II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 637 

To forestall the loss of research talent by establishing a temporary early 

career research fellowship program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 9, 2021 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. COONS, Mr. BROWN, Mr. 

VAN HOLLEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Ms. HIRONO) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To forestall the loss of research talent by establishing a 

temporary early career research fellowship program. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Early-Ca5 reer Researchers Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Nation’s universities and industrial re9 search labs are facing unprecedented budget presVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:47 Apr 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S637.IS S637

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1 sure as part of the COVID–19 health crisis, result2 ing in considerably fewer openings for research and 

3 teaching positions. 

4 (2) Emergency funding is needed to forestall 

5 the loss of research talent likely to occur if early-ca6 reer researchers are forced to seek employment out7 side of research due to the sharp economic decline 

8 caused by the COVID–19 health crisis. 

9 SEC. 3. EARLY-CAREER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 

11 Science Foundation may establish a 2-year pilot program 

12 to award grants to highly qualified early-career investiga13 tors to carry out an independent research program at the 

14 institution of higher education chosen by such investi15 gator, to last for a period not greater than 2 years. 

16 (b) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION DE17 FINED.—The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has 

18 the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 

19 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

20 (c) PRIORITY FOR BROADENING PARTICIPATION.—In 

21 awarding grants under this section, the Director of the 

22 National Science Foundation shall give priority to— 

23 (1) early-career investigators who are from 

24 groups that are underrepresented in scientific re25 search; and 


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1 (2) early-career investigators who choose to 

2 carry out independent research at a minority-serving 

3 institution. 

4 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 

5 (a) REPORTS FROM GRANTEES.—Not later than 180 

6 days after the end of the pilot program under section 3, 

7 each early-career investigator who receives a grant under 

8 this Act shall submit a report to the Director of the Na9 tional Science Foundation that describes how the early10 career investigator used the grant funds under this Act. 

11 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 

12 after the deadline for the submission of the reports de13 scribed in subsection (a), the Director of the National 

14 Science Foundation shall submit a report to the Com15 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

16 Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech17 nology of the House of Representatives that contains a 

18 summary of the uses of grant funds and the impact of 

19 the grant program under this Act. 

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