Sec. 510. National student unmanned aircraft systems competition program
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The Administrator shall lead a national pilot program to carry out unmanned aircraft systems technology competitions for students at the high school and undergraduate level (in this section referred to as competitions ) in which students shall compete to design, create, and demonstrate an unmanned aircraft system. The Administrator shall award, on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis, a grant to a nonprofit organization, an institution of higher education, or a consortium thereof, to administer the pilot program under subsection
(a)(in this section referred to as the competition administrator ). The Administrator shall ensure that the award decision made under subsection
(b)take into account the extent to which the eligible entity— identifies a plan for engaging eligible institutions from diverse geographic areas, including poor, rural, and Tribal communities; and identifies a plan for connecting science, technology, engineering, and medicine
(STEM)activities to Administration missions and centers. In carrying out the pilot program, the competition administrator shall be responsible for the following: Awarding grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof) on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis to host individual competitions. Developing STEM curriculum to be utilized by the competition awardees to help students make the connection to the design, construction, and demonstration of unmanned aircraft systems. Developing curriculum to assist students in making real-world connections to STEM content and educate students on the relevance and significance of STEM careers. Ensuring competition awardees are supporting the activities specified in subsection (f). Conducting performance evaluations of competitions, including data collection, on the following: The number of students engaged. Geographic and institutional diversity of participating schools and institutions of higher education. Any other activities the Administrator finds necessary to ensure the competitions are successful. In awarding grants in subsection (d), the competition administrator shall consider applications that include a partnership with that State’s space grant program under chapter 403 of title 51, United States Code. In carrying out the pilot program under subsection (a), the competition administrator shall ensure competitions occurring at both the high school and undergraduate levels— allow students to design, construct, and demonstrate an unmanned aircraft system; allow students to compete with other teams in the performance of the constructed unmanned aircraft system; connect to relevant missions and NASA Center activities of the Administration; connect relevant STEM curriculum to the design, construction, and demonstration of unmanned aircraft systems; support activities designed to help students make real-world connections to STEM content and educate students on the relevance and significance of STEM careers; are geographically dispersed in order to serve a broad student population, including those in rural and underserved communities; and encourage, to the greatest extent practicable, the participation of students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Not later than six months after the end of the pilot program under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the accomplishments, lessons learned, any challenges in the implementation of the pilot program, and recommendations for whether to continue the pilot program. In this section, the term eligible institution means— an institution of higher education; a nonprofit research institution; a high school; or a consortium of 2 or more entities described in any of paragraphs
(1)through (3).