---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 19051"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "19051"
heading: "Broader impacts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/19051"
units:
  - "Chapter 163 — Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation"
  - "Subchapter III — National Science Foundation for the Future"
  - "Part E — Fundamental Research"
---

# §19051. Broader impacts

- (a) **Assessment—** Not later than 120 days after August 9, 2022, the [Director](/usc/42/18921.md?p=1) shall enter into an agreement with a qualified independent organization to assess how the Broader Impacts review criterion is applied across the [Foundation](/usc/42/18901.md?p=11) and make recommendations for improving the effectiveness for meeting the goals established in [section 1862p–14 of this title](/usc/42/1862p–14.md).
- (b) **Activities—** The [Director](/usc/42/18921.md?p=1) shall make awards on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or [non-profit organizations](/usc/42/18901.md?p=21) (or consortia of such institutions or organizations) to support activities to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and availability of resources for implementing the Broader Impacts review criterion, including—
  - (1) training and workshops for program officers, merit review panelists, award office [administrators](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1), faculty, and students to improve understanding of the goals and the full range of potential broader impacts available to researchers to satisfy this criterion;
  - (2) repositories and clearinghouses for sharing best [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19) and facilitating collaboration; and
  - (3) tools for evaluating and documenting societal impacts of research.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title III, § 10341, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1557.)