Postdoc Appointment Letter Template
[Date]
[Scholar Name]
[Scholar Address]
Dear Dr. [Scholar Name],
We are pleased to offer you a position as a Postdoctoral [Associate/Fellow] in the Department of
[department name]. This letter is intended to formalize our understanding of your appointment
and provides important information about beginning your new position.
APPOINTMENT TERMS
Your appointment will start on [start date] and end on [end date]. Your appointment may be
renewed up to a maximum of [three] additional one-year appointments and is contingent upon
satisfactory performance and availability of funding. Your total support for the initial period of
training will be [$$], from [source]. Beyond this initial appointment, should this source of
support end, you and I will confer on whether alternate sources of funding can be identified.
Please note that this offer is also contingent upon the successful completion of a background
check. [For international postdocs on visas only:] Please note that your appointment is
contingent upon your having the proper U.S. immigration status and that the exact start date of
your appointment may change if your visa or immigration process approval is delayed. While
Yale’s Office of International Students and Scholars will assist you whenever possible, it is your
responsibility to apply for and obtain the correct visa status to enter the U.S.
During this appointment, you will be involved in [brief description of research/training].
DOCUMENTATION
Prior to your arrival at Yale, you are required to submit the following documents to us:
a. your curriculum vitae (CV);
b. two letters of recommendation;
c. a signed copy of this appointment letter or an email acceptance of the terms of this letter.
d. a copy of your doctoral diploma. If you have not yet received your doctoral diploma,
please provide us with a transcript or letter from the Dean/Registrar’s Office of your
degree-granting institution stating (in English) that all degree requirements have been met
and on which date the degree was or will be conferred.
In the absence of adequate proof of degree, your initial appointment is as a Postgraduate
[Associate/Fellow]. Promotion to postdoc and reappointment beyond this initial year will
require evidence of degree completion.
ORIENTATION
Before you arrive at Yale, please visit http://www.yale.edu/postdocs/postdocs_orientation.html
to sign up for mandatory Postdoctoral Orientation.
BENEFITS
If you wish to enroll in Yale benefits, including a Yale insurance plan, you must do so within 30
days of your start date. If you are a Postdoctoral Fellow, you must enroll in health insurance and
submit a completed subsidy form to your departmental business office within 10 days after your
appointment start date in order to guarantee that any applicable health care subsidy appears in
your first monthly paycheck. The process for enrolling in Yale benefits requires a NetID and
password, which your department will provide but which may not be available until your start
date or soon after. Please use your NetID and password to log into www.yale.edu/portal, and
click on “My Benefits” to begin the enrollment process. Note that if your appointment start date
is the first of the month, your health coverage will be effective as of your start date. For
appointments that begin on any day other than the first of the month, health coverage begins on
the first day of the subsequent month. If you need further information or assistance with
enrolling in benefits, please contact the Employee Service Center at (203) 432-5552 or
employee.services@yale.edu; or visit the Welcome Center in the first floor lobby at 221 Whitney
Avenue.
If you have non-Yale health insurance that will cover you during your appointment, you must
return proof of insurance (for example a photo copy of your insurance card) to us. [For
international postdocs on J1 visas only:] 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 requirements listed on
http://www.yale.edu/oiss/immigration/common/j1scholars/health.html.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For questions about our department, please contact [admin name ] at [203- ] or [e-mail]; you
may send faxes to [ 203- ]. Also, visit [departmental website ] and
http://www.yale.edu/postdocs for additional information about our department, Yale, and New
Haven. We look forward to meeting you soon!
Sincerely,
[Sponsoring faculty name and signature ] [other departmental representative ]
Appointee's signature: _______________________
Date:_________