August 2022
On August 9, President Joe Biden signed into law the CHIPs and Science Act. As earlier reported in a July AERA Highlights story, the law supports domestic production of semiconductors, along with science provisions that include reauthorization for the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Key items to support NSF’s work in advancing research and innovation in the final legislation include:
After the Senate advanced the legislation by a 64–33 vote on July 27, the House passed the bill on a 243–187 vote on July 28. President Biden applauded the passage of the legislation in an August 2 speech.
For NSF, the CHIPS and Science Act provides an overall authorization of $81 billion over five years, with $61 billion for core NSF activities and $20 billion for the new Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate.
The CHIPS and Science Act also includes several provisions within NSF to advance research in STEM education and promote broadening participation in STEM education and the STEM workforce.
“We are very pleased with the commitment of Congress and this administration to advancing the U.S. scientific enterprise through this bill,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “We applaud the attention to the importance of STEM education and the role of federal agencies such as NSF in developing STEM talent.”