---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 19151"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "19151"
heading: "Federal research agency policies for caregivers"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/19151"
units:
  - "Chapter 163 — Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation"
  - "Subchapter V — Broadening Participation in Science"
  - "Part A — STEM Opportunities"
---

# §19151. Federal research agency policies for caregivers

- (a) **OSTP guidance—** Not later than 12 months after August 9, 2022, the [Director](/usc/42/19158.md), in consultation with the heads of relevant agencies, shall provide guidance to each [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) to establish policies that—
  - (1) apply to all—
    - (A) research awards granted by such agency; and
    - (B) principal investigators of such research and their trainees, including postdoctoral researchers and graduate students, who have caregiving responsibilities, including care for a newborn or newly adopted [child](/usc/42/416.md?p=e) and care for an immediate [family member](/usc/42/1320d–9.md?p=b-1) who has a disability or a serious health condition; and
  - (2) provide, to the extent feasible—
    - (A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of approved research awards granted by such agency;
    - (B) no-cost extensions of such research awards;
    - (C) award supplements, as appropriate, to research awards to sustain research activities conducted under such awards; and
    - (D) any other appropriate accommodations at the discretion of the [director](/usc/42/19158.md) of each such agency.
- (b) **Uniformity of guidance—** In providing guidance under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Director](/usc/42/19158.md) shall encourage uniformity, to the extent practicable, and consistency in the policies established pursuant to such guidance across all [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10).
- (c) **Establishment of policies—** Consistent, to the extent practicable, with the guidance under [subsection (a)](#a), [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) shall—
  - (1) maintain or develop and implement policies for individuals described in paragraph (1)(B) of such subsection; and
  - (2) broadly disseminate in easily accessible formats such policies to current and potential award [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24).
- (d) **Data on usage—** [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) shall consider—
  - (1) collecting data, including demographic data that can be disaggregated by sex, geographic location, and socioeconomic indicators, which may include employment status, occupation, educational attainment, parental education, and [income](/usc/42/292s.md?p=c-4), on the usage of the policies under [subsection (c)](#c), at both institutions of higher education and [Federal laboratories](/usc/42/18901.md?p=9); and
  - (2) reporting such data on an annual basis to the [Director](/usc/42/19158.md) in such form as required by the [Director](/usc/42/19158.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title V, § 10501, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1609.)