Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and Research Act

Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and Research Act or the RESEARCHER Act 

This bill requires executive guidance and policy changes with respect to the compensation and benefits afforded to graduate and postdoctoral researchers.

Specifically, the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy must develop a set of policy guidelines for federal agencies to address the financial instability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The guidelines must address certain issues, including stipends that are appropriately indexed to cost-of-living adjustments, health care benefits, and affordable housing and child care. Federal agencies must develop policies that are consistent with such guidelines within six months of the guidelines' issuance.

Additionally, the National Science Foundation must (1) provide awards to institutions of higher education or nonprofits to collect data on the financial instability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers, and (2) contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to report on stipends for graduate and postdoctoral researchers relative to their cost-of-living expenses.

The Government Accountability Office must report on the implementation of relevant policy changes.