Definition of a Postdoctoral Appointment and Appointment Letter Template

(Sources: The AAU Committee on Postdoctoral Education, 1998; FASEB’s Science Policy Committee, 2001,
NSF, AAMC and the National Postdoctoral Association)

 The appointee was recently awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., Sc.D., M.D.) in an
appropriate field;
 the appointment is temporary;
 the appointment involves substantially full-time research or scholarship;
 the appointment is viewed as preparatory for a full-time academic career;
 the appointment is not part of a clinical training program, unless research training under the supervision
of a senior mentor is a primary purpose of the appointment;
 the appointee works under the supervision of a senior scholar or a department in a university or similar
institution; AND
 the appointee has the freedom, and is expected, to publish the results of his or her research or
scholarship during the period of the appointment.

A typical appointment process needs to take into consideration three major areas: the eligibility for
appointment, the offer of appointment, and the duration of appointment.

Appointment Letter

Initial Letter of Appointment Outline

1. Offer of postdoctoral position, with title of agreed research project and mentor’s name.
2. Effective date of appointment, amount of stipend, source and expiration date of funding.
3. Details of the duration of appointment.
4. Statement of eligibility for Institutional insurance and other benefits
5. (International Candidates only) Notification of visa and employment documentation requirements
6. Additional information, such as whether the appointment is renewable and the conditions for renewal,
may be included.
7. The Postdoctoral Scholar’s acceptance of the appointment is required.
Sample Appointment Letter

Date
Postdoctoral Associate/Scholar Name
Postdoctoral Associate/Scholar Address

Dear Dr. Name

We are pleased to offer you a position as a Postdoctoral Associate/Scholar at the University of Louisville in the
Department of department name/division of. This letter is intended to formalize our understanding of your
appointment.

Your appointment will begin on start date and end on end date, contingent upon the availability of funding.
Should this source of support end during your appointment, you and I will confer on alternate sources of
funding; however, if no alternative sources are available, you will be provided thirty days’ notice of the
termination of this appointment. Your appointment may be renewed and is contingent upon satisfactory
performance and availability of funding. Your total support for the initial year of training will be $$, from
source. During this appointment, you will be involved in brief description of research/studies.

[For international postdocs on visas:] This appointment is made on the condition that you have authorization to
work under U.S. Immigration and Naturalization laws. If necessary, you are responsible for maintaining proper
work authorization through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). To the extent you require and
are qualified to seek a nonimmigrant worker visa (i.e. H-1B visa), the University will provide the Department
of ____________ with the legal services necessary to petition the USCIS for the appropriate visa on your
behalf.

Additionally, this offer of employment is contingent upon your successful completion of a pre-employment
state and national background check and, if applicable, an education check. Once you have accepted this offer,
you will receive an email from [email protected] with the subject line “Background
Investigation Forms Requested” containing instructions to go online and complete the consent form for your
criminal and education background check. Please check your spam folder for this email. If you have not
received this email within a few days, please notify your hiring department or Human Resources at (502) 852-
6258.

Upon arriving at the University of Louisville, please contact your departmental business office. The
departmental office will work in concert with Human Resources to inform you of the benefits options available
to you and to arrange enrollment in a health insurance plan. As a term staff employee, you will be subject to the
staff provisions and personnel policies of the University of Louisville. Staff provisions will be explained to you
during new employee orientation in Human Resources and you may also view the personnel policies online at
http://louisville.edu/hr/policies.

[For international postdocs on J1 visas] In addition, federal regulations require that all exchange visitors (J1)
and their dependents (J2) maintain health insurance at specified levels of coverage for the duration of their visit.
If you provide your own insurance, please be sure that it meets the necessary requirements.
Prior to your arrival, we request that you send several important documents to us: i) your curriculum vitae (CV);
ii) two letters of recommendation; iii) a signed copy of this appointment letter. Also, if you have not yet
received your doctoral diploma, please provide us with a letter from your degree-granting institution stating (in
English) that all of the degree requirements have been met and stating when the degree will be conferred.

Should you have any questions, please contact admin name at (502) 852-XXXX or e-mail; you can send faxes
to (502) 852-XXXX. Also, visit department website for additional information about our department. We look
forward to meeting you soon!

Sincerely,

sponsoring faculty name AND signature optional: other departmental representative

Appointee’s Name (print) _______________________________

Appointee's signature: __________________________________ Date:_________

ADDENDUM

NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION AND ONLINE TRAINING

As a new employee, you will spend your first day at New Employee Orientation (NEO). During the half-day session,
new employees will be able to learn more about benefits offered and obtain identification cards and parking permits.
Your hiring department will schedule your orientation date with Human Resources to coincide with your first day. NEO
is held every Monday (or on Tuesdays when the preceding Monday is a holiday). To supplement this, you will also
have online training to complete within 30 days of hire. Information about orientation and online training are
available online at http://louisville.edu/hr/newemployee.

New Employee Orientation

Time: 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Human Resources Office at 1980 Arthur Street, Louisville, KY 40208

BENEFITS
Information regarding the benefits programs and enrollment details are available online at
http://louisville.edu/hr/employment/newemployee/benefits. Representatives from Human Resources will be available
during your orientation session to answer any questions and to assist you with your enrollment in the benefits
programs. You will have 30 days from your start date to make your benefit elections.

Additional resources for new employees, including relocation information, are also available at
http://louisville.edu/hr/newemployee. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Employment Services at
[email protected]
 Benefits
at a Glance
The University of Louisville is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefits package
which includes health, dental, and vision insurance; as well as a generous retirement
plan, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and disability coverage, and tuition
remission. With so many exceptional benefit options adding value to your paycheck,
it’s easy to see why the University of Louisville is a great place to work.

For the purpose of this benefits summary, eligibility is defined as regular status 40%
or greater FTE faculty and staff, unless otherwise noted. Employees can choose to
cover themselves, as well as spouse/partner or qualifying adult and dependent
children up to age 26.

This is only an overview of the benefits offered at the University of Louisville and are
subject to change. For detailed benefits plan coverage and eligibility, please visit
louisville.edu/hr/benefits.

HEALTH INSURANCE: UofL offers several health insurance options to fit you and your
family’s needs, including Choice (EPO), Choice Plus (PPO), PCA High and PCA Low.
Coverage begins on the first day of employment. Coverage is provided through Anthem
BlueCross BlueShield.

DENTAL INSURANCE: Dental coverage is available through Humana Dental at employee cost. This program offers $1,000
maximum benefit for each covered member on the plan. There is an in-network and out-of-network benefit, but you save
money by visiting in-network dental providers for your dental care.

VISION INSURANCE: Vision insurance is offered through National Vision Administrators (NVA) at employee cost. This
broad national network consists of numerous providers and provider locations, including independent optometrists and
ophthalmologists, as well as the convenience of retail locations. Coverage includes savings on eye exams, lenses and
frames, contact lenses and more.

HEALTH INSURANCE WAIVER: For employees who choose to waive coverage in the medical plan, the university will
contribute $175 per month to a flexible spending health or dependent care account.

RETIREMENT PLAN: A generous university contribution to a 403(b) plan, whether you choose to contribute or not!
Regular status 80% or greater FTE employees are eligible to participate after one year of service. The university
automatically contributes 7.5% of your annual base salary after one year – you contribute nothing. If you contribute 2.5%,
the university will match it for a university contribution of 10% of your annual salary. Employer contributions are fully
vested after three continuous years of service. In addition, the university offers two 457(b) plans as additional
opportunities to invest pre tax dollars for retirement.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS: Use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare and/or dependent care
expenses! Employees can enroll in a voluntary flexible spending account for either health or dependent care. Plans are
administered by Chard-Snyder.
LIFE, AD&D AND SUPPLEMENTAL LIFE INSURANCE: Life insurance is provided at no cost to eligible employees. The
university provides basic life coverage at twice your base salary up to a maximum of $200,000. Accidental Death &
Dismemberment Insurance is provided equal to the amount of life insurance at no cost. You can purchase additional life
insurance for yourself, spouse/partner or qualifying adult and your dependents. Premiums are based on coverage and age
of employee.

LONG TERM DISABILITY: The university provides basic Long Term Disability insurance at no cost to you when you
participate in the University of Louisville Retirement Plan. If you become totally disabled while insured and remain so for
six months, the university's basic LTD plan will pay the greater of 60% of your monthly base salary or 60 % of your
average monthly earnings from the past two years, up to a maximum of $5,000 per month.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS: Additional benefits are available and include: short term disability, employee assistance program
(EAP), emergency travel assistance, legal services and a PC loan program.

WELLNESS: Get Healthy Now is available to all UofL employees, retirees, and their spouse/partner or qualifying adult.
GHN offers an online health risk assessment, health coaching, campus fitness and wellness classes, and an employee
dedicated fitness facility. Participants receive a monthly health insurance premium incentive. Join GHN and earn the
rewards of good health!

CHILD CARE: Located on the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus, the Early Learning Campus (ELC) is part of the
Gladys and Lewis "Sonny" Bass Louisville Scholar House Campus and is an exemplary pre-school for children of UofL
faculty, staff, and residents of the Louisville Scholar House. For tuition and enrollment information, visit
louisville.edu/education/elc.

TUITION REMISSION: All regular/provisional 80% or greater full-time employees are eligible to take up to two courses
each semester tuition free. If you work part-time, 40% to 80% FTE, you are eligible to take one course. In addition, after
one year of eligible service, your dependent children can attend classes full time and tuition free for their first
undergraduate degree through the end of the semester in which they turn 26. For more information visit
louisville.edu/hr/benefits/education.

PAID LEAVE: Faculty do not have structured leave policies, but do enjoy a safety net protection of up to six months off
with full salary in the event of a serious health condition, and may take up to six weeks off with full salary on birth or
adoption. Professional (Exempt) staff earn 15-22 days of vacation leave and 12 days of sick leave per year. Classified
(Non-Exempt Staff) earn 10-22 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave per year.

ADDITIONAL PAID LEAVE: In addition to vacation & sick leave, the University observes 12-13 holidays per year and
provides bereavement, military, and community service leave for staff employees. We also provide up to 12 weeks of
catastrophic leave for staff with a family medical leave.

EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS: Many businesses and organizations offer discounts to university faculty and staff, including
transportation, bookstores, entertainment, retail, restaurants and more!

HUMAN RESOURCES • 1980 ARTHUR STREET • UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE • LOUISVILLE, KY 40208-2770

PH: 502.852.6258 F: 502.852.5665 WEB: LOUISVILLE.EDU/HR