Entry-level postdocs funded by the US National Institutes of Health would get a 7% stipend increase next year under President Barack Obama's proposed 2014 federal budget. New PhD recipients who receive the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) would earn US$42,000; those with a year or more of experience would receive a 4% rise over existing levels. “This is a huge step forward in recognizing the value of postdoctoral researchers' contributions,” says Cathee Johnson Phillips, executive director of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) in Washington DC, which since 2001 has been advocating for the entry-level stipend to increase to $45,000. The stipend rose by 1% in 2009 and 2010, and by 2% in 2011 and 2012. A 2011 NPA survey found that half of US institutions base postdoctoral pay on the NRSA.