Setting salary when you have no university position from which to submit the entry-type K application

#kawards

#grants

#NIH

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#K99

 

This note pertains to entry-K award types at NIH.

If you do not have an established employee salary or a prior agreement, my recommendation for salary level is to look at what the proposed sponsoring institution now pays people to function as non-tenure track "term contract" postdoctoral research scientists and associates on a  per month basis.

At our own public university, this is a matter of public record. You must find the type of "comparable" non-tenure track university employee in terms of training and experience and duties across the span of instruction (minimal), service (essentially zip), and research (all phases through publication and writing new R proposals). Look first for these comparables within the dept where you will be positioned.If none exist in the dept, look at the tenure track facultty and also within the college in other departments. This approach is consistent with what NIH policy indicates. You should not ask for less nor more.

[If you ask for NRSA PDF stipend level, you are cheating yourself AND you are not following NIH policy. A K awardee is NOT an NRSA fellow, with stipend deliberately set lower than market value each year, with a logic that reflects the logic of setting minimum wage (I.e., do not compete with private industry that might wish to hire the equivalent level of talent; set the salary/stipend low enough that the talent moves into private industry).]

Then in the proposal section on career commitment (subsection of Personal Statement), clearly explain that your position at the sponsoring institution actually makes it possible for you to allocate more than the required time required by the agency to do the K. (What is that required amount? It varies by agency: 75% or 80% is typical institute specification). And that you either will be working full-time on the research and career development at no expense to the agency, or will work out with your "sponsor and mentoring team" a source of complementary income via additional teaching and research responsibilities (e.g., being listed for the complement of 20-25% on a funded research project, side-contracts for analysis and writing work assignments from clinician-scientists who need your talent).

 

[I repeat. Each agency sets the minimum percent effort, often 75%-80%. Unless there are reasons not to do that, set your own effort at that level (or above that level, which will constrain funds for other purposes outlined below).]

After you work out this detail, change the K budget plan to reflect it, and make sure the dollar amount and percent effort are as specified above.

Then, work within the residual amount to finance travel to scientific meetings, tuition for career development activities, and finally to do the modest pilot studies required to achieve the K aims.

You must work out these details BEFORE you ask the sponsor or dept chair to sign their letters. Why? Because their letters have to be 100% reflective of what your proposal and budget state in this regard.

Typically, these individuals are not going to micro-manage your budget plan and make modifications in it. To do so violates the idea that it is your independent career proposal. You have to look after yourself, and then tell them what you have written in the budget plan and career commitment. In fact, if you are smart, you will write the paragraph in their letter for each of them, making sure it says the same thing and is submitted so that both letters are 100% compatible. If you don't, you'll just be messing around and wasting the ~$5000-$7500 that the sponsoring institution is spending on your behalf each time it agrees to sponsor your K award proposal.

(What are the cost components for that $5000-$7500? Mainly administration and personnel charges for each hour of work that staff through VP office are doing for you in order to submit and administer the submission, times overhead, typically 50% plus on top of that work charge, inclusive of time and effort of your sponsor and mentoring team as you work your way through the steps of writing and submitted and getting reviews of your K award proposal. I.e., real dollars in the sense that they mount up. So make sure you are the one to take care of these details. No one else is going to do it for you.)

 

People have asked me whether the compensation should be set differently for K99 versus K01 or other types of entry-K awards. I think not, but you can ask your project officer or other informed individuals if you want additional opinions.

J.

Prof. James C. Anthony
(Calling name = Jim)

 

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