NIH, AHRQ, and HRSA Announce FY 2026 Updates to NRSA Stipends, Tuition/Fees, and Other Budgetary Levels
Stipend levels are announced for government fiscal year 2026 (FY 2026) Kirschstein-National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral trainees and fellows. Training-related expenses and institutional allowances for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and fellows remain unchanged from the prior budget year. The tuition and fees for all educational levels remained unchanged from the prior budget year. For full details, read the NIH notice NOT-OD-26-044 and the rest of this post.
Stipends
Effective with all Kirchstein-NRSA awards made on or after October 1, 2025, the following annual stipend levels apply to all individuals receiving support through institutional research training grants or individual fellowships.
Undergraduates
For institutional training grants supporting undergraduate trainees (T34, TL4), appointments for undergraduate candidates will continue to be made by distinct categories (i.e., Freshmen/Sophomores and Juniors/Seniors), but the stipend levels for the categories will be the same:
| Career Level | Stipend for FY 2026 | Monthly Stipend |
| Freshmen/Sophomores/Juniors/Seniors | $14,916 | $1,243 |
Predoctoral Trainees and Fellows
| Career Level | Years of Experience | Stipend for FY 2026 | Monthly Stipend |
| Predoctoral | All | $29,364 | $2,447 |
Postdoctoral Trainees and Fellows
For institutional training grants (T32, T90, TL1) and individual fellowships (F32), the stipend level for the entire first year of support is determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience when the award is issued. Relevant experience may include research experience (including industrial), teaching assistantship, internship, residency, clinical duties, or other time spent in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. Once the appropriate stipend level has been determined, the trainee or fellow must be paid at that level for the entire grant year. The stipend for each additional year of Kirschstein-NRSA support is the next level in the stipend structure and does not change mid-year.
| Career Level | Years of Experience | Stipend for FY 2026 | Monthly Stipend |
| Postdoctoral | 0 | $63,480 | $5,290 |
| Postdoctoral | 1 | $63,900 | $5,325 |
| Postdoctoral | 2 | $64,380 | $5,365 |
| Postdoctoral | 3 | $66,948 | $5,579 |
| Postdoctoral | 4 | $69,180 | $5,765 |
| Postdoctoral | 5 | $71,748 | $5,979 |
| Postdoctoral | 6 | $74,424 | $6,202 |
| Postdoctoral | 7 or More | $77,076 | $6,423 |
Senior Fellows (F33 only)
The stipend level must be commensurate with the base salary or remuneration that would have been paid by the institution with which the individual is permanently affiliated when the award is issued, but cannot exceed the current Kirschstein-NRSA stipend limit set by the NIH for those with 7 or more years of experience.
Tuition and Fees
Undergraduate and Predoctoral Trainees and Fellows
For institutional training grants (T32, T34, T35, T90, TL1, TL4) and individual fellowships (F30, F31), an amount per predoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the applicant institution, up to $16,000 per year, will be provided. If the trainee or fellow is enrolled in a program that supports formally combined, dual-degree training (e.g., MD/PhD, DO/PhD, DDS/PhD, AuD/PhD, DVM/PhD), the amount provided per trainee or fellow will be 60% of the actual tuition level, up to $21,000 per year.
Postdoctoral Trainees and Fellows
For institutional training grants (T32, T90, TL1) and individual fellowships (F32, F33), an amount per postdoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the applicant institution, up to $4,500 per year, will be provided. If the trainee or fellow is enrolled in a program that supports postdoctoral individuals in formal degree-granting training, an amount per postdoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the applicant institution, up to $16,000 per year, will be provided.
Training Related Expenses on Institutional Training Grants
For institutional training grants (T32, T35, T90, TL1), these expenses (including health insurance costs) for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees will be paid at the amounts shown below for all competing and non-competing awards made with FY 2026 funds.
| Predoctoral Trainees | $ 4,750 |
| Postdoctoral trainees | $12,400 |
Institutional Allowance for Individual Fellows
This allowance for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows will be paid at the amounts shown below for all competing and non-competing awards made with FY 2026 funds.
Institutional Allowance for individual fellows (F30, F31, F32, F33) sponsored by non-Federal Public, Private, and Non-Profit Institutions (Domestic & Foreign, including health insurance)
| Predoctoral Fellows | $ 4,750 |
| Postdoctoral Fellows | $12,400 |
Institutional Allowance for individual fellows (F30, F31, F32, F33) sponsored by Federal and For-Profit Institutions (including health insurance)
| Predoctoral Fellows | $ 3,650 |
| Postdoctoral Fellows | $11,300 |
Important Notes
- The current stipend and expense levels should be used in the preparation of future competing and non-competing applications. They will be administratively applied to all applications currently in the review process.
- In cases where BU’s institutional minimum for postdoc stipends is higher than the amounts listed here, the difference is covered by the Office of Research on the Charles River Campus and schools/colleges on the Medical Campus. For questions about the University’s postdoctoral compensation guidelines, contact Lauren Easterling, Assistant Provost for Graduate & Postdoctoral Development at easterli@bu.edu