Bipartisan bill reintroduced to address graduate student and postdoc financial insecurity
The bill marks a key victory for APS’ advocacy efforts.
A bipartisan bill aimed at tackling the financial insecurity facing graduate students and postdoctoral researchers has been reintroduced in both chambers of Congress, marking a key win in APS’ advocacy campaign on this bill.
The RESEARCHER Act, one of APS' six main policy priorities, was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 29 by Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and in the U.S. Senate on May 7 by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS). The bipartisan Senate introduction represents significant progress from the previous Congress, when the bill was introduced only in the House with exclusively Democratic support.
The legislation addresses a stark reality: Nearly 95% of postdoctoral researchers report that their salary negatively affects their professional or personal lives — and 35% of University of California graduate students now face food insecurity, up from 21% in 2021.
“As a mechanical engineer, I know a strong STEM workforce pipeline is essential to securing America’s global leadership and promoting lifesaving scientific and technological innovation," said Padilla in a press release. "Our bipartisan bill would help address and improve our understanding of the widespread challenges young researchers face — like food insecurity, student loan debt, health, housing, and child care — to support the researchers who will guide the future of our scientific enterprise."
The bill would direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish uniform guidelines for federal agencies to address researcher financial instability, require agencies to implement policies based on those guidelines, and expand data collection on the scope of the problem.
APS members advocated for the bill during Congressional Visits Day in January, where more than 100 physicists met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The legislation gained two cosponsors during last year’s advocacy campaign, demonstrating the impact of direct member engagement with Congress.
However, APS emphasizes that policy changes must be paired with sufficient increases in federal science agency funding so that better compensation doesn't simply result in fewer research positions overall — a concern made more urgent by President Trump’s recent FY26 budget proposal, which, if enacted, would dramatically cut federal research budgets, to devastating effect.
The bill has garnered support from organizations including the National Postdoctoral Association, American Geophysical Union, and University of California system. Please visit APS in Action to learn more about APS’ advocacy and how you can help.