Taking into consideration the recommendations under section 18991(a)(4) of this title, the Director shall make awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to establish multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education Research and Translation (in this section referred to as “Centers”) to support research and development on widespread and sustained implementation of STEM education innovations.
The entity seeking an award for a Center under this section must be an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, or a consortium of such institutions or organizations, which may include a STEM ecosystem.
In carrying out the program under this section, the Director shall explore opportunities to partner with the Department of Education, including through jointly funding activities under this section.
The Director shall encourage and facilitate an annual meeting of the Centers, as appropriate, to foster collaboration among the Centers and to further disseminate the results of the Centers’ supported activities.
The Director may use existing NSF programs to establish and execute this section.