U.S. researchers negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic would receive billions of dollars in federal funding relief under bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).
“These researchers are essential to our nation’s public health, national security, economic growth, and international competitiveness,” said Rep. Upton and several colleagues in a joint statement released on June 24. “Preserving our scientific infrastructure and protecting our innovation pipeline will help ensure U.S. leadership in the world and help us better respond to future pandemics.”
Rep. Upton on June 24 signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Research Investment to Secure the Economy (RISE) Act, H.R. 7308, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and four other cosponsors, to authorize appropriations for offsetting the costs related to reductions in research productivity resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the text of the bill.
If enacted, H.R. 7308 would appropriate to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for fiscal year (FY) 2020 $300 million to fund specific research activities and $80 million to carry out cooperative extension and education programs in response to circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the bill’s text.
Additionally, H.R. 7308 would appropriate for FY 2020: $650 million to the U.S. Commerce Department; $3 billion to the U.S. Department of Defense; $200 million to the U.S. Department of Education; $5 billion to the U.S. Department of Energy; $300 million to the U.S. Department of Interior; $10 billion to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; $2 billion to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; $3 billion to the National Science Foundation; and $200 million for the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the bill’s text.
The legislation would allow each agency to award research grants and cooperative agreements to colleges or universities to conduct research on the behavioral, social or economic effects of COVID-19 and the responses to the disease, as well as the effectiveness of such responses, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Upton’s office.
The funds could, among other things, enable graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and principal investigators to complete work that was disrupted by COVID-19, or extend the training or employment of researchers on an existing research project for up to two years because of the disruption of the job market, the summary says.