(a) Authority.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, may carry out a program to make grants to eligible entities to assist such entities in providing education in covered subjects to students in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

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(b) Coordination.—In carrying out a program under subsection (a), the Secretary may coordinate with the following:

(1) The Director of the National Science Foundation.

(2) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(3) The heads of such other Federal, State, and local government entities the Secretary of Defense determines to be appropriate.

(c) Activities.—Activities funded with grants under this section may include the following:

(1) Training and other support for instructors to teach courses in covered subjects to students.

(2) The acquisition of materials, hardware, and software necessary for the instruction of covered subjects.

(3) Activities that improve the quality of educational materials, training opportunities, and curricula available to students and instructors in covered subjects.

(4) Development of travel opportunities, demonstrations, mentoring programs, and informal education in covered subjects for students and instructors.

(5) Students’ pursuit of certifications in covered subjects.

(d) Preference.—In making any grants under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that are eligible for assistance under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.).

(e) Evaluations.—In carrying out a program under this section, the Secretary shall establish outcome-based metrics and internal and external assessments to evaluate the merits and benefits of the activities funded with grants under this section with respect to the needs of the Department of Defense.

(f) Authorities.—In carrying out a program under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, make use of the authorities under chapter 111 and sections 2601 and 2605 of this title, and other authorities the Secretary determines appropriate.

(g) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “eligible entity” means a local education agency that hosts a unit of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

(2) The term “covered subjects” means—

(A) science;

(B) technology;

(C) engineering;

(D) mathematics;

(E) computer science;

(F) computational thinking;

(G) artificial intelligence;

(H) machine learning;

(I) data science;

(J) quantum information sciences;

(K) cybersecurity;

(L) robotics;

(M) health sciences; and

(N) other subjects determined by the Secretary of Defense to be related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.