[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8140 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8140
To enable high research activity status historically Black colleges or
universities to increase capacity toward achieving very high research
activity status, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 17, 2022
Ms. Adams (for herself, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Turner, Mr. Brown of
Maryland, and Mr. Stewart) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the
Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enable high research activity status historically Black colleges or
universities to increase capacity toward achieving very high research
activity status, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``HBCU Research, Innovation, Security,
and Excellence Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Historically Black colleges and universities hold a
unique position in the efforts of the United States to
diversify the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
academic and workforce communities.
(2) Although our Nation's historically Black colleges and
universities make up just 3 percent of the colleges and
universities in the United States, historically Black colleges
and universities graduate 25 percent of African-American
students with baccalaureate degrees in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(3) Historically Black colleges and universities are the
institution of origin for almost 30 percent of Black graduates
of science and engineering doctorate programs.
(4) The health of the Department of Defense and the United
States research ecosystem relies on high quality researchers
from a diverse talent pool.
(5) Historically Black colleges and universities have a
history of conducting high quality research in unique areas,
both providing impactful research outcomes and developing the
next generation of the research ecosystem, including by--
(A) conducting high quality research in unique
areas that has enriched the Department of Defense
research enterprise and the United States research
ecosystem, including--
(i) providing science and engineering
faculty research opportunities at U.S. Navy
Laboratories;
(ii) a ``Young Investigators Program'' at
the Air Force Research Laboratory supporting
basic and applied research on aerospace systems
(RQ), materials and manufacturing (RX), and
information (RI); and
(iii) Centers of Excellence in
biotechnology and materials science; and
(B) strengthening and diversifying the United
States research ecosystem by increasing the number of
students who are students of diverse backgrounds from
historically Black colleges and universities with
undergraduate or graduate degrees in science,
technology, engineering, or mathematics; and
(C) fueling domestic and international
collaborations that led to trailblazing discoveries and
innovative technologies.
(6) In 2019, historically Black colleges and universities
received $371,000,000, or about 0.8 percent of the
$44,500,000,000 in Federal funding to institutions of higher
education for research and development. The amount of funding
for 2019 is a marked decrease from fiscal year 2018, when
historically Black colleges and universities received
$400,000,000 in Federal research and development funding (0.9
percent of the Federal funding to institutions of higher
education for such purposes).
(7) There are no historically Black colleges and
universities designated as very high research activity status,
as classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of
Higher Education.
(8) Meaningfully investing in the research capacity of
historically Black colleges and universities is an investment
in our Nation's future and will help meet accelerating science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce demands and
safeguard the national security interests of the United States.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of the program established under this Act is to provide
additional pathways needed for further increasing capacity at
historically Black colleges and universities to achieve and maintain
very high research activity status.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Eligible institution.--The term ``eligible
institution'' means a historically Black college or university
that is classified as a high research activity status
institution at the time of application for a grant under
section 5.
(2) High research activity status.--The term ``high
research activity status'' means R2 status, as classified by
the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher
Education.
(3) Historically black college or university.--The term
``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning
given the term ``part B institution'' under section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Defense.
(5) Very high research activity status.--The term ``very
high research activity status'' means R1 status, as classified
by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher
Education.
(6) Very high research activity status indicators.--The
term ``very high research activity status indicators'' means
the categories used by the Carnegie Classification of
Institutions of Higher Education to delineate which
institutions have very high activity status, including--
(A) annual expenditures in science and engineering;
(B) per-capita (faculty member) expenditures in
science and engineering;
(C) annual expenditures in non-science and
engineering fields;
(D) per-capita (faculty member) expenditures in
non-science and engineering fields;
(E) doctorates awarded in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields;
(F) doctorates awarded in social science fields;
(G) doctorates awarded in the humanities;
(H) doctorates awarded in other fields with a
research emphasis;
(I) total number of research staff including
postdoctoral researchers;
(J) other doctorate-holding non-faculty researchers
in science and engineering and per-capita (faculty)
number of doctorate-level research staff including
post-doctoral researchers; and
(K) other categories utilized to determine
classification.
SEC. 5. PROGRAM TO INCREASE CAPACITY TOWARD ACHIEVING VERY HIGH
RESEARCH ACTIVITY STATUS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES
OR UNIVERSITIES.
(a) Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and carry
out, using funds made available for research activities, a
pilot program to increase capacity at high research activity
status historically Black colleges and universities toward
achieving very high research activity status during the grant
period.
(2) Recommendations.--In establishing such program, the
Secretary may consider the recommendations pursuant to section
262 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2020 (Public Law 116-92; 10 U.S.C. 2362 note) and section 220
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
(Public Law 117-81).
(b) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary shall award, on a competitive
basis, grants to eligible institutions to carry out the activities
under subsection (d)(1).
(c) Application.--An eligible institution seeking a grant under
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary may require, including a description of--
(1) nascent research capabilities with respect to research
areas of interest to the Department of Defense;
(2) a plan for increasing the level of research activity
toward achieving very high research activity status
classification during the grant period, including measurable
milestones such as growth in very high research activity status
indicators and other relevant factors;
(3) how such institution will sustain the increased level
of research activity after the conclusion of the grant period;
and
(4) how the institution will evaluate and assess progress
with respect to the implementation of the plan under paragraph
(2).
(d) Program Components.--
(1) Use of funds.--An eligible institution that receives a
grant under this section shall use the grant funds to support
research activities with respect to research areas for STEM and
critical technologies, as determined by the Secretary under
paragraph (2), including--
(A) faculty professional development;
(B) stipends for undergraduate and graduate
students and post-doctoral scholars;
(C) laboratory equipment and instrumentation;
(D) recruitment and retention of faculty and
graduate students;
(E) communication and dissemination of products
produced during the grant period;
(F) construction, modernization, rehabilitation, or
retrofitting of facilities for research purposes; and
(G) other activities necessary to build capacity in
achieving very high research activity status
indicators.
(2) Strategic areas of scientific research.--The Secretary,
in consultation with the Defense Science Board, shall establish
and update, on an annual basis, a list of research areas for
STEM and critical technologies.
(3) Research progress reporting.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after
receiving a grant under this section, and every 3 years
thereafter, an eligible institution shall submit to the
Secretary--
(i) a report that includes an assessment by
the institution, using the criteria established
in subparagraph (B), of the progress made by
such institution with respect to achieving very
high research activity indicators; and
(ii) an updated plan described in
subsection (c)(2).
(B) Research assessment.--The Secretary, in
partnership with the eligible institution, shall
establish criteria for the report required under
subparagraph (A)(i).
(4) Grant period.--A grant awarded under this section shall
be for a period of not more than 10 years, to be determined by
the Secretary.
(5) Expansion of eligibility.--The Secretary may award
grants under this section to historically Black colleges and
universities that are not eligible institutions if the
Secretary determines that the program can support such colleges
and universities while achieving the purpose of the program
described in section 3.
(e) Evaluation.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit a report
to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives providing an update on
the pilot program, including--
(1) activities carried out under the pilot program;
(2) an analysis of the growth in very high research
activity status indicators of eligible institutions that
received a grant under this section; and
(3) emerging research areas of interest to the Department
of Defense conducted by eligible institutions that received a
grant under this section.
(f) Termination.--The authority of the Secretary to award grants
under the pilot program established by this section shall terminate 10
years after the date on which the Secretary establishes such program.
(g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the
termination of the pilot program under subsection (f), the Secretary
shall prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Armed Services of
the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives on the pilot program that includes the following:
(1) An analysis of the growth in very high research
activity status indicators of eligible institutions that
received a grant under this section.
(2) An evaluation on the effectiveness of the program in
increasing the research capacity of eligible institutions that
received a grant under this section.
(3) An description of how institutions that have achieved
very high research activity status plan to sustain that status
beyond the duration of the program.
(4) An evaluation of the maintenance of very high research
status by eligible institutions that received a grant under
this section.
(5) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in
increasing the diversity of students conducting high quality
research in unique areas.
(6) Recommendations with respect to further activities and
investments necessary to elevate the research status of
historically Black colleges and universities.
(7) Recommendations on whether the program established
under this section should be renewed or expanded.
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