In response to concerns about U.S. competitiveness, the act provides for investments in science and engineering research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to foster U.S. competitiveness. The act authorizes funding increases through FY2010 for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC). The act also authorizes within DOE the establishment of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) and Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes. In addition, the act authorizes new STEM education programs at DOE, the Department of Education (ED), and NSF, and increases the authorization levels for several existing NSF STEM education programs. New programs authorized by the act will not be established unless funded through subsequent appropriations acts. Although America COMPETES Act programs were not funded at their FY2008 authorized levels, the 110 th Congress did provide FY2008 appropriations to establish ED's Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow program, and NIST's Technology Improvement Program (TIP), which replaced the agency's Advanced Technology Program. The 111 th Congress provided funding in FY2009 for R&D and STEM education through the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. The acts funded the establishment of DOE's ARPA-E and NSF's PSM program. No FY2010 funding was requested for NSF's Professional Science Master's (PSM) program, newly established in FY2009 through ARRA funding. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

President Obama did not request funding in FY2010 to establish the new STEM education programs authorized in the America COMPETES Act. Also, although the appropriation levels requested by the President for these agencies were below that authorized in the America COMPETES Act for FY2010, some analysts noted that the total funds appropriated in FY2008 (regular and supplemental) and FY2009 (regular and ARRA) and requested for FY2010 by the President for NSF and the NIST laboratories and construction accounts exceed the aggregate funding authorized for these agencies/accounts during this period under the America COMPETES Act. It is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the Congress should provide sufficient investments to enable our Nation to continue to be the world leader in education ,innovation, and economic growth as envisioned in the goals of the America COMPETES Act;
(2) this resolution builds on significant funding provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for scientific research and education in Function 250 (General Science, Space and Technology), Function 270 (Energy), Function 300 (Natural Resources and Environment), Function 500 (Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services), and Function 550(Health);
(3) the Congress also should pursue policies designed to ensure that American students, teachers, businesses, and workers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation, research, and technology well into the future; and
(4) this resolution recognizes the importance of the extension of investments and tax policies that promote research and development and encourage innovation and future technologies that will ensure American economic competitiveness. Ultimately, regular appropriations for FY2010 for activities funded in the CJS Appropriations Act were included as Division B in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 ( P.L. Technology Innovation Program. National Science Foundation

Research and Related Activities. P.L. 111-117 only specifies the funding level for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, the conference report ( H.Rept. 111-85 , the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, was signed into law on October 28, 2009. Department of Energy

Office of Science. Other Department of Energy Programs Authorized Under the America COMPETES Act. Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow . Several new programs authorized in the act have never been funded.
The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) became law on August 9, 2007. The act is intended to increase the nation's investment in research and development (R&D), and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. It is intended to address two concerns believed to influence U.S. competitiveness: the adequacy of R&D funding to generate sufficient technological progress, and the adequacy of the number of American students proficient in STEM or interested in STEM careers relative to other countries.
The act authorizes funding increases for the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC) over FY2008-FY2010. If the rate of increase provided for in the act were maintained, funding for these agencies would double, in nominal terms, in seven years. The act establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) within DOE to support transformational energy technology research projects to enhance U.S. economic and energy security. A new program, Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes, is intended to support the establishment of multidisciplinary institutes at DOE national laboratories to apply fundamental science and engineering discoveries to technological innovations.
Among the act's education activities, many of which are focused on high-need school districts, are programs to recruit new K-12 STEM teachers, enhance existing STEM teacher skills, and provide more STEM education opportunities for students. The new Department of Education (ED) Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow and the existing NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship programs provide opportunities, through institutional grants, for students pursuing STEM degrees and STEM professionals to gain teaching skills and teacher certification, and for current STEM teachers to enhance their teaching skills and STEM knowledge. The act also authorizes a new program at NSF that would provide grants to create or improve professional science master's degree (PSM) programs that emphasize practical training and preparation for the workforce in high-need fields.
The America COMPETES Act provides authorization levels through FY2010. New programs established by the act will not be initiated, and authorized increases in appropriations for existing programs will not occur, unless funded through appropriation acts. The 110th Congress provided FY2008 appropriations to establish ED's Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow program, and NIST's Technology Improvement Program (TIP), which replaced the agency's Advanced Technology Program. The 111th Congress provided FY2009 appropriations, supplemented by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to establish DOE's ARPA-E and NSF's PSM program.
Congress has completed action on the regular FY2010 appropriations acts, providing funding for some programs authorized under the American COMPETES Act through two acts. Some America COMPETES Act research and STEM education programs received appropriations at authorized levels in FY2010, others did not. FY2010 funding for programs at the Department of Commerce, National Science Foundation, and Department of Education is provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117). Funding for Department of Energy programs is provided by the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-85). Several programs newly authorized in the act have never been appropriated funds, nor did President Obama seek funding for them in his FY2010 budget request. Congress is considering reauthorizing the America COMPETES Act.