Rural STEM Education Research Act

Rural STEM Education Research Act

This bill specifies federal scientific research and development efforts towards STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science) workforce development and rural STEM education.

(Sec. 3) The bill amends the objectives of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to include

• the provision to secondary schools of information about the job skills needed in manufacturing companies, and
• the promotion and expansion of certification systems offered through local high schools.

The activities of a manufacturing extension center are expanded to include local high schools in the facilitation of collaborations and partnerships between manufacturing companies and schools to help those entities better understand the specific needs of manufacturers and to help manufacturers better understand the skill sets that students learn in school programs.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) must award prizes to stimulate research and development of creative technologies in order to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities. NIST may award not more than a total of $5 million in prizes.

(Sec. 4) The Office of Science and Technology Policy must establish a broadband research and development working group to address national research challenges and opportunities for improving broadband access and adoption across the United States.

(Sec. 5) The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy of Sciences agrees to evaluate aspects of STEM education and workforce development in rural areas.

(Sec. 6) The Government Accountability Office shall conduct a study on the engagement of rural populations in federal STEM programs.

(Sec. 7) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) programs shall consider modifications to award structures to increase the capacity of rural communities to provide quality STEM education and STEM workforce development programming to students and teachers.

(Sec. 8) The NSF must award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations for (1) research and development to advance innovative approaches to support and sustain high-quality STEM teaching in rural schools, (2) research and development of programming to identify the barriers rural students face in accessing high-quality STEM education, (3) development of innovative solutions to improve the participation and advancement of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM studies, and (4) research on online STEM education courses for rural communities.

The NSF may establish a pilot program of regional cohorts in rural areas to provide peer support, mentoring, and hands-on research experiences for rural STEM educators of students in grades Pre-K through 12 in order to build an ecosystem of cooperation among educators, researchers, academia, and local industry.

The Rural STEM Education Research Act, also known as Bill 117 hr 210, is a piece of legislation introduced in the United States Congress. The purpose of this bill is to promote research and development in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in rural areas.

The bill aims to address the unique challenges faced by rural schools and communities in providing quality STEM education to students. It calls for the establishment of a research program within the Department of Education that will focus on identifying best practices and innovative strategies for improving STEM education in rural schools.

Additionally, the bill seeks to increase collaboration between rural schools, institutions of higher education, and other stakeholders in order to enhance STEM education opportunities for students in rural areas. It also calls for the dissemination of research findings and best practices to help inform policy decisions and improve STEM education outcomes in rural communities. Overall, the Rural STEM Education Research Act aims to support and strengthen STEM education in rural areas by promoting research, collaboration, and the sharing of best practices. It is intended to help ensure that all students, regardless of their geographic location, have access to high-quality STEM education opportunities.