(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than six months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Di-
rector of the Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy, in consultation with the National Science and 
Technology Council, the Committee on STEM Edu-
cation, PCAST, institutions of higher education, 
graduate and postdoctoral organizations, and other 
relevant stakeholders, shall develop a consistent set 
of policy guidelines for Federal research agencies to 
address financial instability of graduate researchers 
and postdoctoral researchers. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing the policy 
guidelines under paragraph (1), the Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy shall include 
guidelines that address, to the extent practicable, the 
following: 
(A) Opportunities to increase stipends for 
graduate researchers and postdoctoral research-
ers, including indexing based on location and 
accounting for cost of living adjustments. 
(B) Opportunities to increase access to 
quality, affordable medical, dental, and vision 
care. 
(C) Opportunities to increase access to af-
fordable housing and transportation. 
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(D) Opportunities to reduce food insecu-
rity. 
(E) Opportunities to address costs of car-
ing for family members, including child care. 
(3) APPLICATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Of-
fice of Science and Technology Policy shall en-
courage and monitor efforts of Federal research 
agencies to develop and implement policies 
based on the policy guidelines under paragraph 
(1). 
(B) FEDERAL RESEARCH AGENCY IMPLE-
MENTATION.—Not later than six months after 
receiving the policy guidelines under paragraph 
(1), the head of each Federal research agency 
shall— 
(i) develop and implement policies 
with respect to financial instability of grad-
uate researchers and postdoctoral research-
ers that are consistent with such policy 
guidelines; and 
(ii) broadly disseminate such policies 
to current and potential recipients of re-
search and development awards made by 
such agency. 
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(4) UPDATES.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall update the pol-
icy guidelines under paragraph (1) as the Director 
determines necessary. 
(5) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date after the guidelines are submitted and every 
five years thereafter, the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall submit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce, and 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate a report containing information 
relating to the following: 
(A) The policy guidelines under paragraph 
(1). 
(B) Progress on the implementation of 
such guidelines by Federal research agencies. 
(c) DATA COLLECTION.—The Research and Develop-
ment, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as divi-
sion B of Public Law 117–167) is amended— 
(1) in section 10314(b) (42 U.S.C. 18994)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)— 
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(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(E) as subparagraph (F); and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(D) the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) graduate researcher and postdoctoral 
researcher stipend amounts and financial insta-
bility (disaggregated, to the extent practicable, 
by demographics); and’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) 
INSTITUTION
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘institution of higher edu-
cation’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1001). 
‘‘(B) 
GRADUATE
RESEARCHERS.—The 
term ‘graduate researchers’ means individuals 
enrolled in a degree program leading to an ad-
vanced degree who receive stipends or other 
compensation to conduct research in any dis-
cipline at an institution of higher education 
that is a recipient of Federal funding. 
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‘‘(C) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS.—The 
term ‘postdoctoral researchers’ means individ-
uals in training-focused positions who have re-
ceived a doctoral degree or equivalent and re-
ceive stipends or other compensation to conduct 
research in any discipline at an institution of 
higher education that is a recipient of Federal 
funding.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (1) of section 10502(a) (42 
U.S.C. 19152(a)), by inserting ‘‘graduate and 
postdoctoral 
research 
stipend 
amounts 
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by demo-
graphics),’’ before ‘‘and awarded budget’’. 
(d) DATA ON FINANCIAL INSTABILITY OF GRADUATE 
RESEARCHERS
AND POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS.— 
The Director of the National Science Foundation shall 
make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions of 
higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia 
of such institutions or organizations) to collect and ana-
lyze data on financial instability of graduate researchers 
and postdoctoral researchers (disaggregated, to the extent 
practicable, by demographics). 
(e) NATIONAL ACADEMIES ASSESSMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Di-
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rector of the National Science Foundation shall 
enter into an agreement with the National Acad-
emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to un-
dertake a study and issue a report on the status of 
financial instability of graduate researchers and 
postdoctoral researchers. To the extent feasible, the 
study shall include an assessment (disaggregated, to 
the extent practicable, by demographics) at a min-
imum of the immediately preceding five years of the 
following: 
(A) Stipends relative to average local med-
ical, dental, and vision expenses. 
(B) Stipends relative to average local hous-
ing and transportation costs. 
(C) Stipends relative to average local food 
costs. 
(D) Stipends relative to average local costs 
of caring for family members, including child 
care costs. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than two years after 
the date on which the agreement between the Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation and the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Med-
icine is entered into pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
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lines under subsection (b) and the effectiveness of 
such implementation; 
(2) includes recommendations on potential 
changes to practices and policies to improve such 
guidelines and such implementation; and 
(3) includes recommendations on additional 
data collection and research needed to monitor 
progress on reducing financial instability of graduate 
researchers and postdoctoral researchers. 
Æ 
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