied 
learning opportunities’’ after ‘‘apprentice-
ships’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d)(3) by striking ‘‘, commu-
nity colleges, and area career and technical edu-
cation schools,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘and 
local high schools, community colleges, and area ca-
reer and technical education schools, including those 
in underserved and rural communities,’’. 
(b) RURAL CONNECTIVITY PRIZE COMPETITION.— 
(1) PRIZE COMPETITION.—Pursuant to section 
24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Secretary of 
Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Standards and Technology (referred 
to in this subsection as the ‘‘Secretary’’), shall carry 
out a program to award prizes competitively to stim-
ulate research and development of creative tech-
nologies in order to deploy affordable and reliable 
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