IB 
Union Calendar No. 214 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4372 
[Report No. 116–269] 
To direct Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy to undertake activities to improve the quality of undergraduate 
STEM education and enhance the research capacity at the Nation’s 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Mr. WALTZ) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
NOVEMBER 5, 2019 
Additional sponsors: Mr. TONKO, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. COHEN, Mr. FOS-
TER, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mr. 
BEYER, Mr. LUCAS, Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma, Mr. SWALWELL 
of California, and Mr. DIAZ-BALART 
NOVEMBER 5, 2019 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 18, 2019] 
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A BILL 
To direct Federal science agencies and the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy to undertake activities to improve 
the quality of undergraduate STEM education and en-
hance the research capacity at the Nation’s HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘MSI STEM Achievement 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Evidence suggests that the supply of STEM 
workers is not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving 
needs of the public and private sector, resulting in a 
deficit often referred to as a STEM skills shortage. 
(2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
the United States will need one million additional 
STEM professionals than it is on track to produce in 
the coming decade. 
(3) STEM occupations offer higher wages, more 
opportunities for advancement, and a higher degree of 
job security than non-STEM occupations. 
(4) The composition of the STEM workforce does 
not reflect the current or projected diversity of the Na-
tion, with Hispanics, African Americans, and other 
racial and ethnic minorities, significantly underrep-
resented in the STEM workforce compared to their 
presence in the workforce more generally. 
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(5) A stronger national commitment to increas-
ing the diversity of the STEM workforce is needed to 
help address the STEM skills shortage. 
(6) According to a 2019 National Academies of 
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report entitled 
‘‘Minority Serving Institutions: America’s Underuti-
lized Resource for Strengthening the STEM Work-
force’’, two- and four-year minority serving institu-
tions enroll nearly 30 percent of all undergraduate 
students—a percentage that is expected to grow in the 
coming years—in the United States higher education 
system and play a critical role in providing impor-
tant pathways to STEM-related education, training, 
and careers for students of color. 
(7) HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs are highly success-
ful at educating underrepresented minority students 
in STEM fields and can serve as best practice models 
for other colleges and universities to further expand 
participation of underrepresented minorities in the 
STEM workforce. 
(8) Increased investment in STEM infrastruc-
ture at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs has the potential 
to increase these institutions’ ability to educate even 
more students in the STEM disciplines. 
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(9) With the demand for STEM skills exceeding 
the supply of STEM graduates, success of HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs in educating and training science 
and engineering leaders is increasingly important for 
United States economic growth and competitiveness. 
SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REVIEW. 
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
report to Congress— 
(1) an inventory of competitive funding pro-
grams and initiatives carried out by Federal science 
agencies that are targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs or partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
(2) an assessment of Federal science agency out-
reach activities to increase the participation and 
competitiveness of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in the 
funding programs and initiatives identified in para-
graph (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 science agencies. 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND CAPACITY BUILDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall award grants, on a competitive 
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basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit orga-
nizations (or consortia thereof) to— 
(1) conduct research described in subsection (b) 
with respect to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
(2) conduct activities described in subsection (c) 
to build the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to 
graduate students who are competitive in attaining 
and advancing in the STEM workforce; 
(3) build the research capacity and competitive-
ness of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM dis-
ciplines; and 
(4) identify and broadly disseminate effective 
models for programs and practices at HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs that promote the education and workforce 
preparation of minority students pursuing STEM 
studies and careers in which such students are under-
represented. 
(b) RESEARCH.—Research described in this subsection 
is research on the contribution of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs 
to the education and training of underrepresented minority 
students in STEM fields and to the meeting of national 
STEM workforce needs, including— 
(1) the diversity with respect to local context, 
cultural 
differences, 
and 
institutional 
structure 
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among HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and any associated 
impact on education and research endeavors; 
(2) effective practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs and associated outcomes on student recruit-
ment, retention, and advancement in STEM fields, 
including the ability for students to compete for fel-
lowships, employment, and advancement in the work-
force; 
(3) contributions made by HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs to local, regional, and national workforces; 
(4) the unique challenges and opportunities for 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in attaining the resources 
needed for integrating effective practices in STEM 
education, including providing research experiences 
for underrepresented minority students; 
(5) the access of students at HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs to STEM infrastructure and any associated 
outcomes for STEM competency; 
(6) models of STEM curriculum, learning, and 
teaching successful at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs for 
increasing participation, retention, and success of 
underrepresented minority students; and 
(7) successful or promising partnerships between 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and other institutions of 
higher education, private sector and non-profit orga-
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nizations, Federal laboratories, and international re-
search institutions. 
(c) CAPACITY BUILDING.—Activities described in this 
subsection include the design, development, implementation, 
expansion, and assessment of— 
(1) metrics of success to best capture the achieve-
ments of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and students of 
such institutions to account for institutional context 
and missions, faculty investment, student popu-
lations, student needs, and institutional resource con-
straints; 
(2) enhancements to undergraduate STEM cur-
riculum at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to increase the 
participation, retention, degree completion, and suc-
cess of underrepresented students; 
(3) professional development programs to in-
crease the numbers and the high-quality preparation 
of STEM faculty at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, in-
cluding programs to encourage STEM doctoral stu-
dents to teach at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and 
(4) mechanisms for institutions of higher edu-
cation that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs to part-
ner with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs on STEM edu-
cation, including the facilitation of student transfer, 
mentoring programs for students and junior faculty, 
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(f) MSI CENTERS OF INNOVATION.—Grants under this 
section may fund the establishment of no more than five 
MSI Centers of Innovation to leverage successes of HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs in STEM education and research training 
of underrepresented minority students as models for other 
institutions, including both HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and 
institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, 
or MSIs. Such centers will be located on campuses of se-
lected institutions of higher education and serve as incuba-
tors to allow institutions of higher education to experiment, 
pilot, evaluate, and scale up promising practices. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation $170,000,000 for fiscal year 
2020, $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, $180,000,000 for 
fiscal year FY 2022, $185,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, and 
$190,000,000 fiscal year 2024 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 5. AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with outside stake-
holders and the heads of the Federal science agencies, the 
Director shall develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for 
Federal science agencies to carry out a sustained program 
of outreach activities to increase clarity, transparency, and 
accountability for Federal science agency investments in 
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STEM education and research activities at HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs. 
(b) OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.—In developing policy 
guidelines under subsection (a) the Director shall include 
guidelines that require each Federal science 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 Fed-
eral science agency’s understanding of the capac-
ity and needs of such institutions and to raise 
awareness of available Federal funding opportu-
nities at such institutions; 
(B) coordinating programs, activities, and 
initiatives while accounting for the capacity and 
needs of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
(C) tracking Federal science agency invest-
ments in and engagement with HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs; and 
(D) reporting progress toward increasing 
participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in 
grant programs; 
(2) to publish annual forecasts of funding oppor-
tunities and proposal deadlines, including for grants, 
contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements; 
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(3) to conduct on-site reviews of research facili-
ties at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, as practicable, and 
make recommendations regarding strategies for be-
coming more competitive in research; 
(4) to hold geographically accessible or virtual 
workshops on research priorities of the Federal science 
agency and on how to write competitive grant pro-
posals; 
(5) to ensure opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs to directly communicate with Federal 
science agency officials responsible for managing com-
petitive grant programs in order to receive feedback 
on research ideas and proposals, including guidance 
on the Federal science agency’s peer review process; 
(6) to foster mutually beneficial public-private 
collaboration among Federal science agencies, indus-
try, Federal laboratories, academia, and nonprofit or-
ganizations to— 
(A) identify alternative sources of funding 
for STEM education and research at HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs; 
(B) provide access to high-quality, relevant 
research experiences for students and faculty of 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
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(C) expand the professional networks of stu-
dents and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
(D) broaden STEM educational opportuni-
ties for students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs; and 
(E) support the transition of students of 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs into the STEM work-
force; and 
(7) to publish an annual report that provides an 
account of Federal science agency investments in 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including data on the level 
of participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs as 
prime recipients/contractors or subrecipients/sub-
contractors. 
(c) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in col-
laboration with the head of each Federal science agen-
cy, shall submit to Congress a report containing a 
strategic plan for each Federal science agency to in-
crease the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to 
compete effectively for grants, contracts, or coopera-
tive agreements and to encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs to participate in Federal programs. 
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(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing a strategic 
plan under paragraph (1), the Director and each 
head of each Federal science agency shall consider— 
(A) issuing new or expanding existing fund-
ing opportunities targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs; 
(B) modifying existing research and devel-
opment program solicitations to incentivize effec-
tive partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs; 
(C) offering planning grants for HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs to develop or equip grant of-
fices with the requisite depth of knowledge to sub-
mit competitive grant proposals and manage 
awarded grants; 
(D) offering additional training programs 
and individualized and timely guidance to grant 
officers and faculty researchers at HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs to ensure they understand the 
requirements for an effective grant proposal; and 
(E) other approaches for making current 
competitive funding models more accessible for 
under-resourced HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years 
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thereafter, the Director shall report to Congress on the im-
plementation by Federal science agencies of the policy 
guidelines developed under this section. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy. 
(2) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 
(3) FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Fed-
eral science agency’’ means any Federal agency with 
an annual extramural research expenditure of over 
$100,000,000. 
(4) HBCU.—The term ‘‘HBCU’’ has the mean-
ing given the term ‘‘part B institution’’ in section 
322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1061). 
(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 101 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
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Union Calendar No. 214 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 4372 
[Report No. 116–269] 
A BILL 
To direct Federal science agencies and the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy to undertake ac-
tivities to improve the quality of undergraduate 
STEM education and enhance the research ca-
pacity at the Nation’s HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, 
and for other purposes. 
NOVEMBER 5, 2019 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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