FAQs

Should postdoctoral appointment dates be tied to the July 1 fiscal year? No. Postdoctoral appointments should run for a full calendar year. For example, if the start date is February 1, 2017, the end date should be January 31, 2018.

When should a postdoctoral appointee get a raise?
Postdoctoral appointees receive raises at reappointment, unless a fellowship that supports them states otherwise.

What documents should a department submit to YSM Postdoctoral Affairs when appointing a new postdoc?
All documents must be uploaded by the candidate into the candidate profile in the STARS system.  In the case of postgraduate appointees, Laboratory Associates, and Visiting Fellows, applications and required documents should be emailed to Postdoctoral Affairs. 

What is the difference between a postdoctoral appointee and a postgraduate appointee?
All postdoctoral fellows/associates have doctoral degrees (Ph.D., M.D., J.D., or D.V.M.). Postgraduate fellows/associates have a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree.

What determines whether a postdoc/postgrad should be appointed as a fellow or as an associate?
The source of funding determines which categorization to use. Appointees funded from Yale-administered research grants or contracts are classified as associates and are considered to be Yale employees. Fellows are supported by NIH training grants to the university or directly from an outside agency (such as the American Heart Association, for example). Fellows are not considered to be employees.

Who pays for postdoc health benefits?
All postdoctoral appointees must have health insurance. If an appointee is already covered through a family member’s plan, please ask him to upload proof of insurance (for example, a photo copy of an insurance card) to STARS during the hiring process.

As employees, postdoctoral associates receive full or partially subsidized health coverage through the university for themselves and their families. All postdoctoral fellows should receive single person health coverage subsidized by the fellowship and/or the faculty mentor. Family coverage for fellows may also be partially or fully subsidized by the fellowship and/or mentor, depending on the funding provided by the fellowship and the arrangement negotiated between the appointee and PI.

Postdoctoral Fellows not receiving a Yale University paycheck and not able to enroll for benefits using Yale’s Workday, are eligible to enroll with Yale Health’s Postdoctoral Fellow Membership Health Coverage Program. Additional information, monthly rates and the process of how to enroll can be found on Yale Health’s Unpaid Postdoc Fellows webpage. 

How many sick days, vacation days, and holidays do postdocs receive?
Please see http://postdocs.yale.edu/policies/policies-postdoctoral-appointments.

When and how can a postdoc appointment be terminated?
Postdoc appointments are usually terminated for one of two reasons: 1) poor performance in the lab or 2) a loss of the funding to the lab. Each case is handled differently, as described below.

1. Poor performance: Poor performance may be exhibited by lack of attendance for extended periods of time and without adequate explanation; repeated failure to abide by university lab safety procedures; inability to perform even basic techniques that someone with similar training would be expected to do; and related concerns about scholarly competence. The mentor should first try to resolve these issues informally through discussion with the postdoc and should also document these attempts. If no progress is made, the mentor should draft a letter to the appointee placing him/her on a one month probationary period. The letter should state the expectations of the postdoc that must be met in order to continue the appointment and that failure to meet these expectations will result in termination at the end of the 1 month period. A copy of this letter should be provided to the Director of Postdoctoral Affairs. If the departing postdoctoral appointee holds non-immigrant status (J-1, H-1B, TN etc.) and must leave prior to the end of the appointment, the department must notify OISS by using their online Scholar Departure form.
    
2. Loss of funding: A postdoc in his/her first year of appointment in a lab may not be terminated for financial reasons. The mentor, by making the initial one year offer to the appointee has assented to retain the postdoc for the duration of that offer. If unforeseen circumstances lead to the loss of the original funding source, the mentor and department will need to find alternative funding to support the postdoc. If the departing postdoctoral appointee holds non-immigrant status (J-1, H-1B, TN etc.) and resigns prior to the end of the appointment, the department must notify OISS by using their online Scholar Departure form.

Postdoc appointments beyond the initial year of appointment in a lab may be terminated if the source of funding is lost. In this instance, the mentor should provide the postdoc with at least 3 months written notice.

I have a postdoc who is transferring to/from another Yale department. What steps are necessary to effect this change?
Please follow the STARS hiring process to hire the candidate.

How do I handle observers?
For non-Yale MDs who wish to observe in the clinic, contact Yale New Haven Hospital Medical Staff Administration at 203-688-2615.  If the request is approved, the individual will receive a hospital I.D. but NOT a Yale appointment or Yale I.D.

“Unpaid Postdocs” and “Research Volunteers”
There are no unpaid research positions at Yale, nor are people allowed to volunteer to do research.