Member Advisory

8/20/2013

HACU Calls on Congress to Fund the NSF Program for HSIs

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) is gravely concerned that the Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) House Appropriations Subcommittee FY 2014 report goes against the call of Congress in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 and the Reauthorization signed by President Obama in December 2010 to create an Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). HACU is urging the House Appropriations Committee to amend the language in the report so that HSIs can receive the NSF funding that other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) receive.

The 2007 America Competes Act and the 2010 Reauthorization of the law contained language authorizing the NSF “to establish a new program to award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to Hispanic-Serving Institutions to enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at such institutions, and to increase the retention and graduation rates of students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”  The NSF did not submit a proposal to create such a program and has expressed several times their intent to never fund it.

The report language included in the House Subcommittee version of the NSF appropriations appears to accept the NSF’s intent to never fund a program for HSIs and also calls into question the value of HSI programs across the federal government.

“The Committee has previously asked NSF to consider the concept of creating a program within EHR to focus on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Having heard from NSF about the logistical difficulties of establishing and managing such a program, the Committee now directs NSF to report instead on existing and planned efforts to meet the specific needs of HSIs through NSF’s other programs. This report, which shall also include recommendations for further action, shall be submitted no later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act.”

HACU finds both positions unacceptable and misleading. There should be no “logistical difficulties of establishing and managing such a program” since the NSF already runs similar programs for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and the U.S. Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development have had no logistical difficulties in managing long-standing HSI programs.

The NSF has failed to invest in an HSI-specific program in spite of its own research showing the underrepresentation of Hispanics in STEM and the underrepresentation of HSIs in federal STEM funding. This failure to create an HSI program ensures that institutions already successful in accessing NSF funding will continue to be favored by the current process and broadening participation in STEM will continue to overlook the majority of Hispanics.

Please contact your Congressional representative and urge him or her to support amending this language prior to final passage to encourage the NSF to fund the program. The HACU Government Relations staff continues to work with Congress on the issue; for more information, contact HACU's Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Laura Maristany at 202-833-8361.

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Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.