HR 204 — STEM Opportunities Act

(a) In general The Director shall continue to support a program to award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to tribal colleges and universities (as defined in section 1059c of title 20, including institutions described in section 1059d of title 20), to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at such institutions and to increase the retention and graduation rates of Native American students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in STEM. (b) Program components Grants awarded under this section shall support— (1) activities to improve courses and curriculum in STEM; (2) faculty development; (3) stipends for undergraduate students participating in research; and (4) other activities consistent with subsection (a), as determined by the Director. (c) Instrumentation Funding provided under this section may be used for laboratory equipment and materials. (d) Awards to broaden Tribal College and University student participation in computer science (1) In general The Director, as part of the program authorized under this section, shall make awards on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities to increase the participation of Tribal populations in computer science and computational thinking education programs to enable students to develop skills and competencies in coding, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. (2) Purpose Awards made under this subsection shall support— (A) research and development needed to bring computer science and computational thinking courses and degrees to Tribal Colleges or Universities; (B) research and development of instructional materials needed to integrate computer science and computational thinking into programs that are culturally relevant to students attending Tribal Colleges or Universities; (C) research, development and evaluation of distance education for computer science and computational thinking courses and degree programs for students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities; and (D) other activities consistent with the activities described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (b), as determined by the Director. (3) Partnerships A Tribal College or University seeking an award under this subsection, or consortia thereof, may partner with an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization with demonstrated expertise in academic program development. (4) Coordination In carrying out this subsection, the Director shall consult and cooperate with the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agencies to avoid duplication with and enhance the effectiveness of the program under this subsection. (5) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director $2,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this subsection.

(a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Economic projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that by 2018, there could be 2,400,000 unfilled STEM jobs. (2) Women represent slightly more than half the United States population, and projections indicate that 54 percent of the population will be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group by 2050. (3) Despite representing half the population, women comprise only about 30 percent of STEM workers according to a 2015 report by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (4) A 2014 National Center for Education Statistics study found that underrepresented populations leave the STEM fields at higher rates than their counterparts. (5) The representation of women in STEM drops significantly at the faculty level. Overall, women hold only 25 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 17 percent of full professor positions in STEM fields in our Nation’s universities and 4-year colleges. (6) Black and Hispanic faculty together hold about 6.5 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 5 percent of full professor positions. (7) Many of the numbers in the American Indian or Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander categories for different faculty ranks were too small for the Foundation to report publicly without potentially compromising confidential information about the individuals being surveyed. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) it is critical to our Nation’s economic leadership and global competitiveness that the United States educate, train, and retain more scientists, engineers, and computer scientists; (2) there is currently a disconnect between the availability of and growing demand for STEM-skilled workers; (3) historically, underrepresented populations are the largest untapped STEM talent pools in the United States; and (4) given the shifting demographic landscape, the United States should encourage full participation of individuals from underrepresented populations in STEM fields. (c) Reaffirmation The Director of the Foundation shall continue to support programs designed to broaden participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields. (d) Grants to broaden participation (1) In general The Director of the Foundation shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to eligible entities to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields, including individuals identified in section 1885a or section 1885b of this title. (2) Center of excellence (A) In general Grants awarded under this subsection may include grants for the establishment of a Center of Excellence to collect, maintain, and disseminate information to increase participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields. (B) Purpose The purpose of a Center of Excellence under this subsection is to promote diversity in STEM fields by building on the success of the INCLUDES programs, providing technical assistance, maintaining best practices, and providing related training at federally funded academic institutions. (3) Research As a component of improving participation of women in STEM fields, research funded by a grant under this subsection may include research on— (A) the role of teacher training and professional development, including effective incentive structures to encourage teachers to participate in such training and professional development, in encouraging or discouraging female students in prekindergarten through elementary school from participating in STEM activities; (B) the role of teachers in shaping perceptions of STEM in female students in prekindergarten through elementary school and discouraging such students from participating in STEM activities; (C) the role of other facets of the learning environment on the willingness of female students in prekindergarten through elementary school to participate in STEM activities, including learning materials and t...