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Postdoc Resources

Seminar Schedule

A list of department and institutional seminars.
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» AOPE: Seminars
» AOPE: Coastal Ocean Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (COFDL) Talks
» Biology: Thursday Seminars
» G&G: Seminar Series
» MC&G: Tuesday Seminars
» PO: Seminars

Education Coordinators

Education Coordinators within each department are available to assist postdocs in their departments with questions related to postdoctoral life and career issues.
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J. Seward Johnson Chairs in Oceanography 

Stipends and Salaries

Current Stipend and Salary Rates
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Postdoctoral Scholar stipends and Postdoctoral Investigator salaries are reviewed each year within the context of national and international competitiveness by the Vice President for Academic Programs and Dean in consultation with the WHOI Human Resources Office. For the latest salary and stipend information, please contact Janet Fields.

Benefits

Current WHOI Postdoctoral Benefit Policies and Eligibility

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Policies regarding Postdoc Investigators can be found on the Human Resources website. Individual questions should be addressed to your Benefits Specialist.

To the extent feasible, Scholar and Fellow benefits emulate employee benefits.

Employee and Student Assistance Program (ESAP)

Scholars and Fellows: Eligible

Dependent Care Flexible Spending

Scholars and Fellows: Not Eligible

Bereavement Leave

Scholars and Fellows:

Absences for three to five days for bereavement leave may be arranged through the postdoc’s advisor.
Category A (up to 5 days) for:

  • Spouse
  • Son/Daughter
  • Mother/Father
  • Brother/Sister
  • Step-Mother/-Father
  • Step-Child

Category B (up to 3 days) for:

  • Grandmother/Grandfather
  • Mother-/Father-in-law
  • Brother-/Sister-in-law
  • Daughter-/Son-in-law
  • Other relatives residing in the employee’s home

Loans – Computer, Employee Education and Education Loans for Children

Scholars and Fellows: Not Eligible

Holidays

Scholars and Fellows:

The Institution observes ten annual holidays, which are listed below.

  • New Years Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day

Jury Duty

Scholars and Fellows:

If called for jury duty, the postdoc should make their advisor aware of any absences necessitated.

Military Leave

Scholars and Fellows:

Handled on a case by case basis

Unpaid Leave of Absence

Scholars and Fellows:

Handled on a case by case basis

Vacation

Scholars and fellows:

During the normal course of the postdoc’s appointment, scholars and fellows and their advisors will arrange a mutually compatible schedule of vacation. Total vacation time will equal 16 days per year.

Short-term Disability

Scholars:

  • Up to 6 weeks of disability pay at 100% stipend (or up to 12 weeks at half-time) * Appointment may be extended appropriately at this time
  • Must provide a physician’s written statement of the period of time needed to be out of work
  • Any additional leave and/or extensions due to health related issues will be considered by the Academic Program Office in consultation with the WHOI Human Resources Office

Fellows:

  • Fellows will fall under the guidelines of their fellowship granting agency
  • Fellows receiving a WHOI supplement to their fellowship will first fall within their granting agency’s guidelines and then any leave or additional supplements will be on a case by case basis

Parental and Adoption Leave

Scholars:

  • 9 weeks at 100% stipend for the primary caregiver (scholarship will be extended by this length of time)
  • Any additional leave and/or extensions due to health related issues that may arise during and after pregnancy will be considered by the Academic Program Office in consultation with the WHOI Human Resources Office
  • Any additional, non-health related leave will be considered an unpaid leave of absence and must be approved by the postdoc’s advisor and APO
  • Appointment may be extended appropriately at this time
    The postdoc’s wellness benefit is discontinued during unpaid leave
  • Change to ¾ time or ½ time is allowed
  • Appointment can be extended to the equivalent of the complete appointment length at full time
  • Raises will not be considered/issued until the equivalent of 12 months at full time has been completed.
  • Open ended leave of absence is not allowed
  • If you are not the primary caregiver, you may receive up to three weeks of stipend continuation. You must take these days within the first six months of the birth or adoption.

Fellows:

  • Fellows will fall under the guidelines of their fellowship granting agency
  • Fellows receiving a WHOI supplement to their fellowship will first fall within their granting agency’s guidelines and then any leave or additional supplements will be on a case by case basis

Retirement

Scholars and Fellows:

Effective as of January 1, 2011, any individual affiliated with the Institution as a Postdoctoral Scholar or Fellow who is later offered employment as a Postdoctoral Investigator, and who accepts employment with the Institution, will be given credit for the period they were affiliated with the Institution as a Postdoctoral Scholar or Fellow, towards Vesting Service requirements under the Institution’s 403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan (the “Plan”).

It is important to note, that during the period in which an individual is affiliated with the Institution as a Postdoctoral Scholar or Fellow, he or she is not considered an Employee and is not eligible to participate in the Plan and is therefore not eligible for any employer contributions.

Child Care Subsidy

Details and forms for the WHOI Child Care Subsidy / Dependent Care Reimbursement Program.
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All WHOI postdocs are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy / Dependent Care Reimbursement Program. Postdoctoral Investigators are eligible for the employee benefit plan. The Program for Postdoctoral Scholars and Fellows emulates the employee plan wherever possible. Certain areas where we are restricted by law, or the rules of a particular fellowship may restrict us from providing specific benefits such as flexible spending or tax benefits.

If you are eligible for the subsidy, you may receive $6.00 per day care hour per child for child care costs incurred to enable you and your spouse/domestic partner to work. The subsidy will be based on actual time worked (exclusive of overtime) and child care hours; the amount paid will be for the lesser hours. You may receive up to an annual maximum of $6,000 per dependent. The expenses must be for the care of dependent children under age 13.  

Postdoctoral Investigators:
Further details about the Child Care Subsidy / Dependent Care Reimbursement Program can be found under the Health and Welfare section of the Human Resources web page.

Postdoctoral Scholars and Fellows:
The following forms must be completed and returned to Benefits, in Nobska House, MS #15, prior to receiving any benefit:

Your supervisor should verify your hours, a space has been provided on the bottom of the Child Care Provider form. All paperwork should be submitted to Human Resources, MS 15 by the 1st of the month in order to be processed and paid out in the last pay period of the month.

Please note* IRS regulations and the rules of particular appointments prohibit us from providing this benefit on a pre-tax basis.

Questions can be directed to Human Resources.

Responsible Conduct in Research

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) web site
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A new federal mandate requires that all students and postdocs who may receive financial support from an NSF or NIH grant must complete some formal and verifiable training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR). The Institution now has to certify that it is in compliance with this mandate in every NSF and NIH proposal.

To meet this requirement, we are asking that all graduate students and postdocs complete the online RCR training program available on the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) web site using the link to the right. Once on the site, look for the link to RCR Course at the top of the home page. This is a well-designed, comprehensive course that includes specialized modules for physical scientists and for life scientists (your choice). It will take about four hours to read the text and complete the brief tests at the end of each module.

After you complete the CITI course you will have an opportunity to print out a certificate that verifies that you have taken and passed the course. Please submit a printed certificate to your advisor and to Janet Fields. Keep a copy for your own records. This training will be considered valid for four years.

Thank you for your cooperation.

See Also

CITI Web Site

The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct
An ethics scenarios module from the Office of Research Integrity of the US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research
A publication by the NIH/ORI (a downloadable pdf)

Ethics Core
A clearinghouse of on-line RCR resources.

On Being A Scientist - A Guide To Responsible Conduct In Research
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine of The National Academies

Useful Links

Links to WHOI's policies and procedures, career development information, and miscellaneous resources.
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WHOI Policies and Procedures

Career Development

Professional Organizations and Funding Agencies

Miscellaneous Resources for Postdocs