Title: STEM Opportunities Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
STEM Opportunities Act
This bill provides for guidance, data collection, and grants for groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at institutions of higher education (IHEs) and at federal science agencies.
Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to provide specified guidance related to such groups to federal science agencies and IHEs.
Each federal science agency must collect comprehensive demographic data on recipients of merit-reviewed research and development grants given to IHEs and federal laboratories supported by that agency.
Each agency must also implement recommendations from the OSTP report titled Reducing the Impact of Bias in the STEM Workforce. In addition, each agency must carry out a pilot program and implement evidence-based policies and practices to minimize the effect of implicit bias in the grant review process.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) must carry out and publish a survey to collect data on the demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of IHEs.
The NSF must also carry out a variety of grant programs, including grants for increasing (1) the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in STEM careers; (2) the recruitment and retention of minority students who are underrepresented in STEM fields; and (3) student participation in computer science and computational thinking education programs at tribal colleges and universities.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2224 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2224

 To direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
  to carry out programs and activities to ensure that Federal science 
    agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal 
research and development funding are fully engaging their entire talent 
                     pool, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2021

Ms. Hirono (for herself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Markey, Ms. 
 Cortez Masto, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Brown, 
   Mr. Durbin, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
  to carry out programs and activities to ensure that Federal science 
    agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal 
research and development funding are fully engaging their entire talent 
                     pool, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Opportunities 
Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents; findings.
Sec. 2. Purposes.
Sec. 3. Federal science agency policies for caregivers.
Sec. 4. Collection and reporting of data on Federal research grants.
Sec. 5. Policies for review of Federal research grants.
Sec. 6. Collection of data on demographics of faculty.
Sec. 7. Cultural and institutional barriers to expanding the academic 
                            and Federal STEM workforce.
Sec. 8. Research and dissemination at the National Science Foundation.
Sec. 9. Research and related activities to expand STEM opportunities.
Sec. 10. Tribal Colleges and Universities Program.
Sec. 11. Report to Congress.
Sec. 12. Merit review.
Sec. 13. Definitions.
    (c) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Many reports over the past decade have found that it is 
        critical to our Nation's economic leadership and global 
        competitiveness that the United States educates and trains more 
        scientists and engineers.
            (2) Research shows that women and minorities who are 
        interested in STEM careers are disproportionately lost at 
        nearly every educational transition and at every career 
        milestone.
            (3) The National Center for Science and Engineering 
        Statistics at the National Science Foundation collects, 
        compiles, analyzes, and publishes data on the demographics of 
        STEM degrees and STEM jobs in the United States.
            (4) Women now earn nearly 37 percent of all STEM bachelor's 
        degrees, but major variations persist among fields. In 2017, 
        women earned only 20 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded 
        in engineering and 19 percent of bachelor's degrees awarded in 
        computer sciences. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 
        jobs in computing occupations are expected to account for 
        nearly 60 percent of the projected annual growth of newly 
        created STEM job openings from 2016 to 2026.
            (5) In 2017, underrepresented minority groups comprised 39 
        percent of the college-age population of the United States, but 
        only 18 percent of students who earned bachelor's degrees in 
        STEM fields. The Higher Education Research Institute at the 
        University of California, Los Angeles, found that, while 
        freshmen from underrepresented minority groups express an 
        interest in pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree at the same 
        rate as all other freshmen, only 22.1 percent of Latino 
        students, 18.4 percent of African-American students, and 18.8 
        percent of Native American students studying in STEM fields 
        complete their degree within 5 years, compared to approximately 
        33 percent of White students and 42 percent of Asian students 
        who complete their degree within 5 years.
            (6) In some STEM fields, including the computer sciences, 
        women persist at about the same rate through doctorate degrees. 
        In other STEM fields, women persist through doctorate degrees 
        at a lower rate. In mathematics, women earn just 26 percent of 
        doctorate degrees compared with 42 percent of undergraduate 
        degrees. Overall, women earned 38 percent of STEM doctorate 
        degrees in 2016. The rate of minority students earning STEM 
        doctorate degrees in physics is 9 percent, compared with 15 
        percent for bachelor's degrees. Students from underrepresented 
        minority groups accounted for only 11.5 percent of STEM 
        doctorate degrees awarded in 2016.
            (7) The representation of women in STEM drops significantly 
        from the doctorate degree level to the faculty level. Overall, 
        women hold only 26 percent of all tenured and tenure-track 
        positions and 27 percent of full professor positions in STEM 
        fields in our Nation's universities and 4-year colleges. Black 
        and Hispanic faculty together hold about 6.8 percent of all 
        tenured and tenure-track positions and 7.5 percent of full 
        professor positions. Many of the numbers in the American Indian 
        or Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 
        categories for different faculty ranks were too small for the 
        National Science Foundation to report publicly without 
        potentially compromising confidential information about the 
        individuals being surveyed.
            (8) The representation of women is especially low at our 
        Nation's top research universities. Even in the biological 
        sciences, in which women now earn more than 50 percent of the 
        doctorates and passed the 25 percent level 37 years ago, women 
        make up only 25 percent of the full professors at the 
        approximately 100 most research-intensive universities in the 
        United States. In the physical sciences and mathematics, women 
        make up only 11 percent of full professors, in computer 
        sciences only 10 percent, and across engineering fields only 7 
        percent. The data suggest that approximately 6 percent of all 
        tenure-track STEM faculty members at the most research-
        intensive universities are from underrepresented minority 
        groups, but in some fields the numbers are too small to report 
        publicly.
            (9) By 2050, underrepresented minorities will comprise 52 
        percent of the college-age population of the United States. If 
        the percentage of female students and students from 
        underrepresented minority groups earning bachelor's degrees in 
        STEM fields does not significantly increase, the United States 
        will face an acute shortfall in the overall number of students 
        who earn degrees in STEM fields just as United States companies 
        are increasingly seeking students with those skills. With this 
        impending shortfall, the United States will almost certainly 
        lose its competitive edge in the 21st century global economy.
            (10) According to a 2014 Association for Women in Science 
        survey of over 4,000 scientists across the globe, 70 percent of 
        whom were men, STEM researchers face significant challenges in 
        work-life integration. Researchers in the United States were 
        among the most likely to experience a conflict between work and 
        their personal life at least weekly. One-third of researchers 
        surveyed said that ensuring good work-life integration has 
        negatively impacted their careers, and, of researchers 
        intending to leave their current job within the next year, 9 
        percent indicated it was because they were unable to balance 
        work and life demands.
            (11) Female students and students from underrepresented 
        minority groups at institutions of higher education who see few 
        others ``like themselves'' among faculty and student 
        populations often do not experience the social integration that 
        is necessary for success in all disciplines, including STEM.
            (12) One in five children in the United States attend 
        school in a rural community. The data shows that rural students 
        are at a disadvantage with respect to STEM readiness. Among 
        STEM-interested students, 17 percent of students in rural high 
        schools and 18 percent of students in town-located high schools 
        meet the ACT STEM Benchmark, compared with 33 percent of 
        students in suburban high schools and 27 percent of students in 
        urban high schools.
            (13) A substantial body of evidence establishes that most 
        people hold implicit biases. Decades of cognitive psychology 
        research reveal that most people carry prejudices of which they 
        are unaware but that nonetheless play a large role in 
        evaluations of people and their work. Unintentional biases and 
        outmoded institutional structures are hindering the access and 
        advancement of women, minorities, and other groups historically 
        underrepresented in STEM.
            (14) Workshops held to educate faculty about unintentional 
        biases have demonstrated success in raising awareness of such 
        biases.
            (15) In 2012, the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity 
        of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (in this 
        Act referred to as ``NASA'') completed a report that--
                    (A) is specifically designed to help NASA grant 
                recipients identify why the dearth of women in STEM 
                fields continues and to ensure that it is not due to 
                discrimination; and
                    (B) provides guidance that is usable by all 
                institutions of higher education receiving significant 
                Federal research funding on how to conduct meaningful 
                self-evaluations of campus culture and policies.
            (16) The Federal Government provides 55 percent of research 
        funding at institutions of higher education and, through its 
        grant-making policies, has had significant influence on 
        institution of higher education policies, including policies 
        related to institutional culture and structure.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To ensure that Federal science agencies and 
        institutions of higher education receiving Federal research and 
        development funding are fully engaging the entire talent pool 
        of the United States.
            (2) To promote research on, and increase understanding of, 
        the participation and trajectories of women, minorities, and 
        other groups historically underrepresented in STEM studies and 
        careers, including persons with disabilities, older learners, 
        veterans, and rural, poor, and tribal populations, at 
        institutions of higher education and Federal science agencies, 
        including Federal laboratories.
            (3) To raise awareness within Federal science agencies, 
        including Federal laboratories, and institutions of higher 
        education about cultural and institutional barriers limiting 
        the recruitment, retention, promotion, and other indicators of 
        participation and achievement of women, minorities, and other 
        groups historically underrepresented in academic and Government 
        STEM research careers at all levels.
            (4) To identify, disseminate, and implement best practices 
        at Federal science agencies, including Federal laboratories, 
        and at institutions of higher education to remove or reduce 
        cultural and institutional barriers limiting the recruitment, 
        retention, and success of women, minorities, and other groups 
        historically underrepresented in academic and Government STEM 
        research careers.
            (5) To provide grants to institutions of higher education 
        to recruit, retain, and advance STEM faculty members from 
        underrepresented minority groups and to implement or expand 
        reforms in undergraduate STEM education in order to increase 
        the number of students from underrepresented minority groups 
        receiving degrees in these fields.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY POLICIES FOR CAREGIVERS.

    (a) OSTP Guidance.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with relevant 
agencies, shall provide guidance to each Federal science agency to 
establish policies that--
            (1) apply to all--
                    (A) research awards granted by such agency; and
                    (B) principal investigators of such research who 
                have caregiving responsibilities, including care for a 
                newborn or newly adopted child and care for an 
                immediate family member who is sick or disabled; and
            (2) provide--
                    (A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of 
                approved research awards granted by such agency;
                    (B) no-cost extensions of such research awards;
                    (C) grant supplements, as appropriate, to research 
                awards for research technicians or equivalent positions 
                to sustain research activities conducted under such 
                awards; and
                    (D) any other appropriate accommodations at the 
                discretion of the director of each such agency.
    (b) Uniformity of Guidance.--In providing guidance under subsection 
(a), the Director shall encourage uniformity and consistency in the 
policies established pursuant to such guidance across all Federal 
science agencies.
    (c) Establishment of Policies.--Consistent with the guidance under 
subsection (a), Federal science agencies shall--
            (1) maintain or develop and implement policies for 
        individuals described in paragraph (1)(B) of such subsection; 
        and
            (2) broadly disseminate such policies to current and 
        potential grantees.
    (d) Data on Usage.--Federal science agencies shall--
            (1) collect data on the usage of the policies under 
        subsection (c), by gender, at both institutions of higher 
        education and Federal laboratories; and
            (2) report such data on an annual basis to the Director in 
        such form as required by the Director.

SEC. 4. COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF DATA ON FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS.

    (a) Collection of Data.--
            (1) In general.--Each Federal science agency shall collect, 
        as practicable, with respect to all applications for merit-
        reviewed research and development grants to institutions of 
        higher education and Federal laboratories supported by that 
        agency, the standardized record-level annual information on 
        demographics, primary field, award type, institution type, 
        review rating, budget request, funding outcome, and awarded 
        budget.
            (2) Uniformity and standardization.--The Director, in 
        consultation with the Director of the National Science 
        Foundation, shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity and 
        standardization of the data collection required under paragraph 
        (1).
            (3) Record-level data.--
                    (A) Requirement.--Beginning not later than 2 years 
                after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on an 
                annual basis thereafter, each Federal science agency 
                shall submit to the Director of the National Science 
                Foundation record-level data collected under paragraph 
                (1) in the form required by such Director.
                    (B) Previous data.--As part of the first submission 
                under subparagraph (A), each Federal science agency, to 
                the extent practicable, shall also submit comparable 
                record-level data for the 5 years preceding the date of 
                such submission.
    (b) Reporting of Data.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall publish statistical summary data, as practicable, 
collected under this section, disaggregated and cross-tabulated by 
race, ethnicity, gender, and years since completion of doctoral degree, 
including in conjunction with the National Science Foundation's report 
required by section 37 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d).

SEC. 5. POLICIES FOR REVIEW OF FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--Each Federal science agency shall implement the 
policy recommendations with respect to reducing the impact of implicit 
bias at Federal science agencies and grantee institutions as developed 
by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the 2016 report 
entitled ``Reducing the Impact of Bias in the STEM Workforce'' and any 
subsequent updates.
    (b) Pilot Activity.--In consultation with the National Science 
Foundation and consistent with policy recommendations referenced in 
subsection (a), each Federal science agency shall implement a 2-year 
pilot orientation activity for program officers and members of standing 
review committees to educate reviewers on research related to, and 
minimize the effects of, implicit bias in the review of extramural and 
intramural Federal research grants.
    (c) Establishment of Policies.--Drawing upon lessons learned from 
the pilot activity under subsection (b), each Federal science agency 
shall maintain or develop and implement evidence-based policies and 
practices to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the review of 
extramural and intramural Federal research grants.
    (d) Assessment of Policies.--Federal science agencies shall 
regularly assess, and amend as necessary, the policies and practices 
implemented pursuant to subsection (c) to ensure effective measures are 
in place to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the review of 
extramural and intramural Federal research grants.

SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF FACULTY.

    (a) Collection of Data.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and at least every 5 years thereafter, 
        the Director of the National Science Foundation shall carry out 
        a survey to collect data from grantees on the demographics of 
        STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of 
        institutions of higher education.
            (2) Considerations.--To the extent practicable, the 
        Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider, by 
        gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship status, and years since 
        completion of doctoral degree--
                    (A) the number and percentage of faculty;
                    (B) the number and percentage of faculty at each 
                rank;
                    (C) the number and percentage of faculty who are in 
                nontenure-track positions, including teaching and 
                research;
                    (D) the number and percentage of faculty who are 
                reviewed for promotion, including tenure, and the 
                percentage of that number who are promoted, including 
                being awarded tenure;
                    (E) faculty years in rank;
                    (F) the number and percentage of faculty to leave 
                tenure-track positions;
                    (G) the number and percentage of faculty hired, by 
                rank; and
                    (H) the number and percentage of faculty in 
                leadership positions.
    (b) Existing Surveys.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation, may, in modifying or expanding existing Federal surveys of 
higher education (as necessary)--
            (1) take into account the considerations under subsection 
        (a)(2) by collaborating with statistical centers at other 
        Federal agencies; or
            (2) award a grant or contract to an institution of higher 
        education or other nonprofit organization to take such 
        considerations into account.
    (c) Reporting Data.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall publish statistical summary data collected under this 
section, including as part of the National Science Foundation's report 
required by section 37 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation 
$3,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2021 through 2023 to develop and 
carry out the initial survey required under subsection (a).

SEC. 7. CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO EXPANDING THE ACADEMIC 
              AND FEDERAL STEM WORKFORCE.

    (a) Best Practices at Institutions of Higher Education and Federal 
Laboratories.--
            (1) Development of guidance.--Not later than 12 months 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in 
        consultation with the interagency working group on inclusion in 
        STEM, shall develop written guidance for institutions of higher 
        education and Federal laboratories on the best practices for--
                    (A) conducting periodic climate surveys of STEM 
                departments and divisions, with a particular focus on 
                identifying any cultural or institutional barriers to 
                the recruitment, retention, or advancement of women, 
                racial and ethnic minorities, and other groups 
                historically underrepresented in STEM studies and 
                careers; and
                    (B) providing educational opportunities, including 
                workshops as described in subsection (b), for STEM 
                faculty, research personnel, and administrators to 
                learn about current research on implicit bias in 
                recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of undergraduate 
                and graduate students and research personnel.
            (2) Existing guidance.--In developing the guidance under 
        paragraph (1), the Director shall utilize guidance already 
        developed by Federal science agencies.
            (3) Dissemination of guidance.--Federal science agencies 
        shall broadly disseminate the guidance developed under 
        paragraph (1) to institutions of higher education that receive 
        Federal research funding and Federal laboratories.
            (4) Establishment of policies.--Consistent with the 
        guidance developed under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) the Director of the National Science Foundation 
                shall develop a policy that--
                            (i) applies to, at a minimum, doctoral 
                        degree granting institutions that receive 
                        Federal research funding; and
                            (ii) requires each such institution, not 
                        later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
                        of this Act, to report to the Director of the 
                        National Science Foundation on activities and 
                        policies developed and implemented based on the 
                        guidance developed under paragraph (1); and
                    (B) each Federal science agency with a Federal 
                laboratory shall maintain or develop and implement 
                practices and policies for the purposes described in 
                paragraph (1) for such laboratory.
    (b) Workshops To Address Cultural Barriers to Expanding the 
Academic and Federal STEM Workforce.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the 
        interagency working group on inclusion in STEM, shall recommend 
        a uniform policy for Federal science agencies to carry out a 
        program of workshops that educate STEM department chairs at 
        institutions of higher education, senior managers at Federal 
        laboratories, and other federally funded researchers about 
        methods that minimize the effects of implicit bias in the 
        career advancement, including hiring, tenure, promotion, and 
        selection for any honor based in part on the recipient's 
        research record, of academic and Federal STEM researchers.
            (2) Interagency coordination.--The Director shall, to the 
        extent practicable, ensure that workshops supported under this 
        subsection are coordinated across Federal science agencies and 
        jointly supported as appropriate.
            (3) Minimizing costs.--To the extent practicable, workshops 
        shall be held in conjunction with national or regional STEM 
        disciplinary meetings to minimize costs associated with 
        participant travel.
            (4) Priority fields for academic participants.--In 
        considering the participation of STEM department chairs and 
        other academic researchers, the Director shall prioritize 
        workshops for the broad fields of STEM in which the national 
        rate of representation of women among tenured or tenure-track 
        faculty or nonfaculty researchers at doctorate-granting 
        institutions of higher education is less than 25 percent, 
        according to the most recent data available from the National 
        Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
            (5) Organizations eligible to carry out workshops.--A 
        Federal science agency may carry out the program of workshops 
        under this subsection by making grants to organizations made 
        eligible by the Federal science agency and any of the following 
        organizations:
                    (A) Nonprofit scientific and professional societies 
                and organizations that represent one or more STEM 
                disciplines.
                    (B) Nonprofit organizations that have the primary 
                mission of advancing the participation of women, 
                minorities, or other groups historically 
                underrepresented in STEM.
            (6) Characteristics of workshops.--The workshops shall have 
        the following characteristics:
                    (A) Invitees to workshops shall include at least--
                            (i) the chairs of departments in the 
                        relevant STEM discipline or disciplines from 
                        doctoral degree granting institutions that 
                        receive Federal research funding; and
                            (ii) in the case of Federal laboratories, 
                        individuals with personnel management 
                        responsibilities comparable to those of an 
                        institution of higher education department 
                        chair.
                    (B) Activities at the workshops shall include 
                research presentations and interactive discussions or 
                other activities that increase the awareness of the 
                existence of implicit bias in recruitment, hiring, 
                tenure review, promotion, and other forms of formal 
                recognition of individual achievement for faculty and 
                other federally funded STEM researchers and shall 
                provide strategies to overcome such bias.
                    (C) Research presentations and other workshop 
                programs, as appropriate, shall include a discussion of 
                the unique challenges faced by different 
                underrepresented groups, including minority women, 
                minority men, persons from rural and underserved areas, 
                persons with disabilities, gender and sexual minority 
                individuals, and first generation graduates in 
                research.
                    (D) Workshop programs shall include information on 
                best practices for mentoring undergraduate, graduate, 
                and postdoctoral women, minorities, and other students 
                from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.
            (7) Data on workshops.--Any proposal for funding by an 
        organization seeking to carry out a workshop under this 
        subsection shall include a description of how such organization 
        will--
                    (A) collect data on the rates of attendance by 
                invitees in workshops, including information on the 
                home institution and department of attendees, and the 
                rank of faculty attendees;
                    (B) conduct attitudinal surveys on workshop 
                attendees before and after the workshops; and
                    (C) collect follow-up data on any relevant 
                institutional policy or practice changes reported by 
                attendees not later than 1 year after attendance in 
                such a workshop.
            (8) Report to nsf.--Organizations receiving funding to 
        carry out workshops under this subsection shall report the data 
        required in paragraph (7) to the Director of the National 
        Science Foundation in such form as required by such Director.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall submit a report to Congress that includes--
            (1) a summary and analysis of the types and frequency of 
        activities and policies developed and carried out under 
        subsection (a) based on the reports submitted under paragraph 
        (4) of such subsection; and
            (2) a description and evaluation of the status and 
        effectiveness of the program of workshops required under 
        subsection (b), including a summary of any data reported under 
        paragraph (8) of such subsection.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation 
$1,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry out this 
section.

SEC. 8. RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall award research grants and carry out dissemination activities 
consistent with the purposes of this Act, including--
            (1) research grants to analyze the record-level data 
        collected under section 4 and section 6, consistent with 
        policies to ensure the privacy of individuals identifiable by 
        such data;
            (2) research grants to study best practices for work-life 
        accommodation;
            (3) research grants to study the impact of policies and 
        practices that are implemented under this Act or that are 
        otherwise consistent with the purposes of this Act;
            (4) collaboration with other Federal science agencies and 
        professional associations to exchange best practices, harmonize 
        work-life accommodation policies and practices, and overcome 
        common barriers to work-life accommodation; and
            (5) collaboration with institutions of higher education in 
        order to clarify and catalyze the adoption of a coherent and 
        consistent set of work-life accommodation policies and 
        practices.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation 
$5,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry out this 
section.

SEC. 9. RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES TO EXPAND STEM OPPORTUNITIES.

    (a) National Science Foundation Support for Increasing Diversity 
Among STEM Faculty at Institutions of Higher Education.--Section 305 of 
the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-5) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
        (g) and (h), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Support for Increasing Diversity Among STEM Faculty at 
Institutions of Higher Education.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director of the Foundation shall 
        award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia 
        thereof) for the development and assessment of innovative 
        reform efforts designed to increase the recruitment, retention, 
        and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority 
        groups in academic STEM careers.
            ``(2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
        under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Activities supported by grants under 
        this subsection may include--
                    ``(A) institutional assessment activities, such as 
                data analyses and policy review, in order to identify 
                and address specific issues in the recruitment, 
                retention, and advancement of faculty members from 
                underrepresented minority groups;
                    ``(B) implementation of institution-wide 
                improvements in workload distribution, such that 
                faculty members from underrepresented minority groups 
                are not disadvantaged in the amount of time available 
                to focus on research, publishing papers, and engaging 
                in other activities required to achieve tenure status 
                and run a productive research program;
                    ``(C) development and implementation of training 
                courses for administrators and search committee members 
                to ensure that candidates from underrepresented 
                minority groups are not subject to implicit biases in 
                the search and hiring process;
                    ``(D) development and hosting of intra- or inter-
                institutional workshops to propagate best practices in 
                recruiting, retaining, and advancing faculty members 
                from underrepresented minority groups;
                    ``(E) professional development opportunities for 
                faculty members from underrepresented minority groups;
                    ``(F) activities aimed at making undergraduate STEM 
                students from underrepresented minority groups aware of 
                opportunities for academic careers in STEM fields;
                    ``(G) activities to identify and engage exceptional 
                graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from 
                underrepresented minority groups at various stages of 
                their studies and to encourage them to enter academic 
                careers; and
                    ``(H) other activities consistent with paragraph 
                (1), as determined by the Director of the Foundation.
            ``(4) Selection process.--
                    ``(A) Application.--An institution of higher 
                education (or a consortium of such institutions) 
                seeking funding under this subsection shall submit an 
                application to the Director of the Foundation at such 
                time, in such manner, and containing such information 
                and assurances as such Director may require. The 
                application shall include, at a minimum, a description 
                of--
                            ``(i) the reform effort that is being 
                        proposed for implementation by the institution 
                        of higher education;
                            ``(ii) any available evidence of specific 
                        difficulties in the recruitment, retention, and 
                        advancement of faculty members from 
                        underrepresented minority groups in STEM 
                        academic careers within the institution of 
                        higher education submitting an application, and 
                        how the proposed reform effort would address 
                        such issues;
                            ``(iii) how the institution of higher 
                        education submitting an application plans to 
                        sustain the proposed reform effort beyond the 
                        duration of the grant; and
                            ``(iv) how the success and effectiveness of 
                        the proposed reform effort will be evaluated 
                        and assessed in order to contribute to the 
                        national knowledge base about models for 
                        catalyzing institutional change.
                    ``(B) Review of applications.--In selecting grant 
                recipients under this subsection, the Director of the 
                Foundation shall consider, at a minimum--
                            ``(i) the likelihood of success in 
                        undertaking the proposed reform effort at the 
                        institution of higher education submitting the 
                        application, including the extent to which the 
                        administrators of the institution are committed 
                        to making the proposed reform effort a 
                        priority;
                            ``(ii) the degree to which the proposed 
                        reform effort will contribute to change in 
                        institutional culture and policy such that 
                        greater value is placed on the recruitment, 
                        retention, and advancement of faculty members 
                        from underrepresented minority groups;
                            ``(iii) the likelihood that the institution 
                        of higher education will sustain or expand the 
                        proposed reform effort beyond the period of the 
                        grant; and
                            ``(iv) the degree to which evaluation and 
                        assessment plans are included in the design of 
                        the proposed reform effort.
                    ``(C) Grant distribution.--The Director of the 
                Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable, 
                that grants awarded under this section are made to a 
                variety of types of institutions of higher education.
            ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.''.
    (b) National Science Foundation Support for Broadening 
Participation in Undergraduate STEM Education.--Section 305 of the 
American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-5), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended by inserting after 
subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Support for Broadening Participation in Undergraduate STEM 
Education.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director of the Foundation shall 
        award grants to institutions of higher education (or a 
        consortium of such institutions) to implement or expand 
        research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM education for the 
        purpose of recruiting and retaining students from minority 
        groups who are underrepresented in STEM fields.
            ``(2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
        under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Activities supported by grants under 
        this subsection may include--
                    ``(A) implementation or expansion of innovative, 
                research-based approaches to broaden participation of 
                underrepresented minority groups in STEM fields;
                    ``(B) implementation or expansion of bridge, 
                cohort, tutoring, or mentoring programs, including 
                those involving community colleges and technical 
                schools, designed to enhance the recruitment and 
                retention of students from underrepresented minority 
                groups in STEM fields;
                    ``(C) implementation or expansion of outreach 
                programs linking institutions of higher education and 
                K-12 school systems in order to heighten awareness 
                among pre-college students from underrepresented 
                minority groups of opportunities in college-level STEM 
                fields and STEM careers;
                    ``(D) implementation or expansion of faculty 
                development programs focused on improving retention of 
                undergraduate STEM students from underrepresented 
                minority groups;
                    ``(E) implementation or expansion of mechanisms 
                designed to recognize and reward faculty members who 
                demonstrate a commitment to increasing the 
                participation of students from underrepresented 
                minority groups in STEM fields;
                    ``(F) expansion of successful reforms aimed at 
                increasing the number of STEM students from 
                underrepresented minority groups beyond a single course 
                or group of courses to achieve reform within an entire 
                academic unit, or expansion of successful reform 
                efforts beyond a single academic unit or field to other 
                STEM academic units or fields within an institution of 
                higher education;
                    ``(G) expansion of opportunities for students from 
                underrepresented minority groups to conduct STEM 
                research in industry, at Federal labs, and at 
                international research institutions or research sites;
                    ``(H) provision of stipends for students from 
                underrepresented minority groups participating in 
                research;
                    ``(I) development of research collaborations 
                between research-intensive universities and primarily 
                undergraduate minority-serving institutions;
                    ``(J) support for graduate students and 
                postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented minority 
                groups to participate in instructional or assessment 
                activities at primarily undergraduate institutions, 
                including primarily undergraduate minority-serving 
                institutions and 2-year institutions of higher 
                education; and
                    ``(K) other activities consistent with paragraph 
                (1), as determined by the Director of the Foundation.
            ``(4) Selection process.--
                    ``(A) Application.--An institution of higher 
                education (or a consortium thereof) seeking a grant 
                under this subsection shall submit an application to 
                the Director of the Foundation at such time, in such 
                manner, and containing such information and assurances 
                as such Director may require. The application shall 
                include, at a minimum--
                            ``(i) a description of the proposed reform 
                        effort;
                            ``(ii) a description of the research 
                        findings that will serve as the basis for the 
                        proposed reform effort or, in the case of 
                        applications that propose an expansion of a 
                        previously implemented reform, a description of 
                        the previously implemented reform effort, 
                        including data about the recruitment, 
                        retention, and academic achievement of students 
                        from underrepresented minority groups;
                            ``(iii) evidence of an institutional 
                        commitment to, and support for, the proposed 
                        reform effort, including a long-term commitment 
                        to implement successful strategies from the 
                        current reform beyond the academic unit or 
                        units included in the grant proposal;
                            ``(iv) a description of existing or planned 
                        institutional policies and practices regarding 
                        faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching 
                        assignment that reward faculty contributions to 
                        improving the education of students from 
                        underrepresented minority groups in STEM; and
                            ``(v) how the success and effectiveness of 
                        the proposed reform effort will be evaluated 
                        and assessed in order to contribute to the 
                        national knowledge base about models for 
                        catalyzing institutional change.
                    ``(B) Review of applications.--In selecting grant 
                recipients under this subsection, the Director of the 
                Foundation shall consider, at a minimum--
                            ``(i) the likelihood of success of the 
                        proposed reform effort at the institution 
                        submitting the application, including the 
                        extent to which the faculty, staff, and 
                        administrators of the institution are committed 
                        to making the proposed institutional reform a 
                        priority of the participating academic unit or 
                        units;
                            ``(ii) the degree to which the proposed 
                        reform effort will contribute to change in 
                        institutional culture and policy such that 
                        greater value is placed on faculty engagement 
                        in the retention of students from 
                        underrepresented minority groups;
                            ``(iii) the likelihood that the institution 
                        will sustain or expand the proposed reform 
                        effort beyond the period of the grant; and
                            ``(iv) the degree to which evaluation and 
                        assessment plans are included in the design of 
                        the proposed reform effort.
                    ``(C) Grant distribution.--The Director of the 
                Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable, 
                that grants awarded under this subsection are made to a 
                variety of types of institutions of higher education, 
                including 2-year and minority-serving institutions of 
                higher education.
            ``(5) Education research.--
                    ``(A) In general.--All grants made under this 
                subsection shall include an education research 
                component that will support the design and 
                implementation of a system for data collection and 
                evaluation of proposed reform efforts in order to build 
                the knowledge base on promising models for increasing 
                recruitment and retention of students from 
                underrepresented minority groups in STEM education at 
                the undergraduate level across a diverse set of 
                institutions.
                    ``(B) Dissemination.--The Director of the 
                Foundation shall coordinate with relevant Federal 
                agencies in disseminating the results of the research 
                under this paragraph to ensure that best practices in 
                broadening participation in STEM education at the 
                undergraduate level are made readily available to all 
                institutions of higher education, other Federal 
                agencies that support STEM programs, non-Federal 
                funders of STEM education, and the general public.
            ``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.''.

SEC. 10. TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM.

    (a) Grants To Broaden Tribal College and University Student 
Participation in Computer Science.--Section 525 of the America COMPETES 
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13) is amended by 
inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Grants To Broaden Tribal College and University Student 
Participation in Computer Science.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director, as part of the program 
        authorized under this section, shall award grants on a 
        competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities to 
        increase the participation of tribal populations in computer 
        science and computational thinking education programs to enable 
        students to develop skills and competencies in coding, problem-
        solving, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration.
            ``(2) Purpose.--Grants awarded under this subsection shall 
        support--
                    ``(A) research and development needed to bring 
                computer science and computational thinking courses and 
                degrees to tribal colleges and universities;
                    ``(B) research and development of instructional 
                materials needed to integrate computer science and 
                computational thinking into programs that are 
                culturally relevant to students attending tribal 
                colleges and universities;
                    ``(C) research, development, and evaluation of 
                distance education for computer science and 
                computational thinking courses and degree programs for 
                students attending tribal colleges and universities; 
                and
                    ``(D) other activities consistent with the 
                activities described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of 
                subsection (b), as determined by the Director.
            ``(3) Partnerships.--A tribal college or university seeking 
        a grant under this subsection, or a consortia thereof, may 
        partner with an institution of higher education or nonprofit 
        organization with demonstrated expertise in academic program 
        development.
            ``(4) Coordination.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Director shall consult and cooperate with the programs and 
        policies of other relevant Federal agencies to avoid 
        duplication with and enhance the effectiveness of the program 
        under this subsection.
            ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the Foundation 
        $2,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry 
        out this subsection.''.
    (b) Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science 
        Foundation shall evaluate the grant program authorized under 
        section 525 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 
        (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13), as amended by subsection (a).
            (2) Requirements.--In conducting the evaluation under 
        paragraph (1), the Director of the National Science Foundation 
        shall, as practicable--
                    (A) use a common set of benchmarks and assessment 
                tools to identify best practices and materials 
                developed or demonstrated by the research conducted 
                pursuant to grants programs under section 525 of the 
                America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 
                1862p-13);
                    (B) include an assessment of the effectiveness of 
                such grant programs in expanding access to high quality 
                STEM education, research, and outreach at tribal 
                colleges and universities, as applicable;
                    (C) assess the number of students who participated 
                in such grant programs; and
                    (D) assess the percentage of students participating 
                in such grant programs who successfully complete their 
                education programs.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which the evaluation under paragraph (1) is completed, the 
        Director of the National Science Foundation shall submit to 
        Congress and make available to the public, a report on the 
        results of the evaluation, including any recommendations for 
        legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the 
        grant program authorized under section 525 of the America 
        COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended by subsection 
        (a).

SEC. 11. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall submit a report to Congress that includes--
            (1) a description and evaluation of the status and usage of 
        policies implemented pursuant to section 3 at all Federal 
        science agencies, including any recommendations for revising or 
        expanding such policies;
            (2) with respect to efforts to minimize the effects of 
        implicit bias in the review of extramural and intramural 
        Federal research grants under section 5--
                    (A) what steps all Federal science agencies have 
                taken to implement policies and practices to minimize 
                such effects;
                    (B) a description of any significant updates to the 
                policies for review of Federal research grants required 
                under such section; and
                    (C) any evidence of the impact of such policies on 
                the review or awarding of Federal research grants; and
            (3) a description and evaluation of the status of 
        institution of higher education and Federal laboratory policies 
        and practices required under section 7(a), including any 
        recommendations for revising or expanding such policies.

SEC. 12. MERIT REVIEW.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed as altering any intellectual 
or broader impacts criteria at Federal science agencies for evaluating 
grant applications.

SEC. 13. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-
        Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
            (3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science 
        agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural 
        research expenditure of more than $100,000,000.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (5) Interagency working group on inclusion in stem.--The 
        term ``interagency working group on inclusion in STEM'' means 
        the interagency working group established by section 308 of the 
        American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 6626).
            (6) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
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