New salary scale for postdocs!

On February 7, 2020, NIH announced its fiscal year 2020 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) stipend levels for Postdoctoral Scholars (click here for an online version of the NIH announcement).

 

Pursuant to the Postdoctoral Scholars’ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University of California and the UAW union, Article 4, Compensation, the University salary scales for Postdoctoral Scholar salary/stipend minimum rates have been increased in accordance with the fiscal year 2020 National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Services Award Stipend levels. The minimum salary/stipend rate for experience level 0 matches experience level 2 on the NIH scale. Other UC salary/stipend levels have a similar relation to the NIH projected scale. The salary scales are available online on the UCOP website, and below:

 

The new rates will apply when a Postdoctoral Scholar (Exempt) is newly appointed, reappointed or on the anniversary date for those Postdoctoral Scholars with multiple year appointments as of March 1, 2020 and after. For Postdoctoral Scholars who are non-Exempt, the effective date is February 9, 2020 and the increase would be applied upon the Postdoctoral Scholar’s initial appointment or re-appointment (table 23N). Note that Postdoctoral Scholars who earn a salary/stipend amount that is below $684 per week ($35,568 per year) (e.g., because of a part-time appointment) are classified as non-exempt. For Kirschstein Fellowships, the new minimum applies to all awards made on or after October 1, 2019. Please contact your Financial Analyst or Contracts and Grants for notifications from the NIH of any budgetary supplemental adjustments for Kirschstein funded fellows.

 

In preparation for the salary scale change, UCSF HR Shared Services for Postdoctoral Scholars are:

 

  • Reviewing all hires and reappointments 3/1/20 and after for Exempt, 2/9/20 and after for Non-Exempt
  • Reviewing all multi-year appointments with reappointment dates of 3/1/2020 for Exempt and after, 2/9/20 for Non-Exempt
  • Preparing revised Appointment Letters or Appointment Letter Addendums for appointments effective 3/1/2020 and after for Exempt and 2/9/20 for Non-Exempt
  • Running audits on Appointment Letters/People Connect Management Actions/OLPPS to ensure the appropriate scales are utilized and processed for all affected Postdoctoral Scholars

 

The HR Generalist for Postdoctoral Shared Services will be reaching out to inform departments on any necessary HR/payroll actions, such as submitting new/revised People Connect Management Action Cases with updated salaries, or signing and issuing an addendum or revised appointment letters.