Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008

Bill: 110-hr-6263
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30]
Introduced: 2008-06-12 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Caregivers
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Disabled
Discrimination in education
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Engineers
Families
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Higher education
Infrastructure
Research and development
Research grants
Scientists
Sex discrimination
Social Welfare
Women
Women professionals
Women's rights

Summary:
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: 
Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008 - Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a policy for federal science agencies to carry out a program of workshops that educate specified federally funded researchers about methods that minimize the effects of gender bias in evaluation, including of federal research grants, for hiring, tenure, and promotion, and for selection for any other honor based on academic merit. 
 
Requires the support of at least one workshop every two years among the federal science agencies in the major science and engineering disciplines.
 
Authorizes federal science agencies to carry out such program by making grants to eligible organizations as described in this Act. 

Requires the Director to transmit a report evaluating such program's impact in reducing gender bias towards women engaged in research funded by the federal government. 

Requires the Director to develop a policy to extend research grant support and provide interim technical support for federally funded researchers who are caregivers. Requires transmission of a copy of such policy to specified congressional committees. 

Requires federal science agencies to collect specified standardized annual data for all applications for research and development grants to institutions of higher education and to submit the data collected to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Makes the NSF responsible for storing and publishing all such grant data. 

Requires annual publication of a list of the institutions of higher education science and engineering departments represented by individuals who attend the workshops described above. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Introduced in House