NIH postdocs will get a raise next year — but not as much as they hoped

The National Institutes of Health will raise the minimum salary for postdoctoral researchers to $61,008 next year, the agency announced Tuesday, responding to growing calls from young life scientists to provide a living wage.

The 8% pay bump is far short of the increase to $70,000 that was recommended by an NIH working group late last year. But the agency noted in a press release that it’s the largest year-over-year update for NIH-funded postdocs since 2017.

“This is a step in the right direction,” said Donna Ginther, a professor at the University of Kansas’ Institute for Policy & Social Research, who was part of the NIH working group. “But it looks like they’re moving at a slow rate.”

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