Benefits

Stipend Rates

Postdoctoral Fellow

A Postdoctoral Fellow has held the doctoral degree for less than five years at the time of application. Stipend rates for Postdoctoral Fellows start at $70,000 per year. Supplements are provided for high cost of living areas and certain academic specialties.

Senior Postdoctoral Fellow

A Senior Postdoctoral Fellow has held the doctoral degree for five or more years at the time of application. The stipend amount for a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow is based on the location of the appointment, experience (number of years beyond the doctoral degree), and career achievement (academic rank and professional title).

Health Insurance

All NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellows are required to have health insurance. If you do not already have a health insurance policy, NASA will pay approximately 85% of the premium for an individual or family coverage policy purchased through ORAU, and the Fellow will pay the remainder. The amount of insurance contributed by NASA is considered taxable income by the IRS.

Professional Travel Allowance

Fellows receive $10,000 per appointment year to support travel to conferences, meetings, and other activities (i.e., travel to field sites or observatories to collect data or for required training) that directly support their research projects. The funds that are not used during a 12-month appointment period will carry over to the following appointment period.

Relocation

Expenses associated with relocation, including transportation, the shipment of household goods within the United States or unaccompanied baggage from a foreign country, temporary lodging, and per diem may be reimbursed. Reimbursements are dependent on the Fellow’s original city and country of residence, number of dependents, mode of transportation, etc. and are governed by federal travel regulations and the ORAU Travel Policy. Effective 2018, relocation expense reimbursements are considered taxable income by the IRS. Prior to 2018, relocation expense reimbursements are not taxable.