S.Amdt. 2078

SA 2078. Mr. BROWN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to
establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the
National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub
program, to require a strategy and report on economic security,
science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to
establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of division F, insert the following:

TITLE __--STEM RESEARCH GAINS

SEC. __01. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Strengthening the STEM
Research Workforce to Generate American Infrastructure for
National Security Act of 2021'' or the ``STEM Research GAINS
Act of 2021''.

SEC. __02. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:
(1) Covered field.--The term ``covered field'' means a
field in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics
research or development that is determined to be--
(A) a subject area relating to the national security of the
United States;
(B) a subject area relating to the United States' ability
to compete in an open, fair, and competitive international
market and achieve economic growth; or
(C) a subject area that is in need of expanded and
strengthened academic pipelines to ensure a diverse
workforce.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 103(f) of
the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C.
6623(f)).
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' means an institution of
higher education described in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(5) Minority.--The term ``minority'' has the meaning given
the term in section 356(2) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k(2)).
(6) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means--
(A) a part B institution (as defined in section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061));
(B) a Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in section
502 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a));
(C) a Tribal College or University (as defined in section
316 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c));
(D) an Alaska Native-serving institution (as defined in
section 317(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)));
(E) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in
section 317(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)));
(F) a Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in
section 318 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059e));
(G) an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-
serving institution (as defined in section 320(b) of that Act
(20 U.S.C. 1059g(b))); or
(H) a Native American-serving, nontribal institution (as
defined in section 319 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059f)).
(7) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
(8) Underrepresented field.--The term ``underrepresented
field'' means a field in STEM in which the national rate of
representation of women among tenured, tenure-track faculty,
or nonfaculty researchers at doctorate-granting institutions
of higher education is less than 25 percent, according to the
most recent data available from the National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics.
(9) Underrepresented in science and engineering.--The term
``underrepresented in science and engineering'' means a
minority group whose number of scientists and engineers, per
10,000 population of that group, is substantially below the
comparable figure for scientists and engineers who are white
and not of Hispanic origin, as determined by the Secretary of
Education under section 637.4(b) of title 34, Code of Federal
Regulations, or similar successor regulations.

Subtitle A--Expanding Pipeline Programs to Research Opportunities

SEC. __11. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AREAS CRITICAL TO
NATIONAL SECURITY.

(a) Covered Fields.--The National Security Council shall
conduct a study to identify areas for research and
development that are covered fields.
(b) Update.--Not less than once every 5 years, the National
Security Council shall reassess the covered fields.

[[Page S3535]]

SEC. __12. INCREASING INVESTMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE
PIPELINES.

(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the National Science Foundation $750,000,000 for fiscal year
2022 and for each of the following 4 years, which shall be
used, in amounts determined by the Director, for the
following programs:
(1) The Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Undergraduate Program.
(2) The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation
program.
(3) The Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.
(4) The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program.
(5) The Improving Undergraduates STEM Education: Hispanic-
Serving Institutions Program.
(6) Other programs to broaden participation, as determined
by the Director.
(b) Supplement Not Supplant.--The amounts authorized under
subsection (a) shall supplement, and not supplant, any other
amounts authorized for the National Science Foundation for
the programs described in such subsection.

SEC. __14. BOLSTERING STEM PIPELINES STRATEGIC PLAN.

(a) Broadening Participation Strategic Plan.--Not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Federal Coordination in STEM Education Subcommittee (FC-STEM)
of the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) of the National Science and
Technology Council shall submit to Congress a report
containing its current strategic plan for Federal science
agencies to increase the capacity of STEM programs carried
out by Federal science agencies that are in effect as of the
date of the report to increase the participation of
individuals who are underrepresented in science and
engineering, women who are underrepresented in STEM fields,
and low-income and first-generation college students, in
order to broaden participation in grants and programs carried
out by the Federal science agencies. The report shall
include--
(1) a description of how the grants and programs that are
carried out by the Federal science agencies, as of the time
of the report, are carried out in a manner that advances
diverse pipelines in STEM fields, and a description of how
the Federal science agencies can better advance such diverse
pipelines;
(2) an analysis of the data collection that would allow for
meaningful goal setting and transparency relating to the
Federal science agencies' progress in broadening
participation of individuals from groups that are
underrepresented in science and engineering with respect to
those grants and programs;
(3) an analysis of how the Federal science agencies can
meet goals related to broadening the participation of
individuals from groups that are underrepresented in science
and engineering by--
(A) creating or expanding funding opportunities;
(B) modifying existing research and development programs;
and
(C) establishing coordination between existing programs
carried out by the Federal science agencies;
(4) a description of the ways that the National Science
Foundation works with minority-serving institutions to--
(A) enable those eligible institutions to compete
effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements
carried out by the National Science Foundation;
(B) encourage those eligible institutions to participate in
programs carried out by the Federal science agencies; and
(C) encourage students and faculty at the eligible
institution to apply for and successfully earn graduate and
professional opportunities from programs supported by the
Federal science agencies;
(5) an analysis of the best ways to share best practices
for institutions of higher education and Federal science
agencies interested in supporting individuals from groups
that are underrepresented in science and engineering; and
(6) an analysis of how the Federal science agencies can
work together to advance goals related to broadening the
participation of individuals from groups that are
underrepresented in science and engineering.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter,
the Federal Coordination in STEM Education Subcommittee (FC-
STEM) of the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) of the National Science
and Technology Council shall report to Congress on the
implementation by Federal science agencies of the policy
guidelines developed under this section.

SEC. __15. RESEARCH PROGRAM CLEARINGHOUSE AND TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE CENTER.

(a) Opportunities Clearinghouse.--The Federal Coordination
in STEM Education Subcommittee (FC-STEM) of the Committee on
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education
(CoSTEM)of the National Science and Technology Council shall
establish and maintain a public clearinghouse (including by
maintaining a publicly available website) of all research
programs sponsored by Federal science agencies that are
available to individuals as undergraduate and graduate
students.
(b) Best Practices Clearinghouse.--The Director shall fund
the establishment and maintenance of a clearinghouse that
will collect, analyze, identify, disseminate, and make
publicly available information about best practices for
institutions of higher education to strengthen the pipeline
of individuals pursuing careers in covered fields.
(c) Technical Assistance.--The Director shall fund the
establishment and maintenance of a robust technical
assistance center that shall work with institutions of higher
education seeking to implement strategies to--
(1) bolster and diversify the student body at the
institution that pursue STEM fields; and
(2) support students underrepresented in science and
engineering who are pursuing research-based STEM studies to
help those students continue and complete those studies.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated--
(1) to carry out subsections (a) and (b), $2,000,000 for
fiscal year 2022 and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal
years; and
(2) to carry out subsection (c), $1,000,000 for fiscal year
2022 and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

Subtitle B--Increasing Funding for Graduate Education

SEC. __21. STRENGTHENING TRANSPARENCY.

(a) Assessments.--The Director shall conduct regular
assessments of graduate research fellowship programs carried
out by the National Science Foundation and provide additional
publicly available information about those programs,
including for each program--
(1) the number of applications received, disaggregated by
undergraduate and graduate institution, race, gender, age,
and eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant;
(2) the number of applications approved, disaggregated by
undergraduate and graduate institution, race, gender, age,
and eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant; and
(3) the types of institutions of higher education that are
awarded grants to develop a diverse STEM workforce,
disaggregated by undergraduate population, public or private
institution, and type of minority-serving institutions.
(b) Reports.--The Director shall prepare and submit to
Congress, and make publicly available, annual reports that
show trends in how research fellowships and scholarships
supported by the National Science Foundation are awarded to
individuals from underrepresented groups, institutions of
higher education, and entities from different geographic
areas, in order to better show trends in the participation of
underrepresented groups in such research fellowships and
scholarships.

Subtitle C--Strengthening the National Security Research Workforce

SEC. __31. EARLY CAREER FACULTY SUPPORTS.

(a) Rising Faculty Professional Advancement Program.--
(1) Establishment of pilot program.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
select an organization to establish a 5-year pilot mentorship
program to be known as ``Rising Faculty Professional
Advancement Program'' (referred to in this section as the
``program'') in order to increase the diversity of faculty in
STEM fields.
(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Rising Faculty
Professional Advancement Program shall be--
(A) to increase the number of doctoral-level professionals
from underrepresented groups in STEM fields who transition
into faculty positions at institutions of higher education;
and
(B) to improve mentorship and training for researchers who
are navigating the transition in the research pipeline to
becoming faculty, which is a time when a significant decrease
in diversity often occurs.
(b) Program Participants.--
(1) Eligibility.--An individual shall be eligible to
participate in the program if the individual is a doctoral
degree holding researcher in a post-doctoral research
position or early-career faculty (defined as a faculty
researcher with a title of assistant professor or other non-
tenured equivalent).
(2) Priority.--In selecting applicants to participate in
the program--
(A) priority shall be given to--
(i) applicants from groups who are underrepresented in
science and engineering; or
(ii) applicants holding degrees from or faculty positions
at minority-serving institutions; and
(B) additional consideration may be given to--
(i) applicants holding doctoral degrees from institutions
of higher education in the bottom 90 percent of research and
development expenditures, as ranked by the National Center
for Science and Engineering Statistics; and
(ii) applicants who are women and who hold positions from
underrepresented fields.
(c) Activities.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the organization shall establish
program activities including--
(A) training for Rising Faculty and mentors;
(B) a program curriculum; and
(C) benchmarks for mentor engagement.
(2) Collaborative research.--The organization shall
encourage program mentors to network and enter into
collaboration on research projects with Rising Faculty and
other mentors within the program.
(3) Survey.--Following the first year of program
enrollment, and on an annual basis during the program, the
organization shall--

[[Page S3536]]

(A) conduct a survey of Rising Faculty and mentors to
determine best practices and outcomes achieved;
(B) collect information about the demographics of Rising
Faculty and mentor participants; and
(C) conduct additional surveys or other analyses of Rising
Faculty who completed the program to assess career
progression for not more than 5 years following the
completion of the program by Rising Faculty.
(d) Assessment of the Pilot Program and Recommendations.--
Not later than 180 days after the conclusion of the pilot
program, the Director shall provide a report to the
appropriate committees of Congress with respect to the pilot
program, which shall include--
(1) a description and evaluation of the status and
effectiveness of the program, including a summary of survey
data collected;
(2) an assessment of the success and utility of the pilot
program in meeting the purposes of this section;
(3) a summary and analysis of the types and frequency of
activities and policies developed and carried out under the
pilot program; and
(4) a recommendation about continuing the program on a
pilot or permanent basis.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000 in
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
______