42 U.S.C. § 16534 — Department of Energy early career awards for science, engineering, and mathematics researchers

(a) Grant awards: The Director of the Department's Office of Science ("Director") must run a program awarding grants to early-career scientists and engineers at colleges and at organizations described in (c), to conduct research relevant to the Department's mission. (b) Amount and duration: (1) Amount: A grant must be at least $80,000 and no more than $125,000. (2) Duration: A grant can last up to 5 years. (c) Eligibility: (1) In general: To qualify, as the Director determines, a person must: (A) subject to (2), have completed a doctorate or other terminal degree no more than 10 years before applying; (B) have shown promise in a science, engineering, or math field relevant to the Department's mission; and (C) be employed either: (i) in a tenure-track assistant-professor or equivalent position at a U.S. college; (ii) at a U.S. nonprofit, nondegree-granting research organization, such as a museum, observatory, or research laboratory; or (iii) as a scientist at a National Laboratory. (2) Waiver: Even if someone completed their doctorate more than 10 years before applying, the Director may still find them eligible if they were unable to do research for a time because of things like military service or family responsibilities. (d) Selection: Grant recipients are chosen through a competitive, merit-reviewed process. (e) Selection process and criteria: (1) Proposal: To be eligible, a person must submit a proposal to the Director, in the time, manner, and with the information the Director requires. (2) Evaluation: The Director must consider, at minimum: (A) the project's intellectual merit; (B) how innovative or transformative the proposed research is; (C) how well the proposal combines research and education, including undergraduate education in science and engineering; and (D) the applicant's potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge. (f) Diversity requirement: (1) In general: The Director must try to make sure grant recipients represent a variety of types of colleges and nonprofit research organizations. (2) Requirement: To support that goal, the Director must broadly share information on deadlines and how to apply, including by reaching out to: (A) "part B" institutions, as defined in section 1061 of title 20; and (B) "minority institutions," as defined in section 1067k of title 20. (g) Report on recruiting and retaining early career researchers at National Laboratories: (1) In general: Within 90 days after August 9, 2007, the Director must send the House Committee on Science and Technology and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources a report on efforts to recruit and retain young scientists and engineers at National Laboratories. (2) Inclusions: That report must include: (A) a description of Department and National Laboratory policies on financial incentives, awards, promotions, protected research time, access to equipment or facilities, and other recognition designed to attract and keep young scientists and engineers; (B) an evaluation of how those incentives affect (i) young researchers' careers at the National Laboratories, and (ii) the quality of research at the National Laboratories and in Department programs; (C) a description of any barriers to recruiting and retaining young researchers, including limited availability of full-time positions, legal and procedural requirements, and pay-grading systems; and (D) how much funding is devoted to these recruiting and retention efforts, and where that funding comes from. (h) Authorization of appropriations: Congress may provide the Secretary, acting through the Director, $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013.