Below are criteria needed to gain a postdoctoral appointment.
Section 1. Academic Criteria
Academic Criteria. Postdoctoral scholars or fellows must have completed all degree requirements for doctoral or other terminal degree and ensure that written verification has been provided to local HR by the appointment start date. Such written verification consists of an official transcript or letter from the degree-granting institution’s graduate college, registrar, or other institutional office certifying that the candidate has completed all necessary requirements for awarding the terminal degree.
Verification of the above-referenced degree requirements/credentials must be conducted in accordance with III-9.2 of the Policy Manual.
Section 2. Professional Training Component Requirement
As specified in III-5.2 of the Policy Manual, postdoctoral appointees are temporary, doctoral-level researchers engaged in advanced education and training designed to prepare for an academic and/or research career. This professional training component requirement is intended to ensure adherence to this intent.
Professional Training Component Requirement. A postdoctoral appointment is a transitional position that trains appointees for academic and/or research careers. This professional training is a defining characteristic of postdoctoral appointments at the university. Upon completion of their professional training, postdoctoral appointees are expected to transition into career roles within the university and/or other scholarly institutions.
Individualized Development Plans (IDP). To facilitate the professional training requirements discussed in the previous paragraph, principal investigators and postdoctoral appointees are expected to work collaboratively to develop an individual professional development plan that incorporates specific and measurable professional training objectives and timelines. The development process should include a discussion of any time and/or resources that will be required to meet the professional training objectives.
IDP Resources. Postdoctoral appointees’ ability to demonstrate preparedness for the next phase of their career typically includes the following outcomes:
- First authored or co-led publications
- Presentations at national and international meetings/conferences
- Contributions to grants or submission of their own grants
- Mentoring and/or supervising students, postdoctoral appointees with less experience, and research staff as appropriate
- Connecting and/or collaborating with other researchers within their field or aligned fields.
The National Postdoctoral Association has identified six core competences in which postdoctoral appointees should gain experience to be prepared for future careers. These are:
- Discipline specific conceptual knowledge
- Research skill development
- Communication skills including writing, teaching, speaking, poster designs, and interpersonal skill
- Professionalism
- Leadership and management skills
- Responsible conduct of research
Two websites for individual development planning and career exploration are MyIDP for postdoctoral appointees in the sciences and Imagine PhD for those in the humanities and social sciences. We encourage appointees and their mentors to use these tools within the first month of a postdoctoral appointment, and to revisit these tools annually to track progress and adapt as needed.
Completion of Training and Transition to Career. As indicated above, upon completing their designated professional training component, postdoctoral appointees are expected to transition to academic and/or research careers. Consequently, those who have fulfilled this training component of their postdoctoral program are not eligible for reappointment, renewal, or extension within a postdoctoral classification at the university. Should an employing unit wish to retain a postdoctoral appointee beyond the completion of their training component, it is advised to pursue an appropriate staff or faculty appointment, in accordance with applicable university policies and procedures.
Section 3. Letters of Appointment. Postdoctoral Appointment Classifications, Work Location
- Letters of Appointment.
All newly appointed or continuing postdoctoral scholars and fellows shall receive a letter of appointment that specifies the appointment title, duration, and the appointment percentage. Hiring units should use the offer letter templates available in Appendix A. Extensions of appointment beyond an expiring appointment period should be documented through a signed letter of reappointment.
Please note that it is always advisable to update appointments in writing upon their expiration.
2. Postdoctoral Appointment Classifications.
There are three types of postdoctoral appointees at the University of Iowa: postdoctoral scholars (FP01), NFSA postdoctoral fellows (FP02), and non-NRSA postdoctoral fellows (FP03) as defined in the Definitions section.
3. Work Location Requirement
All postdoctoral scholars and fellows covered under these standards are required to perform their responsibilities on-campus during their term of appointment unless: (a) funding sources and/or the nature of the research requires that the postdoctoral appointee conduct research off campus, or (b) the appointee receives written approval from the Associate Dean for Graduate Education who oversees postdoctoral appointees in the college of appointment.
Postdoctoral Scholars (FP01). Upon obtaining the aforementioned collegiate approval, postdoctoral scholars (FP01) must submit a flexible work arrangement form.
NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows (FP02) and Non-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows (FP03). Upon obtaining the aforementioned collegiate approval, NRSA postdoctoral fellows (FP02) and non-NRSA postdoctoral fellows (FP03) must obtain approval from the applicable funding agency.
Supervising faculty should contact their local human resources representative to initiate the review and approval process for a postdoctoral appointee to perform work off campus. In addition to receiving permission from the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in the employing college, postdoctoral appointees seeking to work remotely from outside the State of Iowa or the United States will need to obtain approval from the applicable university offices that oversee requests for remote work from locations outside the State of Iowa or the U.S. Supervising faculty should allow for sufficient time to complete the review and approval process. We recommend supervising faculty submit the request at least 30 days before the commencement of the requested remote work. The college will be required to provide a compelling business reason to support remote work from outside the State of Iowa or the U.S.
Section 4. At-Will Employment, Length of Appointments, Reappointments, Five-Year Limit and Request for Extension
- At-Will Employment. Postdoctoral Research Scholars (FP01) are temporary, at-will employees at The University of Iowa as they are appointed for a specified time-period. As temporary, at-will employees, Postdoctoral Scholars may be terminated at any time subject to the discretion of the University. The University typically uses such discretion where there is a lack of satisfactory performance, university related misconduct, or a loss of funding.
2. Length of Appointments. Postdoctoral positions typically are appointed for periods ranging from one year, or one year renewable, up to a cumulative total of five years. The duration of appointment is set to complete the postdoctoral appointee’s training component and funding agency specifications when the duration of funding is limited or unknown.
3. Reappointments. Reappointments to extend a postdoctoral appointment may be made so long as the appointee is:
a. Continuing to work towards completion of their training component,
b. Integral to an ongoing research program,
c. Meets criteria for funding, and
d. Maintains a record of satisfactory performance.
Reappointment is contingent on the continuing availability of research funding sufficient to meet the University’s minimum required salary and fringe rates. Reappointments should be processed at least 30 days prior to the end of the postdoctoral appointee’s current appointment.
4. Notification of Nonrenewal. Notification of nonrenewal of a postdoctoral appointment should be provided at least 30 days prior to the end of the postdoctoral appointee’s current appointment or at the earliest practicable opportunity.
5. Five-Year Limit and Request for Extension. The postdoctoral experience at The University of Iowa will not extend past 5 years unless there are unusual circumstances that indicate a need to modify or extend their training component. Supervisors who seek an extension should contact the Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs and the Senior Human Resources Director for the Graduate College for review and consideration.
NOTE: NRSA postdoctoral fellows (FP02) and non-NRSA postdoctoral fellows are not considered to be University employees and as such, their continuing appointment status is subject to the terms and conditions of the funding agency.
Section 5. Mandatory Compliance Training
The University of Iowa requires postdoctoral appointees to complete mandatory compliance trainings for position eligibility. Examples include harassment prevention, responsible conduct of research, human subjects research, animal use, FERPA, conflict of interest in research, and/or environmental health and safety related-trainings.
Please note that employing colleges and departments may have additional compliance training requirements.