Congress Considers Pay Hike To Retain Top Biomedical Scientists In Government

WASHINGTON—Pressure has been building in Congress to provide higher pay for federal biomedical researchers. But it’s unlikely that any of three bills currently under congressional scrutiny—one of them a well-publicized proposal from President Bush that applies to employees at all government agencies—will make it into law this year. The driving force behind all three of the plans is a desire on the part of federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health to recruit and retain an elite cadre of scientists. But the proposals face serious opposition from those who don’t want to see scientists’ pay scales treated differently from the pay scales of other federal workers. Those in opposition thus favor maintaining the existing linkage in salary among all government employees. “This [legislation] breaks that link,” says Michael MilIman, who directed an Institute of Medicine study that evaluated the future of the NIH intramural program. “So it’s a real tough thing” for many congressional members to endorse. Top NIH officials have been leading the fight for higher pay, illustrating the problem with a bevy of statistics. One in-house study shows that 83% of physician-scientists at NIH in the past two years have re ceived job offers that average $163,000, with half of Ph.D. scientists having turned down jobs that offered, on average, an annual salary of $105,000. The chairs of clinical medical school departments earn an average of $193,000, according to a study by the American Association of Medical Colleges. Moreover, since 1980, only half the 61 openings for top slots throughout NIH have been filled--all through internal promotions rather than recruitment of outside candidates. The current top salary for senior scientists with M.D. degrees in the government is $75,500, although most of them are entitled to an additional physician’s bonus of up to $20,000. Salaries for Ph.D.’s top out at $74,000 for the 104 members of NIH’s senior scientific service. A few top NIH officials earn more, but no one can collect more than $99,500 a year, even with bonuses. One bill, the administration plan, was introduced as the SES Salary Act of 1989 by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) in late July and provides raises of 8% to 25% for employees in the Senior Executive Service, which includes senior scientists. A1so, 200 employees in specialized jobs will be eligible for salaries of up to $124,000. Officials estimate that NIH could expect to get about two dozen of these top-paying slots. Employees would keep the raise only if they received an “excellent” rating on their annual performance review, although such ratings would be limited to a fraction of the total. Proponents of higher pay for scientists, even those within the Bush administration, see the measure as inadequate. “The bottom line is that the president’s proposal could possibly get as many as 60% of the people up to adequate pay,” Thomas McFee, assistant secretary for personnel in the Department of Health and Human Services, testified in July before the Senate Committee on Labor, Education, and Human Resources. McFee’s office has concluded that 713 of the 1,750 doctorate holders (most of whom are at NIH) at the Public Health Service should be freed of the constraints of civil service classifications. Those with additional administrative duties could earn another $10,000 annually, and extraordinary scientific accomplishments would be worth as much as $25,000. M.D.’s would earn a $20,000 bonus. A second bill, now under scrutiny in Congress, was introduced by the chairman of the Senate committee, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). The legislation aims to establish a Senior Biomedical Scientific Service that follows closely the elements outlined by McFee. The Kennedy bill (S.1392) calls for a five-year demonstration program for 800 senior physicians and scientists involved in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. The measure faces strong opposition from key congressmen, who disapprove of a piecemeal approach to what they see as a government-wide problem. The third bill, even more extensive plan, was originally submitted last year from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) as part of a proposal to revamp the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill (S. 845) calls for a permanent change that provides salaries of up to $109,000 for an unlimited number of qualified scientists and physicians throughout the Public Health Service, which includes NIH, FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Like the Kennedy bill, the Hatch plan sets up a new, more flexible retirement plan that enables scientists to move in and out of government without losing all their benefits and lets these stellar employees collect supplemental pay. Raises are not contingent on superior performance review ratings. NIH officials are hopeful that some measure will be approved soon. “It’s reached a crisis situation,” says Philip Chen, Jr., NIH associate director for intramural affairs. “Some of our people have left for, salaries in excess of $300,000.” He warns that NIH may have to send neurological patients here because of a shortage of skilled neurosurgeons in its clinical center. “It’s really important that something happen in the next six months,” says Chen. “If not, NIH will be on a downhill slide toward mediocrity.”

Congress Considers Pay Hike To Retain Top Biomedical Scientists In Government

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