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The NIH announced this week that NRSA stipend levels for postdoctoral fellows and trainees in FY2008 would be held at FY2007 levels. This decision continues a pattern that began in 2007, when stipends were held at FY2006 levels. This trend falls far short of the NIH’s pledge to increase stipend amounts by 10-12 percent per year during the earlier part of this decade, and to ensure that stipends would keep pace with inflation thereafter (see text of NIH pledge from 2001 below). The NPA is disappointed with the NIH’s decision to freeze postdoctoral stipends for two successive years, and intends to communicate its concerns to the NIH leadership. Because so many institutions base their postdoctoral salaries on the NRSA stipend scale, this decision will have far-reaching implications for many more postdocs than just the fellows and trainees supported on NRSAs.
View 2007-2008 Stipend Schedule
View NIH Statement Issued in 2001
Excerpts:
The NIH supports higher stipends for NRSA recipients and therefore announces tentative targets of $45,000 for entry-level postdoctoral stipends. Future budget requests will incorporate 10 to 12 percent stipend increases until this target is reached. After attainment of this target, the real value of stipends will be maintained with annual cost-of-living adjustments.
Recommendation 5-4. Stipends and other forms of compensation for those in training should be based on education and experience and should be regularly adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living.
The NIH concurs with the committee’s observation that NRSA stipends are unduly low in view of the high level of education and professional skills involved in biomedical research. NRSA stipend targets have been identified for both predoctoral and postdoctoral recipients. NIH plans to develop budget requests that will permit an increase in stipends by 10 to 12 percent per year for the next few years in order to reach those targets. Once the targets have been attained, annual cost-of-living adjustments will be instituted so that stipend levels remain relatively constant in real value. The appropriateness of stipend levels will be examined in future years to maintain comparability to levels of income available to students and postdoctorates from other sources.
Recent Trends for NRSA Stipends
Career Level Stipend for FY 2002
Postdoctoral
Years of Experience
0 $ 31,092
1 $ 32,820
2 $ 38,712
3 $ 40,692
4 $ 42,648
5 $ 44,616
6 $ 46,584
7 or more $ 48,852
Career Level Stipend for FY 2003
Postdoctoral
Years of Experience
0 $ 34,200 (~10% increase)
1 $ 36,108
2 $ 40,920
3 $ 42,648
4 $ 44,364
5 $ 46,404
6 $ 48,444
7 or more $ 50,808
Career Level Stipend for FY 2004
Postdoctoral
Years of Experience
0 $ 35,568 (~4% increase)
1 $ 37,476
2 $ 41,796
3 $ 43,428
4 $ 45,048
5 $ 46,992
6 $ 48,852
7 or more $ 51,036
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Career Level
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Stipend for FY 2005
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|
Postdoctoral
Years of Experience:
|
|
0
|
|
$ 35,568 (frozen)
|
|
1
|
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$ 37,476
|
|
2
|
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$ 41,796
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|
3
|
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$ 43,428
|
|
4
|
|
$ 45,048
|
|
5
|
|
$ 46,992
|
|
6
|
|
$ 48,852
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|
7 or more
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|
$ 51,036
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|
Career Level
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|
Stipend for FY 2006
|
|
Postdoctoral
|
|
Years of Experience:
|
|
|
0
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$36,996(~4% increase)
|
|
|
1
|
$38,976
|
|
|
2
|
$41,796
|
|
|
3
|
$43,428
|
|
|
4
|
$45,048
|
|
|
5
|
$46,992
|
|
|
6
|
$48,852
|
|
|
7 or more
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$51,036
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|
Career Level
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|
Stipend for FY 2007
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|
Postdoctoral
|
|
Years of Experience:
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|
|
0
|
$36,996 (frozen)
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|
|
1
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$38,976
|
|
|
2
|
$41,796
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|
|
3
|
$43,428
|
|
|
4
|
$45,048
|
|
|
5
|
$46,992
|
|
|
6
|
$48,852
|
|
|
7 or more
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$51,036
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