,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ebie  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #f1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,mc,cormick 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,coons7 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 strengthen mentorship  
and career development support for      
early-career researchers receiving      
funding from the ,national ,institutes  
of ,health1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,,nih ,mentorship ,modernization   
,act4  #b4 ,mentorship and career       
development support ,part ,g of title   
,,iv of the ,public ,health ,service    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhh et set seq47 is
 amended by adding at the end the       
following3  #dhi;,a4 ,mentorship and    
career development support  7a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary shall establish 
minimum mentorship standards and support

 requirements applicable to entities    
receiving career development1           
institutional training1 fellowship1     
research education1 and other research  
training awards from the ,national      
,institutes of ,health that the         
,secretary determines would benefit from
 additional mentorship support beyond   
statutory or award-specific             
requirements4 ,in carrying out this     
section1 the ,secretary shall1 to the   
maximum extent practicable-- 7#a7 build 
upon existing mentorship requirements1  
reporting processes1 and award          
documentation1 including annual progress
 reports add other existing reporting   
mechanisms of the ,national ,institutes 
of ,health2  7#b7 avoid duplicative     
administrative or reporting             
requirements2 and  7#c7 provide         
flexibility for institutions with       
mentorship programs that are            
substantially similar to the standards  
and requirements established under this 
section4  7b7 ,mentorship standards     

7#a7 ,in general ,the standards and     
procedures established under subsection 
7a7 shall include standards for         
measurable minimum expectations relating
 to-- 7,a7 regular mentor-mentee        
engagement2  7,b7 professional          
development support and career guidance2
  7,c7 periodic assessment of mentee    
research and career progress2  7,d7     
minimum qualification requirements and  
mentorship competencies for mentors     
participating in programs supported by  
such awards2 and  7,e7 such other       
mentorship activities as the ,secretary 
determines appropriate4  7#b7           
,compliance ,the ,secretary shall       
establish procedures for entities to    
certify1 through existing annual        
reporting requirements of the ,national 
,institutes of ,health1 compliance with 
the standards established under this    
section4  7c7 ,dissemination of         
mentorship practices and guidance  7#a7 
,in general ,the ,secretary-- 7,a7 shall
 encourage dissemination of             

evidence-based mentorship practices and 
guidance1 including mentoring compacts1 
mentor-mentee agreements1 individualized
 development plans1 mentor training     
curricula1 and other evidence-based     
mentorship resources1 relating to the   
standards established under this        
section2 and  7,b7 may encourage        
entities to adopt such practices and    
guidance1 as appropriate4  7#b7         
,cross-institution mentoring ,the       
practices and guidance issued under this
 subsection may address mentorship      
arrangements involving multiple         
institutions1 including documentation of
 mentoring responsibilities and         
recognition of co-mentors4  7d7 ,mentor 
support ,subject to the availability of 
appropriations1 the ,secretary may      
provide supplemental funding or other   
support to institutions to assist with  
implementation of the mentorship        
standards established under this        
section4 ,such support may include      
funding for mentor training1 mentorship 

coordination1 implementation of         
mentorship agreements1 mentor           
development activities1 and other       
reasonable expenses associated with     
carrying out this section4  7e7         
,continuous improvement ,the ,secretary 
shall periodically review mentorship    
practices across career development and 
research training awards of the         
,national ,institutes of ,health and    
update mentorship standards established 
under this section1 as appropriate1 to  
reflect evidence-based practices4  7f7  
,applicability ,the standards and       
procedures established under this       
section shall apply only to awards made 
on or after the date that is #b years   
after the date of enactment of this     
section1 except that a recipient of an  
award made prior to such date may       
voluntarily comply with such standards  
and procedures4  4