,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjbc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #aa1 
#bjai,ms4 ,ernst 7for herself1 ,mr4     
,coons1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4 ,casey1
 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 and ,mr4   
,brown7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act 
to authorize the ,director of the       
,national ,institutes of ,health to make
 awards to outstanding scientists1      
including physician-scientists1 to      
support researchers focusing on         
pediatric research1 including basic1    
clinical1 translational1 or pediatric   
pharmacological research1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,pediatricians      
,accelerate ,childhood ,therapies ,act  
of #bjai or the ,,pact ,act of #bjai4   
#b4 ,trans-,,nih ,awards for            
,early-,career ,pediatric ,researchers  

,part ,g of title ,,iv of the ,public   
,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#bhh et seq47 is amended by adding at   
the end the following new section3      
#dhi;,a4 ,trans-,,nih ,awards for       
,early-,career ,pediatric ,researchers  
7a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the   
,,nih shall make awards to outstanding  
scientists1 including                   
physician-scientists1 to support        
researchers focusing on pediatric       
research1 including basic1 clinical1    
translational1 or pediatric             
pharmacological research4  7b7 ,priority
 research topic areas ,in carrying out  
subsection 7a71 the ,director of ,,nih1 
in consultation with the ,director of   
the ,eunice ,kennedy ,shriver ,national 
,institute of ,child ,health and ,human 
,development and the directors of other 
national research institutes and        
national centers that participate within
 the ,trans-,,nih ,pediatric ,research  
,consortium1 shall--  7#a7 establish    
priority research topic areas1 informed 

by external stakeholders1 including     
research institutions1 research         
societies1 patient organizations1 and   
industry2 and  7#b7 consider            
opportunities to align such priority    
pediatric research topic areas with     
current and future priorities of the    
,national ,institutes of ,health1       
including--  7,a7 childhood cancer2     
7,b7 precision medicine1 genetics1 and  
genomics2  7,c7 rare diseases and       
disorders1 such as sickle cell disease1 
and other diseases and disorders with   
significant unmet training needs2  7,d7 
fetal1 placental1 and neonatal          
development2 and  7,e7 child and        
adolescent mental health4  7c7 ,priority
 awards ,in making awards under this    
section1 the ,director of ,,nih shall-- 
7#a7 give priority to researchers1      
including physician-scientists1 who have
 a demonstrated proficiency in          
conducting pediatric research1 but have 
not yet achieved research independence  
at the time of their application2 and   

7#b7 give special consideration to      
researchers from populations that are   
historically underrepresented in        
pediatric medical research4  7d7        
,requirements ,the ,director of ,,nih-- 
7#a7 shall require recipients of awards 
under this section to use such awards to
 support pediatric research activities1 
including costs associated with         
laboratory staff and other costs        
associated with the conduct of research2
 and  7#b7 may allow recipients of      
awards under this section to use such   
awards for costs associated with        
receiving guidance and training from    
senior researchers as necessary to help 
such recipients reach a state of        
research independence1 including        
conferences and other meeting           
participation4  7e7 ,supplement1 not    
supplant ,awards made under this section
 shall be used to supplement1 and not   
supplant1 other funding for research    
career development awards4  4  #c4      
,trans-,,nih ,pediatric ,consortium     

,title ,,iv of the ,public ,health      
,service is amended by inserting after  
section #dji;,d 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhd;h7  
the following new section3  #dji;,d-#a4 
,trans-,,nih ,pediatric ,consortium  7a7
 ,establishment ,the ,director of ,,nih 
shall establish and maintain a          
consortium to be known as the           
,trans-,,nih ,pediatric ,research       
,consortium 7in this sections referred  
to as the ,consortium7 to coordinate    
pediatric research programs across the  
,national ,institutes of ,health4  7b7  
,membership ,the members of the         
,consortium shall consist of            
representatives of multiple national    
research institutes and national        
centers4  7c7 ,chair ,the ,chair of the 
,consortium shall be the ,director of   
the ,eunice ,kennedy ,shriver ,national 
,institute of ,child ,health and ,human 
,development 7or the ,director's        
designee74  7d7 ,duties ,in coordinating
 pediatric research programs across the 
,national ,institutes of ,health1 the   

,consortium shall--  7#a7 establish     
pediatric research priorities2  7#b7    
identify gaps and opportunities for     
research collaborations involving       
multiple national research institutes   
and national centers2 and  7#c7 identify
 opportunities to develop the next      
generation of pediatric researchers4    
7e7 ,consultation ,the ,consortium shall
 consult regularly with external experts
 in the field of pediatric research1    
including children's hospitals1         
children's research institutions1       
patient organizations1 and other        
stakeholders4  4