,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fcg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #i1 #bjba,mr4
 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4         
,merkley1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4
 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,ms4
 ,hirono7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
forestall the loss of research talent by
 establishing a temporary early career  
research fellowship program4  #a4 ,short
 title ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,supporting ,early-,career ,researchers 
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3 7#a7 ,the ,nation's         
universities and industrial research    
labs are facing unprecedented budget    
pressure as part of the ,,covid-#ai     
health crisis1 resulting in considerably
 fewer openings for research and        
teaching positions4  7#b7 ,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-#ai health crisis4  #c4     
,early-career research fellowship       
program  7a7 ,in general ,the ,director 
of the ,national ,science ,foundation   
may establish a #b-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 investigator1 to last for a     
period not greater than #b years4  7b7  
,institution of higher education defined
 ,the term institution of higher        
education has the meaning given the term
 in section #aja of the ,higher         
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajja74  7c7 ,priority for broadening   
participation ,in awarding grants under 
this section1 the ,director of the      
,national ,science ,foundation shall    
give priority to-- 7#a7 early-career    
investigators who are from groups that  

are underrepresented in scientific      
research2 and  7#b7 early-career        
investigators who choose to carry out   
independent research at a               
minority-serving institution4  #d4      
,reports  7a7 ,reports from grantees    
,not later than #ahj days after the end 
of the pilot program under section #c1  
each early-career investigator who      
receives a grant under this ,act shall  
submit a report to the ,director of the 
,national ,science ,foundation that     
describes how the early-career          
investigator used the grant funds under 
this ,act4  7b7 ,report to ,congress    
,not later than #ahj days after the     
deadline for the submission of the      
reports described in subsection 7a71 the
 ,director of the ,national ,science    
,foundation shall submit a report to the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation of the ,senate and the  
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology of the ,house of            
,representatives that contains a summary

 of the uses of grant funds and the     
impact of the grant program under this  
,act4