[House Report 115-471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 115-471
======================================================================
STEM RESEARCH AND EDUCATION EFFECTIVENESS AND TRANSPARENCY ACT
_______
December 18, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Smith of Texas, from the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4375]
The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 4375) to provide for a study on
broadening participation in certain National Science Foundation
research and education programs, to collect data on Federal
research grants to science agencies, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, report favorably thereon without
amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Committee Statement and Views.................................... 1
Section-by-Section............................................... 4
Explanation of Amendments........................................ 4
Committee Consideration.......................................... 4
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch..................... 4
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the
Committee...................................................... 5
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 5
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 5
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 5
Federal Advisory Committee Act................................... 5
Unfunded Mandate Statement....................................... 5
Earmark Identification........................................... 5
Committee Estimate............................................... 5
Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate... 6
Committee Statement and Views
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
H.R. 4375, the ``STEM Research and Education Effectiveness
and Transparency Act,'' is sponsored by Rep. Barbara Comstock
and Rep. Eddie Bernie Johnson. The purpose of H.R. 4375 is for
the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study and make
recommendations to Congress regarding the effectiveness of its
research and education programs aimed at broadening the
participation of women and historically underrepresented
individuals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) careers. The bill also requires each Federal
science agency to collect standardized information, including
demographics, for each application received for research and
development grants from universities, research institutions,
and federal laboratories. Agencies are to submit their
standardized information annually to NSF, to be published in an
annual summary.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
During the past decade, employment in STEM occupations has
grown six times as fast as non-STEM occupations. The average
wage for STEM occupations is nearly double the average for all
occupations. By 2018, however, projections are that 2.4 million
STEM jobs will go unfilled.
Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields and
therefore represent a prime opportunity to help fill the STEM
void. According to the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES) women comprise 48 percent of the
U.S. workforce but just 24 percent of STEM workers. For
instance, 86 percent of engineers and 74 percent of computer
professionals are male.
Many minority groups are also significantly under-
represented in many STEM fields. Hispanics account for 6
percent of employment in STEM occupations, which is lower than
their share of the U.S. population age 21 and older (15
percent), and African Americans account for 5 percent of
science and engineering employment, which is lower than their
share of the U.S. population age 21 and older (12 percent).
Attracting more women and individuals from historically
under-represented populations to STEM studies and careers will
create economic opportunities in higher-paying occupations and
bolster the nation's capabilities in areas of science and
technology that are crucial to our future economic and national
security.
The National Science Foundation is the second largest
federal resource for STEM education. NSF invests millions of
taxpayer dollars annually in education and research programs
aimed at increasing STEM participation among women and under-
represented populations. The study required in H.R. 4375 will
give Congress, NSF, and other stakeholders objective
information about what kinds of interventions and assistance
are efficient, scalable, and effective, and which are not.
H.R. 4375 also requires all Federal science agencies to
collect standardized information, including demographics, for
each application received for research and developments grants.
Agencies are to submit the information annually to NSF and it
is to be reported as part of the agency's annual science and
engineering indicators report. This information will provide
better transparency as to how taxpayer dollars are spent on
research and scientists across the Federal government.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On March 9, 2017, the Research and Technology Subcommittee
held a hearing entitled, ``National Science Foundation Part 1:
Overview and Oversight.'' Witnesses were: Dr. France Cordova,
Director, National Science Foundation; Ms. Allison Lerner,
Inspector General, National Science Foundation.
On March 21, 2017, the Research and Technology Subcommittee
held a hearing entitled, ``National Science Foundation Part II:
Future Opportunities and Challenges for Science.'' Witnesses
were: Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Acting Chief Operating Officer,
National Science Foundation; Dr. Maria Zuber, Chair, National
Science Board; Dr. Jeffrey Spies, Co-Founder and Chief
Technology Officer, Center for Open Science and Assistant
Professor, University of Virginia; Dr. Keith Yamamoto, Vice
Chancellor for Science Policy and Strategy, University of
California, San Francisco.
On July 26, 2017, the Research and Technology Subcommittee
held a hearing entitled, ``STEM and Computer Science Education:
Preparing the 21st Century Workforce.'' Witnesses were: Mr.
James Brown, Executive Director, STEM Education Coalition; Mr.
Pat Yongpradit, Chief Academic Officer, Code.org; Dr. A. Paul
Alivisatos, Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost, Vice
Chancellor for Research, and Professor of Chemistry and
Materials Science & Engineering, University of California,
Berkeley; Ms. Dee Mooney, Executive Director, Micron Technology
Foundation.
On November 15, the full Committee approved by voice vote
H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and
Transparency Act.
COMMITTEE VIEWS
Broadening Participation Report
The National Science Foundation has invested billions of
dollars in research and programs to broaden participation in
STEM studies and research. The Committee recognizes the
importance of these efforts, but is concerned that there has
not been enough collection and dissemination of outcomes data
on these investments. The Committee believes that the
collection and sharing of best practices will save taxpayer
dollars and accelerate the advancement of broader participation
in STEM. The Committee understands that NSF is working to
address this issue through the new NSF initiative Inclusion
Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of
Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science
(INCLUDES). The Committee further understands that a key
objective of NSF INCLUDES is to engage current NSF awardees
working on broadening participation, as well as the broader
STEM community, in the creation and development of a network to
help provide connections to this community. The Committee is
aware that NSF is supporting efforts that create, analyze and
aggregate knowledge and assessments, and also implement,
expand, and sustain effective practices. The Committee
determines that a report to Congress is complementary to this
effort, and will give the committees, NSF, and other
stakeholders objective information about what kinds of
interventions and assistance are efficient, scalable and
effective, and which are not effective, efficient, or useful.
Collection and Reporting of Data on Federal Research Grants
The Committee believes that the collection and reporting of
data on federal research grant applications will provide better
transparency to how taxpayer dollars are spent on research and
scientists across the Federal government. The Committee finds
that the data and reporting requirements of this bill are
complementary to the Digital Accountability and Transparency
Act of 2014 (DATA Act) and should not make implementation
overly burdensome. However, the Committee is concerned by the
results of a November 2017 independent audit of NSF's
implementation of the DATA Act and urges NSF to adopt the
recommendations made by auditors to comply with the DATA Act
and this provision of H.R. 4375.
Section-by-Section
Sec. 1. Short title
STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency
Act.
Sec. 2. Broadening participation in STEM program effectiveness study
This section requires the NSF Director to submit a report
to Congress, one year after enactment, on the effectiveness of
all NSF research and education programs in broadening the
participation of women and other underrepresented individuals
in STEM studies and careers.
Sec. 3. Collection and reporting of data on Federal research grants
This section requires each Federal science agency to
collect standardized record-level annual information on
demographics, primary field, award type, review rating, budget
request, funding outcome, and awarded budget for each
application for merit-reviewed research and development grants
to institutions of higher education and Federal laboratories
supported by that agency. This section also requires the
Director of NSF to publish a statistical summary of all the
data collected.
Explanation of Amendments
There were no amendments to this bill.
Committee Consideration
On November 15, 2017, the Committee met in open session and
ordered reported favorably the bill, H.R. 4375, by voice vote,
a quorum being present.
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch
Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a
description of the application of this bill to the legislative
branch where the bill relates to the terms and conditions of
employment or access to public services and accommodations.
This bill provides for a report from the NSF to make
recommendations to Congress regarding the effectiveness of its
research and education programs aimed at broadening the
participation of women and historically underrepresented
individuals in STEM studies and careers. As such this bill does
not relate to employment or access to public services and
accommodations.
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the descriptive portions of
this report.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
H.R. 4375 provides for a report from the NSF to make
recommendations to Congress regarding the effectiveness of its
research and education programs aimed at broadening the
participation of women and historically underrepresented
individuals in STEM studies and careers.
Duplication of Federal Programs
No provision of H.R. 4375 establishes or reauthorizes a
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of
another Federal program, a program that was included in any
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance.
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings
The Committee estimates that enacting H.R. 4375 does not
direct the completion of any specific rule makings within the
meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551.
Federal Advisory Committee Act
The Committee finds that the legislation does not establish
or authorize the establishment of an advisory committee within
the definition of 5 U.S.C. App., Section 5(b).
Unfunded Mandate Statement
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act, P.L. 104-4) requires a statement as to
whether the provisions of the reported include unfunded
mandates. In compliance with this requirement the Committee has
received a letter from the Congressional Budget Office included
herein.
Earmark Identification
H.R. 4375 does not include any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of rule XXI.
Committee Estimate
The Committee estimates that implementing H.R. 4375 would
have no effect on direct spending or revenue.
Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
The Committee advises that a Congressional Budget Office
cost estimate was not available at the time this report was
printed.
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