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Obligations and Responsibilities of Postdocs

Description

Postdoctoral trainees have obligations to their faculty mentor, research group, department or school, funding sponsor, and the University.

Postdoctoral trainees are expected to conduct themselves as members of Penn’s academic and research community and to follow applicable University, school, department, sponsor, and research policies.

Core Responsibilities

Postdoctoral trainee responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • conscientiously carrying out research, scholarly, and teaching responsibilities, as applicable;
  • conforming with ethical standards in research and scholarship;
  • following good scholarly practice, including maintaining adequate research records;
  • conducting themselves collegially toward all members of the University community;
  • complying with applicable University, school, department, sponsor, and research policies;
  • completing an Individual Development Plan (IDP) or equivalent annual performance appraisal with their faculty mentor at the beginning of each appointment year;
  • completing required Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and other required compliance training based on discipline, funding source, research activities, and career stage.

Research Records, Data, and Scholarly Materials

Postdoctoral trainees are responsible for following applicable policies and expectations related to research records, scholarly materials, data, and tangible research property.

This includes, when relevant:

  • maintaining accurate laboratory records, research records, scholarly materials, data, or databases;
  • discussing ownership, possession, use, or distribution of tangible research property, such as materials, reagents, data, or related resources, with their faculty mentor in an open and timely manner;
  • disclosing appropriate scholarly information, findings, or techniques before private dissemination, conference presentation, or publication;
  • following applicable laboratory, department, school, sponsor, data management, intellectual property, and research compliance requirements.

Research, Compliance, and Safety Training

Postdoctoral trainees are responsible for understanding and following applicable research, compliance, and safety requirements. Requirements may vary based on appointment type, funding source, research activities, laboratory or clinical environment, and school or department procedures.

Depending on their work, postdoctoral trainees may be required to complete or follow guidance related to:

Postdoctoral trainees should consult their faculty mentor, department or school administrator, and applicable research compliance offices to confirm which requirements apply before beginning research activities.

For University policy guidance, postdoctoral trainees should review the Policy for Postdoctoral Trainees at the University of Pennsylvania.

Postdoctoral trainees should also review applicable Penn policies and resources based on their appointment, funding source, and research activities, including:

View Penn Postdoctoral Trainee Policy

Related FAQs

Is there a residency requirement?

The fellowship requires that you live within the Philadelphia area unless the research program is of a global nature.

Am I an employee of the college?

Postdocs at Penn are considered trainees. Trainees are assigned to and supervised by a faculty mentor. The University pays a stipend and offers employee-like benefits. Please see the Policy for Postdoctoral Trainees at the University of Pennsylvania.

Which Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) CITI Training do I complete?

There are several different discipline specific RCR courses listed in the CITI training. You should choose the course that is most closely associated with your discipline:

Biomedical Research – research in areas like life sciences, biomedical, health sciences, basic biological research, etc.

Social and Behavioral Research – research in areas like anthropology, communication, economics, geography, communication, criminology, international studies, journalism, political science, psychology, sociology, speech and hearing, education, etc.

Physical Sciences – research in areas like physics, earth sciences, chemistry, microbiology, evolution and ecology, astronomy, mathematics, energy, aerospace, lasers, etc.

Humanities – research in areas like visual or performing arts, arts education, English or other languages, religious studies, gender studies, literature, history, etc.

Engineering – research in general engineering fields. This course is very similar to the Physical Science course.

Research Administrators – If you assist in the administration of research rather than the direct conduct of the research, you should select the Research Administrators course.

How do I address grievances and conflicts?

The University of Pennsylvania strives to promote an optimal training and educational experience for its postdoc community through a professional and respectful environment. Open and routine communication between supervisors/mentors and postdocs throughout the postdoc appointment is encouraged in order to clarify expectations, provide an ongoing and timely mechanism for constructive feedback from both parties, as well as offer the opportunity to identify, address/resolve any potential matters as they may arise. It is the expectation that this communication between supervisors and postdocs occurs openly and regularly. Faculty mentors should refer to the grievance process that is included in the policy for postdoctoral trainees at the University of Pennsylvania for step-by-step information.

Information on the grievance process for postdocs can be found here.

What is an Individual Development Plan (IDP)?

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) refers to a structured document outlining the professional and career development goals of a postdoctoral researcher. IDPs are typically designed to help postdocs identify their strengths, weaknesses, career aspirations, and areas for improvement.

Establishing clear expectations and setting goals with a clear plan for achieving them are critical to a productive postdoctoral experience. Therefore, at the beginning of the appointment, faculty mentors should work with their postdocs to complete an IDP.

An IDP should:
– Set clear short-term, mid-term, and long-term training and development goals.
– Create a written action plan for the postdoc’s individual goals, including career objectives and professional development needs.
– Establish clear expectations.
– Identify and use resources to help postdocs achieve their goals.
– Serve as a communication tool between the mentor and the postdoc to have open and direct dialogue.

Are Individual Development Plans (IDP)s required?

IDPs for biomedical postdocs are required. It is strongly encouraged that all postdocs complete an IDP with the faculty mentor. Faculty mentors in the following schools are required to submit their postdocs completed IDP to The Office of Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs (BPP).

Perelman School of Medicine
PennVet
Penn Nursing
Penn Dental
School of Arts & Sciences, Biology Department

Do postdocs need to provide proof of their doctoral degree? 

Eligibility for appointment as a postdoc requires a candidate to hold, or to have completed the requirements for, an advanced degree, e.g., PhD, MD, or equivalent. Candidates from non-U.S. universities must hold advanced degrees equivalent to those awarded in U.S. institutions in order to qualify for appointment as postdoctoral fellows. It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide transcripts and/or a diploma certifying that the postdoc has received their degree, and although this may be delegated, it is the mentor’s responsibility to review this documentation and ensure that it is satisfactory and included in the candidate’s file. If conferral of a postdoc degree occurs after their start date, the postdoc must furnish a notarized statement or letter from their home institution’s registrar or University official that their degree will be conferred on a certain date and stating that they have completed all degree requirements by that date. Again, it is the mentor and or delegated authority responsibility to review the postdoc’s transcripts and/or diploma, or notarized letter to ensure that it is satisfactory. This documentation should be included in the candidate’s file and a copy added to their Workday@Penn file. In no event shall a postdoc be reappointed without the degree having been awarded. 

How are IDPs connected to federal policy?

The National Academies and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified IDPs as a critical component of postdoctoral training. The NIH policy states:

NIH encourages institutions to develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers (including scholars, trainees and fellows, and individuals in other postdoctoral positions) supported by NIH awards by October 2014. The IDPs should be broadly implemented for all graduate students and postdoctoral researchers supported by NIH…

[As of] Oct. 1, 2014… NIH will begin to encourage grantees to report the use of those IDPs on the progress report, regardless of the type of NIH grant that is used for support.

Although not yet a formal NIH requirement, those who don’t adopt the IDP locally now are likely to be at a disadvantage at their next competitive review. Note that this policy applies to all trainees supported by NIH funds, whether training grants, R01s or other.

How do I find a faculty mentor?

Applicants are encouraged to research the Penn and CHOP websites, review scholarly publications, reach out, and communicate with specific faculty members with compatible research interests who will be interested in serving as mentors. If possible, meet with the proposed mentor and discuss a mentorship plan.

What is an NRSA Fellow?

An NRSA Fellow is a postdoctoral position. NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows are individuals who come to the University for the principal purpose of furthering their personal development through participation in advanced training programs. They hold post-baccalaureate degrees, normally the highest degree earned in the field. The source of funding is an individual or institutional National Research Service Award from the federal government to support the individual’s training (T32 or F32).

The IRS defines an NRSA Fellow as a trainee that does not provide a service to the college. Due to these IRS regulations, no federal tax or FICA can be withheld from an NRSA Fellow stipend and an NRSA Fellow cannot receive any benefits that result in a tax impact (e.g. pre-tax contributions to a retirement account). An NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow’s stipend is subject to State, Local and State Unemployment Compensation taxes. No employment benefit rate can be charged to NRSA funding.

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