Postdoctoral Fellows

Sometimes departments ask about opportunities to advertise postdoctoral fellow positions at NU. The following posting options are available: 

• Department Website
  You may advertise postdoctoral fellow opportunities on your department website
• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Website
  Contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to have a position listed on their website
• NU Careers Site
  While not an avenue through which postdocs commonly find opportunities, departments occasionally ask to list postdoctoral fellow positions on the NU Careers website. The process for doing so is to email hr.compensation@northwestern.edu and provide the following:
  • Job description for the role
  • Ask that HR create a new research staff (RES) position number for posting to eRecruit

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

• Upload the Personal Data Form separately to its respective button
  
  • If the appointee is not in town yet, submit the form and include as much information as you can get. When the appointee arrives, submit a new form containing the appointee's signature and LOCAL address.
  • If an existing employee is changing to a postdoctoral fellow, the personal data form isn't necessary 
• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  1. NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form, signed by the Principal Investigator and the chair of the department or center director
     • Salary for NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows must be commensurate with the NIH NRSA stipend rate for years of experience as a postdoctoral fellow; for non-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows, the salary must be at least the NRSA rate for zero years of experience and aligning with the NRSA stipend rate for years of experience is encouraged but not required. View FSM policy and NRSA stipend levels.
  2. Position Data/Appointment Forms, signed by the department administrator or center director 
     • Appointment form Action/Reason = HIR/HIR 
     • Position Data form Action/Reason = POS/NEW
  3. Written justification if appointment term deviates from one year
     • If shorter: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the short term and (2) confirms that upon conclusion of the short term, the employee will either be reappointed for a full year or terminated
     • If longer: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the longer term and (2) confirms that funding is guaranteed for the duration of the appointment. The maximum term length is three years.
  4. Current CV
  5. If degree completed within 6 months of start date: Proof of degree completion or notarized diploma 
  6. For Visiting Postdocs: Documentation/letter from the appointee's home institution to verify his/her current status there

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

• Upload the Personal Data Form separately to its respective button
  
  • If the appointee is not in town yet, submit the form and include as much information as you can get. When the appointee arrives, submit a new form containing the appointee's signature and LOCAL address.
  • If an existing employee is changing to a postdoctoral fellow, the personal data form isn't necessary 
• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  1. NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form, signed by the Principal Investigator and the chair of the department or center director
     • Salary for NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows must be commensurate with the NIH NRSA stipend rate for years of experience as a postdoctoral fellow; for non-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows, the salary must be at least the NRSA rate for zero years of experience and aligning with the NRSA stipend rate for years of experience is encouraged but not required. View FSM policy and NRSA stipend levels.
  2. Coterminous Faculty Cover Sheet: If the coterminous appointment is paid by NMG, a business plan and draft offer will need to be submitted for approval before you submit the OnBase transaction. Visit the coterminous faculty page for more information.
  3. Position Data/Appointment Forms in this order:
     • Record 0 for the postdoctoral fellow appointment (since this is the primary position)
       Appointment form Action/Reason = HIR/HIR 
       Position Data form Action/Reason = POS/NEW
     • Record 1 for the coterminous Instructor appointment 
       Appointment form Action/Reason = HIR/ADD 
       Position Data form Action/Reason = POS/NEW
     • For NRSA (T32) Postdocs: If there is salary associated with the coterminous appointment (Record 1), salary should be split across record 0 and 1, but record 0 (the NRSA postdoc) should have 100% effort.
  4. Written justification if appointment term deviates from one year
     • If shorter: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the short term and (2) confirms that upon conclusion of the short term, the employee will either be reappointed for a full year or terminated
     • If longer: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the longer term and (2) confirms that funding is guaranteed for the duration of the appointment. The maximum term length is three years.
  5. Current CV
  6. If degree completed within 6 months of start date: Proof of degree completion or notarized diploma 

Annual Process for Reappointment/Merit Increase

Each summer, there is a brief window of time when reappointments and merit increases are processed using panels in myHR. Details for the current or most recent summer process (including deadlines for its use) are in the checklist below.  If the checklist does not apply, use the standard process.

• Research Appointments: Checklist for Annual Reappointment/Merit Increase Process in myHR 
     

Standard Process

If the reappointment includes an off-cycle salary increase, you may need to complete the Non-Merit Salary Increase Form and receive approval from the Office of Finance & Administration before submitting an OnBase transaction. View the page on Non-Merit Salary Increases for more information. This process does not apply if raising the stipend of a postdoc to the appropriate NRSA level for years of experience (whether they are a NRSA or non-NRSA postdoc).

If the increase is not subject to the non-merit increase process, or you already have approval through that process, complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  1. NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form, signed by the Principal Investigator and the chair of the department or center director
     • Salary: NRSA Fellows must receive salary increases annually to reflect the NRSA stipend rate for their years of experience; for non-NRSA Fellows, annual incremental salary increases consistent with the NRSA stipend rate for years of experience are recommended but not required and should be based on an annual performance review. View FSM policy and NRSA stipend levels.
  2. Position Data/Appointment Forms, downloaded from myHR with employee ID#
     • Appointment form Action/Reason = DTA/REA
  3. Approved Non-Merit Salary Increase form, if subject to the non-merit salary increase process
  4. Written justification if appointment term deviates from one year
     • If shorter: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the short term and (2) confirms that upon conclusion of the short term, the employee will either be reappointed for a full year or terminated
     • If longer: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the longer term and (2) confirms that funding is guaranteed for the duration of the appointment. The maximum term length is three years.
  5. CV, only if the appointee has been working at NU for three years or more
• Upload the Personal Data Form separately to its respective button ONLY if appointee needs to update local address or other information

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  • NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form, signed by the chair of the department or center director. The Principal Investigator's signature is optional.
  • Position Data/Appointment Form, downloaded from myHR with employee ID
    • Appointment form Action/Reason = HIR/HIR, write in "change effective date" in comments section at bottom 
    • Position Data form Action/Reason = POS/NEW (If changes to the position are being made.)

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  1. NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form, signed by department chair or center director and the Principal Investigator
     • In the "Action Requested" section, write in Change in Title
  2. Position Data/Appointment Form, downloaded from myHR and updated 
     • Position Data Form Action/Reason = POS CLS if keeping the same position number in myHR (update fields as appropriate to re-classify the existing position); POS NEW if creating a new position 
     • Appointment form Action/Reason = DTA/REA if keeping the same position number; XFR DPO if creating a new position
  3. Current CV

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  1. NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form signed by the Principal Investigator and chair of the department or center director.
     • Check the reappointment box and write REHIRE
     • Salary: For NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows, salary must be commensurate with the NIH NRSA stipend rate for years of experience as a postdoctoral fellow; for non-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows, the salary must be at least the NRSA rate for zero years of experience and aligning with the NRSA stipend rate for years of experience is encouraged but not required. View FSM policy and NRSA stipend levels.
  2. Position Data/Appointment Forms
     Appointment form Action/Reason = REH/REA
  3. Written justification if appointment term deviates from one year
     • If shorter: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the short term and (2) confirms that upon conclusion of the short term, the employee will either be reappointed for a full year or terminated
     • If longer: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the longer term and (2) confirms that funding is guaranteed for the duration of the appointment. The maximum term length is three years.
  4. CV if more than six months since termination

• Upload the Personal Data Form separately to its respective button if more than six months since termination

New department completes the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attaches these documents:

• Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
  1. NU Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form
     • Salary: For NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows, salary must be commensurate with the NIH NRSA stipend rate for years of experience as a postdoctoral fellow; for non-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows, the salary must be at least the NRSA rate for zero years of experience and aligning with the NRSA stipend rate for years io experience is encouraged but not required. View FSM policy and NRSA stipend levels.
  2. Position Data/Appointment Forms downloaded from myHR and updated
     • Former department downloads forms from myHR, signs, and sends to new department
     • Appointment form Action/Reason = XFR/DPO, and change appropriate fields
     • Position Data Form Action/Reason = POS NEW if opening a new position; no change necessary if using an existing position
  3. Written justification if appointment term deviates from one year
     • If shorter: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the short term and (2) confirms that upon conclusion of the short term, the employee will either be reappointed for a full year or terminated
     • If longer: written justification that (1) explains the reason for the longer term and (2) confirms that funding is guaranteed for the duration of the appointment. The maximum term length is three years.
  4. CV

• Upload the Personal Data Form separately to its respective button
  
  • If the appointee has worked for the medical school in the last six months in a RESEARCH STAFF position, you don't need to submit a personal data form.

Leaves of absence are coordinated by the Benefits Division. Please contact them for assistance: benefits@northwestern.edu.