Chapter 13C

This appointment is made to enable the individual to pursue his/her/their research under the general supervision of one or more Harvard faculty members. Postdoctoral fellows engage in mentored training to enable them to become independent researchers. Designated supervisors will ordinarily hold the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, Senior Lecturer, Senior Research Fellow, Senior Research Scientist, Rowland Institute Research Fellow, John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellow, or NSF-Simons Fellow. Due to the importance of in-person mentoring with their faculty sponsor and having the opportunity to interact with colleagues and researchers within their department, it is expected that postdoctoral fellows work on campus.

To hold an appointment at this rank, the candidate must have received a doctoral degree at the time of appointment. Ordinarily, the candidate will have recently earned a doctorate. The appointment is contingent on funding, ordinarily full-time, made for a minimum of three months, and is not to exceed 12 months. (If a part-time appointment is requested, justification must be given to and approved by the associate dean.) Reappointment at this rank may be possible, subject to review by the principal investigator, and individuals may ordinarily serve in this category, whether full- or part-time, for up to five years.

Feedback on performance will be provided on an annual basis. An annual reappointment letter must be submitted for reappointment to this rank. The reappointment letter should include the dates of the reappointment, confirm new salary and/or pay source information, and outline any changes to the appointment since the original appointment offer letter.

Postdoctoral fellows may not be designated as “principal investigator,” “project director,” or "co-PI" without the explicit approval of the divisional/SEAS dean. (Please see the “Application for the Exceptional Granting of FAS or SEAS Principal Investigator Rights” form, available on the “Forms” page of the FAS website for faculty and researchers.) Please see the FAS Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for additional information about postdoctoral fellow appointments.

Notes:

a. Members of the FAS and University community are expected to familiarize themselves with, and conform to, Harvard policies on teaching, research, and service, as appropriate to their position. Please see Chapter 2, “FAS and University Policies,” for more information.

b. In keeping with Harvard University’s Intellectual Property policies and other research policies, faculty and researchers are expected to sign electronically the Harvard University Participation Agreement by the start of their appointment.

A paid employee postdoctoral fellow is supported by research grants, contracts, startup, gifts, or endowments under the direction of a Harvard Principal Investigator. Employee postdocs are hired as benefits-eligible employees of Harvard University, and their work is directed and supervised by the faculty PI. Effective August 1, 2024, the minimum salary for postdocs is $67,600.

Any postdoc who believes that they are paid less than the FAS salary minimum should contact Stephen Kargère, Director of the FAS Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. If a postdoc has any questions about their appointment, they may also reach out to their divisional/SEAS associate dean or Zoe Fonseca-Kelly, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.

Please see the “Research Appointments Matrix,” available on the “Appointment and Promotion” page of the FAS website for faculty and researchers, for a guide to research appointments.

No search is required for:

1. Appointments of individuals who are continuing work begun while graduate students at Harvard.

2. Appointments of individuals who move to Harvard as part of an ongoing research team under the supervision of a newly appointed ladder or senior faculty member, as detailed in the faculty member’s offer letter.

3. Appointments involving transfer from “unpaid through Harvard” to “paid through Harvard” status when there is a temporary need to prevent the interruption of research due to lapses in outside funding.

A search is required for all other appointments. Posting advertisements in ARIeS is mandatory beginning in AY 2024-2025. Departments or principal investigators should place an advertisement in an appropriate professional journal, indicating the availability of positions in their areas. Other suggested recruitment methods include posting open positions on the department’s or center's webpage and making direct inquiries. Advertising copy must indicate that Harvard is “an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or other protected status.” Care should be taken to avoid language that could be construed as discriminatory with regard to age.

For salaried postdocs or stipendiary postdocs on Harvard funds (start up, grants or other internal Harvard funds), departments or principal investigators must obtain two to three letters of recommendation for the finalist before any offer can be made. They may wish to indicate in the advertisement that candidates should submit with their application either contact information for two to three references or else two to three reference letters. All recommendation letters should be from experts at the ladder faculty ranks; it may be appropriate to include highly accomplished senior researchers from corporations or research institutes, or well-established museum professionals or practicing artists.

Please note that print advertisements are not required for research appointments; online ads are sufficient.

The department must submit items A-G below to the Appointments Office in the Office for Faculty Affairs via Aurora and deliver item H to Central Payroll:

A. 1 electronic PDF copy of two to three recommendation letters for the finalist (per Section 3, “Appointment/Search Procedures”). No recommendation letters are required for hires where a search is not required.

B. 1 electronic PDF copy of the candidate’s curriculum vitae.

C. 1 electronic PDF copy of the candidate's statement of research interest (if requested in the advertisement) 

D. 1 electronic PDF copy of doctoral degree verification (required for candidates who have received their degree within one year of the effective start date). Acceptable verification is either a certificate of completion from the degree-granting institution or a letter from the institution’s Registrar. Such documentation should state that all requirements for the degree have been successfully completed and should verify the date the degree has been or will be conferred. If the candidate received his/her/their degree from Harvard, written verification from the chair or director of graduate studies, on department letterhead, may suffice.

E. If a search is required, copies of all advertisements.

F. 1 electronic PDF copy of a postdoctoral offer letter, following the employee postdoctoral offer letter template. The offer letter must outline the appointment dates and salary.

G. 1 electronic PDF of a signed hard copy of the Acknowledgement of Risk and Release for Non-Harvard Personnel Using Harvard Research and Instructional Laboratory Facilities form (if working in one of Harvard’s laboratories and if not receiving any form of payment from Harvard).

Separate from the documentation submitted with the Aurora hire action, please be aware of the following:

H. Completion of an I-9 on or before the appointment start date and submission of any other necessary documents is required of all new employees, or after a break in service of one year or more. Completion of the I-9 entails visiting the Harvard campus in person and presenting original copies of the work authorization and identification documents listed on the I-9 form. Employee postdocs may not start work without having a completed I-9 on file. Questions about I-9 completion should be directed to FAS Central Payroll for researchers appointed through FAS or SEAS Office for Faculty Affairs for researchers appointed through SEAS.

Note: Departments should retain documents according to practices recommended by Harvard Archives.