42 U.S.C. § 18999 — Programs to address the STEM workforce

(a) In general. The Director^* must issue undergraduate scholarships, including scholarships at community colleges; graduate fellowships and traineeships; postdoctoral awards; and, as appropriate, other awards. These awards must address gaps in the STEM workforce. This includes programs that recruit, retain, and advance students to a bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline at the same time as a secondary school diploma, such as through existing and new partnerships with State^* educational agencies.

(b) Postdoctoral professional development. In carrying out this section, the Director must encourage innovation in postdoctoral professional development, support the development and diversity of the STEM workforce, and study the effects of that innovation and support. For these purposes, the Director may use postdoctoral awards established under subsection (a) or leveraged under subsection (d)(1) for fellowships or other temporary rotational postings lasting no more than 2 years. The fellowships or temporary rotational postings must be awarded—

(1) to qualified individuals who have a doctoral degree and received that degree no earlier than 5 years before the date the fellowship or temporary rotational posting begins; and

(2) to carry out research at Federal, State, local, and Tribal government research facilities.

(c) Direct hire authority.

(1) In general. The head of any Federal agency may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, except for sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a qualified candidate described in paragraph (2) directly to a position in the competitive service with the Federal agency. The candidate must meet the qualification standards of the Office of Personnel Management for that position.

(2) Fellowship or temporary rotational posting. Paragraph (1) applies to a former recipient of an award under this subsection who—

(A) earned a doctoral degree in a STEM field from an institution of higher education^*; and

(B) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the fellowship or temporary rotational posting within a Federal agency.

(3) Limitation. The direct-hire authority under this subsection must be exercised for a specific qualified candidate no later than 2 years after the date the candidate completed the requirements related to the fellowship or temporary rotational posting described under this subsection.

(d) Existing programs. In carrying out this section, the Director may leverage existing programs, including programs that issue—

(1) postdoctoral awards;

(2) graduate fellowships and traineeships, including the NSF Research Traineeships and fellowships awarded under the Graduate Research Fellowship Program;

(3) scholarships, research experiences, and internships, including—

(A) scholarships to attend community colleges; and

(B) research experiences and internships under sections 1862p–5, 1862p–6, and 1862p–7 of this title; and

(4) awards to institutions of higher education that enable those institutions to fund innovation in undergraduate and graduate education, increased educational capacity, and the development and establishment of new or specialized programs of study for graduate, undergraduate, or technical college students, as well as the evaluation of how effective those programs of study are.