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Administrators – Central Campus

Summary of Required
    Documentation & Forms		 Appointment Process
Ending An Appointment
Yale Quick Forms
FAQ
   

Only Central Campus schools and departments should follow the appointment process on this page . School of Medicine departments should go to the YSM Administrators page.

The Central Campus branch of Postdoctoral Affairs process appointments for the following ranks:

  1. postdoctoral fellows and associates
  2. postgraduate fellows and associates
  3. laboratory associates
  4. visiting fellows

Postdoctoral and postgraduate appointments are preceded by a mandatory background check, as described here. A link to the Background Check Request site is available here.

Summary of Required Documentation & Forms

Quick Reference Chart for Appointments

Effective March 1, 2011, postdocs must submit the postdoc leave form to their departmental business office for all leave requests. Please refer to our Postdoctoral Policies for a detailed description regarding the leave of absence policy.

Postdoctoral Associates (initial appointment):

  1. Data Collection Form
  2. Appointment letter
  3. CV
  4. Proof of degree completion
  5. Proof of background check completion if applicable
  6. Postdoctoral Affairs checklist

Postdoctoral Associates (reappointment):

  1. Reappointment/Change Form
  2. Postdoctoral Appointee Evaluation/li>

Postdoctoral Fellows (initial appointment):

  1. Data Collection Form
  2. Appointment letter
  3. CV
  4. Proof of degree completion
  5. Proof of health insurance if not provided by Yale
  6. Proof of funding if funded externally
  7. Proof of background check completion if applicable
  8. Postdoctoral Affairs checklist

Postdoctoral Fellows (reappointment):

  1. Reappointment/Change Form
  2. Postdoctoral Appointee Evaluation
  3. Proof of health insurance if not provided by Yale
  4. Proof of funding if funded externally

Postgraduate Associates (initial appointment):

  1. Postgraduate Application
  2. Data Collection Form
  3. Appointment letter
  4. CV
  5. Proof of background check completion if applicable
  6. Postdoctoral Affairs checklist

Postgraduate Associates (reappointment):

  1. Postgraduate Application
  2. Reappointment/Change Form

Postgraduate Fellows (initial appointment):

  1. Postgraduate Application
  2. Data Collection Form
  3. Appointment letter
  4. CV
  5. Proof of health insurance if not provided by Yale)
  6. Proof of funding if funded externally
  7. Proof of background check completion if applicable
  8. Postdoctoral Affairs checklist

Postgraduate Fellows (reappointment):

  1. Postgraduate Application
  2. Reappointment/Change Form
  3. Proof of funding if funded externally

Visiting Fellow and Laboratory Associate (initial appointment - unpaid):

Please note: Offer letters to scholars SHOULD NOT be issued until Provost approval has been acquired through Postdoctoral Affairs. For International appointees, visa applications should not be prepared until the appointment has been approved.

  1. Application for Appointment
  2. Instructions for Application
  3. Data Collection Form
  4. CV
  5. Proof of health insurance coverage
  6. Proof of outside funding. Personal funds are not allowed.
  7. Appointment letter ONLY after Provost has approved the appointment
  8. If applicable, Corporate Visiting Scientist Agreement (C-VSA), required for visiting scientists from for-profit companies. Click here for further information.
  9. Visiting Fellow and LaboratoryAssociate checklist

Visiting Fellow and Laboratory Associate (reappointment - unpaid):

  1. Application for Appointment
  2. Instructions for Application
  3. Reappointment/Change Form
  4. CV
  5. Proof of health insurance coverag
  6. Proof of outside funding. Personal funds are not allowed.
  7. If applicable, Corporate Visiting Scientist Agreement (C-VSA), required for visiting scientists from for-profit companies. Click here for further information.

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Postdoctoral Appointment Process

  1. Funding -- Postdoctoral appointments are paid appointments. Individuals are not able to self-support from personal funds.
  2. Appointment Letter -- The department and/or faculty mentor draft an appointment letter that both the mentor and appointee sign.
  3. Required Documentation
    1. two letters of recommendation;
    2. CV;
    3. Proof of degree (a copy of the diploma or an authorized transcript showing completion of the degree, with an English translation if necessary). If the appointee has not officially received his doctorate yet, s/he is required to provide a letter from the degree-granting institution stating that all of the degree requirements have been met and stating when the degree will be conferred. An English translation of this letter should be provided if necessary;
    4. Proof of alternative health insurance if not provided by Yale

      5. For International Appointees
      The business office will contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) to initiate the visa process. Visa approval may take 3 - 6 months.

  4. Postdoctoral Affairs approval-- The department business office sends the documents below to Postdoctoral Affairs. Postdoctoral Affairs will email the department to confirm the appointment and enter data into Oracle.
    1. signed appointment letter;
    2. CV;
    3. Data Collection Form
    4. Proof of degree
    5. Proof of background check completion if applicable
    6. Proof of alternative health Insurance if not provided by Yale

Ending An Appointment

Notify Alisa Paradise of an appointees end date or submit the Reappointment/Change Form and indicate 'termination' at the top.

In rare instances, a position may be terminated prior to an end date because of: 1) poor performance or 2) loss of funding. Each case is handled differently:

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 experimental techniques that someone with similar training would be expected to do; and related concerns about scholarly competence.  The faculty 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 the faculty advisor should draft a letter to the appointee placing him/her on a one month probationary period.  The letter should state the expectations 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 Postdoctoral Affairs. 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.

Loss of funding: A postdoc in his/her first year of appointment in a lab may not be terminated for financial reasons.  The faculty mentor, by making the initial one year offer to the appointee and by signing the appointment letter, has assented to retaining the postdoc for the duration of that offer.  If unforeseen circumstances lead to the loss of the original funding source, the faculty 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/department may be terminated if the source of funding is lost.  In this instance, the faculty mentor should provide the postdoc with at least 3 months written notice.

Yale Quick Forms

The forms below are also on Yale's Policies & Procedures website under the section Postdoctoral Affairs, Appointments.

3550 FR.01 Postdoctoral Affairs Data Collection
3550 FR.02 Postdoctoral Affairs Reappointment/Change
3550 FR.03 Postdoctoral Affairs Leave
3550 FR.04 Postdoctoral Appointee Evaluation
3550 FR.05 Postgraduate Application (Central Campus)

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FAQ

When should a postdoctoral appointee get a raise?
Postdoctoral appointees receive raises when their yearly appointment is up for renewal. Since many postdocs arrive at different times during the year, the date of salary increase will be specific to each postdoctoral appointee.

My new postdoc will receive a 3 year visa. Shouldn’t the dates in the appointment letter match this same 3 year term?
No. Please make sure that the appointment letter states only the initial year of appointment. You can add a statement indicating that the appointment may be renewed for up to an additional two years. Please make sure that the dates mentioned in the CV, appointment letter, and Postdoctoral Affairs Data Collection Form are identical.

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 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. Postdoctoral fellows are supported from 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 one of your appointees is already covered through a family member’s plan, please ask him to supply proof of insurance (for example, a photo copy of his insurance card) and submit a copy to the Postdoctoral Affiars.

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 faculty mentor, depending on the funding provided by the fellowship and the arrangement negotiated between the appointee and faculty mentor.

How many sick days, vacation days, and holidays do postdocs receive?
Postdocs are entitled to 8 University holidays each year. Appointees are additionally entitled to 12 business days as paid time off (PTO) during each one-year appointment. Prorataed for appointments of less than 12 months. PTO does not accrue from one year to the next and is not paid out if unused by the end of the appointment. Postdoctoral appointees may receive up to 9 sicks days annually but require medical documentation from a health care provider if an absence exceeds 7 consecutive days. Sick days do not accrue from one year to the next and are not paid out if unused by the end of an appointment.

I have a postdoc who is transferring to/from another Yale department. What steps are necessary to effect this change?
Please consult Postdoctoral Affairs.

Can a postdoc use personal funds (savings, etc) as proof of funding?
No.

My postdoc has been awarded a 2 year fellowship, can I appoint him/her for two years?
No. Please make sure that the appointment letter states only the initial year of appointment. You can add a statement indicating that the appointment may be renewed for an additional year. Please make sure that the dates mentioned in the CV, appointment letter, and Postdoctoral Affairs Data Collection Form are identical.

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