H. R. 4346—252 
in Science and Engineering, in consultation with the Chief Diversity 
Officer of the National Science Foundation, shall include— 
(1) a description of past and present policies and activities 
of the Foundation to encourage full participation of students 
in rural communities in science, mathematics, engineering, and 
computer science fields; 
(2) an assessment of trends in participation of rural stu-
dents in prekindergarten through grade 12 in Foundation 
activities; and 
(3) an assessment of the policies and activities of the 
Foundation, along with proposals for new strategies or the 
broadening of existing successful strategies towards facilitating 
the goal of increasing participation of rural students in pre-
kindergarten through grade 12 in Foundation activities. 
(h) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this subsection, the 
Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program effectiveness 
and avoiding duplication of activities, consult, cooperate, and coordi-
nate with the programs and policies of other relevant Federal 
agencies. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Director— 
(1) $8,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection 
(a) for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027; and 
(2) $12,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection 
(b) for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 
SEC. 10513. OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONLINE EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall make competitive awards 
to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or 
a consortium thereof, which may include a private sector partner) 
to conduct research on online STEM education courses for rural 
communities. 
(b) RESEARCH AREAS.—The research areas eligible for funding 
under this subsection shall include— 
(1) evaluating the learning and achievement of rural stu-
dents in prekindergarten through grade 12 in STEM subjects; 
(2) understanding how computer-based and online profes-
sional development courses and mentor experiences can be 
integrated to meet the needs of educators, principals, and other 
school leaders of rural students in prekindergarten through 
grade 12; 
(3) combining computer-based and online STEM education 
and training with mentoring and other applied learning 
arrangements; 
(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 accom-
plish the goals of this subsection. 
(c) EVALUATIONS.—All proposals for awards under this section 
shall include an evaluation plan that includes the use of outcome- 
oriented measures to assess the impact and efficacy of the award. 
Each recipient of an award under this subsection shall include 
results from these evaluative activities in annual and final projects. 
(d) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.—
H. R. 4346—253 
(1) EVALUATION
REQUIRED.—The Director shall evaluate 
the portfolio of awards made under this subsection. Such 
evaluation shall— 
(A) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to 
assess the results of research conducted under such awards 
and identify best practices; and 
(B) to the extent practicable, integrate findings from 
activities carried out pursuant to research conducted under 
this section, with respect to the pursuit of careers and 
degrees in STEM, with those activities carried out pursuant 
to other research on serving rural students and commu-
nities. 
(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 avail-
able to the public a report that includes— 
(A) the results of the evaluation; and 
(B) any recommendations for administrative and legis-
lative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the 
awards made under this section. 
(e) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this section, the Director 
shall, for purposes of enhancing program effectiveness and avoiding 
duplication of activities, consult, cooperate, and coordinate with 
the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agencies. 
SEC. 10514. NATIONAL ACADEMIES EVALUATION. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 12 months after the date of enact-
ment of this division, the Director shall enter into an agreement 
with the National Academies under which the National Academies 
agree to conduct an evaluation and assessment that— 
(1) evaluates the quality and quantity of current Federal 
programming and research directed at examining STEM edu-
cation for students in prekindergarten through grade 12 and 
workforce development in rural areas; 
(2) in coordination with the Federal Communications 
Commission, assesses the impact that the scarcity of broadband 
connectivity in rural communities, and the affordability of 
broadband connectivity, have on STEM and technical literacy 
for students in prekindergarten through grade 12 in rural areas; 
(3) assesses the core research and data needed to under-
stand the challenges rural areas are facing in providing quality 
STEM education and workforce development; 
(4) makes recommendations for action at the Federal, State, 
and local levels for improving STEM education, including online 
STEM education, for students in prekindergarten through grade 
12 and workforce development in rural areas; and 
(5) makes recommendations to inform the implementation 
of programs in sections 10512 and 10513 (lll-LOG262) and 
(lll-LOG263). 
(b) REPORT TO DIRECTOR.—The agreement entered into under 
subsection (a) shall require the National Academies, not later than 
24 months after the date of enactment of this division, to submit 
to the Director a report on the study conducted under such para-
graph, including the National Academies’ findings and recommenda-
tions.
H. R. 4346—254 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this section 
$1,000,000 for fiscal year 2023. 
SEC. 10515. GAO REVIEW. 
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
division, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct 
a study on the engagement of rural populations in Federal STEM 
education programs and submit to Congress a report that includes— 
(1) an assessment of how Federal STEM education pro-
grams are serving rural populations; 
(2) a description of initiatives carried out by Federal agen-
cies that are targeted at supporting STEM education in rural 
areas; 
(3) an assessment of what is known about the impact 
and effectiveness of Federal investments in STEM education 
programs that are targeted to rural areas; and 
(4) an assessment of challenges that State and Federal 
STEM education programs face in reaching rural population 
centers. 
SEC. 10516. NIST ENGAGEMENT WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES. 
(a) PRIZE COMPETITION.—Pursuant to section 24 of the Steven-
son-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), 
the Secretary of Commerce shall carry out a program to award 
prizes competitively to stimulate research and development of cre-
ative technologies to support the deployment of affordable and 
reliable broadband connectivity in rural communities, including 
unserved rural communities. 
(b) PLAN FOR DEPLOYMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.—Each pro-
posal submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall include a proposed 
plan for deployment of the technology that is the subject of such 
proposal. 
(c) PRIZE AMOUNT.—In carrying out the program under sub-
section (a), the Secretary may award not more than a total of 
$5,000,000 to one or more winners of the prize competition. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date on which 
a prize is awarded under the prize competition, the Secretary shall 
submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that 
describes the winning proposal of the prize competition. 
(e) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the program under this 
section, the Secretary shall consult with the Federal Communica-
tions Commission and the heads of relevant departments and agen-
cies of the Federal Government. 
Subtitle C—MSI STEM Achievement 
SEC. 10521. GAO REVIEW. 
Not later than three years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
report to Congress— 
(1) an inventory of competitive funding programs and initia-
tives carried out by Federal research agencies that are targeted 
to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs or partnerships with HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs; 
(2) an assessment of Federal research agency outreach 
activities to increase the participation and competitiveness of
H. R. 4346—255 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in the funding programs and initia-
tives identified in paragraph (1); and 
(3) recommendations of the Comptroller General to increase 
the participation of and the rate of success of HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs in competitive funding programs offered by Federal 
research agencies. 
SEC. 10522. AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with outside stakeholders 
and the heads of Federal research agencies and the Interagency 
Working Group on Inclusion in STEM, the Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy shall develop a uniform set of 
policy guidelines for Federal research agencies to carry out a sus-
tained program of outreach activities to increase clarity, trans-
parency, and accountability for Federal research agency investments 
in STEM education and research activities at HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs, including such institutions in rural areas. 
(b) OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.—In developing policy guidelines 
under subsection (a) the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall include guidelines that require each Federal 
research agency— 
(1) to designate a liaison for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs 
responsible for— 
(A) enhancing direct communication with HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs to increase the Federal research agency’s 
understanding of the capacity and needs of such institu-
tions and to raise awareness of available Federal funding 
opportunities at such institutions; 
(B) coordinating programs, activities, and initiatives 
while accounting for the capacity and needs of HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs; 
(C) tracking Federal research agency investments in 
and engagement with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and 
(D) reporting progress toward increasing participation 
of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in award programs; 
(2) to the extent practicable, to produce an annual summary 
of funding opportunities and proposal deadlines targeted at 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including for grants, contracts, sub-
contracts, and cooperative agreements; 
(3) to the extent practicable, identifying in annual budget 
requests potential areas for collaboration with HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs in the relevant fiscal year, including relating to 
potential meetings and workshops; 
(4) to investigate proposal structures that support broader 
participation by emerging research institutions, including 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
(5) to conduct on-site reviews of research facilities at 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, as practicable, and make rec-
ommendations regarding strategies for becoming more competi-
tive in research; 
(6) to hold geographically accessible or virtual workshops 
on research priorities of the Federal research agency and on 
how to write competitive award proposals and how to bolster 
award management capacity for the entire award lifecycle, 
from application to completion; 
(7) to ensure opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs 
to directly communicate with Federal research agency officials