An act to direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related workforce, and for other purposes
PL 115-402 (H.R.5509), enacted 12/31/2018

132 STAT. 5343 
PUBLIC LAW 115–402—DEC. 31, 2018 
Public Law 115–402 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for research about 
STEM education approaches and the STEM-related workforce, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Innovations in Mentoring, 
Training, and Apprenticeships Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) To remain competitive in the global economy, foster 
greater innovation, and provide a foundation for shared pros-
perity, the United States needs a workforce with the right 
mix of skills to meet the diverse needs of the economy. 
(2) Evidence indicates that the returns on investments 
in technical skills in the labor market are strong when students 
successfully complete their education and gain credentials 
sought by employers. 
(3) The responsibility for developing and sustaining a 
skilled technical workforce is fragmented across many groups, 
including educators, students, workers, employers, Federal, 
State, and local governments, civic associations, and other 
stakeholders. Such groups need to be able to coordinate and 
cooperate successfully with each other. 
(4) Coordination among students, community colleges, sec-
ondary and post-secondary institutions, and employers would 
improve educational outcomes. 
(5) Promising experiments currently underway may guide 
innovation and reform, but scalability of some of those experi-
ments has not yet been tested. 
(6) Evidence suggests that integration of academic edu-
cation, technical skills development, and hands-on work experi-
ence improves outcomes and return on investment for students 
in secondary and post-secondary education and for skilled tech-
nical workers in different career stages. 
(7) Outcomes show that mentoring can increase STEM 
student engagement and the rate of completion of STEM post- 
secondary degrees. 
42 USC 1862i 
note. 
Innovations in 
Mentoring, 
Training, and 
Apprenticeships 
Act. 
42 USC 1861 
note. 
Dec. 31, 2018 
[H.R. 5509] 
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132 STAT. 5344 
PUBLIC LAW 115–402—DEC. 31, 2018 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION STEM INNOVATION AND 
APPRENTICESHIP GRANTS. 
Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 
1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as sub-
sections (g) through (j), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following: 
‘‘(d) GRANTS
FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
IN STEM 
FIELDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN-DEMAND WORKFORCE GRANTS.—The Director shall 
award grants to junior or community colleges to develop or 
improve associate degree or certificate programs in STEM 
fields, with respect to the region in which the respective college 
is located, and an in-demand industry sector or occupation. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS.—In considering applications for grants 
under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize— 
‘‘(A) applications that consist of a partnership between 
the applying junior or community college and individual 
employers or an employer consortia, or industry or sector 
partnerships, and may include a university or other 
organization with demonstrated expertise in academic pro-
gram development; 
‘‘(B) applications that demonstrate current and future 
workforce demand in occupations directly related to the 
proposed associate degree or certificate program; 
‘‘(C) applications that include commitments by the 
partnering employers or employer consortia, or industry 
or sector partnerships, to offer apprenticeships, internships, 
or other applied learning opportunities to students enrolled 
in the proposed associate degree or certificate program; 
‘‘(D) applications that include outreach plans and goals 
for recruiting and enrolling women and other underrep-
resented populations in STEM fields in the proposed asso-
ciate degree or certificate program; and 
‘‘(E) applications that describe how the applying junior 
or community college will support the collection of informa-
tion and data for purposes of evaluation of the proposed 
associate degree or certificate program. 
‘‘(e) GRANTS FOR STEM DEGREE APPLIED LEARNING OPPORTUNI-
TIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Director shall award grants to 
institutions of higher education partnering with private sector 
employers or private sector employer consortia, or industry 
or sector partnerships, that commit to offering apprenticeships, 
internships, research opportunities, or applied learning experi-
ences to enrolled students in identified STEM baccalaureate 
degree programs. 
‘‘(2) PURPOSES.—Awards under this subsection may be 
used— 
‘‘(A) to develop curricula and programs for apprentice-
ship, internships, research opportunities, or applied 
learning experiences; or 
‘‘(B) to provide matching funds to incentivize partner-
ship and participation by private sector employers and 
industry. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATIONS.—In considering applications for grants 
under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize— 
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132 STAT. 5345 
PUBLIC LAW 115–402—DEC. 31, 2018 
‘‘(A) applicants that consist of a partnership between— 
‘‘(i) the applying institution of higher education; 
and 
‘‘(ii) individual employers or an employer consortia, 
or industry or sector partnerships; 
‘‘(B) applications that demonstrate current and future 
workforce demand in occupations directly related to the 
identified STEM fields; 
‘‘(C) applications that include outreach plans and goals 
for recruiting and enrolling women and other underrep-
resented populations in STEM fields; and 
‘‘(D) applications that describe how the institution of 
higher education will support the collection and information 
of data for purposes of the evaluation of identified STEM 
degree programs. 
‘‘(f) GRANTS FOR COMPUTER-BASED AND ONLINE STEM EDU-
CATION COURSES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award competitive grants to institutions of 
higher education or nonprofit organizations to conduct research 
on student outcomes and determine best practices for STEM 
education and technical skills education through distance 
learning or in a simulated work environment. 
‘‘(2) RESEARCH
AREAS.—The research areas eligible for 
funding under this subsection may include— 
‘‘(A) post-secondary courses for technical skills develop-
ment for STEM occupations; 
‘‘(B) improving high-school level career and technical 
education in STEM subjects; 
‘‘(C) encouraging and sustaining interest and achieve-
ment levels in STEM subjects among women and other 
populations historically underrepresented in STEM studies 
and careers; and 
‘‘(D) combining computer-based and online STEM edu-
cation and skills development with traditional mentoring 
and 
other 
mentoring 
arrangements, 
apprenticeships, 
internships, and other applied learning opportunities.’’; 
(3) in subsection (a)(3)(A), by striking the comma and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(4) in subsection (c)(1)(B)(iv), by striking ‘‘subsection (f)(3)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (i)(3)’’; 
(5) in subsection (h), as redesignated— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘LIMITATION
ON 
FUNDING’’ and inserting ‘‘FUNDING’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON FUNDING.—’’ before 
‘‘To qualify’’ and indenting appropriately; and 
(C) by inserting before paragraph (3), as redesignated, 
the following: 
‘‘(1) FUNDING.—The Director shall allocate out of amounts 
made available for the Education and Human Resources Direc-
torate— 
‘‘(A) up to $5,000,000 to carry out the activities under 
subsection (d) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 
subject to the availability of appropriations; 
‘‘(B) up to $2,500,000 to carry out the activities under 
subsection (e) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 
subject to the availability of appropriations; and 
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132 STAT. 5346 
PUBLIC LAW 115–402—DEC. 31, 2018 
‘‘(C) up to $2,500,000 to carry out the activities under 
subsection (f) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 
subject to the availability of appropriations. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON FUNDING.—Amounts made available to 
carry out subsections (d), (e), and (f) shall be derived from 
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the 
National Science Foundation.’’; and 
(6) in subsection (j), as redesignated— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
a semicolon; 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (7); 
and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: 
‘‘(5) the term ‘in-demand industry sector or occupation’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); 
‘‘(6) the term ‘junior or community college’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 312 of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058);’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) the term ‘region’ means a labor market area, as that 
term is defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); and 
‘‘(9) the terms ‘mathematics, science, engineering, or tech-
nology’ or ‘STEM’ mean science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics, including computer science.’’. 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON EFFICIENCY OF SKILLED TECHNICAL LABOR 
MARKETS. 
(a) EFFICIENCY OF SKILLED TECHNICAL LABOR MARKETS.—The 
Director of the National Science Foundation, working through the 
Directorate of Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, in coordina-
tion with the Secretary of Labor, shall support research on labor 
market analysis innovations, data and information sciences, elec-
tronic information tools and methodologies, and metrics. 
(b) SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE.— 
(1) REVIEW.—The National Center for Science and 
Engineering Statistics of the National Science Foundation shall 
consult and coordinate with other relevant Federal statistical 
agencies, including the Institute of Education Sciences of the 
Department of Education, and the Committee on Science, Tech-
nology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education of the 
National Science and Technology Council established under 
section 101 of the America COMPETES Act of 2010 (Public 
Law 111–358), to explore the feasibility of expanding its surveys 
to include the collection of objective data on the skilled technical 
workforce. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion shall submit to Congress a report on the progress made 
in expanding the National Center for Science and Engineering 
Statistics surveys to include the skilled technical workforce, 
including a plan for multi-agency collaboration to improve data 
collection and reporting of data on the skilled technical 
workforce. 
(3) DEFINITION OF SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE.—The 
term ‘‘ ‘skilled technical workforce’ ’’ means workers with high 
Plan. 
Consultation. 
Coordination. 
Coordination. 
42 USC 1862p 
note. 
Definitions. 
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132 STAT. 5347 
PUBLIC LAW 115–402—DEC. 31, 2018 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5509: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115–975 (Comm. on Science, Space, and Technology). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 
Sept. 25, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 19, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Dec. 20, House concurred in Senate amendment. 
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2018): 
Dec. 31, Presidential statement. 
school diplomas and two-year technical training or certifications 
who employ significant levels of STEM knowledge in their 
jobs. 
SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND REPORT. 
(a) 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 programs established 
under subsections (d), (e), and (f) of section 3 of the Scientific 
and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i), as 
amended by this Act. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the evaluation under 
paragraph (1), the Director shall— 
(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 
such grants and programs under subsection (f) of that 
section; 
(B) include an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
grant programs in expanding apprenticeships, internships, 
and other applied learning opportunities offered by 
employers in conjunction with junior or community colleges, 
or institutions of higher education, as applicable; 
(C) assess the number of students who participated 
in the grant programs; and 
(D) assess the percentage of students participating in 
the grant programs who successfully complete their edu-
cation programs. 
(b) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date the evaluation under subsection (a) is complete, the 
Director of the National Science Foundation shall submit to Con-
gress and the Secretary of Education, and make widely 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 programs. 
Approved December 31, 2018. 
Public 
information. 
Recommenda- 
tions. 
Assessments. 
Deadline. 
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