; and (2) $12,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection (b) for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2025. 4. Opportunities for online education (a) In general The Director shall award competitive grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof, which may include a private sector partner) to conduct research on online STEM education courses for rural communities. (b) Research areas The research areas eligible for funding under this subsection shall include— (1) evaluating the learning and achievement of rural students in grades Pre–K through 12 in STEM subjects; (2) understanding how computer-based and online professional development courses and mentor experiences can be integrated to meet the needs of educators of rural students in grades Pre–K through 12; (3) combining computer-based and online STEM education and training with apprenticeships, mentoring, or other applied learning arrangements; (4) leveraging online programs to supplement STEM studies for rural students that need physical and academic accommodation; and (5) any other activity the Director determines will accomplish the goals of this subsection. (c) Evaluations All proposals for grants under this section shall include an evaluation plan that includes the use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact and efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under this section shall include results from these evaluative activities in annual and final projects. (d) Accountability and dissemination (1) Evaluation required The Director shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded under this section. Such evaluation shall— (A) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to assess the results of research conducted under such grants and identify best practices