Research Affiliate Appointments. The process of appointing research affiliates is preceded by the Application below. This Application is now required by the YSM Postdoctoral Office. Research Affiliate Application (in pdf format)

Research Affiliate Info Sheet. A brief guide to appointing research affiliates. Research Affiliate Info Sheet (in pdf format)


Certificates
When your postdoctoral fellows and associates complete their training at Yale, please request a Certificate of Training for them from the Postdoctoral Office.
Restrictions
1. Certificates cannot be issued to postdocs who are terminated for cause.
2. Because we do not have the capacity to print certificates for the
thousands of postdocs who have come through the School of Medicine in the past, please restrict requests to those postdocs who will be leaving on or after November 1, 2004.
3. Postgraduate fellows and associates, clinical fellows and associates, research affiliates, and associate research scientists are ineligible for these certificates.
4. Restrictions, eligibility requirements, and the process of requesting and distributing certificates may change in the future.


Frequently Asked Questions
Should postdoctoral appointment dates be tied to the July 1 fiscal year?
No.  Even though raises for postdoctoral associates are given on July 1, their appointments do not need to coincide with this date.  Instead, all postdoctoral appointments should run for a full calendar year.  For example, if the start date for a postdoctoral appointment is February 1, 2005, the end date of that appointment should be January 31, 2006.

When should a postdoctoral appointee get a raise?
Postdoctoral associates receive raises as part of the YSM Merit process, and these increases go into effect on July 1 each year.  Postdoctoral fellows receive raises at their reappointment, unless the fellowship that supports them states otherwise.

What documents should a department submit to the Postdoctoral Office when appointing a new postdoc?
In order for the Postdoctoral Office to approve a new appointment in BMS, a Yale formatted CV and an appointment letter signed by the PI, postdoc, and departmental representative (business manager or chairman) are required.  Click these links for templates of the Yale formatted CV and appointment letter.  Please note that departments are required to keep 2 letters of recommendation on file for each new appointee, but these letters do not need to be forwarded to the Postdoctoral Office.

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 BMS profile are all 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.  Policies defining postgraduate appointments and who is eligible for such a title are in the process of being drafted.

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 fill out the Health Insurance Waiver form (available in the YSM Appointment Guide for Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates).; and submit a copy to the Postdoctoral Office.

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 PI.  Family coverage for fellows may also be partially or fully subsidized by the fellowship and/or PI, depending on the funding provided by the fellowship and the arrangement negotiated between the appointee and PI.

How many sick days, vacation days, and holidays do postdocs receive?
Postdocs are entitled to all stated Yale holidays (such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day).  If a postdoc’s funding source has its own policies with regard to vacation and sick time, the postdoc should abide by those policies.  Otherwise, as with faculty, postdoctoral appointees do not receive a set number of vacation or sick days.  They should discuss a suitable arrangement with their PIs.

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 in the lab 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 scientific competence.  The PI 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 PI 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 the Postdoctoral Office.

2) Loss of funding: A postdoc in his/her first year of appointment in a lab may not be terminated for financial reasons.  The PI, 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 PI and department will need to find alternative funding to support the postdoc.

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 PI 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?
The procedures for transferring a postdoc appointment are explained in the YSM Appointment Guide for Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates.

back to top

Next: Forms and Publications