H. R. 4346—256 
responsible for managing competitive award programs in order 
to receive feedback on research ideas and proposals, including 
guidance on the Federal research agency’s merit review process; 
and 
(8) to foster mutually beneficial public-private collaboration 
among Federal research agencies, industry, Federal labora-
tories, academia, and nonprofit organizations 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; 
(C) expand the professional networks of students and 
faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 
(D) broaden STEM educational opportunities for stu-
dents and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and 
(E) support the transition of students of HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs into the STEM workforce; 
(c) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, in collaboration with the head 
of each Federal research agency, shall submit to Congress 
a report containing a strategic plan which reflects the plans 
of each Federal research agency to increase the capacity of 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to compete effectively for grants, 
contracts, or cooperative agreements and to encourage HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs to participate in Federal programs. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing a strategic plan under 
paragraph (1), the Director and the head of each Federal 
research agency shall consider the following: 
(A) Issuing new or expanding existing funding 
opportunities targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. 
(B) Modifying existing research and development pro-
gram solicitations to incentivize effective partnerships with 
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. 
(C) Offering planning grants for HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs to develop or equip grant offices with the requisite 
depth of knowledge to submit competitive grant proposals 
and manage awarded grants. 
(D) Offering additional training programs, including 
individualized and timely guidance to grant officers, fac-
ulty, and postdoctoral researchers at HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs to ensure their understanding of the requirements 
for an effective grant proposal. 
(E) Other approaches for making current competitive 
funding models more accessible for underresourced HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs. 
(d) REPORT ON POLICY GUIDELINES.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act and every five years 
thereafter, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy shall report to Congress on the implementation by Federal 
research agencies of the policy guidelines developed under this 
section. 
(e) REPORT ON COORDINATION OF FEDERAL STEM EDUCATION.— 
Subsection (d) of section 101(d) of the America COMPETES 
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621) is amended—
H. R. 4346—257 
(1) in paragraph (7) by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(2) in paragraph (8) by striking the period at the end; 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) an account of Federal research agency investments 
in HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including, to the degree prac-
ticable, data on the level of participation of HBCUs, TCUs, 
and MSIs as prime recipients, contractors, subrecipients, or 
subcontractors of an award, or reasonable estimates thereof; 
and 
‘‘(10) a description of material changes to the implementa-
tion of section 10522 of the Research and Development, Com-
petition, and Innovation Act.’’. 
SEC. 10523. RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall make awards, on a 
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit 
organizations (or consortia thereof) to— 
(1) conduct research described in subsection (b) with respect 
to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and 
(2) identify and broadly disseminate effective models for 
programs and practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs that pro-
mote the education and workforce preparation of minority stu-
dents pursuing STEM studies and careers in which such stu-
dents are underrepresented. 
(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 relating to the following: 
(1) The diversity with respect to local context, cultural 
differences, and institutional structure 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 recruitment, retention, and 
advancement in STEM fields, including the ability for students 
to compete for fellowships, employment, and advancement in 
the workforce. 
(3) Contributions made by HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to 
local, regional, and national workforces. 
(4) The 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 participa-
tion, retention, and success of underrepresented minority stu-
dents. 
(7) Successful or promising partnerships between HBCUs, 
TCUs, and MSIs and other institutions of higher education, 
private sector and nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, 
and international research institutions. 
(c) RESEARCH EXPERIENCES.—Awards under this section may 
fund the development or expansion of opportunities for the exchange
H. R. 4346—258 
of students and faculty to conduct research, facilitate professional 
development, and provide mentorship, including through partner-
ships with institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, 
TCUs, or MSIs, private sector and nonprofit organizations, Federal 
laboratories, and international research institutions. 
SEC. 10524. CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPING UNIVER-
SITIES. 
(a) AWARDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall make awards, on a 
competitive basis, to eligible institutions described in subsection 
(b) to support the mission of the Foundation and to build 
institutional research capacity at eligible institutions. 
(2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Director may administer sepa-
rate competitions for each category of eligible institution 
described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection (b)(1) 
in order to ensure fair competition for institutions with signifi-
cantly different research capacities. 
(b) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.—To be eligible to receive an award 
under this subsection, an entity— 
(1) shall be— 
(A) a historically Black college or university; 
(B) a Tribal College or University; 
(C) a minority-serving institution; 
(D) an institution of higher education with an estab-
lished STEM capacity-building program focused on Native 
Hawaiians and Alaska Natives; or 
(E) consortia thereof; 
(2) shall— 
(A) have not more than $50,000,000 in annual federally 
financed research and development expenditures for science 
and engineering as reported through the National Science 
Foundation Higher Education Research and Development 
Survey; or 
(B) not be an institution classified as having very high 
research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institu-
tions of Higher Education. 
(c) PARTNERSHIPS.—In making awards under this section, the 
Director shall— 
(1) encourage entities that are consortia of eligible institu-
tions to submit proposals and require such proposals to include 
a plan for establishing a sustained partnership that is jointly 
developed and managed, draws from the capacities of each 
institution, and is mutually beneficial; 
(2) encourage proposals submitted in partnership with the 
private sector, nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, 
and international research institutions, as appropriate; 
(3) require proposals described in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
to include a plan to strengthen the administrative and research 
capacity of the partnering HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs to lead 
future proposals. 
(d) VERY HIGH RESEARCH ACTIVITY STATUS HISTORICALLY 
BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM.—Awards under this 
section may be used to enable HBCUs which have high research 
activity status to achieve very high research activity status, as 
classified under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher 
Education, by enabling—
H. R. 4346—259 
(1) faculty professional development; 
(2) stipends for graduate and undergraduate students, and 
postdoctoral scholars; 
(3) acquisition of laboratory equipment and instrumenta-
tion; and 
(4) other activities as necessary to build research capacity. 
(e) PROPOSALS.—To receive an award under this subsection, 
an eligible institution shall submit an application to the Director 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Director may require, including— 
(1) a plan that describes how the eligible institution will 
establish or expand research office capacity and how such award 
would be used to— 
(A) conduct an assessment of capacity-building and 
research infrastructure needs of an eligible institution; 
(B) enhance institutional resources to provide adminis-
trative research development support to faculty at an 
eligible institution; 
(C) bolster the institutional research competitiveness 
of an eligible institution to support awards made by the 
Foundation; 
(D) support the acquisition of instrumentation nec-
essary to build research capacity at an eligible institution 
in research areas directly associated with the Foundation; 
(E) increase capability of an eligible institution to move 
technology into the marketplace; 
(F) increase engagement with industry to execute 
research through the SBIR and STTR programs (as such 
terms are defined in section 9(e) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 638(e)) and direct contracts at an eligible 
institution; 
(G) enhance STEM curriculum and research training 
opportunities 
at 
the 
undergraduate, 
graduate, 
and 
postdoctoral levels at an eligible institution; 
(H) 
further 
faculty 
development 
initiatives 
and 
strengthen institutional research training infrastructure, 
capacity, and competitiveness of an eligible institution; 
(I) address plans and prospects for long-term sustain-
ability of institutional enhancements at an eligible institu-
tion resulting from the award including, if applicable, how 
the award may be leveraged by an eligible institution to 
build a broader base of support; and 
(J) develop and implement mechanisms for institutions 
of higher education to partner with HBCUs, TCUs, and 
MSIs on STEM education, including the facilitation of stu-
dent exchanges, course and resource sharing, collaboration, 
and matriculation of students to either institution’s grad-
uate programs, mentoring programs for students and junior 
faculty, joint research projects, and student access to grad-
uate education; and 
(2) as relevant, a plan, which shall be updated every three 
years, that describes the institution’s strategy to achieve very 
high research activity status, including making investments 
with institutional and non-Federal funds, to achieve that status 
within a decade of the grant award, to the extent practicable. 
(f) MSI CENTERS OF INNOVATION.—Awards under this section 
may fund the establishment of not more than five MSI Centers