[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 144 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 144

 To forestall the loss of research talent by establishing a temporary 
               early career research fellowship program.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2021

    Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mr. Lucas) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, 
                             and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To forestall the loss of research talent by establishing a temporary 
               early career research fellowship program.

    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 ``Supporting Early-Career Researchers 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Nation's universities and industrial research labs 
        are facing unprecedented budget pressure as part of the COVID-
        19 health crisis, resulting 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-career researchers are 
        forced to seek employment outside of research due to the sharp 
        economic decline caused by the COVID-19 health crisis.

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 investigators to carry out an independent 
research program at the institution of higher education chosen by such 
investigator, to last for a period not greater than 2 years.
    (b) Institution of Higher Education Defined.--The term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in 
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Science Foundation $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 
through 2022 to carry out the activities in this Act.
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