Sec. 10. National Science Foundation support for increasing diversity among STEM faculty at institutions of higher education
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/bill/115/s/1270/is/section-10A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Director of the National Science Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof) for the development of innovative reform efforts designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in academic STEM careers. Grants shall be awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis. Activities supported by grants under this section may include— institutional assessment activities, such as data analyses and policy review, in order to identify and address specific issues in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups; implementation of institution-wide improvements in workload distribution, such that faculty members from underrepresented minority groups are not disadvantaged in the amount of time available to focus on research, publishing papers, and engaging in other activities required to achieve tenure status and run a productive research program; development and implementation of training courses for administrators and search committee members to ensure that candidates from underrepresented minority groups are not subject to implicit biases in the search and hiring process; development and hosting of intra- or inter-institutional workshops to propagate best practices in recruiting, retaining, and advancing faculty members from underrepresented minority groups; professional development opportunities for faculty members from underrepresented minority groups; activities aimed at making undergraduate STEM students from underrepresented minority groups aware of opportunities for academic careers in STEM fields; activities to identify and engage exceptional graduate students from underrepresented minority groups at various stages of their studies and to encourage them to enter academic careers; and other activities consistent with subsection
(a), as determined by the Director of the National Science Foundation. An institution of higher education (or consortia thereof) seeking funding under this section shall submit an application to the Director of the National Science Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as such Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum, a description of— the reform effort that is being proposed for implementation by the institution of higher education; any available evidence of specific difficulties in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups in STEM academic careers within the institution of higher education submitting an application, and how the proposed reform effort would address such issues; how the institution of higher education submitting an application plans to sustain the proposed reform effort beyond the duration of the grant; and how the success and effectiveness of the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed in order to contribute to the national knowledge base about models for catalyzing institutional change. In selecting grant recipients under this section, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider, at a minimum— the likelihood of success in undertaking the proposed reform effort at the institution of higher education submitting the application, including the extent to which the administrators of the institution are committed to making the proposed reform effort a priority; the degree to which the proposed reform effort will contribute to change in institutional culture and policy such that greater value is placed on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups; the likelihood that the institution of higher education will sustain or expand the proposed reform effort beyond the period of the grant; and the degree to which evaluation and assessment plans are included in the design of the proposed reform effort. The Director of the National Science Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this section are made to a variety of types of institutions of higher education. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation $10,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022 to carry out this section.