II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2014 

To demonstrate a commitment to our Nation’s scientists by increasing 

opportunities for the development of our next generation of researchers. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself and Ms. COLLINS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To demonstrate a commitment to our Nation’s scientists 

by increasing opportunities for the development of our 

next generation of researchers. 

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 ‘‘Next Generation Re5 searchers Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF RE2 SEARCHERS. 

3 Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act 

4 (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 404M. NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS. 

7 ‘‘(a) NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS INITIA8 TIVE.—There shall be established within the Office of the 

9 Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Next 

10 Generation of Researchers Initiative (referred to in this 

11 section as the ‘Initiative’), through which the Director 

12 shall coordinate all policies and programs within the Na13 tional Institutes of Health aimed at promoting and pro14 viding opportunities for new researchers and earlier re15 search independence. 

16 ‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The Director of NIH, through the 

17 Initiative shall— 

18 ‘‘(1) promote policies and programs within the 

19 National Institutes of Health that are aimed at im20 proving opportunities for new researchers and pro21 moting earlier research independence, including ex22 isting policies and programs such as the Pathway to 

23 Independence Award, the NIH Director’s New Inno24 vator Award, the Early Independence Award, and 

25 Early-Stage Investigator grant review procedures; 


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1 ‘‘(2) develop, modify, or accelerate policies, as 

2 needed, within the National Institutes of Health to 

3 promote opportunities for new researchers and ear4 lier research independence, including policies to en5 hance training opportunities for research-related ca6 reer options, strengthen mentorship programs be7 tween new and veteran researchers, enhance work8 force diversity efforts, and help to improve new re9 searchers’ success in obtaining renewal funding; 

10 ‘‘(3) coordinate with appropriate agencies and 

11 academic institutions to develop systems to enhance 

12 workforce data for biomedical postdoctoral research13 ers and students to help improve tracking of trainees 

14 and career progress; and 

15 ‘‘(4) carry out other activities, as appropriate, 

16 to promote the development of the next generation 

17 of researchers and earlier research independence. 

18 ‘‘(c) STUDY AND REPORT.— 

19 ‘‘(1) STUDY.—The Director of NIH shall re20 quest the National Academy of Sciences, as part of 

21 the studies conducted under section 489, to conduct 

22 a comprehensive study on policies affecting the next 

23 generation of researchers in the United States. Such 

24 study shall include an evaluation of, and strategies 

25 to address, the legislative, administrative, eduVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:31 Sep 10, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2014.IS S2014

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1 cational, and cultural barriers to providing for a suc2 cessful next generation of researchers and to pro3 mote earlier research independence. 

4 ‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the 

5 date of enactment of the Next Generation Research6 ers Act, the National Academy of Sciences shall sub7 mit to the Director, the Committee on Health, Edu8 cation, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on 

9 Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on 

10 Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ap11 propriations of the House of Representatives, a re12 port concerning the results of the study conducted 

13 under paragraph (1). Such report shall include— 

14 ‘‘(A) an evaluation of the legislative, ad15 ministrative, educational, and cultural barriers 

16 faced by the next generation of researchers; 

17 ‘‘(B) an evaluation of the impact of se18 questration resulting from the Budget Control 

19 Act of 2011 (Public Law 112–25) and Federal 

20 budget constraints on the next generation of re21 searchers; and 

22 ‘‘(C) recommendations for the implementa23 tion of policies to incentivize, improve entry 

24 into, and sustain careers in research for the 

25 next generation of researchers and to promote 


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1 earlier research independence, including pro2 posed policies for agencies and academic insti3 tutions.’’. 

Æ 


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