S.Amdt. 976

1. Adds SECTION 4015. OFFICE OF MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTION DIGITAL AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY on page 208, line 2

   Adds a sectionPrinted page

   Inserted: SECTION 4015. OFFICE OF MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTION DIGITAL AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY.

   Inserted: (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the "Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act".

   Inserted: (b) Establishment of Office.--The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.) is amended--

   Inserted: (1) by redesignating section 16 (42 U.S.C. 1875) as section 17; and

   Inserted: (2) by inserting after section 15 the following:

   Inserted: "SEC. 16. OFFICE OF MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTION DIGITAL AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY.

   Inserted: "(a) Establishment.--

   Inserted: "(1) In general.--There is established within the Foundation the Office of Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology to carry out the provisions of this section.

   Inserted: "(2) Purposes.--The Office shall--

   Inserted: "(A) strengthen the ability of eligible institutions to provide capacity for instruction in digital and wireless network technologies by awarding grants to, or executing contracts or cooperative agreements with, those institutions to provide such instruction; and

   Inserted: "(B) strengthen the national digital and wireless infrastructure by increasing national investment in telecommunications and technology infrastructure at eligible institutions.

   Inserted: "(b) Activities Supported.--An eligible institution may use a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement awarded under this section to--

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   Inserted: "(1) acquire equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware, software, digital network technology, wireless technology, and infrastructure;

   Inserted: "(2) develop and provide educational services, including faculty development, related to science, mathematics, engineering, or technology;

   Inserted: "(3) provide teacher education, library and media specialist training, and preschool and teacher aid certification to individuals who seek to acquire or enhance technology skills in order to use technology in the classroom or in other instructional settings;

   Inserted: "(4) implement joint projects and consortia to provide education regarding technology in the classroom with a State, State education agency, local education agency, community-based organization, national non-profit organization, or business, including a minority business;

   Inserted: "(5) provide professional development in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology to administrators and faculty of eligible institutions with institutional responsibility for technology education;

   Inserted: "(6) provide capacity-building technical assistance to eligible institutions through remote technical support, technical assistance workshops, distance learning, new technologies, and other technological applications;

   Inserted: "(7) foster the use of information communications technology to increase scientific, mathematical, engineering, and technology instruction and research; and

   Inserted: "(8) develop proposals to be submitted under this section to develop strategic plans for information technology investments.

   Inserted: "(c) Application and Review Procedure.--

   Inserted: "(1) In general.--

   Inserted: "(A) Application.--An eligible institution seeking a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Director may reasonably require.

   Inserted: "(B) Procedure.--The Director, in consultation with the advisory council established under paragraph (2), shall--

   Inserted: "(i) promulgate a regulation that establishes a procedure by which to accept and review applications submitted under subparagraph (A); and

   Inserted: "(ii) publish an announcement of such procedure, including a statement regarding the availability of funds, in the Federal Register.

   Inserted: "(2) Advisory council.--

   Inserted: "(A) Establishment.--The Director shall establish an advisory council to--

   Inserted: "(i) advise the Director on the best approaches for involving eligible institutions in the activities described in subsection (b); and

   Inserted: "(ii) review and evaluate proposals submitted to the program.

   Inserted: "(B) Membership.--In selecting the members of the advisory council, the Director may consult with representatives of appropriate organizations, including representatives of eligible institutions, to ensure that the membership of the advisory council reflects participation by technology and telecommunications institutions, minority businesses, eligible institution communities, Federal agency personnel, and other individuals who are knowledgeable about eligible institutions and technology issues.

   Inserted: "(C) Program review.--Any panel assembled to review a proposal submitted to the program shall include members from minority serving institutions. Program review criteria shall include consideration of--

   Inserted: "(i) demonstrated need for assistance under this section; and

   Inserted: "(ii) diversity among the types of institutions receiving assistance under this section.

   Inserted: "(3) Data collection.--An eligible institution that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under subsection (a)(2)(A) shall provide the Office with any relevant institutional statistical or demographic data requested by the Office.

   Inserted: "(4) Information dissemination.--The Director shall convene an annual meeting of eligible institutions receiving grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under subsection (a)(2)(A) to--

   Inserted: "(A) foster collaboration and capacity-building activities among eligible institutions; and

   Inserted: "(B) disseminate information and ideas generated by such meetings.

   Inserted: "(d) Matching Requirement.--

   Inserted: "(1) In general.--The Director may not award a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement to an eligible institution under this section unless such institution agrees to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to the lesser of--

   Inserted: "(A) 25 percent of the amount of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; or

   Inserted: "(B) $500,000.

   Inserted: "(2) Waiver.--The Director shall waive the matching requirement under paragraph (1) for any institution or consortium that does not have an endowment that is valued at least $50,000,000.

   Inserted: "(e) Limitations.--

   Inserted: "(1) In general.--An eligible institution that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section in an amount greater than $2,500,000 may not receive another grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section until every other eligible institution that has applied for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section has been awarded such grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.

   Inserted: "(2) Awards administered by eligible institution.--Each grant, contract, or cooperative agreement awarded under this section shall be made to, and administered by, an eligible institution, even when awarded for the implementation of a consortium or joint project.

   Inserted: "(f) Annual Reports and Evaluation.--

   Inserted: "(1) Recipient report.--Each institution that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall submit an annual report to the Director on the use of the funds received through the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.

   Inserted: "(2) Director evaluation.--The Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall--

   Inserted: "(A) review the reports submitted under paragraph (1); and

   Inserted: "(B) on the basis of such reports, evaluate the activities authorized under subsection (b) every 2 years.

   Inserted: "(3) Contents of evaluation.--The evaluation conducted under paragraph (2)(B) shall--

   Inserted: "(A) describe the activities undertaken by the institutions described in paragraph (1); and

   Inserted: "(B) assess the short-range and long-range impact of activities carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement on the students, faculty, and staff of such institutions.

   Inserted: "(4) Report to congress.--The Director shall submit a report to Congress that includes--

   Inserted: "(A) the results of the evaluation;

   Inserted: "(B) such recommendations as may be appropriate, including recommendations concerning the continuing need for Federal funding to carry out this section.

   Inserted: "(g) Definitions.--In this section:

   Inserted: "(1) Eligible institution.--The term 'eligible institution' means an institution that is--

   Inserted: "(A) a historically Black college or university that is a part B institution, as defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2));

   Inserted: "(B) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5));

   Inserted: "(C) a tribally controlled college or university, as defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3));

   Inserted: "(D) an Alaska Native-serving institution under section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b));

   Inserted: "(E) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution under section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)); or

   Inserted: "(F) an institution that the Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, determines has enrolled a substantial number of minority, low-income students during the previous academic year who received assistance under subpart I of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) for that year.

   Inserted: "(2) Office.--The term 'Office' means the Office of Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology established in subsection (a).".

   Inserted: (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to an authorization under this Act, $100,000,000 shall be made available to the Director of the National Science Foundation for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2011 to carry out section 16 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as added by this section.

   Original wording

   On page 208, after line 2, add the following:

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