are critical to prove under what circumstances an algorithm or experiment will work and when it will fail. (8) Military academies have a long tradition in teaching mathematical modeling and would benefit from the ability to recruit students with this expertise from their other school experiences. (9) Mathematical modeling has been a strong educational priority globally, especially in China, where participation in United States mathematical modeling challenges in high school and higher education is orders of magnitude higher than in the United States, and Chinese teams are taking a majority of the prizes. (10) Girls participate in mathematical modeling challenges at all levels at similar levels as boys, while in traditional mathematical competitions girls participate less and drop out at every stage. Students cite opportunity for teamwork, using mathematics and statistics in meaningful contexts, ability to use computation, and emphasis on communication as reasons for continued participation in modeling challenges. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Director The term Director means the Director of the National Science Foundation. (2) Federal laboratory The term Federal laboratory has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 ( 15 U.S.C. 3703 ). (3) Foundation The term Foundation means the National Science Foundation. (4) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) ). (5) Mathematical modeling The term mathematical modeling has the meaning given the term in the 2019 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Mathematical Modeling Education (GAIMME) report, 2nd edition. (6) Operations research The term operations research means the application of scientific methods to the management and administration of organized military, governmental, commercial, and industrial processes to maximize operational efficiency. (7)