Part C—MSI STEM Achievement
§19181. Agency responsibilities
(a) In general
In consultation with outside stakeholders and the heads of Federal research agencies and the Interagency Working Group on Inclusion in STEM, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for Federal research agencies to carry out a sustained program of outreach activities to increase clarity, transparency, and accountability for Federal research agency investments in STEM education and research activities at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including such institutions in rural areas.
(b) Outreach activities
In developing policy guidelines under subsection (a) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall include guidelines that require each Federal research agency—
(1) to designate a liaison for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs responsible for—
(A) enhancing direct communication with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to increase the Federal research agency's understanding of the capacity and needs of such institutions and to raise awareness of available Federal funding opportunities at such institutions;
(B) coordinating programs, activities, and initiatives while accounting for the capacity and needs of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(C) tracking Federal research agency investments in and engagement with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and
(D) reporting progress toward increasing participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in award programs;
(2) to the extent practicable, to produce an annual summary of funding opportunities and proposal deadlines targeted at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including for grants, contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements;
(3) to the extent practicable, identifying in annual budget requests potential areas for collaboration with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in the relevant fiscal year, including relating to potential meetings and workshops;
(4) to investigate proposal structures that support broader participation by emerging research institutions, including HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(5) to conduct on-site reviews of research facilities at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, as practicable, and make recommendations regarding strategies for becoming more competitive in research;
(6) to hold geographically accessible or virtual workshops on research priorities of the Federal research agency and on how to write competitive award proposals and how to bolster award management capacity for the entire award lifecycle, from application to completion;
(7) to ensure opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to directly communicate with Federal research agency officials responsible for managing competitive award programs in order to receive feedback on research ideas and proposals, including guidance on the Federal research agency's merit review process; and
(8) to foster mutually beneficial public-private collaboration among Federal research agencies, industry, Federal laboratories, academia, and nonprofit organizations to—
(A) identify alternative sources of funding for STEM education and research at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(B) provide access to high-quality, relevant research experiences for students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(C) expand the professional networks of students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;
(D) broaden STEM educational opportunities for students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and
(E) support the transition of students of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs into the STEM workforce;
(c) Strategic plan
(1) In general
Not later than one year after August 9, 2022, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in collaboration with the head of each Federal research agency, shall submit to Congress a report containing a strategic plan which reflects the plans of each Federal research agency to increase the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and to encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to participate in Federal programs.
(2) Considerations
In developing a strategic plan under paragraph (1), the Director and the head of each Federal research agency shall consider the following:
(A) Issuing new or expanding existing funding opportunities targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.
(B) Modifying existing research and development program solicitations to incentivize effective partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.
(C) Offering planning grants for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to develop or equip grant offices with the requisite depth of knowledge to submit competitive grant proposals and manage awarded grants.
(D) Offering additional training programs, including individualized and timely guidance to grant officers, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to ensure their understanding of the requirements for an effective grant proposal.
(E) Other approaches for making current competitive funding models more accessible for underresourced HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.
(d) Report on policy guidelines
Not later than two years after August 9, 2022, and every five years thereafter, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall report to Congress on the implementation by Federal research agencies of the policy guidelines developed under this section.
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Editorial Notes
Codification
Section is comprised of section 10522 of
§19182. Research at the National Science Foundation
(a) In general
The Director shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia thereof) to—
(1) conduct research described in subsection (b) with respect to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and
(2) identify and broadly disseminate effective models for programs and practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs that promote the education and workforce preparation of minority students pursuing STEM studies and careers in which such students are underrepresented.
(b) Research
Research described in this subsection is research on the contribution of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to the education and training of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and to the meeting of national STEM workforce needs, including relating to the following:
(1) The diversity with respect to local context, cultural differences, and institutional structure among HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and any associated impact on education and research endeavors.
(2) Effective practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and associated outcomes on student recruitment, retention, and advancement in STEM fields, including the ability for students to compete for fellowships, employment, and advancement in the workforce.
(3) Contributions made by HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to local, regional, and national workforces.
(4) The challenges and opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in attaining the resources needed for integrating effective practices in STEM education, including providing research experiences for underrepresented minority students.
(5) The access of students at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to STEM infrastructure and any associated outcomes for STEM competency.
(6) Models of STEM curriculum, learning, and teaching successful at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs for increasing participation, retention, and success of underrepresented minority students.
(7) Successful or promising partnerships between HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and other institutions of higher education, private sector and nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, and international research institutions.
(c) Research experiences
Awards under this section may fund the development or expansion of opportunities for the exchange of students and faculty to conduct research, facilitate professional development, and provide mentorship, including through partnerships with institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs, private sector and nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, and international research institutions.
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§19183. Capacity-building program for developing universities
(a) Awards
(1) In general
The Director shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions described in subsection (b) to support the mission of the Foundation and to build institutional research capacity at eligible institutions.
(2) Administration
The Director may administer separate competitions for each category of eligible institution described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection (b)(1) in order to ensure fair competition for institutions with significantly different research capacities.
(b) Eligible institutions
To be eligible to receive an award under this subsection, an entity—
(1) shall be—
(A) a historically Black college or university;
(B) a Tribal College or University;
(C) a minority-serving institution;
(D) an institution of higher education with an established STEM capacity-building program focused on Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives; or
(E) consortia thereof;
(2) shall—
(A) have not more than $50,000,000 in annual federally financed research and development expenditures for science and engineering as reported through the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey; or
(B) not be an institution classified as having very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
(c) Partnerships
In making awards under this section, the Director shall—
(1) encourage entities that are consortia of eligible institutions to submit proposals and require such proposals to include a plan for establishing a sustained partnership that is jointly developed and managed, draws from the capacities of each institution, and is mutually beneficial;
(2) encourage proposals submitted in partnership with the private sector, nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, and international research institutions, as appropriate;
(3) require proposals described in paragraphs (1) and (2) to include a plan to strengthen the administrative and research capacity of the partnering HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs to lead future proposals.
(d) Very high research activity status Historically Black Colleges and Universities program
Awards under this section may be used to enable HBCUs which have high research activity status to achieve very high research activity status, as classified under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, by enabling—
(1) faculty professional development;
(2) stipends for graduate and undergraduate students, and postdoctoral scholars;
(3) acquisition of laboratory equipment and instrumentation; and
(4) other activities as necessary to build research capacity.
(e) Proposals
To receive an award under this subsection, an eligible institution shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require, including—
(1) a plan that describes how the eligible institution will establish or expand research office capacity and how such award would be used to—
(A) conduct an assessment of capacity-building and research infrastructure needs of an eligible institution;
(B) enhance institutional resources to provide administrative research development support to faculty at an eligible institution;
(C) bolster the institutional research competitiveness of an eligible institution to support awards made by the Foundation;
(D) support the acquisition of instrumentation necessary to build research capacity at an eligible institution in research areas directly associated with the Foundation;
(E) increase capability of an eligible institution to move technology into the marketplace;
(F) increase engagement with industry to execute research through the SBIR and STTR programs (as such terms are defined in
(G) enhance STEM curriculum and research training opportunities at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels at an eligible institution;
(H) further faculty development initiatives and strengthen institutional research training infrastructure, capacity, and competitiveness of an eligible institution;
(I) address plans and prospects for long-term sustainability of institutional enhancements at an eligible institution resulting from the award including, if applicable, how the award may be leveraged by an eligible institution to build a broader base of support; and
(J) develop and implement mechanisms for institutions of higher education to partner with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs on STEM education, including the facilitation of student exchanges, course and resource sharing, collaboration, and matriculation of students to either institution's graduate programs, mentoring programs for students and junior faculty, joint research projects, and student access to graduate education; and
(2) as relevant, a plan, which shall be updated every three years, that describes the institution's strategy to achieve very high research activity status, including making investments with institutional and non-Federal funds, to achieve that status within a decade of the grant award, to the extent practicable.
(f) MSI Centers of Innovation
Awards under this section may fund the establishment of not more than five MSI Centers of Innovation to leverage successes of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM education and research training of underrepresented minority students as models for other institutions, including both HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs. Such centers will be located on campuses of selected HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs, and serve as incubators to allow institutions of higher education to experiment, pilot, evaluate, and scale up promising practices.
(g) Awards
Awards made under this subsection shall be for periods of three years and may be extended for periods of not more than five years.
(h) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 and $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2027 to carry out the activities in this section and
(i) Report on improving the research capacity at high research activity Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(1) In general
Not later than one year after August 9, 2022, the National Science and Technology Council shall prepare and submit a report that—
(A) identifies challenges and barriers to Federal research and development awards for high research activity status HBCUs; and
(B) identifies recommendations for Federal research agencies to sustainably boost the research capacity of high research activity status HBCUs through awards-making authorities.
(2) Report submission
The National Science and Technology Council shall transmit the report required under paragraph (1) to the Director, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the heads of other such agencies as determined relevant by the National Science and Technology Council.
(3) Information from Federal agencies
The National Science and Technology Council may secure directly from a Federal department or agency such information as the National Science and Technology Council considers necessary to prepare the report required under paragraph (1). Upon a request from the National Science and Technology Council, the head of a Federal department or agency shall furnish such information as is requested to the National Science and Technology Council.
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§19184. Definitions
In this part:
(1) Director
The term "Director" means the Director of the National Science Foundation.
(2) HBCU
The term "HBCU" has the meaning given the term "part B institution" in
(3) Minority serving institution
The term "minority serving institution" or "MSI" means Hispanic-Serving Institutions as defined in section 1101a) of title 20; Alaska Native Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions as defined in
(4) TCU
The term "TCU" has the meaning given the term "Tribal College or University" in
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