I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3844 
To support fellowships and traineeships for early-career artificial intelligence 
researchers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2021 
Mr. OBERNOLTE (for himself, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. LUCAS, and Ms. JOHNSON 
of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To support fellowships and traineeships for early-career 
artificial intelligence researchers, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fellowships and 
Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act’’. 
SEC. 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. 
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(2) Talent is core to United States competitive-
ness in artificial intelligence. 
(3) The United States education pipeline for ar-
tificial intelligence fields faces significant challenges. 
(4) Artificial intelligence is increasingly becom-
ing a highly interdisciplinary field with expertise re-
quired from a diverse range of scientific and other 
scholarly disciplines that traditionally work inde-
pendently and continue to face cultural and institu-
tional barriers to large scale collaboration. 
(5) The Federal Government should continue to 
play an important role in advancing research, devel-
opment, training, and education activities in artifi-
cial intelligence through coordination and collabora-
tion between government, academia, and the private 
sector to train the next generation of artificial intel-
ligence experts. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.—The term ‘‘ar-
tificial intelligence’’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 5002 of the William M. (MAC) 
Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2021. 
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(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
SEC. 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-re-
lated research leading to a masters or doctorate degree 
by providing funding and other assistance, and by pro-
viding graduate students opportunities for research experi-
ences in government or industry related to the students’ 
artificial intelligence studies. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—A institution of higher edu-
cation 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 receiv-
ing traineeships; 
(3) creating and requiring courses or training 
programs in technology ethics for students receiving 
traineeships; 
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(4) creating opportunities for research in tech-
nology ethics for students receiving traineeships; 
(5) establishing scientific internship programs 
for students receiving traineeships in artificial intel-
ligence at for-profit institutions, nonprofit research 
institutions, or government laboratories; and 
(6) other costs associated with the administra-
tion of the program. 
SEC. 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 edu-
cation 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 solicita-
tions, to solicit proposals from students and postdoctoral 
researchers seeking to carry out research in aspects of 
technology ethics with relevance to artificial intelligence 
systems. 
Æ 
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