Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act

Bill: 110-hr-363
Sponsor: Rep. Gordon, Bart [D-TN-6]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Aeronautics
Appropriations
Armed Forces and National Security
Astronautics
Authorization
Awards, medals, prizes
Black colleges
Building construction
Commemorations
Computers
Congressional reporting requirements
Construction costs
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Energy
Energy research
Engineering
Engineers
Executive Office of the President
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to research
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Graduate education
Higher education
Infrastructure
International competitiveness
Laboratories
Mathematics
Military research
Minorities
Minority education
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Science Foundation
Nonprofit organizations
Research and development
Research and development facilities
Research centers
Research grants
Scientific education
Scientific instruments and apparatus
Scientists
Social Welfare
Space activities
Technological innovations
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act - Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 to: (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for support of basic research activities in the physical sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, and engineering; and (2) the Department of Defense (DOD) for support of basic research activities. Makes at least 8% of such amounts available for high-risk, potentially high-payoff research. 
 
Requires the Director of the NSF and the Director of the Office of Science of the DOE to carry out a program to award grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education and certain research organizations, such as museums, observatories, or research laboratories, to conduct research in fields relevant to NSF's mission. 
 
 Directs the President to periodically present the Presidential Innovation Award to individuals who develop one or more unique scientific or engineering ideas in the national interest. 
 
Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a National Coordination Office for Research Infrastructure to: (1) identify and prioritize deficiencies in research facilities and instrumentation in academic institutions and national laboratories; and (2) make recommendations for resource allocation. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 to NSF and DOE for construction and maintenance of research facilities at institutions of higher education or national laboratories and other physical resources for performing leading-edge research. 

action_date: 2007-03-08
text: 
Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act - (Sec. 2) Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education in the United States and at certain research organizations to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Permits the existing Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program to be designated as the mechanism for awarding such grants. 
 
Requires: (1) the duration of such awards to be five years; and (2) the amount of such an award per year to be at least $80,000. 
 
Instructs such Director: (1) in awarding such grants, to endeavor to ensure that the recipients are from a variety of institutions of higher education and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations; and (2) in support of such goal, to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. 
 
Instructs such Director, for FY2008-FY2012, to earmark at least 3.5% of funds appropriated to NSF for research and activities related to such grants program. 
 
Requires reports describing the: (1) distribution of the institutions of the awardees of the CAREER Program since FY2001 among specified categories of institutions of higher education; and (2) impact of such program on the ability of young faculty to compete for NSF research grants. 
 
(Sec. 3) Requires the Director of the Office of Science of the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at specified institutions of higher education and the research organizations described in this section to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the DOE. 
 
Requires: (1) the duration of such awards to be up to five years; and (2) the amount of such an award per year to be at least $80,000. 
 
Instructs such Director to give priority to proposals in which the proposed work includes collaborations with DOE national laboratories. 
 
Instructs such Director: (1) in awarding such grants, to endeavor to ensure that the recipients are from a variety of institutions of higher education and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations; and (2) in support of such goal, to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. 
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 to the Secretary of Energy to carry out such Director's responsibilities under this section. 
 
Requires such Director to transmit a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the DOE laboratories. 
 
(Sec. 4) Requires the Director of the NSF to earmark at least 1.5% of funds appropriated for research and related activities to the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program. 
 
Instructs such Director to coordinate with federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, to expand the interdisciplinary nature of such program.
 
Authorizes such Director to accept funds from other federal departments and agencies to carry out such program. 
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the President to periodically present the Presidential Innovation Award, on the basis of recommendations received from the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy or on the basis of such other information as the President considers appropriate, to individuals who develop one or more unique scientific or engineering ideas in the national interest. 
 
Specifies that such awards shall be made to: (1) stimulate scientific and engineering advances in the national interest; (2) illustrate the linkage between science and engineering and national needs; and (3) provide an example to students of the contributions they could make to society by entering the science and engineering profession. 
 
Bars an individual from receiving such an award unless at the time such award is made the individual is: (1) a citizen or foreign national of the United States; or (2) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who has filed an application for naturalization and is not permanently ineligible to become a U.S. citizen. 
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a National Coordination Office for Research Infrastructure to: (1) identify and prioritize deficiencies in research facilities and instrumentation in academic institutions and at national laboratories that are available for use by academic researchers; and (2) institute and coordinate the planning by federal agencies for the acquisition and maintenance of research facilities and major instrumentation required to address the deficiencies identified. Instructs such Office, in prioritizing such deficiencies, to consider research needs in areas relevant to the nation's economic competitiveness. 
 
Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to appoint individuals to serve in such Office from among the principal federal agencies that support research in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering, and at a minimum, to include individuals from the NSF and the DOE.
 
Requires such Director to provide annual reports to Congress at the time of the President's budget proposal: (1) describing the research infrastructure needs identified; (2) listing research facilities projects and budget proposals for major instrumentation acquisitions that are included in the President's budget proposal; and (3) explaining how these projects and acquisitions relate to the deficiencies and priorities arrived at. 
 
(Sec. 7) Permits the NSF, in carrying out its research programs on science policy and on the science of learning, to support research on the process of innovation and the teaching of inventiveness. 
 
(Sec. 8) Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to transmit a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the NIST laboratories and joint institutes. 
 
 (Sec. 9) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a balanced science program as authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 contributes significantly to innovation in, and the economic competitiveness of, the United States; and (2) a robust National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), funded at authorized levels, would offer a balance among science, aeronautics, exploration, and human space flight programs, all of which can attract and employ scientists, engineers, and technicians across a broad range of fields in science, technology , mathematics, and engineering. Instructs the Administrator of NASA to fully participate in any interagency efforts to promote innovation and economic competitiveness through scientific research and development within authorized spending levels. 

action_date: 2007-04-24
text: 
Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act - (Sec. 2) Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education in the United States and at certain research organizations to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Permits the existing Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program to be designated as the mechanism for awarding such grants. 
 
Requires: (1) the duration of such awards to be five years; and (2) the amount of such an award per year to be at least $80,000. 
 
Instructs such Director: (1) in awarding such grants, to endeavor to ensure that the recipients are from a variety of institutions of higher education and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations; (2) in support of such goal, to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions; and (3) in awarding such grants, to give special consideration to eligible early-career researchers who have followed alternative career paths such as working part-time or in nonacademic settings, or who have taken a significant career break or other leave of absence. 
 
Instructs such Director, for FY2008-FY2012, to earmark at least 3.5% of funds appropriated to NSF for research and activities related to such grants program, except to the extent that a sufficient number of meritorious grant applications have not been received for a fiscal year. 
 
Requires reports describing the: (1) distribution of the institutions of the awardees of the CAREER Program since FY2001 among specified categories of institutions of higher education; and (2) impact of such program on the ability of young faculty to compete for NSF research grants. 
 
(Sec. 3) Requires the Director of the Office of Science of the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at specified institutions of higher education and the research organizations described in this section to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the DOE, giving priority to grants to expand domestic energy production and use through coal-to-liquids technology and advanced nuclear reprocessing. 
 
Requires: (1) the duration of such awards to be up to five years; and (2) the amount of such an award per year to be at least $80,000. 
 
Instructs such Director to give priority to proposals in which the proposed work includes collaborations with DOE national laboratories. 
 
Instructs such Director: (1) in awarding such grants, to endeavor to ensure that the recipients are from a variety of institutions of higher education and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations; and (2) in support of such goal, to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. 
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 to the Secretary of Energy to carry out such Director's responsibilities under this section. 
 
Requires such Director to transmit a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the DOE laboratories. 
 
(Sec. 4) Requires the Director of the NSF to earmark at least 1.5% of funds appropriated for research and related activities to the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program. 
 
Instructs such Director to coordinate with federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, to expand the interdisciplinary nature of such program.
 
Authorizes such Director to accept funds from other federal departments and agencies to carry out such program. 
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the President to periodically present the Presidential Innovation Award, on the basis of recommendations received from the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy or on the basis of such other information as the President considers appropriate, to individuals who develop one or more unique scientific or engineering ideas in the national interest. 
 
Specifies that such awards shall be made to: (1) stimulate scientific and engineering advances in the national interest; (2) illustrate the linkage between science and engineering and national needs; (3) show the potential of such innovation to substantively enhance the economic competitiveness of the United States through development of commercializable intellectual property; and (4) provide an example to students of the contributions they could make to society by entering the science and engineering profession. 
 
Bars an individual from receiving such an award unless at the time such award is made the individual is: (1) a citizen or foreign national of the United States; or (2) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who has filed an application for naturalization and is not permanently ineligible to become a U.S. citizen. 
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a National Coordination Office for Research Infrastructure to: (1) identify and prioritize deficiencies in research facilities and instrumentation in academic institutions and at national laboratories that are available for use by academic researchers; and (2) institute and coordinate the planning by federal agencies for the acquisition and maintenance of research facilities and major instrumentation required to address the deficiencies identified. Instructs such Office, in prioritizing such deficiencies, to consider research needs in areas relevant to the nation's economic competitiveness. 
 
Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to appoint individuals to serve in such Office from among the principal federal agencies that support research in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering, and at a minimum, to include individuals from the NSF and the DOE.
 
Requires such Director to provide annual reports to Congress at the time of the President's budget proposal: (1) describing the research infrastructure needs identified; (2) listing research facilities projects and budget proposals for major instrumentation acquisitions that are included in the President's budget proposal; and (3) explaining how these projects and acquisitions relate to the deficiencies and priorities arrived at. 
 
(Sec. 7) Permits the NSF, in carrying out its research programs on science policy and on the science of learning, to support research on the process of innovation and the teaching of inventiveness. 
 
(Sec. 8) Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to transmit a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the NIST laboratories and joint institutes. 
 
 (Sec. 9) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a balanced science program as authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 contributes significantly to innovation in, and the economic competitiveness of, the United States; and (2) a robust National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), funded at authorized levels, would offer a balance among science, aeronautics, exploration, and human space flight programs, all of which can attract and employ scientists, engineers, and technicians across a broad range of fields in science, technology , mathematics, and engineering. Instructs the Administrator of NASA to fully participate in any interagency efforts to promote innovation and economic competitiveness through scientific research and development within authorized spending levels. 
 
(Sec. 10) Directs the NSF to establish a program to be known as the Undergraduate Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or US-STEM program, for awarding scholarships to undergraduate scholars in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
 
Specifies the requirements that a student must meet to be eligible for a scholarship under such program, including that the student is a citizen or permanent resident alien of the United States. 
 
Provides for scholarship recipients to be selected based on merit and such other criteria as the NSF shall establish. 
 
Instructs the NSF to announce awards before April 1 for each upcoming academic year and allows the NSF to make up to 2,500 awards per year. Permits awards to be made for a maximum of two academic years for each student, and requires that scholarship amounts be paid to the student's institution. 
 
Requires the Director of the NSF to establish an advisory board, which shall make recommendations to such Director for selection criteria for scholarship recipients, and provide guidance and oversight for such program. 
 
Authorizes appropriations to the NSF for FY2009-FY2013 for carrying out such program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-04-25
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 397 - 20 (Roll no. 257).
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 397 - 20 (Roll no. 257).
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Agreed to by recorded vote: 264 - 154 (Roll no. 256). (consideration: CR H4024; text: CR H4024)
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H4025)
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Sullivan (OK) motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment inserting language to give priority to grants to expand domestic energy production and use through coal-to-liquids technology and advanced nuclear processing.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: Mr. Sullivan moved to recommit with instructions to Science and Technology.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. (text: CR H4018-4020)
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H4024)
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 363.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 318, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Gillibrand amendment.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 318, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Tauscher amendment.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 318, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Hall (TX) amendment.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 363.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: The Speaker designated the Honorable Melvin L. Watt to act as Chairman of the Committee.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 318 and Rule XVIII.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 363 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Science and Technology now printed in the bill.
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 318. (consideration: CR H4013-4026)
action_date: 2007-04-24
text: Rule H. Res. 318 passed House.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 318 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 363 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Science and Technology now printed in the bill.
action_date: 2007-03-13
text: Committee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2007-03-08
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 15.
action_date: 2007-03-08
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science and Technology. H. Rept. 110-39.
action_date: 2007-03-08
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science and Technology. H. Rept. 110-39.
action_date: 2007-02-28
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2007-02-28
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in House