SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Early-Ca-
reer Researchers Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Nation’s universities and industrial re-
search labs are facing unprecedented budget pres-
sure as part of the COVID–19 health crisis, result-
ing in considerably fewer openings for research and 
teaching positions. 
(2) Emergency funding is needed to forestall 
the loss of research talent likely to occur if early-ca-
reer researchers are forced to seek employment out-
side of research due to the sharp economic decline 
caused by the COVID–19 health crisis. 
(3) The future of America’s defense will rely on 
advanced technologies to maintain its military supe-
riority over its rivals, including China. These tech-
nologies will require new levels of scientific and engi-
neering aptitude and understanding. Early career re-
searchers will play a critical role in the development 
of these technologies, and the loss of an entire gen-
eration of researchers due to the COVID–19 pan-
demic will be detrimental to the United States na-
tional security.
SEC. 3. EARLY-CAREER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation may establish a 2-year pilot program 
to award grants to highly qualified early-career investiga-
tors to carry out an independent research program at the 
qualified institution of higher education chosen by such 
investigator, to last for a period not greater than 2 years. 
(b) SELECTION PROCESS.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall select grantees under sub-
section (a) from among citizens, nationals, and lawfully 
admitted permanent resident aliens of the United States. 
(c) OUTREACH.—The Director shall conduct program 
outreach to recruit fellowship applicants— 
(1) from all regions of the country; 
(2) from historically underrepresented popu-
lations in the fields of science, technology, engineer-
ing, and mathematics; and 
(3) who graduate from or intend to carry out 
research at a variety of types of institutions of high-
er education, including— 
(A) Historically Black Colleges and Uni-
versities; 
(B) Hispanic-Serving Institutions; 
(C) Tribal Colleges and Universities; and
(D) institutions of higher education that 
are not among the top 50 institutions in annual 
Federal funding for research. 
(d) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—The Director shall 
give special consideration to an application from an indi-
vidual who graduated from or is intending to carry out 
research at an institution of the type listed in subsection 
(c)(3). 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the con-
clusion of the second year of the pilot program, the Direc-
tor shall submit a report to Congress that includes— 
(1) statistical summary data on fellowship 
awardees disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, 
age, years since completion of doctoral degree, and 
institution type; 
(2) an assessment, drawing on feedback from 
the research community and other sources of infor-
mation, of the effectiveness of the pilot program for 
mitigating the loss of research talent due to the pan-
demic; and 
(3) if determined effective, a plan for perma-
nent implementation of the pilot program. 
(f) QUALIFIED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION 
DEFINED.—The term ‘‘qualified institution of higher edu-
cation’’ has the meaning given the term in section 102
of the Higher Education of Act of 1965, except that such 
term does not include an institution described in sub-
section (a)(1)(C) of such section. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation $250,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2021 through 2022 to carry out the 
activities in this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 18, 2021. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 144 
AN ACT 
To forestall the loss of research talent by estab-
lishing a temporary early career research fellow-
ship program.