Fellowships and Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act
Bill: H.R.3844 | Sponsor: Rep. Obernolte, Jay (R-CA)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

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.

To support fellowships and traineeships for early-career artificial 
           intelligence researchers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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.
            (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.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial 
        intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 5002 
        of the William M. (MAC) Thornberry National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
            (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-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.

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 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.
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