Fellowships and Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act

To support fellowships and traineeships for early-career artificial intelligence researchers, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fellowships and Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Artificial intelligence is a tool that has the potential to change and possibly transform every sector of the United States economy and society. (2) Talent is core to United States competitiveness in artificial intelligence. (3) The United States education pipeline for artificial intelligence fields faces significant challenges. (4) Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a highly interdisciplinary field with expertise required from a diverse range of scientific and other scholarly disciplines that traditionally work independently and continue to face cultural and institutional barriers to large scale collaboration. (5) The Federal Government should continue to play an important role in advancing research, development, training, and education activities in artificial intelligence through coordination and collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector to train the next generation of artificial intelligence experts. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Artificial intelligence The term artificial intelligence (2) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) 4. Artificial intelligence traineeships (a) In general The Director of the National Science Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher education to establish traineeship programs for graduate students who pursue artificial intelligence-related research leading to a masters or doctorate degree by providing funding and other assistance, and by providing graduate students opportunities for research experiences in government or industry related to the students’ artificial intelligence studies. (b) Use of funds A institution of higher education shall use grant funds provided under subsection (a) for the purposes of— (1) providing traineeships to students who are pursuing research in artificial intelligence leading to a masters or doctorate degree; (2) paying tuition and fees for students receiving traineeships; (3) creating and requiring courses or training programs in technology ethics for students receiving traineeships; (4) creating opportunities for research in technology ethics for students receiving traineeships; (5) establishing scientific internship programs for students receiving traineeships in artificial intelligence at for-profit institutions, nonprofit research institutions, or government laboratories; and (6) other costs associated with the administration of the program. 5. Artificial intelligence fellowships The Director of the National Science Foundation shall award fellowships to masters and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers at institutions of higher education who are pursuing degrees or research in artificial intelligence and related fields, including in the field of technology ethics. In making such awards, the Director shall conduct outreach, including through formal solicitations, to solicit proposals from students and postdoctoral researchers seeking to carry out research in aspects of technology ethics with relevance to artificial intelligence systems.

Summary: Fellowships and Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants and fellowships to support students and researchers in fields related to artificial intelligence. Specifically, the NSF must award grants to institutions of higher education to establish traineeship programs for graduate students who pursue artificial intelligence-related research leading to a masters or doctorate degree. Among other things, an institution of higher education shall use such grant funds to (1) provide traineeships to students who are pursuing research in artificial intelligence leading to a masters or doctorate degree; and (2) establish scientific internship programs for students receiving traineeships in artificial intelligence at for-profit institutions, nonprofit research institutions, or government laboratories. The NSF shall award fellowships to masters and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers at institutions of higher education who are pursuing degrees or research in artificial intelligence and related fields, including in the field of technology ethics.