text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Fulfilling the Potential of Women in 
  Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) In its 2007 report, Beyond Bias and Barriers, the 
          National Academies state that, to maintain its scientific and 
          engineering leadership amid increasing economic and educational 
          globalization, the United States must aggressively pursue the 
          innovative capacity of all of its people--women and men.
              (2) Women make up an increasing proportion of science and 
          engineering majors at all institutions of higher education, 
          including at top-rated programs such as those at the 
          Massachusetts Institute of Technology where women make up 51 
          percent of its science undergraduates and 35 percent of its 
          engineering undergraduates.
              (3) Despite this progress, however, women still receive 
          only 20 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded in 
          engineering and physics.
              (4) For women to participate to their full potential across 
          all science and engineering fields, they must see a career path 
          that allows them to reach their full intellectual potential; 
          much remains to be done to achieve that goal.
              (5) The Federal Government provides over 60 percent of 
          research funding at institutions of higher education.
              (6) Women are a small portion of the science and 
          engineering faculty members at major research universities, and 
          they typically receive fewer institutional resources for their 
          research activities than their male colleagues.
              (7) Unintentional biases and outmoded institutional 
          structures are hindering the access and advancement of women in 
          science and engineering.
              (8) Women hold a small portion of leadership positions in 
          our institutions of higher education, scientific and 
          professional societies, and honorary organizations.
              (9) Neither our institutions of higher education nor our 
          Nation can afford such underuse of precious human capital in 
          science and engineering.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
              (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
          the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive 
          Office of the President, acting through the National Science 
          and Technology Council.
              (2) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science 
          agency'' means any Federal agency that is responsible for at 
          least 2 percent of the total Federal obligation for research 
          and development at institutions of higher education, according 
          to the most recent data available from the National Science 
          Foundation.
              (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
          ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
          term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
          U.S.C. 1001(a)).
  
  SEC. 4. WORKSHOPS TO ENHANCE GENDER EQUITY IN ACADEMIC SCIENCE AND 
                ENGINEERING.
  
      (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
  enactment of this Act, the Director shall develop a uniform policy for 
  each Federal science agency to carry out a program of workshops that 
  educate program officers, members of grant review panels, institution 
  of higher education department chairs, and other federally funded 
  researchers about methods that minimize the effects of gender bias in 
  evaluation, including of Federal research grants, for hiring, tenure, 
  and promotion, and for selection for any other honor based on academic 
  merit. Each Federal science agency shall establish a program of 
  workshops according to this policy.
      (b) Interagency Coordination.--The Director shall ensure that 
  programs of workshops across the Federal science agencies are 
  coordinated and supported jointly as appropriate. As part of this 
  process, the Director shall ensure that at least 1 workshop is 
  supported every 2 years among the Federal science agencies in each of 
  the major science and engineering disciplines supported by those 
  agencies.
      (c) Scientific and Professional Societies.--Federal science 
  agencies may carry out the program of workshops under this section by 
  making grants to eligible organizations. In addition to any other 
  organizations made eligible by the Federal science agencies, the 
  following organizations are eligible for grants under this section:
              (1) Nonprofit scientific and professional societies and 
          organizations that represent one or more science and 
          engineering disciplines.
              (2) Nonprofit organizations that have the primary mission 
          of advancing the participation of women in science and 
          engineering.
      (d) Characteristics of Workshops.--The workshops shall have the 
  following characteristics:
              (1) Invitees to workshops shall include at least--
                      (A) the chairs from at least the top 50 institution 
                  of higher education departments in the relevant 
                  discipline, as determined by the amount of Federal 
                  research and development funds obligated to each 
                  department in the prior year based on data available 
                  from the National Science Foundation;
                      (B) members of any standing research grant review 
                  panel appointed by the Federal science agencies in the 
                  relevant discipline;
                      (C) in the case of major science and engineering 
                  disciplines supported by the Department of Energy, the 
                  individuals from each of the Department of Energy 
                  National Laboratories with personnel management 
                  responsibilities comparable to those of an institution 
                  of higher education department chair; and
                      (D) Federal science agency program officers in the 
                  relevant discipline, other than program officers that 
                  participate in comparable workshops organized and run 
                  specifically for that agency's program officers.
              (2) Activities at the workshops shall include research 
          presentations and interactive discussions or other activities 
          that increase the awareness of the existence of gender bias in 
          recruitment, hiring, tenure review, promotion, grant 
          evaluation, award selection, and other forms of formal 
          recognition of individual achievement and provide strategies to 
          overcome such bias.
              (3) Research presentations and other workshop programs, as 
          appropriate, shall include a discussion of the unique 
          challenges faced by women from historically underrepresented 
          groups.
              (4) Workshop programs shall include information on best 
          practices and the value of mentoring undergraduate and graduate 
          women students as well as outreach to girls earlier in their 
          science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
      (e) Report.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
          enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit to the 
          Committee on Science and Technology of the House of 
          Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
          Transportation of the Senate a report evaluating the impact of 
          the program carried out under this section to reduce gender 
          bias towards women engaged in research funded by the Federal 
          Government. The Director shall include in this report any 
          recommendations for improving the evaluation process described 
          in paragraph (2).
              (2) Minimum criteria for evaluation.--In determining the 
          effectiveness of the program, the Director shall consider, at a 
          minimum--
                      (A) the rates of participation by invitees in the 
                  workshops authorized under this section;
                      (B) the results of attitudinal surveys conducted on 
                  workshop participants before and after the workshops;
                      (C) any institutional policy or practice changes 
                  reported by participants from institutions of higher 
                  education; and
                      (D) for institution of higher education department 
                  chairs and Department of Energy National Laboratory 
                  employees who participated in at least 1 workshop 3 or 
                  more years prior to the due date for the report, trends 
                  in the data for the department represented by the chair 
                  or employee including--
                              (i) the number and percent of women 
                          faculty;
                              (ii) the number and percent of women in 
                          tenure-track positions by rank;
                              (iii) tenure promotion outcomes by gender;
                              (iv) years in rank by gender;
                              (v) time at institution by gender;
                              (vi) attrition by gender;
                              (vii) the number of women who are in 
                          nontenure-track positions, including teaching 
                          and research;
                              (viii) the number and percent of women 
                          faculty in endowed or named chairs; and
                              (ix) the number and percent of women 
                          faculty on promotion and tenure committees.
      (f) Minimizing Costs.--To the extent practicable, workshops shall 
  be held in conjunction with national or regional disciplinary meetings 
  to minimize costs associated with participant travel.
      (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Each Federal science agency 
  is authorized to contribute funds, from funds which are otherwise 
  authorized, to support the workshop and evaluation requirements under 
  this section, including--
              (1) providing grants to organizations, including the 
          organizations identified under subsection (c), to plan and 
          organize the workshops; and
              (2) reimbursing the travel and lodging costs of invited 
          speakers and workshop participants.
  
  SEC. 5. EXTENDED RESEARCH GRANT SUPPORT AND INTERIM TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
                FOR CAREGIVERS.
  
      (a) Policies for Caregivers.--Not later than 6 months after the 
  date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall develop a uniform 
  policy to--
              (1) extend the period of grant support for federally funded 
          researchers who have caregiving responsibilities; and
              (2) provide funding for interim technical staff support for 
          federally funded researchers who take a leave of absence for 
          caregiving responsibilities.
      (b) Report.--Upon developing the policy required under subsection 
  (a), the Director shall transmit a copy of the policy to the Committee 
  on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the 
  Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
  
  SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF DATA ON FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS.
  
      (a) In General.--Each Federal science agency shall collect 
  standardized annual composite information on demographics, field, award 
  type and budget request, review score, and funding outcome for all 
  applications for research and development grants to institutions of 
  higher education supported by that agency.
      (b) Reporting of Data.--
              (1) The Director shall establish a policy to ensure 
          uniformity and standardization of data collection required 
          under subsection (a).
              (2) Not later than June 30, 2010, and annually thereafter, 
          each Federal science agency shall submit data collected under 
          subsection (a) to the National Science Foundation.
              (3) The National Science Foundation shall be responsible 
          for storing and publishing all of the grant data submitted 
          under paragraph (2) in conjunction with the biennial report 
          required under section 37 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
          Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d).
  
  SEC. 7. PUBLICATION OF LIST OF INSTITUTIONAL PARTICIPATION IN WORKSHOPS 
                TO ENHANCE GENDER EQUITY IN ACADEMIC SCIENCE AND 
                ENGINEERING.
  
      The Director, on the basis of data reported by the Federal science 
  agencies, shall publish annually a list of institutions of higher 
  education science and engineering departments represented by 
  individuals who attend the workshops described in section 4. The list 
  shall be publicly available through the website of the Office of 
  Science and Technology Policy. Any institution of higher education 
  science and engineering department that is publicized on the list may 
  publicize its receipt of such recognition on its website, in printed 
  materials, or through other means.
target: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008 - Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a policy for federal science agencies to carry out a program of workshops that educate specified federally funded researchers about methods that minimize the effects of gender bias in evaluation, including of federal research grants, for hiring, tenure, and promotion, and for selection for any other honor based on academic merit.
  
  Requires the support of at least one workshop every two years among the federal science agencies in the major science and engineering disciplines.
  
  Authorizes federal science agencies to carry out such program by making grants to eligible organizations as described in this Act.
  
  Requires the Director to transmit a report evaluating such program's impact in reducing gender bias towards women engaged in research funded by the federal government.
  
  Requires the Director to develop a policy to extend research grant support and provide interim technical support for federally funded researchers who are caregivers. Requires transmission of a copy of such policy to specified congressional committees.
  
  Requires federal science agencies to collect specified standardized annual data for all applications for research and development grants to institutions of higher education and to submit the data collected to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Makes the NSF responsible for storing and publishing all such grant data.
  
  Requires annual publication of a list of the institutions of higher education science and engineering departments represented by individuals who attend the workshops described above.
feat_title: To increase awareness of the existence of and to overcome gender bias in academic science and engineering through research and training, and for other purposes.