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On a recent episode of the HigherEdJobs Podcast, I answered the listener-submitted question: I'm starting a research position that doesn't provide salary support at a public institution. Are there fringe benefits or campus resources I can negotiate?

Grant funding is getting harder to come by, which is something that I have covered previously in a HigherEdJobs article, "Beyond Salary: Key Items To Negotiate in Your Next Higher Ed Role," but talking it through out loud with hosts Andy and Kelly made me think about it a little differently.

Ask How the Job Is Classified

The first thing that I would do is ask the institution how the position is classified. At some places, a research role like this is considered faculty. At others, it's staff. That answer changes a lot about what you can ask for next.

Most institutions give faculty and staff access to things that never show up in the offer letter unless you bring them up:

• Library access

• IT resources

• Campus fitness facilities

• Grant-writing support or workshops

It is important to ask about this before you're hired as you have the least leverage once you've already said yes.

Know How the Budget Works

Not everything in a university budget is negotiable in the same way. Salary and benefits are usually locked in before anyone even talks to you. When I was a dean, there were university rules about what an assistant professor in a given discipline could make. I had zero room there, and it made recruiting difficult because I couldn't offer more even when I wanted to.

Supplies -- books, software, hardware -- sit in a completely different category. I had a little more freedom to move that money around when I was hiring. Professional development and conference travel sometimes live in another category completely.

Do Your Research Before You Ask for Anything

Kelly asked: Can candidates get these answers ahead of time, or do you just have to feel it out once you're already in the interview?

My answer was yes to both.

• If you know someone who already works there, ask them directly. Certain chairs, directors, and deans are a lot more open about this than others.

• If you don't have an inside connection, raise it yourself. Something as simple as, "I'm excited about this role. There are a few things I'd need to be successful -- can we talk about that?" opens the door.

• Look at what people in similar roles at similar institutions already have. It gives you a sense of what's realistic.

• Have a reason ready for whatever you're asking for.

That last one I learned the hard way. Early in my career, I asked a dean for six computers for my lab. He looked right at me and said, "Why do you need six?" I didn't have a good answer -- I think I said something about having a lot of students, but it wasn't really thought through, and I got caught. If I could redo that conversation now, I'd ask for what I actually needed for the next few years, not everything I might conceivably need over the next eight. I'd absorbed a lot of "ask for the moon, this is your only shot" advice at the time, and it kind of backfired.

Asking for too much almost never costs you the offer. Most of the time, if an institution can't give you something, they'll just tell you no, and the offer still stands.

Frame It as a Conversation, Not a List of Demands

Andy had a good way of putting this in the episode: "I'm offering these things not as a counteroffer, but merely a statement of what I feel I need to be successful in accomplishing our mutual goals." He calls this kind of list "the recipe" -- not a threat, just the ingredients you need to do the job well.

Understand the Legal Landscape

Andy brought up that the legal ground under salary negotiations has shifted a lot in the past few years, mostly around pay transparency. States and cities have been passing laws that require employers to disclose salary ranges, restrict what they can ask about your pay history, and in some cases set other requirements employers didn't use to have. By his estimate, as of Jan. 1, 2026:

• Roughly 25 states and municipalities had pay transparency laws in place, covering close to half the country.

• Unpaid internships have mostly disappeared, and some municipalities have banned them outright.

• Some municipalities also have paid time off requirements for part-time employees.

It's worth a quick look at your specific state or city before you walk into any of this.

Protect Yourself Along the Way

A fully unsalaried research position is unusual. Even at research institutes, they'll typically cover part of your salary and expect the rest to come from grants -- sometimes it's split something like 25/75. Doing research and asking questions upfront isn't just about getting a better deal. It's also how you avoid ending up in a situation where you can't pay your bills- or that is a lot more toxic than it looked on paper.

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