National Postdoctoral Association

January 23, 2012

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 policy for grant awards (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-12-036.html).  Regarding the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA), the announcement stated: " The NIH will implement a two percent increase at all stipend levels.  Further information about NRSA stipends in FY 2012 will be published in the NIH Guide in the near future."

Stipends were increased by 2% in 2011 and by 1% each year in 2009 and 2010.  These increases move the stipend levels closer to the original target of $45,000 for an entry-level stipend for postdoctoral scholars.  For more background information, follow this link. To read about the NPA's efforts to educate others about the need to increase these stipends, follow this link.

Regarding new investigator awards, the announcement stated: "NIH will continue to support new investigators on R01 equivalent awards at success rates equivalent to that of established investigators submitting new (Type 1) R01 equivalent applications.  Achievement of comparable success rates should permit the NIH to support new investigators in accordance with the policies established in FY 2009 and subsequent years and described at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-013.html and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm."