Postdocs at UNM |
Definition
A
postdoctoral fellow is a person engaged in a period of special
study and/or research at the postdoctoral level. The
postdoctoral fellow (PDF) is a trainee, which is a unique
category of employment at UNM, distinct from staff, faculty and
students enrolled in a degree-granting program. Being a trainee,
each PDF must have an identified faculty mentor (advisor). It is
the responsibility of the institution, college, department and
faculty mentor to supervise, encourage and foster the education
of the PDF in a manner consistent with PDF's career goals. PDFs
will be appointed through the Faculty Contracts Office.
Period of Appointment
An individual may be appointed as a PDF for no more than five
years at the University of New Mexico. At the conclusion of five
years employment is terminated. If the PDF is to remain a UNM
employee, he or she must go through the normal UNM hiring
process for a staff or faculty position.
During the period of appointment, the PDF is considered an
exempt employee and generally has a forty (40) hour work week,
though the PDF is paid a salary which is not based upon the
number of hours worked.
A
PDF is permitted to also be hired to teach as a part-time
instructor. This will be handled as a separate hiring, subject
to the normal UNM hiring process. In total, the PDF's FTE cannot
exceed 125% (100% if funded entirely with federal funds).
Due to the unique and temporary nature of their employment, PDFs
are considered employees at will. Because of this
classification, PDFs are allowed to terminate employment without
advance notification, although mutual consideration between the
PDF and the faculty mentor should make this an infrequent
occurrence. Similarly, the University may terminate the
employment of a PDF without advance notice. Again, the
relationship between a faculty mentor and the PDF would usually
preclude such an event.
Benefits
The following benefits will apply to eligible PDFs:
-
Fifteen (15) days annual leave per year or 10
hours per month
-
A PDF must have at least a 50%
appointment to be eligible for
annual leave benefits
-
Annual leave balances will
carryover from contract year to
contract year but may not, at
any point in time, exceed 180
hours
-
Annual leave balances may not be
converted to cash
-
When postdoctoral fellows
separate from the University,
they will not be paid for unused
annual leave
-
A PDF must have at least a 50%
appointment to be eligible for
annual leave benefits
-
Fifteen (15) days sick leave per year or 10
hours per month
-
A PDF must have at least a 50%
appointment to be eligible for
sick leave benefits
-
Sick leave balances will
carryover from contract year to
contract year but may not, at
any point, exceed 360 hours
-
Sick leave balances may not be
converted to cash
-
When postdoctoral fellows
separate from the University,
they will not be paid for unused
sick leave
-
A PDF must have at least a 50%
appointment to be eligible for
sick leave benefits
-
UNM holidays.
-
PDFs who have a contract of at least nine (9)
months or more working at least .50 FTE are
eligible for medical, dental, life, and vision
insurances only
-
Courses available through Human Resources
Employee Training or the Teaching and Research
Center.
-
Discounts available to faculty and staff, which
do not incur additional fringe benefits charges.
-
Flexible spending plan.403b Tax Shelter Annuity
plans.
The
hiring department will maintain leave records.
Leave balances will appear on payroll earnings statement.
If
fringe benefits are not an allowable cost on the contract or grant paying
PDF's salary, the department shall identify another allowable source of
funds (usually unrestricted) to pay the University's portion of the fringe
benefits.
No
other employee benefits apply.
If
a PDF is appointed for less than full-time (1.0 FTE) but more than .50 FTE
benefits will be pro-rated.