Postdoctoral Compensation Increase

Tuesday, May 2, 2023
To: Deans, faculty who oversee postdoctoral associates and fellows, postdoctoral associates and fellows, all lead administrators
 
[Summary: Yale will raise its postdoctoral compensation for new and continuing appointments. The university will provide a one-time, one-year subsidy in the 2023-2024 academic year for Yale-funded postdoctoral trainees funded by grants or external fellowships to help offset the unexpected cost for individual research budgets.]
 
Dear Colleagues,
 
Yale is deeply committed to improving the world through outstanding research and the scholars we train. We are particularly proud of our brilliant community of postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral fellows, who play an integral role in the fulfillment of this mission. Yale’s postdoctoral program recruits the world’s best minds across a broad range of disciplines and offers them the training and support necessary to solve the complex issues of our day.
 
The university has made significant recent strides to enhance benefits offered to Yale’s postdoctoral community. At the same time, the competition for their skills has never been greater. It is critical for the university to assess and adjust postdoctoral compensation so that Yale continues to attract the best and brightest members to our community. As such, Yale will raise its postdoctoral compensation for new appointments and will introduce a two-step scale that will also result in a compensation increase for continuing appointments.
 
2023 Compensation Increase: Effective July 1, 2023, the new minimum compensation rate for postdoctoral trainees in years 1-4 will be $65,000. For postdoctoral trainees in years 5-6, the minimum compensation rate will be $68,000. This new minimum scale will apply to all postdoctoral associates and to fellows as permitted by their specific funding arrangements.
 
Subsidies for Labs and Principal Investigators: I recognize that implementing a new minimum compensation rate that is significantly higher than the anticipated annual increase will have an unexpected budgetary impact for some principal investigators. To help address this challenge, the university will provide a one-time, one-year subsidy in the 2023-2024 academic year for grant-funded postdoctoral trainees funded by grants or external fellowships to help offset this unexpected cost. The source of funds for this subsidy will be the school, institute, or program of the postdoctoral appointment. I am hopeful that this one-time subsidy will provide principal investigators with sufficient time to shape their budgets for the ensuing academic years.     
 
Later today, you will receive an email from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs that will contain additional information about how the one-time subsidy will be administered and who will be eligible for the subsidy. If you have questions after you have carefully reviewed that information, please contact postdoc.affairs@yale.edu.
 
I am grateful to my faculty colleagues for their partnership as we maintain Yale as a premier destination for postdoctoral talent. I am particularly grateful to Dean Nancy Brown for the School of Medicine’s significant financial contribution to support this decision. As you may be aware, the majority of Yale’s postdoctoral associates and fellows are part of the School of Medicine and the cost of their subsidy will be borne by her school. I am also grateful to Lynn Cooley, vice provost for postdoctoral affairs and the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, for her advice and support of this decision.  
 
Thank you for all you do to advance the success and lasting impact of Yale’s research endeavors.
 
Sincerely,
 
Scott Strobel 
Provost