Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 121.djvu/734

 PUBLIC LAW 110–69—AUG. 9, 2007

121 STAT. 713

graduate fellowships and student financial assistance under titles IV and VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq., 1133 et seq.). (3) PREFERENCES.—The Director shall give preference in making awards to 4-year institutions of higher education seeking Federal funding to create or improve professional science master’s degree programs, to those applicants— (A) located in States with low percentages of citizens with graduate or professional degrees, as determined by the Bureau of the Census, that demonstrate success in meeting the unique needs of the corporate, non-profit, and government communities in the State, as evidenced by providing internships for professional science master’s degree students or similar partnership arrangements; or (B) that secure more than two-thirds of the funding for such professional science master’s degree programs from sources other than the Federal Government. (4) NUMBER OF GRANTS; TIME PERIOD OF GRANTS.— (A) NUMBER OF GRANTS.—Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the Director shall award grants under paragraph (1) to a maximum of 200 4-year institutions of higher education. (B) TIME PERIOD OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this section shall be for one 3-year term. Grants may be renewed only once for a maximum of 2 additional years. (5) EVALUATION AND REPORTS.— (A) DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS.— Prior to the start of the grant program, the Director, in collaboration with 4-year institutions of higher education (including applicable graduate schools and academic departments), and industries and Federal agencies that employ science-trained personnel, shall develop performance benchmarks to evaluate the pilot programs assisted by grants under this section. (B) EVALUATION.—For each year of the grant period, the Director, in consultation with 4-year institutions of higher education (including applicable graduate schools and academic departments), and industries and Federal agencies that employ science-trained personnel, shall complete an evaluation of each program assisted by grants under this section. Any program that fails to satisfy the performance benchmarks developed under subparagraph (A) shall not be eligible for further funding. (C) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the completion of an evaluation described in subparagraph (B), the Director shall submit a report to Congress that includes— (i) the results of the evaluation; and (ii) recommendations for administrative and legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the pilot programs, as the Director determines to be appropriate. SEC. 7035. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING FOR SCIENTISTS.

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(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that institutions of higher education receiving awards under the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program of

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