1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Building Blocks of STEM Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The National Science Foundation is a large investor in STEM education and plays a key role in setting research and policy agendas. (2) While studies have found that children who engage in scientific activities from an early age develop positive attitudes toward science and are more likely to pursue STEM expertise and careers later on, the majority of current research focuses on increasing STEM opportunities for middle school-aged children and older. (3) Women remain widely underrepresented in the STEM workforce, and this gender disparity extends down through all levels of education. 3. Supporting early childhood STEM education research In awarding grants under the Discovery Research PreK–12 program, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider the age distribution of a STEM education research and development project to improve the focus of research and development on early childhood education. 4. Supporting female students in prekindergarten through elementary school in STEM education Section 305(d) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1862s–5(d) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Research As a component of improving participation of women in STEM fields, research funded by a grant under this subsection may include research on— (A) the role of teacher training and professional development, including effective incentive structures to encourage teachers to participate in such training and professional development, in encouraging or discouraging female students in prekindergarten through elementary school from participating in STEM activities; (B) the role of teachers in shaping perceptions of STEM in female students in prekindergarten through elementary school and discouraging such students from participating in STEM activities