42 U.S.C. § 1862p–14: Broader Impacts Review…

Summary

Requires the Foundation to use a "broader impacts" review that shows how funded projects benefit the country. It must cover seven goals, including boosting U.S. economic competitiveness; improving the health and welfare of the public; supporting national defense; strengthening university‑industry partnerships; building a globally competitive STEM workforce by improving pre‑K–12 and college STEM education and teacher training; raising public science literacy and engagement; and increasing participation of women and underrepresented groups in STEM. The Foundation’s Director must create and start a policy for this review no later than 6 months after January 4, 2011. The policy must train Foundation staff, review panels, and applicants; require grant activities to use proven methods when possible and to base new approaches on current research; allow some grant funds to pay for evaluating the broader impacts work; encourage colleges and nonprofits to offer training and programs to help researchers meet these goals; and require principal investigators to show their institution supports the proposed broader impacts work and has relevant training or resources.

Title 42, §1862p–14

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Goals

The Foundation shall apply a broader impacts review criterion to identify and demonstrate project support of the following goals:

(1)Increasing the economic competitiveness of the United States.

(2)Advancing of the health and welfare of the American public.

(3)Supporting the national defense of the United States.

(4)Enhancing partnerships between academia and industry in the United States.

(5)Developing an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive through improved pre-kindergarten through grade 12 STEM education and teacher development, and improved undergraduate STEM education and instruction.

(6)Improving public scientific literacy and engagement with science and technology in the United States.

(7)Expanding participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM.

(b)Policy

Not later than 6 months after January 4, 2011, 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;

(4)encourages institutions of higher education and other nonprofit education or research organizations to develop and provide, either as individual institutions or in partnerships thereof, appropriate training and programs to assist Foundation-funded principal investigators at their institutions in achieving the goals of the Broader Impacts Review Criterion as described in subsection (a); and

(5)requires principal investigators applying for Foundation research grants to provide evidence of institutional support for the portion of the investigator’s proposal designed to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review Criterion, including evidence of relevant training, programs, and other institutional resources available to the investigator from either their home institution or organization or another institution or organization with relevant expertise.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, also known as the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Reauthorization Act of 2010, and also as part of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2010, and not as part of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–329 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “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.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definitions For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 2 of Pub. L. 111–358, set out as a note under section 6621 of this title, and section 502 of Pub. L. 111–358, set out as a note under section 1862p of this title.

§1862p–14 Broader Impacts Review Criterion