Postdoctoral Affairs

Compensation

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This page is currently under revision to reflect the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) reached on October 8, 2025, between Brown University and the Brown Postdoc Labor Organization. At this time, postdoctoral appointees should refer directly to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the most up-to-date information regarding compensation, benefits, and other employment-related information.

Brown University and the Brown University Postdoc Labor Organization have agreed to the following minimum scale for Brown-paid Postdoctoral Research Associates and Brown-paid Postdoctoral Fellows, effective July 1st, 2025. Postdocs paid directly from their fellowship should follow the terms of their award.

Postdoctoral Salary Minimums

As of July 1, 2025

Years of ExperienceMinimum Salary
0$62,232
1$62,652
2$63,120
3$65,640
4$67,824

Please note:

  • Experience level on July 1, 2025 is defined as years of experience as a postdoc as of June 30, 2026
  • University policies prohibit postdoctoral appointments beyond the fifth year. 
  • Fellowships that pay postdocs directly must pay a stipend equal to or greater than Brown's salary minimums for relevant years of experience. Brown University cannot supplement stipends or health insurance premiums for fellowships that are paid directly to the postdoc. Please note that this does not include federal or foundation awards that run through Brown's payroll, such as NIH National Research Service Award fellowships and training grants.

Taxes and Withholdings

You should consult a tax professional for help with issues arising from your salary or stipend, and nothing on this site should be considered legal or tax advice. 

Review the following resources for tips and information for filing your federal tax return. 

Taxes

  • The National Postdoctoral Association offers an Overview of Tax Issues for Postdocs, which provides information on tax withholding, reporting fellowship income, filing estimated taxes, FICA, self-employment tax, and taxes for the international postdoc.
  • IRS website
  • The NIH website also contains useful information about the taxability of T-32 NRSA grants.

Withholdings

  • Postdoctoral research associates who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents will have their income reported, have taxes withheld, and receive a Form W-2
  • Postdoctoral fellows will not have taxes withheld from their stipends but may still be liable for tax payments and may be expected to pay estimated taxes on a regular basis.
  • Taxes may be withheld from health subsidies or other compensation.

International Scholars

Brown's Office of International Student and Scholar Services provides international scholars with tax assessment programs (FNIS) for those working or earning income at Brown and tax preparation software (GLACIER) for non-resident aliens filing income tax returns.