The University of Chicago

Terms of Service

Postdoctoral Researcher appointments are temporary, have fixed end dates, and are subject to the following rules.

Appointments are typically made for a one-year term, renewable for up to three additional years until a fixed end date. Renewal for a fifth year requires a documented academic justification, a vote of the departmental faculty, and approval by the cognizant dean.

Extension of appointment beyond a total of five years is possible only when warranted by special circumstances, and requires documented academic justification, a vote of the department, approval by the dean, and approval by the Provost.

The total duration of an individual’s postdoctoral experience may not exceed seven years, including postdoctoral work at other institutions. By exception, the Provost may grant an extension when justified by extraordinary circumstances, or when it has been documented that in the field or sub-field it is the norm that a third postdoctoral position precedes securing a faculty position in a comparable institution.

It is within the University’s sole discretion not to reappoint a Postdoctoral Scholar (PDS). Reappointment normally is contingent upon various factors including but not limited to satisfactory performance (including compliance with all applicable University policies), work authorization, availability of funding, and programmatic need. If the University decides not to reappoint a Postdoctoral Scholar after the fixed end date, his or her employment will end at that time and no further notice will be provided to that effect.

Teaching

Postdoctoral Researchers are of three kinds, determined primarily by the funding source that supports the appointee. Their eligibility to teach at the University, whether as instructors of record with the rank of Lecturer or as teaching assistants or course assistants, likewise follows the kind of funding.

Postdoctoral Scholar (PDS)
Because Postdoctoral Scholars are in full-time positions, at 100% effort, they may not teach except under the following conditions:

  1. If teaching is not expressly part of the scope of work, then only if the PDS’s source of external funding allows for a one-quarter effort reduction may the PDS be appointed as a Lecturer (or hired as a teaching assistant or course assistant). The University considers teaching a course to require 33% of a Lecturer’s time during the quarter in which the course is offered, if serving as the sole instructor of record. If a PDS is co-teaching a course or serving as a TA or CA, the portion of effort and salary devoted to teaching would be less than 33% and would depend on the anticipated number of hours per week devoted to teaching-related duties. The portion of effort devoted to research, and the amount of salary charged to the grant, must each be reduced by the appropriate percentage amount. The compensation received by the PDS for the teaching effort must be the standard rate for an ad hoc Lecturer (or TA or CA) in the relevant unit; the salary rate for the sponsored research portion of the PDS’s appointment need not be the same as the salary rate for teaching. If teaching is not part of the scope of work but the appointive unit has an existing course that the PDS is suited to teach as a Lecturer, then the unit may seek the Provost’s approval for the Lecturer appointment through the process described at the bottom of this page. TA and CA roles do not require the Provost’s approval, but do require the approval of the PDS’s Principal Investigator (as also described below).
  2. If teaching is expressly part of the scope of work under the terms of a PDS’s source of external funding and is part of the PDS’s program of training, then after appointment as a Lecturer (or another role) has been approved the PDS may teach for no additional compensation, since the compensation for teaching is included in the regular salary.

Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF)
PDFs are supported on stipends and may only teach as a Lecturer or in another role if teaching is required by the PDF’s source of funding and is part of the PDF’s program of training. In that case, after appointment as a Lecturer (or another role) has been approved the PDF may teach for no additional compensation, since the teaching is a requirement of the PDF’s stipend. University policy does not allow teaching by PDFs whose stipends do not require teaching.

PDF – Paid Direct
Eligibility for teaching is the same as noted above for other PDFs: teaching may only be done if required by the funding source and may be done for no additional compensation as the teaching is a requirement of the stipend.

General Conditions

  1. No PDS or PDF may teach more than one course per year as a Lecturer.
  2. Teaching in any role by a PDS or PDF must be in an area closely related to their field, must be relevant to their training as a scientist and educator, and must be mentored.
  3. International PDSs and PDFs must consult with the Office of International Affairs prior to accepting a teaching position. Please note that postdocs on H-1B visas may not teach, unless already included in the terms of their visa.
  4. The principles in this policy with respect to our obligations to funding sources are applicable to all forms of additional effort by PDSs and PDFs.

Approval Process for Lecturer Appointments for PDSs and PDFs
Lecturer appointments (but not teaching assistant or course assistant jobs) must be in an appointive unit. Before the start of the quarter in which a Lecturer appointment is to begin, and before offering the PDS or PDF the appointment, the unit must obtain the approval of the Provost. Recommendations for a Lecturer appointment must include:

  1. The PDS’s or PDF’s current CV.
  2. Memo from URA confirming that the specific plan for teaching is consistent with the funding source.
  3. Copy of the notification sent to the funding source regarding the teaching activity and the required reduction of effort and salary charged to the grant (only needed for a PDS who is reducing effort toward research for one quarter in order to teach).
  4. Copy of the mentoring plan that explains how the teaching activity will be mentored.
  5. Appointment memo from the relevant department chair or collegiate master recommending the Lecturer appointment. The memo must be provided to the PDS/PDF’s Principal Investigator, the relevant dean, and the Provost’s Office for approval. The memo should describe:
    • The course that the PDS or PDF will teach.
    • Why the PDS/PDF is suited to teach the course.
    • How the course the PDS/PDF will teach will further their training as a scientist-educator.

      In the case of a PDS who is reducing effort toward research for one quarter in order to teach, the appointment memo should additionally describe:

    • How exactly the PDS will be reducing effort toward their research by 33%, i.e., what responsibilities the PDS would hold in a normal quarter but will not hold during the quarter they are teaching (this should be mutually agreed upon by the PDS and their PI).

Approval Process for TA or CA Assignments for PDSs and PDFs
These assignments do not require the Provost’s approval, though the following should be provided to the Provost’s Office to document the assignment:

  1. Memo from URA confirming that the specific plan for the TA or CA assignment is consistent with the funding source.
  2. PI’s approval.
  3. Dean’s approval.
  4. Copy of the notification sent to the funding source regarding the teaching activity and the required reduction of effort and salary charged to the grant (only needed for a PDS who is reducing effort toward research for one quarter in order to teach).
  5. Description of how effort toward research will be reduced during the quarter by the specific percentage of effort that will be devoted to teaching (only needed for a PDS who is reducing effort toward research for one quarter in order to teach).