[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 85 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2390-H2392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS ACT
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 144) to forestall the loss of research talent by
establishing a temporary early career research fellowship program, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 144
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''.
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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.
(3) The future of America's defense will rely on advanced
technologies to maintain its military superiority over its
rivals, including China. These technologies will require new
levels of scientific and engineering aptitude and
understanding. Early career researchers will play a critical
role in the development of these technologies, and the loss
of an entire generation of researchers due to the COVID-19
pandemic will be detrimental to the United States national
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 investigators 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 National
Science Foundation shall select grantees under subsection (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 populations in the
fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
and
(3) who graduate from or intend to carry out research at a
variety of types of institutions of higher education,
including--
(A) Historically Black Colleges and Universities;
(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 individual 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 conclusion of
the second year of the pilot program, the Director 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 information, of the
effectiveness of the pilot program for mitigating the loss of
research talent due to the pandemic; and
(3) if determined effective, a plan for permanent
implementation of the pilot program.
(f) Qualified Institution of Higher Education Defined.--The
term ``qualified institution of higher education'' 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 subsection (a)(1)(C) of such
section.
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon.
General Leave
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 144, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 144, the Supporting Early-
Career Researchers Act. I commend Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for introducing
this bill, which I am pleased to cosponsor.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our lives, and the
U.S. research enterprise has not been spared. As research labs and
universities around the country took action to mitigate the spread of
the virus in their labs and on their campuses, research productivity
decreased dramatically. We still do not know the full financial
consequences incurred by these institutions or their full costs in
terms of lost science.
Compounding these declines in research productivity, women
researchers and researchers from groups historically underrepresented
in STEM have been particularly disadvantaged during the crisis because
of childcare and other factors.
Facing unprecedented financial difficulties, many research
universities instituted hiring freezes, and faculty job openings
declined by nearly 70 percent. This limited job market has a greater
effect on early-career researchers who may have their career derailed
before it truly begins. Already, some early-career researchers are
having to choose between applying their training and talent to an
academic career and supporting their families.
Early-career researchers play a vital role in the U.S. research
ecosystem. They are not only highly productive researchers, they also
play a significant role in training the next generation of
undergraduate and graduate STEM students. Their departure from research
careers, if we do not stop it, will have a profound and long-lasting
consequence on U.S. innovation and competitiveness in the 21st century.
Mr. Speaker, as increasing numbers of Americans receive COVID-19
vaccines and the research enterprise continues its recovery, we must
make the retention of early-career researchers a priority. The
Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act directs the National Science
Foundation to establish a new $250 million post-doctoral fellowship
program to support early-career researchers.
This program will help prevent a significant loss of STEM talent.
More than 40 organizations have endorsed this legislation. I, again,
thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their continued
deliberation on this important issue, and I look forward to working
with my colleagues on getting this bill signed into law.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 144, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 144, the Supporting
Early-Career Researchers Act, the first bipartisan bill Chairwoman
Johnson and I introduced in the 117th Congress.
Over the past year, COVID-19 has caused substantial disruptions
across this country, including in the U.S. research enterprise. Most
research and development work stopped or was dramatically limited to
provide for safe social distancing, and it is estimated we lost between
20 and as much as 40 percent of our research output.
In addition to this loss of research, we are facing the loss of our
researchers. Graduate students and post-docs are particularly
vulnerable to research disruptions. With their research on pause, these
young scientists are finding it difficult to complete their degree
requirements. Those who have finished their degrees are having trouble
finding work.
Much of academia has implemented hiring freezes, and it is estimated
that faculty openings in the sciences have decreased by more than 70
percent compared to 2019. At the same time, the pace of innovation is
accelerating globally, and with it, the competition for scientific and
technical talent.
The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly stated it is determined to
overtake the U.S. in critical technologies like AI, quantum computing,
and advanced manufacturing. These technologies will require new levels
of scientific skills and understanding, and this new generation of
scientists will play a critical role in how they are developed.
Now more than ever, the innovation capacity of the U.S. and our
prosperity and security depend on an effective and an innovative STEM
workforce to compete with our adversaries.
If we do not provide the resources to support these young
researchers, we will be limiting our ability to support new and
innovative discoveries for years to come. Unfortunately, of the nearly
$6 trillion in COVID research spending that Congress has passed, only
$600 million was allocated to helping the research industry recover.
[[Page H2392]]
That is only 1 percent for a sector of our economy that drives as
much as 85 percent of the long-term growth. We have relied on American
science and scientists to combat COVID and we are not giving them the
funding they need to resume the work that has been stopped by the
pandemic and keep our future innovators in the system. Our STEM
pipeline and future competitors could be irreparably damaged if we
don't act quickly.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I am so proud to cosponsor this legislation.
It will establish a pilot program at the National Science Foundation to
provide 2-year fellowships to young researchers whose career paths have
been disrupted by the pandemic. The bill will support 3,200 fellowships
over 4 years. These fellowships will allow talented young scientists
and engineers to carry out independent research at an institution of
higher education of their choosing.
This bill provides targeted and temporary relief to support early-
career scientists, keeping them in the STEM pipeline while the research
enterprise recovers. By supporting these young researchers, we are
investing in America's research and technology leadership.
This legislation has been endorsed by over 30 organizations, and has
nearly as many cosponsors. It was favorably reported out of the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on a bipartisan basis, and
I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I, again, thank Chairwoman Johnson and her staff for
working with me on this important legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Meijer).
Mr. MEIJER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support
for the bill on the floor this evening that will make substantial
improvements in American research and development during a time when it
is so badly needed. The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented
disruptions to our research enterprise and Congress must respond before
our research community is irreparably harmed.
H.R. 144, the Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act, will address
this crisis by providing funding to enable researchers to stay on their
chosen research career track. This will help prevent further loss of
critical talent from the U.S. STEM workforce and strengthen our Nation
as we compete with China to invest in the future.
Within my district in West Michigan and across the State are some of
the top-tier universities and research institutions our world has to
offer. This bill will play a vital role in helping to restart any
research they had to delay or postpone during the pandemic.
The pandemic has created these challenges, and our research and
development fields have felt them. We must make a serious effort to
increase productivity across STEM disciplines in order to remain
globally competitive.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 144, and I encourage my
colleagues to vote with me in support of this bill.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, America's scientific progress depends on a large pool of
talented STEM professionals. Our early-career researchers are a
critical link in the chain of developing the next generation of
scientists.
Unfortunately, in the STEM community, these young scientists have
been disproportionately affected by COVID-related lab closures, reduced
funding, and hiring freezes. We risk losing these valuable scientists
if we do nothing.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join Chairwoman Johnson in championing the
Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act to support this up-and-coming
generation of scientists and preserve America's research and
technological leadership.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairwoman Johnson and her staff for
working in a bipartisan and collaborative way on this legislation. I
encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the
bipartisan Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act.
I thank Mr. Lucas and Chair Johnson, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 144, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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