Early-career researchers are the engine of American innovation, but many are struggling just to get by. A recent survey reported that over 95 percent of graduate researchers worry about increasing costs of living. The above challenges, and many others, exacerbate the disparities in who can seek careers in STEM, hampering efforts to develop a diverse workforce representative of America. When the people powering innovation are forced to choose between their passion and financial stability, the entire research ecosystem suffers.
One AWIS member shared with us, “As a graduate-level neuroscientist in Washington, DC, I am personally impacted by the financial burden placed on graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. We don’t have access to subsidized housing at my institution, meaning that students end up spending most of their paycheck on housing alone. The result is hard-working adults who can’t afford their basic needs like food, routine healthcare, transportation, or financial emergencies. In fact, nearly 40% of our students reported skipping meals or refusing healthcare visits for cost-related reasons.”
Another AWIS member in Los Angeles noted that, “Many people argue that our part-time status and tuition remission justify our low salary. However, since we are not allowed to pursue outside work, we must rely on a stipend that is 19% below the living wage in Los Angeles County. It’s hard to concentrate on delivering quality research when you’re constantly worried about being able to provide for yourself and your family.”
Enter the RESEARCHER Act (Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience & Competitiveness in Higher Education & Research). This bipartisan bill seeks to address the financial hardships that early-career researchers endure, proposing new federal guidelines to ensure fair compensation and support across all research institutions funded by the U.S. government. Introduced in 2023 as H.R. 4002 during the 118th Congress and reintroduced as H.R. 3054 in 2025 by Rep. Jennifer McClellan, the RESEARCHER Act aims to strengthen the U.S. research landscape by improving the financial well-being of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
The key provisions of the RESEARCHER Act can be divided into three sections:
In conjunction with relevant stakeholders, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will develop policy guidelines for Federal research agencies to address the financial instability experienced by graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The guidelines, to be issued within 6 months of the passage of the Act, will explore opportunities to increase stipends in a location-indexed manner, with particular attention to enhancing postdoctoral compensation in rural and underserved areas.
The guidelines will also address opportunities to promote access to affordable medical/dental/vision care, housing, transportation, and caregiving— including childcare—with the goal of rectifying the financial instability experienced by graduate and postdoctoral researchers.
The final aspect of the Act provides for routine evaluation and assessment of the effectiveness of the guidelines. Based on these assessments, the Director of the OSTP will revise the guidance as needed to ensure continued responsiveness to researchers’ financial needs.
One major strength of the RESEARCHER Act is that it promotes long-term solutions. It asks top science leaders to develop national guidelines, ensures research agencies follow them, and encourages more studies to understand the financial challenges researchers face. This could help create fairer, more supportive environments—especially for those from lower-income or underrepresented backgrounds. However, it does not directly address how these solutions will be implemented across the diverse ecosystem of institutions that receive federal funding.
As of the 119th Congress (2025-2026), the RESEARCHER Act (H.R. 3054) was referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with 12 Democratic cosponsors on April 29, 2025. In the Senate, the bipartisan RESEARCHER Act (S.1664) was introduced by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) on May 7, 2025 and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. AWIS is proud to endorse the RESEARCHER Act to support the early career research scientists developing solutions and innovations that strengthen American competitiveness in the science and technology ecosystem.
Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers give vital contributions to STEM fields, yet they are notoriously underpaid for their positions. How can our nation’s best and brightest prepare to solve tomorrow’s most pressing biomedical and technological challenges when they can barely afford groceries or new glasses today? The RESEARCHER Act is a step toward supporting the graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who keep science moving forward. Many early-career researchers struggle to afford basic needs like housing, food, and childcare—challenges that can push talented people out of science entirely. This bill would require federal science agencies to create policies that address financial instability and allow more data to be collected on the issue. Overall, the RESEARCHER Act is a much-needed response to a real problem. While it won’t solve everything overnight, it opens the door to lasting change—and helps ensure that a career in science is possible for anyone, not just those who can afford it.
AWIS remains fully committed to supporting the next generation of STEM researchers and advocacy for women scientists, and legislation like the RESEARCHER Act. If you’d like to take action, please consider locating and contacting your representatives and urging them to support the RESEARCHER Act and other related legislation.
Eposi Elonge, Megan Pohlmann, RN, MSN, CPN, Kimberly Scata, PhD, Melissa Spigelman, and Sydney Woods are members of the AWIS Advocacy Committee and would like to thank their fellow committee members who helped provide research for this article. The AWIS Advocacy Committee works to ensure that all women in science and STEM related fields can achieve their full potential. Our advocacy work focuses on achieving positive system transformation, equitable workplaces, and recognition of women’s scientific and leadership achievements.