(b) SIZE AND DURATION OF AWARD.—The duration 
of awards under this section shall be up to 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 as-
sistant professor or equivalent title, or who hold an equiva-
lent 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 organization 
such as a museum, observatory, or research labora-
tory. 
(d) SELECTION.—Award recipients shall be selected on 
a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. 
(e) 
SELECTION
PROCESS
AND
CRITERIA
FOR 
AWARDS.—An applicant seeking funding under this section 
shall submit a proposal to the Director at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Di-
rector may require. In evaluating the proposals submitted 
under this section, the Director shall consider, at a min-
imum— 
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work; 
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of 
the proposed research; 
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(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates re-
search and education, including undergraduate edu-
cation in science and engineering disciplines; and 
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership 
at the frontiers of knowledge. 
(f) 
COLLABORATION
WITH
NATIONAL
LABORA-
TORIES.—In awarding grants under this section, the Direc-
tor shall give priority to proposals in which the proposed 
work includes collaboration with the Department of Energy 
National Laboratories. 
(g) AWARDS.—In awarding grants under this section, 
the Director shall endeavor to ensure that the recipients are 
from a variety of types of institutions of higher education 
and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations. 
In support of this goal, the Director shall broadly dissemi-
nate information about when and how to apply for grants 
under this section, including by conducting outreach to His-
torically Black Colleges and Universities that are part B 
institutions as defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)) and minority insti-
tutions (as defined in section 365(3) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 
1067k(3))). 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy 
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to carry out the Director’s responsibilities under this section 
$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2011. 
(i) REPORT ON RECRUITING AND RETAINING EARLY 
CAREER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS AT 
THE NATIONAL LABORATORIES.—Not later than 3 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of Rep-
resentatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report on efforts to recruit and 
retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of 
their careers at the Department of Energy National Labora-
tories. The report shall include— 
(1) a description of Department of Energy and 
National Laboratory policies and procedures, includ-
ing financial incentives, awards, promotions, time set 
aside for independent research, access to equipment or 
facilities, and other forms of recognition, designed to 
attract and retain young scientists and engineers; 
(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incen-
tives on the careers of young scientists and engineers 
at Department of Energy National Laboratories, and 
also on the quality of the research at the National 
Laboratories and in Department of Energy programs; 
(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist 
to efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and 
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engineers, including limited availability of full time 
equivalent positions, legal and procedural require-
ments, and pay grading systems; and 
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to 
recruit and retain young researchers and the source 
of such funds. 
SEC. 4. REPORT ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS 
AND TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS TO RECRUIT 
AND RETAIN EARLY CAREER SCIENCE AND 
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS. 
Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology shall transmit to the Committee on 
Science of the House of Representatives and to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a report on efforts to recruit and retain young sci-
entists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology labora-
tories and joint institutes. The report shall include— 
(1) a description of National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology policies and procedures, includ-
ing financial incentives, awards, promotions, time set 
aside for independent research, access to equipment or 
facilities, and other forms of recognition, designed to 
attract and retain young scientists and engineers; 
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(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incen-
tives on the careers of young scientists and engineers 
at the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, and also on the quality of the research at the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology’s lab-
oratories and in the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology’s programs; 
(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist 
to efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and 
engineers, including limited availability of full time 
equivalent positions, legal and procedural require-
ments, and pay grading systems; and 
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to 
recruit and retain young researchers and the source 
of such funds. 
SEC. 
5. 
NATIONAL 
SCIENCE 
FOUNDATION 
RESEARCH 
AWARD MATCH PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall carry out a program to award 
grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to scientists 
and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institu-
tions of higher education and organizations described in 
subsection (c)(2) to conduct high-risk, high-return research. 
The program shall support fundamental research with the 
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