Background

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Service Research Awards (NRSA) are used as the benchmark by research institutions across the country for determining the compensation of postdoctoral scholars. NRSA stipends have--with notable exceptions--risen annually since 2000, with a 22% increase observed over the past five years (Fig. 1). Beginning stipend levels reached above the long-sought $50,000 mark for the first time in 2019 (Table 1). Such increases have come in the wake of several calls to raise pay for postdoctoral fellows, including the 2012 Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group Report from the NIH and the 2018 Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences Researchers: Breaking Through report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Growth Trend for NIH NRSA Beginning Postdoc Stipends (FY2002-2025)

FY2025 NIH NRSA Postdoc Stipend Levels

*Graph/table constructed from data obtained from NIH website

NPA Advocacy Actions

The NPA supports consistent, sustainable annual increases in postdoctoral stipends. Please visit NPA Advocacy Actions to view the history of NPA actions regarding postdoc stipends and salary.