This bill adds a new section to the CHIPS and Science Act to support biotechnology education for secondary school students. It lets the Director, working with the Secretary of Education and a new consortium, give competitive awards to eligible entities to start or expand biotech education programs, including informal learning settings. It lists approved uses of awards, sets priorities for recipients with limited access to resources, and directs the Director to coordinate and share best practices. The bill also creates a National Biotechnology Education Consortium within 180 days to advise the Director. The consortium must have at least six members drawn from federal agencies, eligible education entities, and biotech stakeholders, and it will end five years after it is formed.
If an eligible school or organization applies and receives an award, the funds may be used to train teachers, buy lab equipment, develop curricula, form partnerships with colleges or industry, and create stackable biotechnology credentials for students. The program may also help share curricula and digital learning tools and coordinate local, state, and federal efforts. The Director may give priority to places with fewer resources for biotechnology education.
The bill lists what award funds may be used for, including:
No publicly available information on total funding amounts, authorized appropriations, or estimated federal cost is included in the bill text.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.