Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) recently cosponsored Senate (SB) Bill 1664, also known as the RESEARCHER Act. This bipartisan legislation is aimed at bolstering the STEM workforce by incentivizing more students to pursue research careers, especially among recent graduates.
The bill was originally introduced in May 2025 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) but has yet to receive a formal vote. Sen. Ossoff described the bill as essential aid for the research workforce.
“The United States has long been a global leader in scientific research, and we must continue to expand our research capabilities,” Sen. Ossoff said. “This bipartisan legislation will help maintain America’s competitiveness on the global stage and support the next generation of researchers and scientists in Georgia and across the Nation.”
SB 1664
The bill’s provisions can be broken up into four major categories. The first is the development of policy guidelines, which delegates responsibility to the Director of the Office of Science and Technology (OSTP).
This set of guidelines must address the possibility of stipend increases, support for rural areas, and healthcare access. They must also mandate more research into affordable housing, transportation, and childcare expenses.
Once the OSTP issues these guidelines, other federal agencies will be required to follow suit within six months of SB 1664’s enactment. Agencies must then share their implementation plans with one another, and the OSTP will be required to monitor compliance.
The bill also increases the demand for data collection. It instructs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to offer competitive awards to universities and nonprofits that collect data on financial instability among STEM graduates.
The data collected and analyzed must also be disaggregated by demographics. Alongside this requirement, the bill amends existing law to require the tracking of graduate stipend amounts and financial instability.
Finally, SB 1664 requires independent evaluations of all collected data. The NSF will be required to collaborate with the National Academies and receive their support for the study effort. The Comptroller General will also be requested to submit an evaluation of how the OSTP guidelines have been implemented.
