How Congress Can Support Early Career STEM Talent

Disclaimer: This article was written in the author’s personal capacity and does not represent the views of the U.S. House of Representatives.

When I graduated with my Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, I understood the importance of scientific research to some extent. Over the course of my career, and through my lived experience in academia, I became a strong advocate for scientific research as a driving force behind this country’s progress. Yet, I never dreamed that I could influence it directly, let alone find myself in the U.S. Congress with the ability to do so. To early-career scientists reading this post, I want to encourage you to get involved in shaping the changes you wish to see, and I assure you that we recognize the immense value you bring to advancing science in this country and remain committed to supporting this important segment of the U.S. STEM workforce.

Early career researchers (ECRs), namely graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, are the future of science, driving the scientific endeavor forward and leading innovative research. While efforts to improve the research enterprise have gained momentum in recent years in the legislative branch, greater focus should be placed on supporting ECRs in the new Congress and beyond. This is especially important as our nation risks losing its leadership in science and valuable STEM talent to other nations. It is critical to nurture this next generation of the STEM workforce not only in their research but also through mentorship, training, career development, and preparation for the job market.

Congress has an important role to play in supporting early career STEM talent through several mechanisms, including federal legislation and coalitions (“caucuses”) of members who share an interest in these issues and can drive forward changes in research. Congressional initiatives focused on STEM talent impact the entire scientific ecosystem, underscoring the need for the most powerful branch of government to renew its focus on advancing our nation’s scientific and technological leadership.

A major piece of legislation, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, has the potential to maintain our nation’s competitiveness in science and technology, provided the educational programs outlined in it are implemented across the scientific ecosystem to support the future of STEM. This legislation is especially significant for its focus on STEM education and workforce development, extending beyond the federal funding needed to advance research discoveries. Notably, it includes provisions that emphasize fellowships and mentorship support for ECRs and encourage faculty advisors to prioritize early career STEM training and professional development through tools such as the Individual Development Plan. These initiatives can empower the next generation of scientists to become broad thinkers capable of solving society’s most pressing problems.

One way to support early career STEM talent is to pay attention to training-related provisions in the legislation that focus on historically neglected populations contributing significantly to the workforce, including but not limited to graduate students. For example, Section 10313 of the CHIPS and Science Act permits postdoctoral researchers to receive a professional development supplement to further their research training and education, thereby strengthening the STEM pipeline. Postdoctoral researchers are often overlooked as key contributors to the research enterprise, making this provision an important step in addressing a real need.

In addition to the broad CHIPS and Science Act, another important legislation addresses a specific aspect of the graduate and postdoctoral experience essential to retaining STEM talent in the research pipeline: financial instability driven by the rising costs of healthcare, housing, transportation, food, childcare and other expenses. Introduced in the House of Representatives during the last Congress, the RESEARCHER Act tackles this issue through multiple measures. These include developing policy guidelines at federal research agencies, monitoring their adoption and implementation, encouraging data collection and authorizing federal grants to address the financial challenges faced by graduate and postdoctoral researchers. This legislation is a significant step toward mitigating this barrier, supporting the future of science in this country and sustaining the vitality of our research enterprise.

A strong focus on all ECRs in STEM fields is critical to the success of our nation’s research enterprise— these programs and policies need to be backed by robust funding in Congressional appropriations. As a key agency supporting ECR training, the National Science Foundation’s FY 2024 appropriations stand at roughly $6 billion, which is 39% below the levels authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act. Similar reductions are evident across other federal research agencies. To truly support ECRs in STEM, Congress must fully fund the “and science” portion of the legislation across federal agencies. This remains a priority, and Congress has a crucial role to play in addressing it. 

In addition to these pieces of legislation, it is encouraging to see strong messaging in support of the future of STEM from Congress through the establishment of the bipartisan Graduate Research and Development Caucus (GRAD Caucus). This is the first time Congress has created a caucus focused specifically on graduate students and their policy priorities. Notably, the GRAD Caucus was spearheaded by graduate student leaders, showcasing the critical role that the next generation can play in shaping the future of science at the federal level.

The GRAD Caucus seeks to “highlight the unique and critical role that graduate researchers play in innovation, education and bolstering our economy.” It aims to organize briefings on policies and programs relevant to graduate researchers, engage with them directly, and enable members of Congress to advance policy solutions needed to support them. This Caucus is a potential avenue for legislators to show support for early career STEM talent. These developments demonstrating a symbolic Congressional commitment for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are promising, and I hope to see continued investments in the future of science.

Having been in Congress for just a few months, I have gained a better understanding of the role that our federal government, particularly the legislative branch, can play in supporting current and future STEM talent to maintain our global competitiveness. There is so much potential to make an impact on the research enterprise from this standpoint. During my time in Congress, I hope to contribute to legislation and Caucus initiatives that support the STEM enterprise, encourage promising STEM talent to pursue research careers in the U.S. and highlight Congress as an ally to U.S. competitiveness in science and technology as part of the broader research ecosystem. Finally, I hope to showcase what a scientist in Congress can accomplish for this country and emphasize how critical it is for us to get involved in driving this change.

Author

Adriana Bankston, Ph.D. 
2024-25 Legislative Branch Fellow at U.S. House of Representatives

Editor

Shriya Pai, Ph.D.
2024-25 Legislative Branch Fellow at the U.S. Senate

Alyssa Rudelis, Ph.D. 
2024-25 Legislative Branch Fellow at the U.S. Senate