Bill · S. 5187· Senate(119-S-5187)
PHD Talent Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 7/30/2026
- Last activity
- 7/30/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Sponsored by
- Mark Warner
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Promoting High-skilled Doctoral Talent Act of 2026" requires the Secretary of Energy to create a 5-year pilot program called the Department of Energy Strategic Scientific Workforce Pilot Program. This program aims to strengthen the domestic science and engineering workforce by establishing partnerships among institutions of higher education, National Laboratories, Federal science agencies, and industry. The initiative focuses on supporting accelerated doctoral programs in critical or emerging technology areas. Through competitive grants, the program intends to build a talent pipeline capable of handling advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum information science. The Secretary is authorized to establish pilot fellowship programs to provide direct or indirect financial assistance to eligible students.
Yes· 3 of 11
Does this put more money into scientific research?+8
The act authorizes $250 million to specifically foster advanced scientific and technological research.
Would students be better off under this?+8
Eligible students benefit from accelerated degree timelines and direct financial assistance.
Does this make college cost less?+7
The bill provides direct financial assistance and fellowships to help students complete doctoral programs.
The opposite
Would immigrants be better off under this?-5
The bill restricts financial assistance to citizens, nationals, or legal permanent residents, excluding other immigrant groups.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Faster Completion of Degrees: Students can participate in accelerated doctoral programs that are at least one academic year shorter than the average timeframe (Section 3).
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Financial Support for Students: The program provides funding to students that may cover no less than 3 years of the doctoral portion of the program (Section 3).
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Increased Educational Flexibility: Through integrated baccalaureate-to-doctorate pathways, students who do not complete the doctoral portion can still earn a baccalaureate or master's degree based on their level of completion (Section 3).
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Enhanced Career Readiness: Students receive structured professional development, including research mentorship, career development support, and research rotations for real-world experience (Section 3).
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Development of Specialized Skills: The program supports the development of "dual competency," which combines a student's primary discipline with expertise in advanced computing or artificial intelligence (Section s).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limited Eligibility: Financial assistance and program support are restricted to students who are citizens or nationals of the United States, or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence (Section 3).
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Program Expiration: The program is a 5-year pilot, and the Secretary is prohibited from making new awards after 5 years have passed since the first award was made (Section 4).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+8Improves College Affordability+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Students+8Good For Young Adults+7Good For Business Owners+4Good For Immigrants-5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+6Increases Job Creation+5
- Healthcare
- Increases Research Funding+7
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+6
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Increases Renewable Energy Investment+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3
- 7/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Todd YoungRepublican · Indiana