RESEARCHER Act
Sponsored By: Senator Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
Introduced
Summary
Reduce financial instability for graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The bill would have the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) create consistent federal guidelines and require new data, studies, and oversight to encourage higher stipends and better support services for researchers.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Federal guidance for graduate and postdoc support
If enacted, the bill would require the OSTP Director to issue policy guidelines within 6 months to address financial instability for graduate researchers and postdocs. The guidelines would cover raising stipends (including location-based indexing), extra consideration for rural and EPSCoR states, access to health care, affordable housing and transport, reducing food insecurity, and family care like child care. Federal research agencies would have 6 months after receiving the guidelines to adopt and share policies. OSTP would report to Congress one year after issuing guidance and then every five years.
More stipend data and reporting for researchers
If enacted, the bill would add clear definitions for "graduate researchers" and "postdoctoral researchers" so reporting and guidance cover them. It would require agencies to collect and report stipend amounts and measures of financial instability, broken down by demographics when possible. NSF would also fund competitive grants to colleges and nonprofits to collect and analyze data on researcher financial stability. These steps would increase transparency and research but would not directly raise stipend amounts.
Study on grad and postdoc financial health
If enacted, NSF would contract with the National Academies to study financial instability among graduate researchers and postdocs. The study would, where practicable, look at the past 5 years of stipend levels compared to local costs for health care, housing, transportation, food, and family care including child care. The Academies would deliver a report and recommendations to Congress within two years of the agreement.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 5/7/2025
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 10/7/2025
Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]
GA • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov