42 U.S.C. § 19017 — Research and dissemination to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields

(a) In general. The Director must make competitive, merit-reviewed awards to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations, including groups of them working together, to help increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM studies and careers. (b) Use of funds. A group that receives an award must spend it on one or more of these activities aimed at increasing participation by women or underrepresented minorities: analyzing detailed data collected under sections 19152 and 19154 of this title, while protecting people's privacy; studying best practices for helping people balance work and life; studying how policies and practices related to this section's goals actually work; running mentoring programs that connect STEM professionals with students; giving undergraduate and graduate students research experience in STEM fields; and reaching out to elementary and secondary school students to expose them to STEM fields. (c) Dissemination activities. The Director must also share what is learned, including by working with other federal research agencies and professional associations to trade best practices, align work-life accommodation policies, and overcome shared barriers to those policies; and by working with colleges and universities to help them adopt clear, consistent work-life accommodation policies. (d) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 to carry out this section.