Sponsors (5)
The bill expands and coordinates biotech workforce training and transparency to boost job readiness and diversity, but it risks diverting funding and focus from basic research, increasing industry influence on curricula, and adding administrative burdens.
Students and early-career researchers: gain expanded access to internships, apprenticeships, and multiple entry/exit career pathways (through partnerships with community colleges, MSIs, universities, federal labs, nonprofits, and industry), improving practical training and diversity in the biotech workforce.
Students and small-business owners: federal coordination to align biotech research investments with workforce needs should improve job readiness and help supply employers in high-demand areas (e.g., biomanufacturing, bioinformatics) with qualified hires.
Taxpayers and policymakers: the creation of metrics and regular reporting to Congress increases transparency about workforce gaps and program outcomes, enabling more targeted policymaking and oversight.
Taxpayers and researchers: the focus on workforce activities could increase federal spending or redirect NSF resources away from basic research, possibly slowing long-term scientific discovery and affecting research funding availability.
Scientists, students, and academic institutions: closer coordination with industry risks biasing training and research toward immediate employer needs, reducing emphasis on fundamental research and academic independence.
Federal employees and partner institutions (universities, labs): new reporting and metrics requirements create administrative burden that could divert staff time and resources from program delivery or research activities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires NSF to align federal biotechnology research investments with workforce development through frameworks, partnerships, metrics, and biennial reporting.
Official title: To direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out activities to support biotechnology workforce pathways and alignment with Federal research investments, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 20, 2026 by Rich McCormick · Last progress May 20, 2026
Requires the National Science Foundation (NSF), working with other federal agencies, to align federal biotechnology research investments with workforce development. The agency must identify high‑demand biotech skill areas, create a biotechnology workforce framework and multiple entry/exit education and career pathways, promote internships/apprenticeships and industry‑academic partnerships (including community colleges and minority‑serving institutions), develop metrics on gaps and barriers, integrate activities into existing NSF programs where practical, and produce a report within two years and biennially for six years.