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Eligibility

Postdoctoral Requirements

  • Must have a recently awarded PhD degree (within the last five years), MD degree (within the last ten years), or equivalent doctorate degree (e.g., ScD, DVM, etc.) upon initial appointment at the University of Pittsburgh

  • Must be a full-time 100% research appointment

  • Must be a transitional position and viewed as preparatory for an

  • independent career

  • Must work under the supervision of a faculty mentor

Postdoctoral Classifications

Postdoctoral Associate is a postdoctoral appointment supported by research funds, external or internal, that stipulate payment of a SALARY in return for duties performed to meet the goals for which the funds were awarded or designated. Appointments are limited to four years at the University of Pittsburgh.

  • Senior Postdoctoral Associate is an internal designation within the Schools of the Health Sciences that is used on an exception basis to identify postdoctoral appointments that exceed the standard four-year period. Senior postdoctoral associate positions must be approved on an annual basis and may be requested for up to three additional years beyond the standard four-year postdoctoral associate appointment period (maximum of seven years of postdoctoral training). Sample circumstances that may merit the approval of a senior postdoctoral associate position include:

    • Trainee is an excellent investigator, with the requisite publication and funding to warrant a faculty position, but who needs additional time to obtain a faculty position.

    • Trainee is considered to have the potential for a faculty career, but who has not yet been able to demonstrate the record of publication or funding to justify a faculty position at this time.

    • An additional period of career development mentoring would be beneficial in determining whether a faculty or staff appointment would be most appropriate.

Postdoctoral Scholar is a postdoctoral appointment supported by research funds that stipulate payment of a STIPEND where the trainee cannot be classified as an employee and fringe benefits cannot be deducted. Time limitations for postdoctoral scholar appointments are dictated by funding sources.

Postdoctoral Benefits

Postdoctoral Compensation

University Minimum Compensation Policies

  • The University’s minimum rate of postdoctoral compensation is $47,476 (threshold for federal exempt status).

  • Postdoctoral scholars typically receive an NIH stipend based upon their years of experience. Effective FY20, the NIH stipend level for an entry-level postdoctoral scholar is $52,704. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-070.html

  • The NIH stipend levels are widely accepted to represent best practices in postdoctoral affairs and represent a competitive benchmark for all postdoctoral compensation.

University Compensation Increase Guidelines

  • At the time of their reappointment, postdoctoral associates follow the annual University compensation increase guidelines based upon the recommendations of their faculty mentors.

  • Postdoctoral associates in the schools of the health sciences, whose compensation is below the appropriate NIH stipend level for their years of experience, may receive a compensation increase above the University guidelines up to the next NIH stipend level. The compensation increases of postdoctoral associates, whose compensation is already above the appropriate NIH stipend level, are limited to the University compensation increase guidelines.

  • Postdoctoral scholars automatically receive the next stipend level based upon their years of experience. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-19-036.html

 

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