Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4041

 124 STAT. 4015 PUBLIC LAW 111–358—JAN. 4, 2011 (C) the number of programs or large collaborator awards involving a partnership of organizations and institutions from EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR States; and (3) an analysis of the gains in academic research quality and competitiveness, and in science and technology human resource development, achieved by the program in the last year. (f) NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES STUDY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on all Federal agencies that administer an Experimental Program to Stimu- late Competitive Research or a program similar to the Experi- mental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. (2) MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED.—The study conducted under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) A delineation of the policies of each Federal agency with respect to the awarding of grants to EPSCoR States. (B) The effectiveness of each program. (C) Recommendations for improvements for each agency to achieve EPSCoR goals. (D) An assessment of the effectiveness of EPSCoR States in using awards to develop science and engineering research and education, and science and engineering infra- structure within their States. (E) Such other issues that address the effectiveness of EPSCoR as the National Academy of Sciences considers appropriate. SEC. 518. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING THE SCIENCE, TECH- NOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS TALENT EXPANSION PROGRAM. It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program established by the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 continues to be an effec- tive program to increase the number of students, who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and its authorization continues; (2) the strategies employed continue to strengthen men- toring and tutoring between faculty and students and provide students with information and exposure to potential career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas; (3) this highly competitive program awarded 145 Program implementation awards and 12 research projects in the first 6 years of operations; and (4) the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program should continue to be supported by the National Science Foundation. SEC. 519. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO BASIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— (1) the National Science Foundation is an independent Federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to, among other Contracts.