Offer Letter
Research Faculty
Associate Professor
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
(Date)
John Doe, M.D.
123 Park Place
Philadelphia, PA 12345
Dear __________:
On the basis of our recent conversations, I am pleased to offer you the position of Research
Associate Professor of (specify department) in the Associated Faculty of the Perelman School of
Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Your appointment and subsequent reappointments are
subject to approval by the appropriate Perelman School of Medicine committees, the Dean of the
Perelman School of Medicine and the Provost’s Staff Conference of the University.
I will recommend an initial appointment of 5 years. You will be contacted for information
regarding reappointment. Members of the Associated Faculty including the Research track, are not
eligible to acquire tenure. The Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators, which can be
accessed at http://provost.upenn.edu/policies/faculty-handbook, currently provides that
appointments and reappointments to the research faculty track are either for a specified term, or duration
of the grant or contract which supports the faculty member’s work, whichever is the shorter period of
time or for cause.
The Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (FAPD) website, www.med.upenn.edu/fapd
contains additional faculty policies and related information which may be helpful to you. Within our
department, (insert name of faculty coordinator) is the faculty coordinator and (insert name of
department coap chair) is the chair of our department committee on appointments and promotions and
may also serve as a resource for you.
I encourage you to attend any of the sessions offered through the Advance program
www.med.upenn.edu/fapd/advance in your role as either mentee or mentor. These sessions provide
guidance in research, scientific writing, career management and technology training. Announcements
about these programs are also communicated through e-mails. You should feel free to contact FAPD
about any professional development needs or suggestions.
Your salary for the first year will be (include grant sources). As a member of the research faculty,
your salary must be fully supported from research activity. (Be specific about arrangements for funding,
e.g. As you know, you are expected to obtain extramural funding.)
(If applicable)
In support of the University’s sustainability goals and for the convenience of employees, we have
replaced University paper checks with electronic payment options:
 Direct deposit to your bank account (Direct Deposit) and
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 The ADP ALINE Card, with courtesy checks, (ALINE Card)1
The ALINE Card is automatically issued to all new employees for purposes of receiving their pay or
reimbursements for travel or other business related expenses. An ALINE Card packet will be sent to you
directly from ADP. The packet will contain both the ALINE Card, which can be used like any debit card,
and courtesy checks, along with instructions on how to use them.
Your acceptance of employment and/or completion of your employment eligibility verification (Form
I-9) constitute consent to the University’s payroll methods, including the use of the ADP Aline Card.
You may choose to elect Direct Deposit at any time. If your Direct Deposit election is processed in time
for your first wage payment, Penn will attempt to prevent ALINE card issuance. If you receive your pay
via Direct Deposit, you do not have to activate the ALINE Card, and you can cancel a previously
activated card at any time.
For more information on both of these options, please visit the following website:
www.finance.upenn.edu/comptroller/payroll/receiving_your_pay.shtml
The purpose of your appointment is (fill in the programmatic description and
responsibilities).Further, to assist you in carrying out your research goals, the following space and
facilities are being made available to you: (fill in as appropriate)
Also enclosed are the “Guidelines for the Perelman School of Medicine Faculty Mentoring
Program.” In accordance with the Guidelines, you will be expected to make yourself available to faculty
colleagues who may need or request your assistance as a mentor.
As a full-time Research Associate Professor, you will be eligible to participate in the generous
benefits package offered by the University of Pennsylvania. After your arrival, a benefits packet will be
mailed to you by the Penn Benefits Center. If you have any questions about this packet, you should
contact the Benefits Center at 1-888-736-6236. You should also arrange to meet with (insert name of
department administrator and title) who can be reached at (insert phone number).
The University retains the right to modify or rescind any portion of their fringe benefits packages
at any time. You will be eligible for benefits according to the terms of applicable plans, as they may exist
from time to time.
As a full-time University faculty member and as an employee of The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia and (insert name of practice plan), you will be subject to all applicable University, Penn
Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and (insert name of practice plan ) policies. These
policies, which are subject to amendment from time to time, currently include, though are not limited to,
“Principles of Responsible Conduct” www.upenn.edu/audit/oacp_principles.htm), “Conflict of Interest”
as described in Faculty Handbook Policy II.E.10 (http://provost.upenn.edu/policies/facultyhandbook), in related policies and procedures at www.med.upenn.edu/fapd and the enclosed The
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Conflict of Interest and Patent and Intellectual Property policies.
1
While the University’s’ options for receiving payments are designed to take advantage of the benefits of electronic methods, the ADP ALINE
Card with courtesy checks option enables payees to write and cash checks for the entire amount due to them. This functionally is equivalent to a
‘check only’ process but has the added benefits of being able to the use the debit card, electronic bill payment, and/or write checks for different
amounts. If you prefer the ALINE Card but require assistance in completing a written check due to an accommodation for a disability or other
reason, please contact the Disbursement Office- Payroll (215-898-6301 or payroll@exchange.upenn.edu).
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Before you can commence employment at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, you must
complete The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia employment agreement enclosed with this letter
(please execute both copies and return them to us and we will have them signed and return one fully
executed copy to you).
You will not be authorized to enter into any outside contracts or agreements on behalf of the
University or The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia without formal approval from the University or
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as applicable, for which you should apply through me.
We value our reputation and seek to conduct all of our activities with the utmost integrity. This
includes respecting the intellectual property rights of other institutions and persons. We seek your
commitment that you will not bring to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia or use in connection with
your employment any intellectual property that belongs to others without their written permission. If you
have any intellectual property issues, please bring them to my attention so we can seek to work through
them.
This offer is predicated on your not having entered into any type of restrictive covenant or noncompete that could interfere with your performing the services contemplated by the proposed
employment relationship with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, (insert name of practice plan)
and the University of Pennsylvania. The offer is also predicated on your not having any preexisting or
anticipated conflicts of interest with respect to your proposed position at The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia, (insert name of practice plan) and the University of Pennsylvania. If you believe you may
have a restrictive covenant, non-compete or conflict of interest, please contact me to immediately discuss
this matter.
Prior to your start on or around (insert date), we request that all University of Pennsylvania paid
faculty members working at CHOP schedule an Occupational Health pre-placement exam and drug
screening. You will need to call for your appointment within 24 hours of being contacted via email by a
member of the Talent Acquisition department at CHOP. You can reach CHOP’s Occupational Health
department at 215-590-1928. In addition to your Occupational Health exam, CHOP requires anyone
working at its institution to complete an extensive background clearance process prior to your start date
with Penn. A representative from CHOP’s Talent Acquisition department will contact you via email to
initiate your clearance process and will be able to assist you with questions or concerns.
(FOR FOREIGN CANDIDATES) This offer is contingent upon your authorization to work and it
is your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) policies. Please contact the University’s International Student and Scholar Services
(ISSS) Office at (215-898-4661) or access http://global.upenn.edu/isss immediately so that any visa
issues may be addressed before you join us. Appointment and payroll documentation cannot be
processed until you have presented ISSS approval.
If you agree with the terms of this offer, please sign below and return the signed offer to me by
(insert date). As we discussed, assuming the faculty appointment is approved as we expect, your
appointment will commence as of (insert date). Please respond promptly to requests for information or
documentation. Failure to do so could result in delay of your appointment and inability to participate in
particular benefits programs, such as pension and long-term disability.
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All of us who have met you in the department are extremely enthusiastic about your coming to
the University of Pennsylvania and anticipate that you will have a highly successful and enjoyable career.
I personally look forward to working with you and to helping you develop your career.
Sincerely,
_______________________________
Chair of Department
I accept this offer as outlined above:
_____________________________
Date
cc:
_____________________________
Name of Candidate
Signature
Department BA
Attachments:
Mentoring Guidelines
CHOP Employment Agreements
CHOP Patent and Intellectual Property and Conflict of Interest Policies