S 1534119th CongressIntroduced

Women and Underrepresented Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2025

Introduced: Oct 29, 2025

Civil Rights & JusticeEducationLabor & Employment

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This legislation establishes a National Science Foundation grant program to fund initiatives increasing participation and retention of women, underrepresented minorities (including racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+, gender-nonconforming individuals), and persons with disabilities in STEM education and careers through mentoring, internships, outreach, and faculty recruitment programs with $15 million annually authorized for five years.

Key Points

1The bill addresses documented disparities showing women earn only 24-43% of STEM bachelor's degrees while Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous groups receive STEM degrees at rates significantly below their population representation.
2It authorizes competitive NSF grants for activities including K-12 outreach programs, undergraduate internships, faculty recruitment initiatives, and online workshops targeting underrepresented demographics in STEM fields.
3The legislation defines underrepresented groups broadly to include racial minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, gender-nonconforming persons, and people with disabilities, citing retention rate gaps where women of color leave STEM careers at twice the rate of white men.

Impact Areas

Women and minority students in K-12 and higher education STEM programsPersons with disabilities pursuing STEM education and careersUniversities and educational institutions implementing diversity initiativesSTEM workforce composition and industry diversity metrics

Generated by legislative-analysis-v3 on Nov 6, 2025