Office of Postdoctoral Education

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Office of Postdoctoral Education

Office of Postdoctoral Education LETTER OF OFFER

Date

Name of Appointee Address of Appointee

Dear X:

Based on your application, I am pleased to offer you the position of (postdoctoral research associate or postdoctoral fellow) in my laboratory. I look forward to working together on (description of projects, responsibilities and functions).

Your appointment will be effective on (insert date) and will end on (insert date). You will be supported at an annual rate of (insert annual amount), to be paid in accordance with the payroll schedules of UNMC and prorated for the time period worked.

In accordance with UNMC policy, this appointment will be for one year. Continuation during that time period and renewal of your appointment is based on satisfactory performance, availability of funding and the terms of the UNMC Policy for Postdoctoral scholars, completion of annual evaluation by the mentor, completion of the ethics/scientific conduct course and the intellectual property/sponsored programs seminar in the freshman year. I direct your attention, in particular, to the section outlining obligations of postdoctoral scholars. In addition, information in the postdoctoral handbook is applicable to your appointment. (http://www.unmc.edu/dept/postdoced/index.cfm?L1_ID=8&CONREF=1)

Individuals in postdoctoral positions at UNMC are required to participate in a health insurance plan. The single coverage for you will be supported by my grant and will not be deducted from your stipend. If you require family coverage, you will be required to pay the additional premiums.

You are also eligible to participate in the University’s supplemental retirement annuity plan, which currently includes TIAA-CREF and Fidelity. The University does not make a contribution to this plan.

As a postdoctoral scholar you will be subject to all applicable UNMC policies, including the policies and procedures governing research conduct, patent and intellectual property.

(For foreign candidates) This offer is contingent upon having a valid visa. It is your responsibility to insure that you are in compliance with USCIS policies. Please contact UNMC International Affairs Office (402-559-6414, international @unmc.edu) immediately so that any visa issues may be addressed PRIOR to you joining us.

You must also furnish either an official copy of your transcript with your degree posted; a notarized copy of your diploma; or an official statement from the registrar or university official that you have received your doctoral degree and completed all degree requirements in order for your appointment to be processed.

Upon accepting this offer, you will be eligible to take part in the training programs offered by the UNMC Postdoctoral Education Program. Please visit the postdoc web site to review the UNMC Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook which will provide you with all the necessary information on policy and procedures for postdocs as well as other valuable information that will help facilitate your transition to UNMC.

Please read over the UNMC Postdoctoral Education Policy attached and sign this offer letter to indicate your acceptance of the terms of your appointment and return it to me by (enter date). I look forward to your joining our lab at UNMC.

Sincerely,

______

I have received and read the UNMC Postdoctoral Education Policy and I accept this offer as outlined above.

______Signature

______Date

cc: Postdoctoral Office of Education UNMC POSTDOCTORAL EDUCATION POLICY

Definition

A postdoctoral scholar is one who has received Ph.D., M.D., or an equivalent degree from a recognized institution of higher learning and is pursuing further training under the mentorship of a UNMC faculty member. The postdoctoral scholar position is a short term advanced training position to enhance professional skills and expertise towards transition to independent careers in academics, private industries, government, law firms, policy and advocacy groups etc. The purpose of a time-bound appointment is to protect the postdoctoral scholars from an indefinite length of stay in a training position. UNMC postdoctoral scholars are supported by individual grants or training grants or external individual fellowships or a combination of these sources. The following are categories of postdoctoral scholar positions at the UNMC.

Postdoctoral Research Associate (095075): This is a postdoctoral scholar position for the first three years of the appointment. The initial appointment is full-time for one year, with possible reappointments for two additional one-year terms. The reappointment requires an annual evaluation of the performance. Postdoctoral research associates are eligible for health and life insurance benefits. They can participate in the TIAA/CREF 403(b) program on an unmatched, tax shelter basis.

Postdoctoral Fellow (095470): This is a postdoctoral scholar position supported by individual fellowships from NIH or training grants. Postdoctoral fellows are not employees of UNMC. They work full-time under the supervision of UNMC faculty mentors and utilize UNMC facilities. As non- employees, they do not receive health benefits as part of their employment; however, they, their mentors or mentors departments or college can purchase health insurance through the UNMC Benefits Office.

Senior Research Associate (098175). This is a postdoctoral scholar position beyond the first three years of postdoctoral scholarship or 5 years experience as a Research Associate with a doctoral degree. The extension of a postdoctoral scholar’s appointment beyond three years requires the approval of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs prior to the effective date of re-appointment. A written justification from the mentor is required for promotion to this position. Senior postdoctoral research associates are eligible for health and life insurance benefit including participation in retirement plan for the employee.

Appointment

Letter of offer A formal letter of offer from the faculty mentor and the respective department is sent to the prospective scholar specifying the following: . name and department of the faculty mentor with whom the scholar will be training . effective date and duration of the of appointment . amount of the annual fellowship/traineeship/other support . an outline of duties and/or objectives expected from the scholar . health insurance/benefits information

The scholar should sign a copy of the letter acknowledging agreement to the terms of the letter and return it to the faculty mentor. A copy of the signed letter will be kept in the Office of Postdoctoral Education. A proof of the terminal degree is required before the letter of offer is made official. Reappointments and Extensions The appointment for postdoctoral training is a specified period of up to one-year with possible reappointments for two additional one-year terms. Reappointment requires (1) completion of the ethics and scientific conduct course in the freshman year. (2) completion of annual evaluation by the mentor

Extension of the training as a Senior Research Associate beyond three years requires the approval of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs prior to the effective date of the reappointment. A written justification for the extension from the mentor is required.

Obligations of a postdoctoral scholar

The main objective of postdoctoral education is that a postdoctoral scholar acquires advance research training and expertise in his/her chosen field under a qualified mentorship, which would lead to an independent career in a timely fashion. The obligations of a postdoctoral scholar include at the minimum:

1. Develops a mutually defined research project (s) with the mentor that includes well-defined goals and timeliness. 2. Participates actively and conscientiously in a research project(s) outlined in discussion with the faculty mentor. 3. Seeks regular feedback on his/hers performance and participates in a formal evaluation by the mentor at least annually. 4. Develop an individual career development plan (downloadable from the Web) with the mentor. 5. Exhibits good laboratory practice such as careful maintenance of research record and compliance with guidelines for biosafety and those involving animals and human subjects in research. 6. Complies with UNMC policies and guidelines on scientific conduct, intellectual property and laboratory safety. 7. Maintains collegial conduct towards mentor and co-workers. 8. Attends career development workshops/seminars (i.e., grant-writing workshops, placement workshops and workshops to improve scientific writing and presentation).

Obligations of a faculty mentor Effective mentoring is critical for post doctoral training that requires the primary mentor to dedicate substantial time to ensure personal and professional development. The obligations of a postdoctoral mentor includes at the minimum:

1. Ensures that a mutually agreed upon set of expectations and goals are in place at the outset of the postdoctoral training. 2. Provides adequate facilities, resources and guidance to achieve the agreed upon goals of the project. 3. Ensures timely submission of the scholar’s research for publication/presentation and that he/she gets appropriate credit. 4. Provides adequate guidance and mentoring in manuscript preparation and presentation of scientific information. 5. Reviews scholar’s performance annually, in terms of research endeavor and career development. A copy of the evaluation, countersigned by the scholar, should be made available to the scholar and postdoctoral education office. 6. Ensures that a scholar attends workshops on ethics and scientific conduct, and intellectual property and sponsored program in the freshman year. 7. Encourages scholars to attend career development workshops/Seminars (i.e., grant-writing workshops, placement workshops and workshops to improve scientific writing and presentation).

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