Amendment of requirements for NSF scholarships and fellowships

Section 10393 of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19113) is amended— (1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: (b) Implementation (1) In general The Director may carry out subsection (a) by making awards— (A) directly to students; and (B) to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education, including those institutions or consortia involved in operating Regional Innovation Engines established under section 10388. (2) Addressing gaps The Director shall address current and expected gaps in the availability or skills of the STEM workforce and needs of the STEM workforce, including by increasing educational capacity at institutions and prioritizing awards to citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States and individuals that will grow the domestic workforce. The Director may take steps to— (A) support traineeships or other relevant programs at historically Black colleges or universities and Tribal Colleges or Universities; (B) enable low-income populations to pursue associate, undergraduate, or graduate degrees in STEM; and (C) address geographic diversity in the STEM workforce.; (2) by striking subsection (c); (3) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (c) through (f), respectively; and (4) in subsection (d), as so redesignated— (A) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting and after the semicolon in the end; (B) by striking paragraph (2); (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); and (D) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting paragraph (1).