Research for Competitiveness Act - (Sec. 2) Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education in the United States and at the research organizations described in this section to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Permits the existing Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program to be designated as the mechanism for awarding such grants.
Requires: (1) the duration of such awards to be five years; and (2) the amount of such an award per year to be at least $80,000.
Instructs such Director: (1) in awarding such grants, to ensure that the recipients are from a variety of institutions of higher education and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations; and (2) in support of such goal, to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities that are part B institutions as defined under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and minority institutions as defined under that Act.
Instructs such Director to earmark at least 3.5% of funds appropriated to NSF for research and related activities to such grants program.
Requires reports describing the: (1) distribution of the institutions of the awardees of the CAREER Program since FY2001 among specified categories of institutions of higher education; and (2) impact of such program on the ability of young faculty to compete for NSF research grants.
(Sec. 3) Requires the Director of the Office of Science of the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at specified institutions of higher education and the research organizations described in this section to conduct research in fields relevant to the mission of the DOE.
Requires: (1) the duration of such awards to be up to five years; and (2) the amount of such an award per year to be at least $80,000.
Instructs such Director to give priority to proposals in which the proposed work includes collaborations with DOE national laboratories.
Instructs such Director: (1) in awarding such grants, to endeavor to ensure that the recipients are from a variety of institutions of higher education and nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organizations; and (2) in support of such goal, to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities that are part B institutions and minority institutions.
Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 to the Secretary of Energy to carry out such Director's responsibilities under this section.
Requires such Director to transmit a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the DOE laboratories.
(Sec. 4) Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to transmit a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the NIST laboratories and joint institutes.
(Sec. 5) Requires the Director of the NSF to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at institutions of higher education and at the research organizations described in this section to conduct high-risk, high-return research. Requires such program to support fundamental research with the potential for significant scientific or technical advancement.
Requires the duration of such awards to be up to five years and the amount of such an award per year to be up to $75,000 annually. Provides that such funding shall not be contingent on the receipt of matching funds received under this paragraph. Requires the NSF, each year that a recipient is receiving such funding, to match any funds such recipient receives from U.S. industry for work in the area described in the recipient's application for the award, up to an additional $37,500.
Instructs such Director to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities that are part B institutions and minority institutions.
Authorizes appropriations to such Director for FY2007-FY2011 to carry out this section.
(Sec. 6) Requires the Director of the Office of Science to carry out a program of awarding grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education and the research organizations described in this section to conduct high-risk, high-return research in areas related to energy production, storage, and use. Requires such program to support fundamental research with the potential for significant scientific or technical advancement.
Requires such Director, in carrying out such program, to consult with the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs of the Office of Nuclear Energy Research and Development, the Office of Fossil Energy, and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewables.
Requires the duration of such awards to be up to five years and the amount of such an award per year to be up to $75,000 annually. Provides that such funding shall not be contingent on the receipt of matching funds under this paragraph. Requires the Office of Science, each year that a recipient is receiving such funding, to match any funds such recipient receives from U.S. industry for work in the area described in the recipient's application for the award, up to an additional $37,500.
Instructs such Director to broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for such grants, including by conducting outreach to historically black colleges and universities that are part B institutions and minority institutions.
Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 to the Secretary of Energy to carry out such Director's responsibilities under this section.
(Sec. 7) Requires awards under the Major Research Instrumentation Program described in the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to range in amount between $100,000 and $20 million. Permits such awards to be used to support the operations and maintenance of instrumentation and equipment acquired under such program.
Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 to the NSF for this program.
(Sec. 8) Amends the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to permit funds to be donated to NSF for specific prize competitions.
(Sec. 9) Requires the Director of the NSF to establish a program of awarding grants for long-term, potentially path-breaking, basic research designed to simultaneously advance the physical and nonbiomedical life sciences.
Instructs such Director to ensure that review panels for proposals received under this section: (1) include both physical scientists and nonbiomedical life scientists, and, when appropriate, engineers; and (2) are open to approving high-risk research. Permits such Director to award such grants to individuals, groups, and centers. Requires such Director to ensure that some of such grants awarded under section 2 of this Act are awarded consistent with this section.
Authorizes such Director to carry out this program jointly with the Office of Science and other relevant federal agencies.
Requires the documents prepared by such Director to accompany the annual presidential budget submission to specify the amounts to be expended on such program.
(Sec. 10) Allows the NSF, in carrying out its research programs on science policy and on the science of learning, to support research on the process of innovation and the teaching of inventiveness.
(Sec. 11) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a balanced science program as authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 contributes significantly to innovation in and the economic competitiveness of the United States; and (2) a robust National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), funded at the levels authorized under sections 202 and 203 of that Act, would offer a balance among science, aeronautics, exploration, and human space flight programs. Instructs the Administrator of NASA to fully participate in any interagency efforts to promote innovation and economic competitiveness through scientific research and development within the spending levels cited under those sections.
(Sec. 12) Authorizes the Administrator to establish a NASA Academy, which may be established as a virtual Academy using online learning techniques. Requires the Academy, if established, to be available to all NASA employees to facilitate increased knowledge of engineering and scientific principles to further NASA's missions.
Instructs the Administrator: (1) to transmit a notification of whether NASA will establish such an Academy; and (2) if an Academy is to be established, to transmit a plan for the establishment of the Academy.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5356 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5356
To authorize the National Science Foundation and the Department of
Energy Office of Science to provide grants to early career researchers
to establish innovative research programs and integrate education and
research, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 11, 2006
Mr. McCaul of Texas (for himself, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr.
Calvert, Mr. Ehlers, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Inglis of South Carolina, and
Mr. Schwarz of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Science
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the National Science Foundation and the Department of
Energy Office of Science to provide grants to early career researchers
to establish innovative research programs and integrate education and
research, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Early Career Research Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation
shall carry out a program to award grants to scientists and engineers
at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education
and research institutions to conduct research in fields relevant to the
mission of the Foundation. The existing Faculty Early Career
Development (CAREER) Program may be designated as the mechanism for
awarding such grants.
(b) Size and Duration of Award.--The duration of awards under this
section shall be 5 years, and the amount per year shall be at least
$80,000.
(c) Eligibility.--Award recipients shall be individuals who are
employed in a tenure-track position as an assistant professor or
equivalent title, or who hold an equivalent position, at--
(1) an institution of higher education in the United
States; or
(2) an organization in the United States that is a
nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization such as a
museum, observatory, or research laboratory.
(d) Selection.--Award recipients shall be selected on a merit-
reviewed and competitive basis.
(e) Selection Process and Criteria for Awards.--An applicant
seeking funding under this section shall submit a proposal to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Director may require. In evaluating the proposals submitted
under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum--
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work;
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of the proposed
research;
(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates research
and education, including undergraduate education in science and
engineering disciplines; and
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership at the
frontiers of knowledge.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For each of the fiscal years
2007 through 2011, the Director shall allocate at least 3.5 percent of
funds appropriated to the National Science Foundation for Research and
Related Activities to the grants program under this section.
(g) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Director shall provide to the Committee on Science of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report describing the distribution of
the institutions of the awardees of the Faculty Early Career
Development Program since fiscal year 2001 among each of the categories
of institutions of higher education defined by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching and the organizations in subsection
(c)(2).
(h) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Director shall provide to the Committee on Science of
the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate a report evaluating the impact of the
Faculty Early Career Development Program on the ability of young
faculty to compete for National Science Foundation research grants.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary for Science of the Department
of Energy shall carry out a program to award grants to scientists and
engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher
education and research institutions to conduct research in fields
relevant to the mission of the Department.
(b) Size and Duration of Award.--The duration of awards under this
section shall be up to 5 years, and the amount per year shall be at
least $80,000.
(c) Eligibility.--Award recipients shall be individuals who are
employed in a tenure-track position as an assistant professor or
equivalent title, or who hold an equivalent position, at--
(1) an institution of higher education in the United
States; or
(2) an organization in the United States that is a
nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization such as a
museum, observatory, or research laboratory.
(d) Selection.--Award recipients shall be selected on a merit-
reviewed and competitive basis.
(e) Selection Process and Criteria for Awards.--An applicant
seeking funding under this section shall submit a proposal to the Under
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Under Secretary may require. In evaluating the proposals
submitted under this section, the Under Secretary shall consider, at a
minimum--
(1) the intellectual merit of the proposed work;
(2) the innovative or transformative nature of the proposed
research;
(3) the extent to which the proposal integrates research
and education, including undergraduate education in science and
engineering disciplines; and
(4) the potential of the applicant for leadership at the
frontiers of knowledge.
(f) Collaboration With National Laboratories.--In awarding grants
under this section, the Under Secretary shall give priority to
proposals in which the proposed work includes collaboration with the
Department of Energy National Laboratories.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out the Under
Secretary's responsibilities under this section $25,000,000 for each of
the fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
(h) Report on Recruiting and Retaining Early Career Science and
Engineering Researchers at the National Laboratories.--Not later than 3
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy
shall provide a report to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and
engineers at the early stages of their careers at the Department of
Energy National Laboratories. The report shall include--
(1) a description of Department of Energy and National
Laboratory policies and procedures, including financial
incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for independent
research, access to equipment or facilities, and other forms of
recognition, designed to attract and retain young scientists
and engineers;
(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the
careers of young scientists and engineers at Department of
Energy National Laboratories, and also on the quality of the
research at the National Laboratories and in Department of
Energy programs;
(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to
efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers,
including limited availability of full time equivalent
positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading
systems; and
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and
retain young researchers and the source of such funds.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
EFFORTS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN EARLY CAREER SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS.
Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
shall provide a report to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate on efforts to recruit and retain young
scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories and joint
institutes. The report shall include--
(1) a description of National Institute of Standards and
Technology policies and procedures, including financial
incentives, awards, promotions, time set aside for independent
research, access to equipment or facilities, and other forms of
recognition, designed to attract and retain young scientists
and engineers;
(2) an evaluation of the impact of these incentives on the
careers of young scientists and engineers at the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and also on the quality
of the research at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology's laboratories and in the National Institute of
Standards and Technology's programs;
(3) a description of what barriers, if any, exist to
efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers,
including limited availability of full time equivalent
positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay grading
systems; and
(4) the amount of funding devoted to efforts to recruit and
retain young researchers and the source of such funds.
SEC. 5. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended).
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science. H. Rept. 109-525.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science. H. Rept. 109-525.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 294.
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