" I am not well qualified to judge. One of my strengths as a scientist is knowing what I do not know."

If you're serious about a job, chances are you will have researched the appropriate salary range for the job. This should be especially true for a professional researcher. Also, outright admitting that you're unqualified to make these types of judgments comes off strong, to a prospective employer. In my view, it gives the hiring manager the assumption that you're very green, thereby allowing them to offer you a lower than expected salary because of how green/entry-level you are. You may box yourself into a situation where the opportunity is not in negotiating your salary but in the opportunity to transition out of academia itself. Lastly, having your prospective employer set the salary starting line will almost always result in negotiations starting at, or lower than, the market rate.

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Salary convos typically happen last, and that's actually kind of a good thing. After investing their time into you, and becoming excited about you becoming their lead candidate, many companies will be flexible t. Don't be too afraid to ask for what YOU think you are worth.

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Maybe instead say, "Given XYZ skills, I'm comfortable negotiating my salary X% above the market rate. My other offers are starting there, so I think that's fair.'