The US National Institutes of Health stipends are being used as de facto guidelines for postdoc salaries. But do institutions try to meet them? Karen Kreeger investigates. Is there a minimum wage for US postdocs? If so, who sets it and who enforces it? The answer to the first question is: "sort of" ― which is somewhat explained in the answer to the second. The salary levels of the National Research Service Awards (NRSA) given by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) are being used as de facto guidelines by postdocs and their supporters in university administration, in seeking pay rises. This practice has become more widespread since 2001, when the NIH bumped up the minimum NRSA salary levels by several thousand dollars for all levels of postdoctoral experience. In March 2003, NRSA stipend levels for entry-level postdocs rose to $34,200, from $31,092 the previous year.
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