Sec. 504. National Science Foundation merit review
234 words·~1 min read·
/bill/113/s/2757/is/section-504·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the Foundation's Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria remain appropriate for evaluating grant proposals, as concluded by the 2011 National Science Board Task Force on Merit Review; evaluating proposals on the basis of the Foundation's Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria assures that— proposals funded by the Foundation are of high quality and advance scientific knowledge; and the Foundation’s overall funding portfolio addresses societal needs through research findings or through related activities; and as evidenced by the Foundation’s contributions to scientific advancement, economic development, human health, and national security, its peer review and merit review processes have successfully identified and funded scientifically and societally relevant research and must be preserved.
The Foundation shall maintain the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria as the basis for evaluating grant proposals in the merit review process. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing— steps taken to improve the merit-review process, the justification for any changes, and the effect of these steps on funding recipients; recent efforts by the Foundation to improve transparency and accountability in the merit-review process; and efforts to better understand and address implicit bias in the merit-review process.
The Director shall update and resubmit the report under paragraph
(1)if there are any changes to the merit-review criteria.