This is not an exhaustive list, but a few highlights from the new Act that will become law soon, I expect:
SEC. 514. RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES. (b) INCLUSION OF UNDERGRADUATES IN STANDARD RESEARCH GRANTS.-The Director shall require that every recipient of a research grant from the Foundation proposing to include 1 or more students enrolled in certificate, associate, or baccalaureate degree programs in carrying out the research under the grant shall request support, including stipend support, for such undergraduate students as part of the research proposal itself rather than as a supplement to the research proposal, unless such undergraduate participation was not foreseeable at the time of the original proposal. Inclusion of Broader Impacts has been NSF policy for a while, but is now being mandated by Congress: SEC. 526. BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERION. (a) GOALS.-The Foundation shall apply a Broader Impacts Review Criterion to achieve the following goals: (1) Increased economic competitiveness of the United States. (2) Development of a globally competitive STEM workforce. (3) Increased participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. (4) Increased partnerships between academia and industry. (5) Improved pre-K-12 STEM education and teacher development. (6) Improved undergraduate STEM education. (7) Increased public scientific literacy. (8) Increased national security. (b) POLICY.-Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall develop and implement a policy for the Broader Impacts Review Criterion that- (1) provides for educating professional staff at the Foundation, merit review panels, and applicants for Foundation research grants on the policy developed under this subsection; (2) clarifies that the activities of grant recipients undertaken to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review Criterion shall- (A) to the extent practicable employ proven strategies and models and draw on existing programs and activities; and (B) when novel approaches are justified, build on the most current research results; (3) allows for some portion of funds allocated to broader impacts under a research grant to be used for assessment and evaluation of the broader impacts activity; SEC. 527. TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GRADUATE EDUCATION. (a) IN GENERAL.-The Director shall award grants, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher education to implement or expand research-based reforms in master's and doctoral level STEM education that emphasize preparation for diverse careers utilizing STEM degrees, including at diverse types of institutions of higher education, in industry, and at government agencies and research laboratories. David W. Inouye Program Director Population and Community Ecology Cluster Division of Environmental Biology National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 635 Arlington, VA 22230 Phone: 703.292.8570 Fax: 703.292.9064 E-mail: [email protected]
