Meeting with VPR

Every month, the PDA Board meets with the Vice President for Research (VPR). At these meetings, the PDA discusses current concerns of postdocs and advocates for better working and living conditions.

Summary of the last meeting (September 2024)

Last week, the executive board of the postdoctoral association met with the Vice President for Research, Ian Waitz, to discuss ways of improving the living and working conditions of postdocs at MIT. As a first step, the VPR and PDA agreed on a closer collaboration to effectively improve postdoc life at MIT. To maintain continuity, the PDA and VPR will meet on a monthly instead of semiannual basis. We appreciate the VPR’s commitment to postdoc issues and want to use this opportunity to advocate for meaningful changes.

One of the key challenges for postdocs at MIT is the increasing cost of living, especially in the Cambridge/Boston area. At MIT, the minimum salary for postdocs is currently 66,900 $/year. While there has been a significant one-time increase in postdoc salary by 10 k$ in 2023, the current minimum salary is low compared to peer institutions in the area and the US as a whole. At MIT there is also no salary ladder, so postdocs are oftentimes paid the minimum salary irrespective of their experience level.

We as the PDA are convinced that an increase in the minimum salary and the implementation of a salary ladder are effective methods for improving the overall situation of postdocs at MIT. In our meeting with the VPR, we discussed these points and are continuing to advocate for a timely implementation.

Past meetings