MSI STEM Achievement Act

IIB 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4372 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 10, 2019 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions AN ACT To direct Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to undertake activities to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education and en- hance the research capacity at the Nation’s HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 HR 4372 RFS Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘MSI STEM Achieve- 4 ment Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 (1) Evidence suggests that the supply of STEM 8 workers is not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving 9 needs of the public and private sector, resulting in 10 a deficit often referred to as a STEM skills short- 11 age. 12 (2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statis- 13 tics, the United States will need one million addi- 14 tional STEM professionals than it is on track to 15 produce in the coming decade. 16 (3) STEM occupations offer higher wages, more 17 opportunities for advancement, and a higher degree 18 of job security than non-STEM occupations. 19 (4) The composition of the STEM workforce 20 does not reflect the current or projected diversity of 21 the Nation, with Hispanics, African Americans, and 22 other racial and ethnic minorities, significantly 23 underrepresented in the STEM workforce compared 24 to their presence in the workforce more generally. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 HR 4372 RFS (5) A stronger national commitment to increas- 1 ing the diversity of the STEM workforce is needed 2 to help address the STEM skills shortage. 3 (6) According to a 2019 National Academies of 4 Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report entitled 5 ‘‘Minority Serving Institutions: America’s Underuti- 6 lized Resource for Strengthening the STEM Work- 7 force’’, 2- and 4-year minority serving institutions 8 enroll nearly 30 percent of all undergraduate stu- 9 dents—a percentage that is expected to grow in the 10 coming years—in the United States higher education 11 system and play a critical role in providing impor- 12 tant pathways to STEM-related education, training, 13 and careers for students of color. 14 (7) HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs are highly suc- 15 cessful at educating underrepresented minority stu- 16 dents in STEM fields and can serve as best practice 17 models for other colleges and universities to further 18 expand participation of underrepresented minorities 19 in the STEM workforce. 20 (8) Increased investment in STEM infrastruc- 21 ture at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs has the potential 22 to increase these institutions’ ability to educate even 23 more students in the STEM disciplines. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 HR 4372 RFS (9) With the demand for STEM skills exceeding 1 the supply of STEM graduates, success of HBCUs, 2 TCUs, and MSIs in educating and training science 3 and engineering leaders is increasingly important for 4 United States economic growth and competitiveness. 5 SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REVIEW. 6 Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 7 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 8 shall report to Congress— 9 (1) an inventory of competitive funding pro- 10 grams and initiatives carried out by Federal science 11 agencies that are targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and 12 MSIs or partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and 13 MSIs; 14 (2) an assessment of Federal science agency 15 outreach activities to increase the participation and 16 competitiveness of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in the 17 funding programs and initiatives identified in para- 18 graph (1); and 19 (3) recommendations of the Comptroller Gen- 20 eral to increase the participation of and the rate of 21 success of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in competitive 22 funding programs offered by Federal science agen- 23 cies. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 HR 4372 RFS SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND CAPACITY BUILDING. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 2 Science Foundation shall award grants, on a competitive 3 basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit orga- 4 nizations (or consortia thereof) to— 5 (1) conduct research described in subsection (b) 6 with respect to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 7 (2) conduct activities described in subsection (c) 8 to build the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs 9 to graduate students who are competitive in attain- 10 ing and advancing in the STEM workforce; 11 (3) build the research capacity and competitive- 12 ness of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM dis- 13 ciplines; and 14 (4) identify and broadly disseminate effective 15 models for programs and practices at HBCUs, 16 TCUs, and MSIs that promote the education and 17 workforce preparation of minority students pursuing 18 STEM studies and careers in which such students 19 are underrepresented. 20 (b) RESEARCH.—Research described in this sub- 21 section is research on the contribution of HBCUs, TCUs, 22 and MSIs to the education and training of underrep- 23 resented minority students in STEM fields and to the 24 meeting of national STEM workforce needs, including— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 HR 4372 RFS (1) the diversity with respect to local context, 1 cultural differences, and institutional structure 2 among HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and any associ- 3 ated impact on education and research endeavors; 4 (2) effective practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and 5 MSIs and associated outcomes on student recruit- 6 ment, retention, and advancement in STEM fields, 7 including the ability for students to compete for fel- 8 lowships, employment, and advancement in the 9 workforce; 10 (3) contributions made by HBCUs, TCUs, and 11 MSIs to local, regional, and national workforces; 12 (4) the unique challenges and opportunities for 13 HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in attaining the resources 14 needed for integrating effective practices in STEM 15 education, including providing research experiences 16 for underrepresented minority students; 17 (5) the access of students at HBCUs, TCUs, 18 and MSIs to STEM infrastructure and any associ- 19 ated outcomes for STEM competency; 20 (6) models of STEM curriculum, learning, and 21 teaching successful at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs for 22 increasing participation, retention, and success of 23 underrepresented minority students; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 HR 4372 RFS (7) successful or promising partnerships be- 1 tween HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and other institu- 2 tions of higher education, private sector and non- 3 profit organizations, Federal laboratories, and inter- 4 national research institutions. 5 (c) CAPACITY BUILDING.—Activities described in this 6 subsection include the design, development, implementa- 7 tion, expansion, and assessment of— 8 (1) metrics of success to best capture the 9 achievements of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and stu- 10 dents of such institutions to account for institutional 11 context and missions, faculty investment, student 12 populations, student needs, and institutional re- 13 source constraints; 14 (2) enhancements to undergraduate STEM cur- 15 riculum at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to increase the 16 participation, retention, degree completion, and suc- 17 cess of underrepresented students; 18 (3) professional development programs to in- 19 crease the numbers and the high-quality preparation 20 of STEM faculty at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, in- 21 cluding programs to encourage STEM doctoral stu- 22 dents to teach at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and 23 (4) mechanisms for institutions of higher edu- 24 cation that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs to part- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 8 HR 4372 RFS ner with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs on STEM edu- 1 cation, including the facilitation of student transfer, 2 mentoring programs for students and junior faculty, 3 joint research projects, and student access to grad- 4 uate education. 5 (d) RESEARCH EXPERIENCES.—Grants under this 6 section may fund the development or expansion of oppor- 7 tunities for the exchange of students and faculty to con- 8 duct research, including through partnerships with institu- 9 tions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or 10 MSIs, private sector and non-profit organizations, Federal 11 laboratories, and international research institutions. 12 (e) PARTNERSHIPS.—In awarding grants under this 13 section, the Director of the National Science Foundation 14 shall— 15 (1) encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and 16 consortia thereof and partnerships with one or more 17 HBCU, TCU, or MSI, to submit proposals; 18 (2) require proposals submitted in partnership 19 with one or more HBCU, TCU, or MSI include a 20 plan for establishing a sustained partnership that is 21 jointly developed and managed, draws from the ca- 22 pacities of each institution, and is mutually bene- 23 ficial; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 9 HR 4372 RFS (3) encourage proposals submitted in partner- 1 ship with the private sector, non-profit organiza- 2 tions, Federal laboratories, and international re- 3 search institutions, as appropriate. 4 (f) MSI CENTERS OF INNOVATION.—Grants under 5 this section may fund the establishment of no more than 6 five MSI Centers of Innovation to leverage successes of 7 HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM education and re- 8 search training of underrepresented minority students as 9 models for other institutions, including both HBCUs, 10 TCUs, and MSIs and institutions of higher education that 11 are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs. Such centers will be lo- 12 cated on campuses of selected institutions of higher edu- 13 cation and serve as incubators to allow institutions of 14 higher education to experiment, pilot, evaluate, and scale 15 up promising practices. 16 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 17 are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 18 National Science Foundation $170,000,000 for fiscal year 19 2020, $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, $180,000,000 20 for fiscal year 2022, $185,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, 21 and $190,000,000 fiscal year 2024 to carry out this sec- 22 tion. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 10 HR 4372 RFS SEC. 5. AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with outside 2 stakeholders and the heads of the Federal science agen- 3 cies, the Director shall develop a uniform set of policy 4 guidelines for Federal science agencies to carry out a sus- 5 tained program of outreach activities to increase clarity, 6 transparency, and accountability for Federal science agen- 7 cy investments in STEM education and research activities 8 at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. 9 (b) OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.—In developing policy 10 guidelines under subsection (a) the Director shall include 11 guidelines that require each Federal science agency— 12 (1) to designate a liaison for HBCUs, TCUs, 13 and MSIs responsible for— 14 (A) enhancing direct communication with 15 HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to increase the Fed- 16 eral science agency’s understanding of the ca- 17 pacity and needs of such institutions and to 18 raise awareness of available Federal funding op- 19 portunities at such institutions; 20 (B) coordinating programs, activities, and 21 initiatives while accounting for the capacity and 22 needs of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 23 (C) tracking Federal science agency invest- 24 ments in and engagement with HBCUs, TCUs, 25 and MSIs; and 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 11 HR 4372 RFS (D) reporting progress toward increasing 1 participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in 2 grant programs; 3 (2) to publish annual forecasts of funding op- 4 portunities and proposal deadlines, including for 5 grants, contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative 6 agreements; 7 (3) to conduct on-site reviews of research facili- 8 ties at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, as practicable, 9 and make recommendations regarding strategies for 10 becoming more competitive in research; 11 (4) to hold geographically accessible or virtual 12 workshops on research priorities of the Federal 13 science agency and on how to write competitive 14 grant proposals; 15 (5) to ensure opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, 16 and MSIs to directly communicate with Federal 17 science agency officials responsible for managing 18 competitive grant programs in order to receive feed- 19 back on research ideas and proposals, including 20 guidance on the Federal science agency’s peer review 21 process; 22 (6) to foster mutually beneficial public-private 23 collaboration among Federal science agencies, indus- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4372.RFS H4372 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 12 HR 4372 RFS try, Federal laboratories, academia, and nonprofit 1 organizations to— 2 (A) identify alternative sources of funding 3 for STEM education and research at HBCUs, 4 TCUs, and MSIs; 5 (B) provide access to high-quality, relevant 6 research experiences for students and faculty of 7 HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; 8 (C) expand the professional networks of 9 students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and 10 MSIs; 11 (D) broaden STEM educational opportuni- 12 ties for students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, 13 and MSIs; and 14 (E) support the transition of students of 15 HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs into the STEM 16 workforce; and 17 (7) to publish an annual report that provides an 18 account of Federal science agency investments in 19 HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including data on the 20 level of participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs 21 a [Text truncated for display. 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