Legislation would work to improve mental health of grad, postdoctoral researchers

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan of Virginia and Congressman Paul D. Tonko of New York announced their introduction of the Mental Health Enhancement, Navigation and Treatment for Our Researchers Act of 2024 (MENTOR Act).

The new bill would establish federal guidelines through the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to improve the mental health and mentoring of graduate and postdoctoral researchers.

Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers support university productivity through their work, including conducting and publishing cutting-edge research, helping secure grant funding, and serving as mentors and instructors for undergraduate students and researchers. However, research shows that 50 percent of graduate students experience depression, anxiety or burnout symptoms during training. In a survey of postdoctoral researchers by Nature, 51 percent considered leaving science altogether due to work-related mental health concerns.

“Our national leadership in science and innovation depends on the work of highly trained graduate and postdoctoral researchers. However, too many researchers have negative experiences in the workplace that contribute to poor mental health or push them out of their training programs. I thank Congressman Tonko for his leadership on the MENTOR Act and look forward to working with him to advance this legislation. Together, we will continue fighting to support and strengthen our research workforce,” McClellan said.

Tonko said researchers provide a lot to institutes of higher learning, communities and society “as a whole by driving innovation, technological development, scientific discovery and more. Unfortunately, burnout, poor mentoring, and mental health concerns are seriously impacting students and researchers, shrinking a critical pipeline of workers and stunting innovation. We in Congress should do all we can to support our graduate and postdoctoral researchers. That’s why I’m introducing the MENTOR Act. By establishing guidelines to address and improve mentoring and mental health, we give our researchers the support they need while maintaining our nation’s spirit of innovation and scientific prowess.”

The MENTOR Act is endorsed by the American Suicide Prevention Foundation; Oyanova; Graduate Women in Science; Framework for Accountability in Academic Research and Mentoring Project; Graduate Workers Union at UW Madison; United Campus Workers Southeast; and Communications Workers of America Local 3821.

“The health and wellness of graduate and postdoctoral researchers is paramount to the strength, resilience, and longevity of the United States as a driver of scientific and technological discovery. The MENTOR Act ensures that the many prestigious institutions of research and higher learning in the U.S. have the appropriate resources to prioritize the enduring success of its trainees. And in so doing, it fortifies the United States as a leader on the frontiers of technology, invention, and philosophy,” Dr. Amanda Koenig, Past President, Graduate Women in Science said.

The MENTOR Act of 2024 would:

• Direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to develop and implement comprehensive guidelines for federal research agencies to improve the mental health and mentoring of graduate and postdoctoral researchers by:
• Establishing clear definitions for problematic behaviors at institutions of higher education.
• Implement standardized, confidential, and safe systems to report and address bullying, harassment, and poor mentorship.
• Strengthen mentor-mentee relationships by assessing mentoring plans and benefit disclosures in grant applications and allowing grant funding to support mentoring activities.
• Support mental well-being by ensuring access to affordable health care and implementing protections for researchers, with a focus on international and underrepresented groups.
• Promote continuous evaluation and improvement through data collection

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) will conduct biennial evaluations on the mental health of graduate and postdoctoral researchers.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will evaluate the effectiveness of the guidelines, recommend improvements and identify additional research needs.