NIH Intramural Research Program Stipend Tables
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In 2023, the NIH Scientific Directors together with leadership in the Office of Intramural Research and OITE began a process of aligning stipends across all NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). As of October 1, 2024, all NIH ICs follow these unified stipend charts.
Note: The following charts apply to all localities/NIH campuses. Intramural Training Research Award is abbreviated as IRTA.
Postdoctoral IRTA/Visiting Fellow
Follow this process to estimate your stipend during the application and on-boarding process:
- Add up any full-time research experiences between the date you received your doctoral degree and the start date of your NIH postdoc position.
- Start at the “1st year” column and go down the column accounting for the experience calculated in step #1. Find the row that matches your amount of experience; this is your initial stipend.
- If your experience falls exactly between stipend tiers, your AO should use the higher level in setting your stipend.
- Your stipend increases to the next column on each annual renewal date
| Prior experience | 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | 5th year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0-1 year |
$67,200 |
$71,550 |
$75,400 |
$81,000 |
$84,450 |
|
1-2 years |
$71,550 |
$75,400 |
$81,000 |
$84,450 |
$88,600 |
|
2-3 years |
$75,400 |
$81,000 |
$84,450 |
$88,600 |
$94,150 |
|
3-4 years |
$81,000 |
$84,450 |
$88,600 |
$94,150 |
$97,650 |
|
4-5 years |
$84,450 |
$88,600 |
$94,150 |
$97,650 |
$103,600 |
|
5-6 years* |
$88,600 |
$94,150 |
$97,650 |
$103,600 |
$107,100 |
|
6-7 years* |
$94,150 |
$97,650 |
$103,600 |
$107,100 |
$111,050 |
Predoctoral IRTA/Visiting Fellow
Follow this process to estimate your stipend during the application and onboarding process:
- Add up any full-time research experience, including postbac education or training, from the date you received your bachelor’s degree to the start date of your NIH position. Also add time spent enrolled in any graduate, medical, and professional school.
- Start at the “1st year” column and go down the column accounting for the experience calculated in step #1. Find the row that matches your experience level; this is your initial stipend.
- If your experience falls exactly between stipend tiers, your AO should use the higher level in setting your stipend.
- Your stipend increases to the next column on each annual renewal date.
| Prior experience | 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | 5th year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0-1 year |
$46,100 |
$55,400 |
$57,300 |
$59,300 |
$59,300 |
|
1-2 years |
$48,300 |
$55,400 |
$57,300 |
$59,300 |
$59,300 |
|
2-3 years |
$50,400 |
$55,400 |
$57,300 |
$59,300 |
$59,300 |
|
>3 years |
$50,400 |
$55,400 |
$57,300 |
$59,300 |
$59,300 |
Postbaccalaureate IRTA
Follow this process to estimate your stipend during the application and onboarding process:
- Add up any full-time research experience, from the date you received your bachelor’s degree to the start date of your NIH position. This number determines your “years of experience”.
- Start at the “1st year” column, go down the column to the appropriate row determined by your assessment in step #1. Find the row that matches your experience level; this is your initial stipend.
- if your experience falls exactly between stipend tiers, your AO should use the higher level in setting your stipend.
- If you completed a master’s degree in a discipline related to biomedical sciences, you qualify for the master’s stipend tier and there is no consideration for full-time research experience.
- Your stipend increases on the date of your renewal; you can determine your stipend by consulting the column labeled second year.
| Degree | Prior experience | 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bachelor's |
0-1 year |
$41,700 |
$52,600 |
$54,900 |
|
Bachelor's |
1-2 years |
$43,900 |
$52,600 |
$54,900 |
|
Bachelor's |
2+ years |
$46,100 |
$52,600 |
$54,900 |
|
Master's |
Not applicable |
$46,100 |
$52,600 |
$54,900 |
Student IRTA
Follow this process to estimate your stipend during the application and on-boarding process:
- Student IRTA stipends are based on educational level completed.
- Start at the “Educational level completed” column. Find the row that matches your experiences and refer to the corresponding “Monthly stipend”.
- Undergraduate levels include enrollment at least half-time in an accredited college (including community college and two-year tribal colleges) in the U.S.
- Graduate levels include enrollment in graduate (master’s and doctoral programs), medical and professional schools.
| Education level completed | Monthly stipend | |
|---|---|---|
|
High School |
Before graduation |
$2,530 |
|
High School |
After graduation |
$2,840 |
|
Undergraduate |
After 1 year |
$3,010 |
|
Undergraduate |
After 2 years |
$3,150 |
|
Undergraduate |
After 3 years or > |
$3,310 |
|
Graduate |
Less than 1 year |
$3,480 |
|
Graduate |
After 1 year |
$3,660 |
|
Graduate |
After 2 years |
$3,910 |
|
Graduate |
After 3 years or > |
$4,190 |
Important things to keep in mind
- Some ICs provide a moving allowance of up to $3,000 at the start of your fellowship. If you’re relocating, please check with your AO and PI to see if this applies to you.
- It is important to discuss your stipend and other applicable allowances when you accept an offer and before you start at NIH. We cannot provide relocation allowances after your arrival.
- If you were offered a position and your onboarding was substantially delayed, you should check back to see if the stipend tables were updated so that your stipend is appropriately changed when you arrive.
- If you disagree with the determination made by your AO, please talk with your IC training director. If you are not satisfied, please reach out to OITE for a discussion.
Contact us
Reach out to OITE-private@nih.gov if you have questions about your stipend.