H. R. 2272—114 
SEC. 7020. CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE. 
In order to continue and expand efforts to ensure that research 
institutions throughout the Nation can fully participate in research 
programs of the Foundation and collaborate with colleagues 
throughout the Nation, the Director, not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, shall develop and publish a 
plan that— 
(1) describes the current status of broadband access for 
scientific research purposes at institutions in EPSCoR-eligible 
States, at institutions in rural areas, and at minority serving 
institutions; and 
(2) outlines actions that can be taken to ensure that such 
connections are available to enable participation in those 
Foundation programs that rely heavily on high-speed net-
working and collaborations across institutions and regions. 
SEC. 7021. PILOT PROGRAM OF GRANTS FOR NEW INVESTIGATORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall carry out a pilot program 
to award 1-year grants to individuals to assist them in improving 
research proposals that were previously submitted to the Founda-
tion but not selected for funding. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an individual— 
(1) may not have previously received funding as the prin-
cipal investigator of a research grant from the Foundation; 
and 
(2) shall have submitted a proposal to the Foundation, 
which may include a proposal submitted to the Research in 
Undergraduate Institutions program, that was rated excellent 
under the Foundation’s competitive merit review process. 
(c) SELECTION PROCESS.—The Director shall make awards 
under this section based on the advice of the program officers 
of the Foundation. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this section shall 
be used to enable an individual to resubmit an updated research 
proposal for review by the Foundation through the agency’s competi-
tive merit review process. Uses of funds made available under 
this section may include the generation of new data and the 
performance of additional analysis. 
(e) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—The Director shall carry out 
this section through the Small Grants for Exploratory Research 
program. 
(f) NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD REVIEW.—The Board shall con-
duct a review and assessment of the pilot program under this 
section, including the number of new investigators funded, the 
distribution of awards by type of institution of higher education, 
and the success rate upon resubmittal of proposals by new investiga-
tors funded through such pilot program. Not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Board shall summarize 
its findings and any recommendations regarding changes to, the 
termination of, or the continuation of the pilot program in a report 
to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate.
H. R. 2272—115 
SEC. 7022. BROADER IMPACTS MERIT REVIEW CRITERION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Among the types of activities that the 
Foundation shall consider as appropriate for meeting the require-
ments of its broader impacts criterion for the evaluation of research 
proposals are partnerships between academic researchers and 
industrial scientists and engineers that address research areas 
identified as having high importance for future national economic 
competitiveness, such as nanotechnology. 
(b) REPORT ON BROADER IMPACTS CRITERION.—Not later than 
1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
transmit to Congress a report on the impact of the broader impacts 
grant criterion used by the Foundation. The report shall— 
(1) identify the criteria that each division and directorate 
of the Foundation uses to evaluate the broader impacts aspects 
of research proposals; 
(2) provide a breakdown of the types of activities by division 
that awardees have proposed to carry out to meet the broader 
impacts criterion; 
(3) provide any evaluations performed by the Foundation 
to assess the degree to which the broader impacts aspects 
of research proposals were carried out and how effective they 
have been at meeting the goals described in the research pro-
posals; 
(4) describe what national goals, such as improving under-
graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
education, improving kindergarten through grade 12 science 
and mathematics education, promoting university-industry 
collaboration, and broadening participation of underrepresented 
groups, the broader impacts criterion is best suited to promote; 
and 
(5) describe what steps the Foundation is taking and should 
take to use the broader impacts criterion to improve under-
graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
education. 
SEC. 7023. DONATIONS. 
Section 11(f) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 
(42 U.S.C. 1870(f)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon 
‘‘, except that funds may be donated for specific prize competitions 
for ‘basic research’ as defined in the Office of Management and 
Budget Circular No. A–11’’. 
SEC. 7024. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING AND NETWORKING. 
(a) HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING ACT OF 1991.— 
(1) AMENDMENTS.—Title I of the High-Performance Com-
puting Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511 et seq.) is amended— 
(A) in the title heading, by striking ‘‘AND THE 
NATIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NET-
WORK’’ and inserting ‘‘RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT’’; 
(B) in section 101(a) (15 U.S.C. 5511(a))— 
(i) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) of para-
graph (1) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) provide for long-term basic and applied research on 
high-performance computing, including networking;
H. R. 2272—116 
‘‘(B) provide for research and development on, and dem-
onstration of, technologies to advance the capacity and capabili-
ties of high-performance computing and networking systems, 
and related software; 
‘‘(C) provide for sustained access by the research community 
throughout the United States to high-performance computing 
and networking systems that are among the most advanced 
in the world in terms of performance in solving scientific and 
engineering problems, including provision for technical support 
for users of such systems; 
‘‘(D) provide for widely dispersed efforts to increase soft-
ware availability, productivity, capability, security, portability, 
and reliability; 
‘‘(E) provide for high-performance networks, including 
experimental testbed networks, to enable research and develop-
ment on, and demonstration of, advanced applications enabled 
by such networks; 
‘‘(F) provide for computational science and engineering 
research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for applica-
tions in all fields of science and engineering; 
‘‘(G) provide for the technical support of, and research 
and development on, high-performance computing systems and 
software required to address Grand Challenges; 
‘‘(H) provide for educating and training additional under-
graduate and graduate students in software engineering, com-
puter science, computer and network security, applied mathe-
matics, library and information science, and computational 
science; and 
‘‘(I) provide for improving the security of computing and 
networking systems, including Federal systems, including pro-
viding for research required to establish security standards 
and practices for these systems.’’; 
(ii) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating 
paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), 
respectively; 
(iii) in paragraph (2), as redesignated by clause 
(ii)— 
(I) by striking subparagraph (B); 
(II) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 
(C) as subparagraphs (D) and (F), respectively; 
(III) by inserting before subparagraph (D), as 
redesignated by subclause (II), the following: 
‘‘(A) establish the goals and priorities for Federal high- 
performance computing research, development, networking, and 
other activities; 
‘‘(B) establish Program Component Areas that implement 
the goals established under subparagraph (A), and identify 
the Grand Challenges that the Program should address; 
‘‘(C) provide for interagency coordination of Federal high- 
performance computing research, development, networking, and 
other activities undertaken pursuant to the Program;’’; and 
(IV) by inserting after subparagraph (D), as 
redesignated by subclause (II) of this clause, the 
following: 
‘‘(E) develop and maintain a research, development, and 
deployment roadmap covering all States and regions for the
H. R. 2272—117 
provision of high-performance computing and networking sys-
tems under paragraph (1)(C); and’’; and 
(iv) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by clause 
(ii) of this subparagraph— 
(I) by striking ‘‘paragraph (3)(A)’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (2)(D)’’; 
(II) by amending subparagraph (A) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(A) provide a detailed description of the Program Compo-
nent Areas, including a description of any changes in the defini-
tion of or activities under the Program Component Areas from 
the preceding report, and the reasons for such changes, and 
a description of Grand Challenges addressed under the Pro-
gram;’’; 
(III) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘specific 
activities’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the Net-
work’’ and inserting ‘‘each Program Component 
Area’’; 
(IV) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘, and 
for each Program Component Area,’’ after ‘‘partici-
pating in the Program’’; 
(V) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘applies;’’ 
and inserting ‘‘applies; and’’; 
(VI) by striking subparagraph (E) and redesig-
nating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (E); and 
(VII) in subparagraph (E), as redesignated by 
subclause (VI), by inserting ‘‘and the extent to 
which the Program incorporates the recommenda-
tions of the advisory committee established under 
subsection (b)’’ after ‘‘for the Program’’; 
(C) by striking subsection (b) of section 101 (15 U.S.C. 
5511) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—(1) The President shall establish 
an advisory committee on high-performance computing, consisting 
of geographically dispersed non-Federal members, including rep-
resentatives of the research, education, and library communities, 
network and related software providers, and industry representa-
tives in the Program Component Areas, who are specially qualified 
to provide the Director with advice and information on high- 
performance computing. The recommendations of the advisory com-
mittee shall be considered in reviewing and revising the Program. 
The advisory committee shall provide the Director with an inde-
pendent assessment of— 
‘‘(A) progress made in implementing the Program; 
‘‘(B) the need to revise the Program; 
‘‘(C) the balance between the components of the Program, 
including funding levels for the Program Component Areas; 
‘‘(D) whether the research and development undertaken 
pursuant to the Program is helping to maintain United States 
leadership in high-performance computing, networking tech-
nology, and related software; and 
‘‘(E) other issues identified by the Director. 
‘‘(2) In addition to the duties outlined in paragraph (1), the 
advisory committee shall conduct periodic evaluations of the 
funding, management, coordination, implementation, and activities 
of the Program. The advisory committee shall report not less fre-
quently than once every 2 fiscal years to the Committee on Science
H. R. 2272—118 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on its 
findings and recommendations. The first report shall be due within 
1 year after the date of enactment of the America COMPETES 
Act. 
‘‘(3) Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall 
not apply to the advisory committee established under this sub-
section.’’; and 
(D) in section 101(c) (15 U.S.C. 5511(c))— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘Program or’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Program Component Areas or’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(a)(3)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(2)(D)’’. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—Section 4 of the High-Performance Com-
puting Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5503) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and multidisci-
plinary teams of researchers’’ after ‘‘high-performance com-
puting resources’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘scientific workstations,’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(including vector supercomputers 
and large scale parallel systems)’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘and applications’’ and inserting 
‘‘applications’’; and 
(iv) by inserting ‘‘, and the management of large 
data sets’’ after ‘‘systems software’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘packet switched’’; 
(D) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (5); 
(E) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
(6) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(F) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) ‘Program Component Areas’ means the major subject 
areas under which related individual projects and activities 
carried out under the Program are grouped.’’. 
(3) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 1(26) of the Act 
entitled ‘‘An Act to prevent the elimination of certain reports’’, 
approved November 28, 2001 (31 U.S.C. 3113 note) is 
amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘101(a)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘101(a)(2)’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘(15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(3))’’ and inserting 
‘‘(15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(2))’’. 
(b) ADVANCED
INFORMATION
AND
COMMUNICATIONS
TECH-
NOLOGY RESEARCH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As part of the Program described in title 
I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 
5511 et seq.), the Foundation shall support basic research 
related to advanced information and communications tech-
nologies that will contribute to enhancing or facilitating the 
availability and affordability of advanced communications serv-
ices for all people of the United States. Areas of research 
to be supported may include research on— 
(A) affordable broadband access, including wireless 
technologies; 
(B) network security and reliability; 
(C) communications interoperability;
H. R. 2272—119 
(D) networking protocols and architectures, including 
resilience to outages or attacks; 
(E) trusted software; 
(F) privacy; 
(G) nanoelectronics for communications applications; 
(H) low-power communications electronics; 
(I) implementation of equitable access to national 
advanced fiber optic research and educational networks 
in noncontiguous States; and 
(J) such other related areas as the Director finds appro-
priate. 
(2) CENTERS.—The Director shall award multiyear grants, 
subject to the availability of appropriations and on a merit- 
reviewed competitive basis, to institutions of higher education, 
nonprofit research institutions affiliated with institutions of 
higher education, or consortia of either type of institution to 
establish 
multidisciplinary 
Centers 
for 
Communications 
Research. The purpose of the Centers shall be to generate 
innovative approaches to problems in information and commu-
nications technology research, including the research areas 
described in paragraph (1). Institutions of higher education, 
nonprofit research institutions affiliated with institutions of 
higher education, or consortia receiving such grants may 
partner with 1 or more government laboratories, for-profit enti-
ties, or other institutions of higher education or nonprofit 
research institutions. 
(3) FUNDING
ALLOCATION.—The Director shall increase 
funding for the basic research activities described in paragraph 
(1), which shall include support for the Centers described in 
paragraph (2), in proportion to the increase in the total amount 
appropriated to the Foundation for research and related activi-
ties for the fiscal years 2008 through 2010. 
(4) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Director shall transmit to 
Congress, as part of the President’s annual budget submission 
under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report 
on the amounts allocated for support of research under this 
subsection for the fiscal year during which such report is sub-
mitted and the levels proposed for the fiscal year with respect 
to which the budget submission applies. 
SEC. 7025. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS 
TALENT EXPANSION PROGRAM. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 8(7) of the National Science Founda-
tion Authorization Act of 2002 is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘competitive, merit- 
based’’ and all that follows through ‘‘in recent years.’’ and 
inserting ‘‘competitive, merit-based multiyear grants for eligible 
applicants to improve undergraduate education in science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics through— 
‘‘(i) the creation of programs to increase the number 
of students studying toward and completing associate’s or 
bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics, particularly in fields that have faced 
declining enrollment in recent years; and 
‘‘(ii) the creation of not more than 5 centers (in this 
paragraph referred to as ‘Centers’) to increase the number 
of students completing undergraduate courses in science,
H. R. 2272—120 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, including the 
number of nonmajors, and to improve student academic 
achievement in those courses, by developing— 
‘‘(I) undergraduate educational material, including 
curricula and courses of study; 
‘‘(II) teaching methods for undergraduate courses; 
and 
‘‘(III) methods to improve the professional develop-
ment of professors and teaching assistants who teach 
undergraduate courses. 
Grants made under clause (ii) shall be awarded jointly through 
the Education and Human Resources Directorate and at least 
1 research directorate of the Foundation.’’; 
(2) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) In selecting projects under subparagraph (A)(i), the 
Director shall strive to increase the number of students 
studying toward and completing associate’s or bachelor’s 
degrees, concentrations, or certificates in science, technology, 
engineering, or mathematics by giving priority to programs 
that heavily recruit individuals who are— 
‘‘(i) individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the 
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 
U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b); or 
‘‘(ii) graduates of a public secondary school that— 
‘‘(I) is among the highest 25 percent of schools 
served by the local educational agency that serves the 
school, in terms of the percentage of students from 
families with incomes below the poverty line, as defined 
in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block 
Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)), applicable to a family 
of the size involved; or 
‘‘(II) is designated with a school locale code of 
41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary of Edu-
cation.’’; 
(3) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(C)(i) The types of projects the Foundation may support 
under subparagraph (A)(i) include those programs that— 
‘‘(I) promote high quality— 
‘‘(aa) interdisciplinary teaching; 
‘‘(bb) undergraduate-conducted research; 
‘‘(cc) mentor relationships for students, especially 
underrepresented minority and female science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics students; 
‘‘(dd) bridge programs that enable students at 
community colleges to matriculate directly into bacca-
laureate science, technology, engineering, or mathe-
matics programs; 
‘‘(ee) internships carried out in partnership with 
industry; 
‘‘(ff) innovative uses of digital technologies, particu-
larly at institutions of higher education that serve 
high numbers or percentages of economically disadvan-
taged students; and 
‘‘(gg) bridge programs that enable underrep-
resented minority and female secondary school stu-
dents to obtain extra science, technology, engineering,
H. R. 2272—121 
and mathematics instruction prior to entering an 
institution of higher education; 
‘‘(II) finance summer internships for science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduate stu-
dents; and 
‘‘(III) conduct outreach programs that provide sec-
ondary school students and their science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics teachers opportunities to 
increase the students’ and teachers’ exposure to engineering 
and technology. 
‘‘(ii) The types of activities the Foundation may support 
under subparagraph (A)(ii) include— 
‘‘(I) creating model curricula and laboratory programs; 
‘‘(II) developing and demonstrating research-based 
instructional methods and technologies; 
‘‘(III) developing methods to train graduate students 
and faculty to be more effective teachers of undergraduates; 
‘‘(IV) conducting programs to disseminate curricula, 
instructional methods, or training methods to faculty at 
the grantee institutions and at other institutions; 
‘‘(V) conducting assessments of the effectiveness of the 
Center at accomplishing the goals described in subpara-
graph (A)(ii); and 
‘‘(VI) conducting any other activities the Director deter-
mines will accomplish the goals described in subparagraph 
(A)(ii).’’; 
(4) in subparagraph (D)(i), by striking ‘‘under this para-
graph’’ and inserting ‘‘under subparagraph (A)(i)’’; 
(5) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking ‘‘under this para-
graph’’ and inserting ‘‘under subparagraph (A)(i)’’; 
(6) after subparagraph (D)(iii), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(iv) A grant under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be awarded 
for up to 5 years.’’; 
(7) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘under this paragraph’’ 
both places it appears and inserting ‘‘under subparagraph 
(A)(i)’’; 
(8) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph 
(J); and 
(9) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following: 
‘‘(F) Grants awarded under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be 
carried out by a department or departments of science, tech-
nology, engineering, or mathematics at institutions of higher 
education (or a consortia thereof), which may partner with 
the department, college, or school of education at the institution. 
Applications for awards under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be 
submitted to the Director at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Director may require. At 
a minimum, the application shall include— 
‘‘(i) a description of the activities to be carried out 
by the Center; 
‘‘(ii) a plan for disseminating programs related to the 
activities carried out by the Center to faculty at the grantee 
institution and at other institutions; 
‘‘(iii) an estimate of the number of faculty, graduate 
students (if any), and undergraduate students who will
H. R. 2272—122 
be affected by the activities carried out by the Center; 
and 
‘‘(iv) a plan for assessing the effectiveness of the Center 
at accomplishing the goals described in subparagraph 
(A)(ii). 
‘‘(G) In evaluating the applications submitted under 
subparagraph (F), the Director shall consider, at a minimum— 
‘‘(i) the ability of the applicant to effectively carry 
out the proposed activities, including the dissemination 
activities described in subparagraph (C)(ii)(IV); and 
‘‘(ii) the extent to which the faculty, staff, and adminis-
trators of the applicant institution are committed to 
improving undergraduate science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics education. 
‘‘(H) In awarding grants under subparagraph (A)(ii), the 
Director shall ensure that a wide variety of science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics fields and types of institutions 
of higher education, including 2-year colleges and minority- 
serving institutions, are covered, and that— 
‘‘(i) at least 1 Center is housed at a Doctoral/Research 
University as defined by the Carnegie Foundation for the 
Advancement of Teaching; and 
‘‘(ii) at least 1 Center is focused on improving under-
graduate education in an interdisciplinary area. 
‘‘(I) The Director shall convene an annual meeting of the 
awardees under this paragraph to foster collaboration and to 
disseminate the results of the Centers and the other activities 
funded under this paragraph.’’. 
(b) REPORT ON DATA COLLECTION.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit 
to Congress a report on how the Director is determining whether 
current grant recipients in the Science, Technology, Engineering, 
and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program are making satisfac-
tory progress as required by section 8(7)(D)(ii) of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 and what funding 
actions have been taken as a result of the Director’s determinations. 
SEC. 7026. LABORATORY SCIENCE PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) To remain competitive in science and technology in 
the global economy, the United States must increase the 
number of students graduating from high school prepared to 
pursue 
postsecondary 
education 
in 
science, 
technology, 
engineering, and mathematics. 
(2) There is broad agreement in the scientific community 
that learning science requires direct involvement by students 
in scientific inquiry and that laboratory experience is so integral 
to the nature of science that it must be included in every 
science program for every science student. 
(3) In America’s Lab Report, the National Research Council 
concluded that the current quality of laboratory experiences 
is poor for most students and that educators and researchers 
do not agree on how to define high school science laboratories 
or on their purpose, hampering the accumulation of research 
on how to improve laboratories. 
(4) The National Research Council found that schools with 
higher concentrations of non-Asian minorities and schools with
H. R. 2272—123 
higher concentrations of poor students are less likely to have 
adequate laboratory facilities than other schools. 
(5) The Government Accountability Office reported that 
49.1 percent of schools where the minority student population 
is greater than 50.5 percent reported not meeting functional 
requirements for laboratory science well or at all. 
(6) 40 percent of those college students who left the science 
fields reported some problems related to high school science 
preparation, including lack of laboratory experience and no 
introduction to theoretical or to analytical modes of thought. 
(7) It is in the national interest for the Federal Government 
to invest in research and demonstration projects to improve 
the teaching of laboratory science in the Nation’s high schools. 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM.—Section 8(8) of the National Science 
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) as 
clauses (i) through (vi), respectively; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘A program of competitive’’; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) In accordance with subparagraph (A)(v), the Director 
shall establish a research pilot program designated as ‘Partner-
ships for Access to Laboratory Science’ to award grants to 
partnerships to improve laboratories and provide instrumenta-
tion as part of a comprehensive program to enhance the quality 
of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruc-
tion at the secondary school level. Grants under this subpara-
graph may be used for— 
‘‘(i) professional development and training for teachers 
aligned with activities supported under section 2123 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6623); 
‘‘(ii) purchase, rental, or leasing of equipment, 
instrumentation, and other scientific educational materials; 
‘‘(iii) development of instructional programs designed 
to integrate the laboratory experience with classroom 
instruction and to be consistent with State mathematics 
and science and, to the extent applicable, technology and 
engineering, academic achievement standards; 
‘‘(iv) training in laboratory safety for school personnel; 
‘‘(v) design and implementation of hands-on laboratory 
experiences to encourage the interest of individuals identi-
fied in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering 
Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and help 
prepare such individuals to pursue postsecondary studies 
in these fields; and 
‘‘(vi) assessment of the activities funded under this 
subparagraph. 
‘‘(C) Grants may be made under subparagraph (B) only 
to a partnership— 
‘‘(i) for a project that includes significant teacher 
preparation and professional development components; or 
‘‘(ii) that establishes that appropriate teacher prepara-
tion and professional development is being addressed, or 
has been addressed, through other means.
H. R. 2272—124 
‘‘(D) Grants awarded under subparagraph (B) shall be to 
a partnership that— 
‘‘(i) includes a 2-year or 4-year degree granting institu-
tion of higher education; 
‘‘(ii) includes a high need local educational agency (as 
defined in section 201 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965); 
‘‘(iii) includes a business or eligible nonprofit organiza-
tion; and 
‘‘(iv) may include a State educational agency, other 
public agency, National Laboratory, or community-based 
organization. 
‘‘(E) The Federal share of the cost of activities carried 
out using amounts from a grant under subparagraph (B) shall 
not exceed 40 percent. 
‘‘(F) The Director shall require grant recipients under 
subparagraph (B) to submit a report to the Director on the 
results of the project supported by the grant.’’. 
(c) REPORT.—The Director shall evaluate the effectiveness of 
activities carried out under the research pilot projects funded by 
the grant program established pursuant to the amendment made 
by subsection (b) in improving student achievement in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics. A report documenting 
the results of that evaluation shall be submitted to the Committee 
on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
The report shall identify best practices and materials developed 
and demonstrated by grant awardees. 
(d) SUNSET.—The provisions of this section shall cease to have 
force or effect on the last day of fiscal year 2010. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—From the amounts 
authorized under subsections (a)(2)(B), (b)(2)(B), and (c)(2)(B) of 
section 7002, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this section and the amendments made by this section 
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 2 succeeding fiscal years. 
SEC. 7027. STUDY ON LABORATORY EQUIPMENT DONATIONS FOR 
SCHOOLS. 
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director shall transmit a report to Congress examining 
the extent to which institutions of higher education and entities 
in the private sector are donating used laboratory equipment to 
elementary schools and secondary schools. The Director, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Education, shall survey institutions of 
higher education and entities in the private sector to determine— 
(1) how often, how much, and what type of equipment 
is donated; 
(2) what criteria or guidelines the institutions and entities 
are using to determine what types of equipment can be donated, 
what condition the equipment should be in, and which schools 
receive the equipment; 
(3) whether the institutions and entities provide any sup-
port to, or follow-up with the schools; and 
(4) how appropriate donations can be encouraged.
H. R. 2272—125 
SEC. 7028. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS 
AMENDMENTS. 
Section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization 
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘a State educational 
agency’’ and inserting ‘‘the department, college, or program 
of education at an institution of higher education, a State 
educational agency,’’; 
(2) by striking subparagraph (B) of subsection (a)(3) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) offering professional development programs, 
including— 
‘‘(i) teacher institutes for the 21st century, as 
described in paragraph (10); and 
‘‘(ii) academic year institutes or workshops that— 
‘‘(I) are designed to strengthen the capabilities 
of mathematics and science teachers; and 
‘‘(II) may include professional development 
activities to prepare mathematics and science 
teachers 
to 
teach 
challenging 
mathematics, 
science, 
and 
technology 
college-preparatory 
courses;’’; 
(3) in subsection (a)(3)(C)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and laboratory experiences’’ after 
‘‘technology’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and laboratory’’ after ‘‘provide tech-
nical’’; 
(4) in subsection (a)(3)(I), by inserting ‘‘including the use 
of induction programs, as defined in section 6113(h) of the 
America COMPETES Act, for teachers in their first 2 years 
of teaching,’’ after ‘‘and science,’’; 
(5) by striking subparagraph (K) of section (a)(3) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(K) developing science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics educational programs and materials and con-
ducting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
enrichment programs for students, including after-school 
programs and summer programs, with an emphasis on 
including and serving students described in subsection 
(b)(2)(G);’’; 
(6) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) MENTORS
FOR
TEACHERS
AND
STUDENTS
OF
CHAL-
LENGING COURSES.—Partnerships carrying out activities to pre-
pare mathematics and science teachers to teach challenging 
mathematics, 
science, 
and 
technology 
college-preparatory 
courses in accordance with paragraph (3)(B) shall encourage 
companies employing scientists, technologists, engineers, or 
mathematicians to provide mentors to teachers and students 
and provide for the coordination of such mentoring activities. 
‘‘(9) INNOVATION.—Activities carried out in accordance with 
paragraph (3)(H) may include the development and dissemina-
tion of curriculum tools that will help foster inventiveness 
and innovation.’’; 
(7) in subsection (b)(2)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as 
subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
H. R. 2272—126 
‘‘(E) the extent to which the evaluation described in 
paragraph (1)(E) will be independent and based on objective 
measures;’’; 
(8) by striking paragraph (2) of subsection (c) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(2) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 4 years after 
the date of enactment of the America COMPETES Act, the 
Director shall transmit a report summarizing the evaluations 
required under subsection (b)(1)(E) of grants received under 
this program and describing any changes to the program rec-
ommended as a result of these evaluations to the Committee 
on Science and Technology and the Committee on Education 
and Labor of the House of Representatives and to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 
Such report shall be made widely available to the public.’’; 
and 
(9) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘mathematics and science teacher’ means 
a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics teacher at 
the elementary school or secondary school level; and 
‘‘(2) the term ‘science’, in the context of elementary and 
secondary education, includes technology and pre-engineering.’’. 
SEC. 7029. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION TEACHER INSTITUTES 
FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. 
Section 9(a) of the National Science Foundation Authorization 
Act of 2002 (as amended by section 7028) (42 U.S.C. 1862n(a)) 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) TEACHER INSTITUTES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Teacher institutes for the 21st cen-
tury carried out in accordance with paragraph (3)(B) shall— 
‘‘(i) be carried out in conjunction with a school 
served by the local educational agency in the partner-
ship; 
‘‘(ii) be science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics focused institutes that provide profes-
sional development to elementary school and secondary 
school teachers; 
‘‘(iii) serve teachers who— 
‘‘(I) are considered highly qualified (as defined 
in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965); 
‘‘(II) teach high-need subjects in science, tech-
nology, engineering, or mathematics; and 
‘‘(III) teach in high-need schools (as described 
in section 1114(a)(1) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965); 
‘‘(iv) focus on the priorities developed by the 
Director in consultation with a broad group of relevant 
educational organizations; 
‘‘(v) be content-based and build on school year cur-
ricula that are experiment-oriented, content-based, and 
grounded in current research; 
‘‘(vi) ensure that the pedagogy component is 
designed around specific strategies that are relevant
H. R. 2272—127 
to teaching the subject and content on which teachers 
are being trained, which may include training teachers 
in the essential components of reading instruction for 
adolescents in order to improve student reading skills 
within the subject areas of science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics; 
‘‘(vii) be a multiyear program that is conducted 
for a period of not less than 2 weeks per year; 
‘‘(viii) provide for direct interaction between 
participants in and faculty of the teacher institute; 
‘‘(ix) have a component that includes the use of 
the Internet; 
‘‘(x) provide for followup training in the classroom 
during the academic year for a period of not less than 
3 days, which may or may not be consecutive, for 
participants in the teacher institute, except that for 
teachers in rural local educational agencies, the 
followup training may be provided through the Inter-
net; 
‘‘(xi) provide teachers participating in the teacher 
institute with travel expense reimbursement and class-
room materials related to the teacher institute, and 
may include providing stipends as necessary; and 
‘‘(xii) establish a mechanism to provide supple-
mental support during the academic year for teacher 
institute participants to apply the knowledge and skills 
gained at the teacher institute. 
‘‘(B) OPTIONAL
MEMBERS
OF
THE
PARTNERSHIP.—In 
addition to the partnership requirement under paragraph 
(2), an institution of higher education or eligible nonprofit 
organization (or consortium) desiring a grant for a teacher 
institute for the 21st century may also partner with a 
teacher organization, museum, or educational partnership 
organization.’’. 
SEC. 7030. ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 
Section 10 of the National Science Foundation Authorization 
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 10. ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall carry out a program 
to award grants to eligible entities to recruit and train mathe-
matics and science teachers and to provide scholarships and 
stipends to individuals participating in the program. Such pro-
gram shall be known as the ‘Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship 
Program’. 
‘‘(2) MERIT REVIEW.—Grants shall be provided under this 
section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. 
‘‘(3) USE OF GRANTS.—A grant provided under this section 
shall be used by the eligible entity— 
‘‘(A) to develop and implement a program to recruit 
and prepare undergraduate students majoring in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics at the eligible 
entity (and participating institutions of higher education 
of the consortium, if applicable) to become qualified as 
mathematics and science teachers, through—
H. R. 2272—128 
‘‘(i) administering scholarships in accordance with 
subsection (c); 
‘‘(ii) offering academic courses and early clinical 
teaching experiences designed to prepare students 
participating in the program to teach in elementary 
schools and secondary schools, including such prepara-
tion as is necessary to meet requirements for teacher 
certification or licensing; 
‘‘(iii) offering programs to students participating 
in the program, both before and after the students 
receive their baccalaureate degree, to enable the stu-
dents to become better mathematics and science 
teachers, to fulfill the service requirements of this sec-
tion, and to exchange ideas with others in the students’ 
fields; and 
‘‘(iv) providing summer internships for freshman 
and sophomore students participating in the program; 
or 
‘‘(B) to develop and implement a program to recruit 
and prepare science, technology, engineering, or mathe-
matics professionals to become qualified as mathematics 
and science teachers, through— 
‘‘(i) administering stipends in accordance with sub-
section (d); 
‘‘(ii) offering academic courses and clinical teaching 
experiences designed to prepare stipend recipients to 
teach in elementary schools and secondary schools 
served by a high need local educational agency, 
including such preparation as is necessary to meet 
requirements for teacher certification or licensing; and 
‘‘(iii) offering programs to stipend recipients, both 
during and after matriculation in the program for 
which the stipend is received, to enable recipients to 
become better mathematics and science teachers, to 
fulfill the service requirements of this section, and 
to exchange ideas with others in the students’ fields. 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall ensure that 
specific faculty members and staff from the science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics departments and 
specific education faculty of the eligible entity (and partici-
pating institutions of higher education of the consortium, 
if applicable) are designated to carry out the development 
and implementation of the program. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSION
OF
MASTER
TEACHERS.—An eligible 
entity (and participating institutions of higher education 
of the consortium, if applicable) receiving a grant under 
this section may also include master teachers in the 
development of the pedagogical content of the program 
and in the supervision of students participating in the 
program in their clinical teaching experiences. 
‘‘(C) ACTIVE
PARTICIPANTS.—No eligible entity (or 
participating institution of higher education of the consor-
tium, if applicable) shall be eligible for a grant under 
this section unless faculty from the science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics departments of the eligible
H. R. 2272—129 
entity (and participating institutions of higher education 
of the consortium, if applicable) are active participants 
in the program. 
‘‘(5) AWARDS.—In awarding grants under this section, the 
Director shall ensure that the eligible entities (and participating 
institutions of higher education of the consortia, if applicable) 
represent a variety of types of institutions of higher education. 
In support of this goal, the Director shall broadly disseminate 
information about when and how to apply for grants under 
this section, including by conducting outreach to— 
‘‘(A) historically Black colleges and universities that 
are part B institutions, as defined in section 322(2) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)); 
and 
‘‘(B) minority institutions, as defined in section 365(3) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3)). 
‘‘(6) SUPPLEMENT
NOT
SUPPLANT.—Grant funds provided 
under this section shall be used to supplement, and not sup-
plant, other Federal or State funds available for the type of 
activities supported by the grant. 
‘‘(b) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking funding under 
this section shall submit an application to the Director at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Director may require. The application shall include, 
at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) in the case of an applicant that is submitting 
an application on behalf of a consortium of institutions 
of higher education, a description of the participating 
institutions of higher education and the roles and respon-
sibilities of each such institution; 
‘‘(B) a description of the program that the applicant 
intends to operate, including the number of scholarships 
and summer internships or the size and number of stipends 
the applicant intends to award, the type of activities pro-
posed for the recruitment of students to the program, and 
the selection process that will be used in awarding the 
scholarships or stipends; 
‘‘(C) evidence that the applicant has the capability 
to administer the program in accordance with the provi-
sions of this section, which may include a description of 
any existing programs at the applicant eligible entity (and 
participating institutions of higher education of the consor-
tium, if applicable) that are targeted to the education of 
mathematics and science teachers and the number of 
teachers graduated annually from such programs; 
‘‘(D) a description of the academic courses and clinical 
teaching experiences required under subparagraphs (A)(ii) 
and (B)(ii) of subsection (a)(3), as applicable, including— 
‘‘(i) a description of the undergraduate program 
that will enable a student to graduate within 5 years 
with a major in science, technology, engineering, or 
mathematics and to obtain teacher certification or 
licensing; 
‘‘(ii) a description of the clinical teaching experi-
ences proposed; and
H. R. 2272—130 
‘‘(iii) evidence of agreements between the applicant 
and the schools or local educational agencies that are 
identified as the locations at which clinical teaching 
experiences will occur; 
‘‘(E) a description of the programs required under sub-
paragraphs (A)(iii) and (B)(iii) of subsection (a)(3), including 
activities to assist new teachers in fulfilling the teachers’ 
service requirements under this section; 
‘‘(F) an identification of the applicant eligible entity’s 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty 
and its education faculty (and such faculty of participating 
institutions of higher education of the consortium, if 
applicable) who will carry out the development and 
implementation of the program as required under sub-
section (a)(4); and 
‘‘(G) a description of the process the applicant will 
use to fulfill the requirements of subsection (f). 
‘‘(2) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—In evaluating the applica-
tions submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall con-
sider, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) the ability of the applicant (and the participating 
institutions of higher education of the consortium, if 
applicable) to effectively carry out the program; 
‘‘(B) the extent to which the applicant’s science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics faculty and its edu-
cation faculty (and such faculty of participating institutions 
of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) have 
worked or will work collaboratively to design new or revised 
curricula that recognize the specialized pedagogy required 
to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
effectively in elementary schools and secondary schools; 
‘‘(C) the extent to which the applicant (and the partici-
pating institutions of higher education of the consortium, 
if applicable) is committed to making the program a central 
organizational focus; 
‘‘(D) the degree to which the proposed programming 
will enable scholarship or stipend recipients to become 
successful mathematics and science teachers; 
‘‘(E) the number and academic qualifications of the 
students who will be served by the program; and 
‘‘(F) the ability of the applicant (and the participating 
institutions of higher education of the consortium, if 
applicable) to recruit students who would otherwise not 
pursue a career in teaching in elementary schools or sec-
ondary schools and students who are individuals identified 
in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b). 
‘‘(c) SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Scholarships under this section shall 
be available only to students who— 
‘‘(A) are majoring in science, technology, engineering, 
or mathematics; and 
‘‘(B) have attained at least junior status in a bacca-
laureate degree program. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION.—Individuals shall be selected to receive 
scholarships primarily on the basis of academic merit, with
H. R. 2272—131 
consideration given to financial need and to the goal of pro-
moting the participation of individuals identified in section 
33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b). 
‘‘(3) AMOUNT.—The Director shall establish for each year 
the amount to be awarded for scholarships under this section 
for that year, which shall be not less than $10,000 per year, 
except that no individual shall receive for any year more than 
the cost of attendance at that individual’s institution. Full- 
time students may receive annual scholarships through the 
completion of a baccalaureate degree program, not to exceed 
a maximum of 3 years. Part-time students may receive scholar-
ships that are prorated according to such students’ enrollment 
status, not to exceed 6 years of scholarship support. 
‘‘(4) SERVICE OBLIGATION.—If an individual receives a schol-
arship under this section, such individual shall be required 
to complete, within 8 years after graduation from the bacca-
laureate degree program for which the scholarship was 
awarded, 2 years of service as a mathematics or science teacher 
for each full scholarship award received, with a maximum 
service requirement of 6 years. Service required under this 
paragraph shall be performed in a high need local educational 
agency. 
‘‘(d) STIPENDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Stipends under this section shall be 
available only to science, technology, engineering, or mathe-
matics professionals who, while receiving the stipend, are 
enrolled in a program established under subsection (a)(3)(B). 
‘‘(2) SELECTION.—Individuals shall be selected to receive 
stipends under this section primarily on the basis of academic 
merit and professional achievement, with consideration given 
to financial need and to the goal of promoting the participation 
of individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science 
and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a 
or 1885b). 
‘‘(3) AMOUNT AND DURATION.—Stipends under this section 
shall be not less than $10,000 per year, except that no indi-
vidual shall receive for any year more than the cost of attend-
ance at such individual’s institution. Individuals may receive 
a maximum of 1 year of stipend support, except that if an 
individual is enrolled in a part-time program, such amount 
shall be prorated according to the length of the program. 
‘‘(4) SERVICE OBLIGATION.—If an individual receives a sti-
pend under this section, such individual shall be required to 
complete, within 4 years after graduation from the program 
for which the stipend was awarded, 2 years of service as a 
mathematics or science teacher. Service required under this 
paragraph shall be performed in a high need local educational 
agency. 
‘‘(e) CONDITIONS OF SUPPORT.—As a condition of acceptance 
of a scholarship or stipend under this section, a recipient of a 
scholarship or stipend shall enter into an agreement with the 
eligible entity— 
‘‘(1) accepting the terms of the scholarship or stipend pursu-
ant to subsection (c) or subsection (d); 
‘‘(2) agreeing to provide the eligible entity with annual 
certification of employment and up-to-date contact information
H. R. 2272—132 
and to participate in surveys conducted by the eligible entity 
as part of an ongoing assessment program; and 
‘‘(3) establishing that if the service obligation required 
under this section is not completed, all or a portion of the 
scholarship or stipend received under this section shall be 
repaid in accordance with subsection (g). 
‘‘(f) COLLECTION FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.— 
‘‘(1) MONITORING COMPLIANCE.—An eligible entity receiving 
a grant under this section shall, as a condition of participating 
in the program, enter into an agreement with the Director 
to monitor the compliance of scholarship or stipend recipients 
with their respective service requirements. 
‘‘(2) COLLECTION OF REPAYMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the event that a scholarship or 
stipend recipient is required to repay the scholarship or 
stipend under subsection (g), the eligible entity shall— 
‘‘(i) be responsible for determining the repayment 
amounts and for notifying the recipient and the 
Director of the amount owed; and 
‘‘(ii) collect such repayment amount within a period 
of time as determined under the agreement described 
in paragraph (1), or the repayment amount shall be 
treated as a loan in accordance with subparagraph 
(C). 
‘‘(B) RETURNED TO TREASURY.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (C), any such repayment shall be returned 
to the Treasury of the United States. 
‘‘(C) RETAIN
PERCENTAGE.—An eligible entity may 
retain a percentage of any repayment the eligible entity 
collects to defray administrative costs associated with the 
collection. The Director shall establish a single, fixed 
percentage that will apply to all eligible entities. 
‘‘(g) FAILURE TO COMPLETE SERVICE OBLIGATION.— 
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—If an individual who has received 
a scholarship or stipend under this section— 
‘‘(A) fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic 
standing in the educational institution in which the indi-
vidual is enrolled, as determined by the Director; 
‘‘(B) is dismissed from such educational institution for 
disciplinary reasons; 
‘‘(C) withdraws from the program for which the award 
was made before the completion of such program; 
‘‘(D) declares that the individual does not intend to 
fulfill the service obligation under this section; or 
‘‘(E) fails to fulfill the service obligation of the indi-
vidual under this section, 
such individual shall be liable to the United States as provided 
in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT.— 
‘‘(A) LESS
THAN
ONE
YEAR
OF
SERVICE.—If a cir-
cumstance described in paragraph (1) occurs before the 
completion of 1 year of a service obligation under this 
section, the total amount of awards received by the indi-
vidual under this section shall be repaid or such amount 
shall be treated as a loan to be repaid in accordance with 
subparagraph (C).