1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Funding Scientists at the Peak Age of Discovery Act of 2014”.
Funding Scientists at the Peak Age of Discovery Act of 2014
A BILL
To amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to ensure that scientists are being funded at the age when they are most likely to make breakthroughs.
2. Funding scientists at peak age of discovery
Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 283 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“404M. Funding scientists at peak age of discovery
“(a) In general—The Director of NIH shall ensure that the median age of first-time researchers receiving grants in the R series from the institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of Health—
“(1) by January 1, 2019, is under 40 years of age;
“(2) by January 1, 2022, is under 39 years of age; and
“(3) by January 1, 2025, is under 38 years of age.
“(b) Exceptions—Subsection (a) does not apply with respect to grants in the R series which are determined by the head of the respective institute, center, or office to be within any of the following categories:
“(1) Small business innovation research.
“(2) Small business technology transfer.
“(3) Clinical trial planning.
“(c) Definition—In this section:
“(1) The term first-time researcher means a researcher who has not previously served as the principal investigator for a research project supported by the National Institutes of Health through a grant in the R series.
“(2) The term R series refers the category of grants that are designated by the National Institutes of Health to be covered by—
“(A) the activity code relating to “research projects” (as such activity code is in effect on the date of enactment of this section); or
“(B) any successor activity code.”