Definition

Postdoctoral appointments are temporary positions with fixed end dates intended to provide a full-time program of advanced academic preparation and research training. A postdoctoral appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments, or for short-term appointments where the primary goal is to advance a principal investigator’s research. Postdoctoral Researchers train under the direction and supervision of a faculty or other qualified mentor in preparation for academic or research careers.  In addition to pursuing advanced preparation in research, Postdoctoral Researchers may be approved to engage in other activities to enhance teaching and other professional skills. To be the instructor of record in a course, a Postdoctoral Researcher must hold both a Postdoctoral Researcher title and an appropriate teaching appointment. Ordinarily, Postdoctoral Researchers are not permitted to serve as principal investigators on contracts or grants sponsored by agencies external to the University.

Full-time commitment requires that 100% of the Postdoctoral Researcher’s professional effort be dedicated to their position at the University. Due to this requirement of full-time commitment, any additional outside work taken on by a Postdoctoral Researcher represents a potential conflict of interest and/or conflict of commitment. Postdoctoral Researchers must discuss potential professional outside activities with their faculty mentor before entering into such activities, whether the activities are paid or unpaid. Also, as dictated by the University’s Conflict of Commitment Policy, certain categories of outside activities must be reported annually by Postdoctoral Researchers through their annual Conflict of Interest-Conflict of Commitment Disclosure. Postdoctoral Researchers must ensure, by working with their mentor and with University Research Administration, that any outside professional activity does not conflict with terms of funding that apply to the Postdoctoral Researcher and the mentor. Outside professional activity by Postdoctoral Researchers must also comply with obligations under the University’s Patent Agreement and Assignment (PAA) policy.