§1862n–7 Reports

Summary

Within 6 months after December 19, 2002, the Director must send a report to the House Science Committee and to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee about how raising the average grant size and length would affect minority-serving colleges and schools and institutions in States where the Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is active. Within 3 months after December 19, 2002, the Director must make an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to study gender differences in the careers of science and engineering faculty. That study must build on the Academy’s earlier work and look at hiring, promotion, tenure, and how resources like lab space are given out. Also within 3 months after December 19, 2002, the Director must hire an appropriate party to study gender differences in who requests and receives major Federal research and development grants. When each study is finished, the results must be sent to the same three Congressional committees. Within 1 year after December 19, 2002, the Director must do a study about high-speed, large-bandwidth Internet access for elementary and secondary schools and libraries and send a report with recommendations to the same three committees; that report must be updated once a year for four more years. The broadband reports must say how access is available to different groups, how schools and libraries can use high-speed Internet, how local or regional factors affect getting that access, and offer options and recommendations. Each year, with the President’s budget request, the Director must report how much Foundation funding goes to minority-serving institutions (including consortium members), showing it as a percentage of all higher education funding for each budget account and for the prior 10 years. Within 1 year after December 19, 2002, the Director must also send a report with recommendations on how the Foundation can improve funding to minority-serving institutions.