Sec. 323. Undergraduate STEM education reform

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Section 17 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 ( 42 U.S.C. 1862n–6 ) is amended to read as follows: The Director, through the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, shall award grants, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher education (or to consortia thereof) and to other eligible nonprofit organizations to reform undergraduate STEM education for the purpose of increasing the number and quality of students studying toward and completing baccalaureate degrees in STEM and improving the STEM learning outcomes for all undergraduate students.

In carrying out the requirements of this section, the Directorate for Education and Human Resources shall collaborate and coordinate with the Research Directorates, including through the establishment of an interdirectorate working group on undergraduate STEM education reform, in order to identify and implement new and expanded opportunities for collaboration between STEM disciplinary researchers and education researchers on the reform of undergraduate STEM education. Research and development supported by grants under this section may encompass a single discipline, multiple disciplines, or interdisciplinary education at the undergraduate level, and may include— research foundational to the improvement of teaching, learning, and retention; development, implementation, and assessment of innovative, research-based approaches to transforming teaching, learning, and retention; and scaling of successful efforts on learning and learning environments, broadening participation, workforce preparation, employing emerging technologies, or other reforms in STEM education, including expansion of successful STEM reform efforts beyond a single course or group of courses to achieve reform within an entire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform efforts beyond a single academic unit to other STEM academic units within an institution or to comparable academic units at other institutions.

An institution of higher education or other eligible nonprofit organization seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require. In addition to a description of the proposed research, development, or scaling effort, including a description of the research findings that will serve as the basis for the proposed effort, applications shall include, at a minimum— evidence of institutional support for, and commitment to, the proposed effort, including long-term commitment to implement and scale successful strategies resulting from the current effort; a description of existing or planned institutional policies and practices regarding faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching assignment that reward faculty contributions to undergraduate STEM education; and a description of the plans for assessment and evaluation of the effort, including evidence of participation by individuals with experience in assessment and evaluation of teaching and learning programs.

In selecting grant recipients for funding under this section, the Director shall consider, as appropriate to the scale of the proposed effort— the likelihood of success in undertaking the proposed effort at the institution submitting the application, including the extent to which the faculty, staff, and administrators of the institution are committed to making undergraduate STEM education reform a priority of the participating academic unit or units; the degree to which the proposed effort will contribute to change in institutional culture and policy such that a greater value is placed on faculty engagement in undergraduate education; the likelihood that the institution will sustain or expand the effort beyond the period of the grant; and the degree to which the proposed effort will contribute to the systematic accumulation of knowledge on STEM education.

The Director shall give priority to proposals focused on the first 2 years of undergraduate education, including STEM education at 2-year institutions of higher education. The Director shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this section are made to a variety of types of institutions of higher education. .

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42 USC 1862n–6

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Sec. 323

Undergraduate STEM education reform

Cite42 USC 1862n–6

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