What is a Post Doctoral Associate?
An appointment as a postdoctoral associate requires the approval of the department chair within academic departments, or of the director for appointments within research centers. Posting and/or advertising of these positions are now required through ROCS.
A Post Doctoral Associate is an individual holding a PhD employed by Rutgers University to perform research or scholarship, in continuation of his/her education, under the direction of the Principal Investigator (PI), in order to meet the research or scholarship goals established by the pertinent funding agency. The efforts of the Post Doctoral Associate must be certified to the funding agency. Post Doctoral Associates are usually appointed for periods not in excess of one year at a time with a total allowable limit of five years. After the five term limit has been exhausted, a Post Doctoral Associate may not then be appointed as a Post Doctoral Fellow.
Post Doctoral Associates are exempt ("NL") employees; they are "at-will" employees. They are not eligible for the Administrative Assembly. Annual reviews will be performed by the faculty supervisor, the results of which will be kept in the departmental file.
Post Doctoral Associates are entitled to 15 paid leave days (personal/vacation) to be used only within the current appointment term. These days do not roll over and unused portions will be forfeited. Post Doctoral Associates who have served beyond their fourth appointment are entitled to 18 paid leave days. A record of all leave requests should be kept by the faculty supervisor and departmental admin. Post Doctoral Associates should be made aware that they are entitled to unpaid leave for personal reasons, terms of which should be coordinated directly through their supervisor for FMLA/NJFLA.
The approving officer is responsible for insuring that the requirements of such appointments (receipt of the doctoral degree, the amount of and appropriate distribution of the salary, enrollment in the applicable health program) are fully met.
Appointment Information:
Payroll Type: 1
Job Class Number: 99631
Dual Appointment: A Post Doctoral Associate may have a second appointment but only as a Payroll Type 8, if they are teaching. Such appointment must be consistent with the regulations of the funding agency.
Post Doctoral Associate appointments may also be granted under a F-1 status of which there are two types: OPT (either pre degree completion or post degree completion work experience related to course of study), or CPT (work experience and credit that will count towards a degree requirement). The maximum eligibility is 12 months and a 17-month STEM extension which must be applied for. See the Rutgers Global website for further details.
What is a Post Doctoral Fellow?
Post Doctoral Fellows have no employee/employer relationship with the University. They are individuals holding a doctoral degree, who are affiliated with Rutgers to continue their education, and they are receiving either an individual award or an institutional award.
For individual awards, the individual must have been selected by a funding agency which specifically named him/her as the recipient of an individual training award which is transferrable to another institution. For institutional awards, the individual must have been selected by the University with the funding agency's concurrence. No services are required of Post Doctoral Fellows, either by Rutgers University or the funding agency, in exchange for this award; any benefit to Rutgers or the funding agency should be incidental to the purpose of continuing the Fellow's education. A Post Doctoral Fellow is usually appointed for periods not in excess of one year at a time.
An appointment to a Post Doctoral Fellowship requires that the approving officer insures that the requirements of such appointments (receipt of the doctoral degree, the amount of and appropriate distribution of the stipend, enrollment in the applicable health program) are fully met.
Appointment Information:
Payroll Type: 9
Job Class Number: 99690
Dual Appointment: Certain Post Doctoral Fellows may also be appointed as Rutgers employees while receiving this stipend, but only as a Payroll Type 7 or 8. Under the terms set by certain funding agencies, such additional appointments may not be permitted. If there is a question regarding a dual appointment for a particular Post Doctoral Fellow, please consult the Division of Grant and Contract Accounting and the regulations of the funding agency.
For More Information
For more information on Post Doctoral Appointments, please take a moment to review the following:
- Postdoctoral Appointment Initiation Form (99k PDF)
- Interviewing Foreign National Applicants (196k PDF)