The U.S. House of Representatives approved $84 Billion in federal funding for science research and STEM education (science, technology engineering and mathematics). This approval was made to help keep the country competitive in the fields of scientific and technological innovation. Many say this bill was in response to a recent list suggests China is challenging American’s dominance in supercomputers.

The bill also approves funds over five years for basic and applied research programs at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

This bill puts basic research programs on a path to doubling their approved funding levels over the next decade. It supports the Advanced Research Project Agency, which is involved in high-risk, high-reward energy technology development; provides federal loan guarantees to smaller businesses pursuing new technologies; and offers scholarships for K-12 teachers working in STEM education.

Do you think this funding will help increase the influence of STEM classes, projects or class trips at your school? Let us know! For more information on where federal funding may be spent if past, click here to read the entire article.