Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§2036 Grants to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART III— - TRAINING AND EDUCATION › Chapter CHAPTER 102— - JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS › § 2036

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense, working with the Secretary of Education, may give grants to local school systems that host Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) units. The money can help teach STEM and related subjects to JROTC students. The Secretary may work with the National Science Foundation, NASA, and other federal, state, or local groups. Grants can pay for teacher training, materials, equipment, software, better curricula, student trips and mentoring, informal learning, and help students get certifications. Preference is given to schools eligible under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.). The Secretary must set outcome-based measures and use internal and external reviews to judge results, and should use authorities under chapter 111 and sections 2601 and 2605 when practical. Eligible entity: a local education agency that hosts a JROTC unit. Covered subjects: 14 areas including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, computer science, computational thinking, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, quantum information sciences, cybersecurity, robotics, health sciences, and other STEM-related subjects the Secretary of Defense finds related.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2036

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, may carry out a program to make grants to eligible entities to assist such entities in providing education in covered subjects to students in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
(b)In carrying out a program under subsection (a), the Secretary may coordinate with the following:
(1)The Director of the National Science Foundation.
(2)The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
(3)The heads of such other Federal, State, and local government entities the Secretary of Defense determines to be appropriate.
(c)Activities funded with grants under this section may include the following:
(1)Training and other support for instructors to teach courses in covered subjects to students.
(2)The acquisition of materials, hardware, and software necessary for the instruction of covered subjects.
(3)Activities that improve the quality of educational materials, training opportunities, and curricula available to students and instructors in covered subjects.
(4)Development of travel opportunities, demonstrations, mentoring programs, and informal education in covered subjects for students and instructors.
(5)Students’ pursuit of certifications in covered subjects.
(d)In making any grants under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that are eligible for assistance under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.).
(e)In carrying out a program under this section, the Secretary shall establish outcome-based metrics and internal and external assessments to evaluate the merits and benefits of the activities funded with grants under this section with respect to the needs of the Department of Defense.
(f)In carrying out a program under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, make use of the authorities under chapter 111 and section 2601 and 2605 of this title, and other authorities the Secretary determines appropriate.
(g)In this section:
(1)The term “eligible entity” means a local education agency that hosts a unit of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
(2)The term “covered subjects” means—
(A)science;
(B)technology;
(C)engineering;
(D)mathematics;
(E)computer science;
(F)computational thinking;
(G)artificial intelligence;
(H)machine learning;
(I)data science;
(J)quantum information sciences;
(K)cybersecurity;
(L)robotics;
(M)health sciences; and
(N)other subjects determined by the Secretary of Defense to be related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 89–10, Apr. 11, 1965, 79 Stat. 27. Part A of title I of the Act is classified generally to part A (§ 6311 et seq.) of subchapter I of chapter 70 of Title 20, Education. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 6301 of Title 20 and Tables.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (g)(2)(J) to (N). Pub. L. 117–81 added subpar. (J) and redesignated former subpars. (J) to (M) as (K) to (N), respectively.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2036

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73