Definition of Postdoctoral Training
A Postdoc is an individual holding a doctoral degree who is engaged in a temporary period of mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring the professional skills needed to pursue a career path of their choosing. While rare, some appointments are made to individuals of greater experience who wish to retrain themselves for careers in a new discipline or specialty. Postdocs work under the guidance of a Principal Investigator (PI) who may be a faculty member or an officer of research.
The University will provide all Postdoc candidates with a letter of appointment. All Postdoc candidates should review their offer letter from their PI/mentor prior to their arrival on campus. The letter must clearly state the terms of the proposed future working relationship.
For further information about policies on sick, vacation, and parental leave, please reference the OPA Handbook.
The source of funding dictates the salary and benefits that each Postdoc will receive. Postdocs should retain a signed copy of the appointment letter for their records. Policies on sick, vacation and parental leave are also tied to the grade of appointment, mentor and lab policies. Please reference the OPA Handbook, as well as your individual departmental or lab policies, for more information.
Postdoctoral Trainees are Officers of Research at the University.
There are four grades of appointment as Postdoctoral Officers of Research:
Postdoctoral Research Scientists/Scholars (PDRS) are recent recipients of the doctorate, or its professional equivalent, who come to the University to continue their training, or individuals of greater experience who wish to retrain themselves in a new discipline or specialty. Per the Faculty Handbook, PDRSs may be appointed for full- or part-time service for a term of up to twelve months at a time. PDRSs are paid a salary through the Office of the Controller or by an affiliated hospital or institute.
Postdoctoral Research Fellows (PDF) are recent recipients of the doctorate, or its professional equivalent, who have won fellowships, grants, or awards, usually from external agencies, to continue their training at the University, or individuals of greater experience who have won fellowships, grants, or awards permitting them to retrain themselves in a new discipline or specialty. Per the Faculty Handbook, PDFs may be appointed for full- or part-time service for a term of up to twelve months at a time. PDFs are generally not paid a salary; instead, they usually receive fellowship stipends, either through the University or directly from an external funding agency.
Postdoctoral Clinical Fellows (PCF) are recent recipients of the doctorate, who come to the University to gain additional clinical training after completing their residency, or individuals of greater experience who wish to change clinical specialties. PCFs may be appointed for full- or part-time service for a term of up to twelve months at a time. PCFs may simultaneously hold appointments as officers of instruction of the rank of “Assistant in Clinical (Department).” Depending upon the source of funding, one of these appointments will be full-time and the other, part-time. When a PCF receives a stipend, the appointment as a Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow is full-time and the Assistant in Clinical (Department) is part-time. The reverse is true when the individual is paid a salary.
Postdoctoral Residency Fellows (PRF) hold the doctorate of Medicine, Dental Medicine, or Dental Surgery and are enrolled in programs at affiliated hospitals and institutes for the purpose of obtaining additional clinical training before embarking on independent careers as physicians and dentists. They may be appointed for part-time service for a term of up to twelve months. The appointment is renewable annually so long as the PRF continues in a training program.
Associate Research Scientists/Scholars are junior officers, considered by the University as Professional Officers of Research, whose qualifications and contributions to their fields of research are equivalent to those of an assistant professor.