2006 US Code
Title 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 16 - NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Sec. 1862n-1 - Robert Noyce Scholarship Program

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§1862n–1. Robert Noyce Scholarship Program (a) Scholarship program (1) In general

The Director shall carry out a program to award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia of such institutions) to provide scholarships, stipends, and programming designed to recruit and train mathematics and science teachers. Such program shall be known as the “Robert Noyce Scholarship Program”.

(2) Merit review

Grants shall be provided under this subsection on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.

(3) Use of grants

Grants provided under this section shall be used by institutions of higher education or consortia—

(A) to develop and implement a program to encourage top college juniors and seniors majoring in mathematics, science, and engineering at the grantee's institution to become mathematics and science teachers, through—

(i) administering scholarships in accordance with subsection (c) of this section;

(ii) offering programs to help scholarship recipients to teach in elementary schools and secondary schools, including programs that will result in teacher certification or licensing; and

(iii) offering programs to scholarship recipients, both before and after they receive their baccalaureate degree, to enable the recipients to become better mathematics and science teachers, to fulfill the service requirements of this section, and to exchange ideas with others in their fields; or

(B) to develop and implement a program to encourage science, mathematics, or engineering professionals to become mathematics and science teachers, through—

(i) administering stipends in accordance with subsection (d) of this section;

(ii) offering programs to help stipend recipients obtain teacher certification or licensing; and

(iii) offering programs to stipend recipients, both during and after matriculation in the program for which the stipend is received, to enable recipients to become better mathematics and science teachers, to fulfill the service requirements of this section, and to exchange ideas with others in their fields.

(b) Selection process (1) Application

An institution of higher education or consortium seeking funding under this section shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum—

(A) a description of the scholarship or stipend program that the applicant intends to operate, including the number of scholarships or the size and number of stipends the applicant intends to award, and the selection process that will be used in awarding the scholarships or stipends;

(B) evidence that the applicant has the capability to administer the scholarship or stipend program in accordance with the provisions of this section; and

(C) a description of the programming that will be offered to scholarship or stipend recipients during and after their matriculation in the program for which the scholarship or stipend is received.

(2) Review of applications

In evaluating the applications submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at a minimum—

(A) the ability of the applicant to effectively carry out the program;

(B) the extent to which the applicant is committed to making the program a central organizational focus;

(C) the degree to which the proposed programming will enable scholarship or stipend recipients to become successful mathematics and science teachers;

(D) the number and quality of the students that will be served by the program; and

(E) the ability of the applicant to recruit students who would otherwise not pursue a career in teaching.

(c) Scholarship requirements (1) In general

Scholarships under this section shall be available only to students who are—

(A) majoring in science, mathematics, or engineering; and

(B) in the last 2 years of a baccalaureate degree program.

(2) Selection

Individuals shall be selected to receive scholarships primarily on the basis of academic merit, with consideration given to financial need and to the goal of promoting the participation of individuals identified in section 1885a or 1885b of this title.

(3) Amount

The Director shall establish for each year the amount to be awarded for scholarships under this section for that year, which shall be not less than ,500 per year, except that no individual shall receive for any year more than the cost of attendance at that individual's institution. Individuals may receive a maximum of 2 years of scholarship support.

(4) Service obligation

If an individual receives a scholarship, that individual shall be required to complete, within 6 years after graduation from the baccalaureate degree program for which the scholarship was awarded, 2 years of service as a mathematics or science teacher for each year a scholarship was received. Service required under this paragraph shall be performed in a high-need local educational agency.

(d) Stipends (1) In general

Stipends under this section shall be available only to mathematics, science, and engineering professionals who, while receiving the stipend, are enrolled in a program to receive certification or licensing to teach.

(2) Selection

Individuals shall be selected to receive stipends under this section primarily on the basis of academic merit, with consideration given to financial need and to the goal of promoting the participation of individuals identified in section 1885a or 1885b of this title.

(3) Duration

Individuals may receive a maximum of 1 year of stipend support.

(4) Service obligation

If an individual receives a stipend under this section, that individual shall be required to complete, within 6 years after graduation from the program for which the stipend was awarded, 2 years of service as a mathematics or science teacher for each year a stipend was received. Service required under this paragraph shall be performed in a high-need local educational agency.

(e) Conditions of support

As a condition of acceptance of a scholarship or stipend under this section, a recipient shall enter into an agreement with the institution of higher education—

(1) accepting the terms of the scholarship or stipend pursuant to subsections (c) and (g) of this section, or subsection (d) of this section;

(2) agreeing to provide the awarding institution of higher education with annual certification of employment and up-to-date contact information and to participate in surveys provided by the institution of higher education as part of an ongoing assessment program; and

(3) establishing that any scholarship recipient shall be liable to the United States for any amount that is required to be repaid in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of this section.

(f) Collection for noncompliance (1) Monitoring compliance

An institution of higher education (or consortium thereof) receiving a grant under this section shall, as a condition of participating in the program, enter into an agreement with the Director to monitor the compliance of scholarship and stipend recipients with their respective service requirements.

(2) Collection of repayment

(A) In the event that a scholarship recipient is required to repay the scholarship under subsection (g) of this section, the institution shall be responsible for collecting the repayment amounts.

(B) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), any such repayment shall be returned to the Treasury of the United States.

(C) A grantee may retain a percentage of any repayment it collects to defray administrative costs associated with the collection. The Director shall establish a single, fixed percentage that will apply to all grantees.

(g) Failure to complete service obligation (1) General rule

If an individual who has received a scholarship under this section—

(A) fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing in the educational institution in which the individual is enrolled, as determined by the Director;

(B) is dismissed from such educational institution for disciplinary reasons;

(C) withdraws from the baccalaureate degree program for which the award was made before the completion of such program;

(D) declares that the individual does not intend to fulfill the service obligation under this section; or

(E) fails to fulfill the service obligation of the individual under this section,

such individual shall be liable to the United States as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) Amount of repayment

(A) If a circumstance described in paragraph (1) occurs before the completion of one year of a service obligation under this section, the United States shall be entitled to recover from the individual, within one year after the date of the occurrence of such circumstance, an amount equal to—

(i) the total amount of awards received by such individual under this section; plus

(ii) the interest on the amounts of such awards which would be payable if at the time the awards were received they were loans bearing interest at the maximum legal prevailing rate, as determined by the Treasurer of the United States,

multiplied by 2.

(B) If a circumstance described in paragraph (1)(D) or (E) occurs after the completion of one year of a service obligation under this section, the United States shall be entitled to recover from the individual, within one year after the date of the occurrence of such circumstance, an amount equal to the total amount of awards received by such individual under this section minus 1/2 of the amount of the award received per year for each full year of service completed, plus the interest on such amounts which would be payable if at the time the amounts were received they were loans bearing interest at the maximum legal prevailing rate, as determined by the Treasurer of the United States.

(3) Exceptions

The Director may provide for the partial or total waiver or suspension of any service or payment obligation by an individual under this section whenever compliance by the individual with the obligation is impossible or would involve extreme hardship to the individual, or if enforcement of such obligation with respect to the individual would be unconscionable.

(h) Data collection

Institutions or consortia receiving grants under this section shall supply to the Director any relevant statistical and demographic data on scholarship recipients and stipend recipients the Director may request, including information on employment required by subsection (e) of this section.

(i) Definitions

In this section—

(1) the term “cost of attendance” has the meaning given such term in section 1087ll of title 20;

(2) the term “mathematics and science teacher” means a mathematics, science, or technology teacher at the elementary school or secondary school level;

(3) the term “mathematics, science, or engineering professional” means a person who holds a baccalaureate, masters, or doctoral degree in science, mathematics, or engineering and is working in that field or a related area;

(4) the term “scholarship” means an award under subsection (c) of this section; and

(5) the term “stipend” means an award under subsection (d) of this section.

(Pub. L. 107–368, §10, Dec. 19, 2002, 116 Stat. 3049.)

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002, and not as part of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 which comprises this chapter.

Definitions

For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–368, set out as a note under section 1862n of this title.