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Medical College of Georgia Administrative Policies and Procedures
Office of Primary Responsibility: Human Resources Division
No. 1.4.18
B

Postdoctoral Fellows

1.0 Purpose
To provide policy guidelines for the appointment of Postdoctoral Fellows.

2.0 Policy
Postdoctoral fellows may be hired as regular or limited term employees in non-classified positions.  The Department Chair, Dean and/or Administrative Manager will be responsible for determining qualifications, identifying the funding required for positions, advertising vacancies, selecting individuals to fill vacancies, and submitting appropriate employment-related documentation, i.e. Personnel Action Request, to Human Resources.  The official letter offering employment must be in the format established by the International & Postdoctoral Services Office and can only be signed by the Department Chair and the Principle Investigator on whose grant the Postdoctoral fellow will be working.  The Human Resources Division will be responsible for providing support for advertising and recruitment, payroll processing, maintaining personnel files, and administering applicable fringe benefits when available.

Fringe Benefits – As regular employees, Postdoctoral fellows with a work commitment of half-time or greater are eligible for certain institutional fringe benefits, provided there are no limitations on the funding sources supporting the fellows. 

NOTE: Postdoctoral fellows who are working pursuant to funding from an individual award or an NIH or other funding agency training grant may not be eligible for payment as an employee. Payment may be processed as a stipend through Accounts Payable. The Department Chair, Dean and/or Administrative Manager must determine the appropriate status of such an individual before any work is performed and must coordinate with Accounts Payable in advance to determine requirements for payment.

3.0 Definition

Postdoctoral Fellows
Postdoctoral fellows must possess an earned doctorate (e.g., Ph.D. or equivalent) and be assigned to a research role under faculty direction that can be viewed as preparation for a full-time academic and/or research career.  Salaries of personnel in this category should also be consistent with the National Institutes of Health guidelines.

NOTE: In keeping with the National Institutes of Health recommendation of classification of Postdoctoral fellows, all newly appointed fellows who are within the first three – four years of completion of doctoral degree should be hired with the non-classified designation of Postdoctoral fellows.  After five years in a Postdoctoral fellow position, it is expected that the Postdoctoral fellow will transfer to either a faculty position or classified position if employment at the same institution is to be continued.

4.0 Procedure
Guide to Recruiting and Employing Postdoctoral Fellows.


Date: 1 May 2004 | Rev. No:  | Rev. Date:  | No. 1.4.18 B


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Administrative Policies & Procedures  
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June 09, 2004