“To support biotechnology education for secondary school students, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a National Science Foundation (NSF) program authorizing the NSF Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Education and a new consortium, to make competitive, merit-reviewed awards to eligible entities (i.e., state or local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, eligible nonprofits, or consortia thereof) for implementing new or expanding existing biotechnology education programs for secondary school students, including in informal learning environments. Awards may fund (1) teacher professional development and training in laboratory instruction, curriculum design, and pedagogy; (2) development and distribution of curricula and instructional materials; (3) acquisition of laboratory and instructional equipment; (4) partnerships among institutions of higher education, private sector entities, and nonprofits; (5) development of transferable, stackable biotechnology credentials for students; or (6) other related purposes as determined by the Director, with priority for entities demonstrating need or limited access to such resources. The NSF Director must also (1) coordinate federal, state, and local biotechnology education efforts; (2) promote public-private collaboration; (3) identify and share best practices; (4) support teacher training by means other than awards; and (5) facilitate access to curricula, resources, and digital tools. Additionally, the Director must establish, within 180 days of enactment and in consultation with the Secretary of Education, the National Biotechnology Education Consortium—with at least six members from federal agencies, eligible entities, and biotechnology stakeholders—to advise on such programs; the consortium sunsets five years after establishment. Includes a clerical amendment adding the new section to the table of contents of the CHIPS and Science Act.