Taking into consideration the recommendations under section 18991(a)(4) of this title, the Director shall make awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to establish multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education Research and Translation (in this section referred to as “Centers”) to support research and development on widespread and sustained implementation of STEM education innovations.

The entity seeking an award for a Center under this section must be an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, or a consortium of such institutions or organizations, which may include a STEM ecosystem.