ORCCAMIND Postdoctoral Training Policy
T32 CAM Research Training in Neuroscience and Stress
Postdoctoral Training policy
I. Compensation and Benefits
T32 Postdoctoral Scholars are paid via stipend and appointed to gain research experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor/s.
I.1. Stipend
The minimum monthly stipend for Postdoctoral appointments is the NIH NRSA stipend level in effect on the starting date of the appointment. Payment of stipends at higher rates (or supplementation of stipends) is subject to policies of the funding source (e.g., NIH Grant Policy) and must be approved by the Department Chair (and Training Grant Director, if applicable).
This is a full-time research position. On average, post-docs should devote at least 75% of their time to research and up to 25% on coursework and/or clinical work that has been approved by the primary mentor and one of the T32 directors.
Stipend payments are issued twice a month through the OHSU payroll system. Please note that during months with 3 pay periods, you will not receive payment in the 3rd period to maintain the monthly NIH stipend rate. Payroll will split the stipend equally between the first 2 pay periods. No taxes are withheld (see I.2).
To request direct deposit, complete and submit the following form:
I.2. Taxes
OHSU does not withhold taxes from or provide advice regarding taxes on T32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service awards. If the trainee plans on paying federal income tax on the stipend, then a quarterly estimated tax payment may be useful. In preparing your personal income tax return, please consult with your tax advisor because the issue of federal taxes on these awards is not always clear-cut and OHSU is not authorized to provide individual tax advice.
I.3. Health Care
Postdoctoral Scholars and their families shall have access to a comprehensive health care plan consistent with coverage provided to other individuals in similar training positions at OHSU. Appointees have access to the same benefit plan made available to Unclassified Employees at the University. OHSU provides the same medical and dental benefits for postdoctoral scholars as they do for all employees. (Please review your benefits package for further details).
If postdocs choose to waive OHSU medical and dental options, funds of up to $1,000 may be available for project research-related expenses.
Benefits begin the first day of the month following the hire date. Postdocs have 31 days from their start date to enroll. If hired on the first day of the month, coverage will begin that day.
I.4. Retirement Benefits
Enrollment is offered to all Postdoctoral Scholars employed on June 30th of each fiscal year. OHSU contributes 3% into a 457(b) plan offered by Fidelity Investments.
I.5. Holidays, Vacation and Sick Leave
Appointees receive the same paid holidays as OHSU. In addition, appointees may take up to 2 weeks of paid vacation days per appointment year (start date to end date). After use of sick time, vacation time may be used for approved medical leave. Scheduling of vacation days must be approved by the Faculty Mentor. Appointees and Mentors are expected to be both reasonable and flexible in making decisions about the student's commitment of time to laboratory work as well as other training-related activities when scheduling vacations. The time period between academic terms is considered to be active part of the training period. Unused vacation days may be carried over from one appointment period to the next. However, Appointees will not receive payment for unused vacation days when their appointments end.
Appointees may take up to 12 days of paid sick leave per appointment year. Sick leave accrues at the rate of 1 sick day per month. Additional sick leave is without pay. Whenever the number of days of sick leave in an appointment year exceeds 12, the Appointee must provide written notification to the Mentor and Training Program Coordinator (and Training Grant Director if applicable) and consideration must be given to whether the Appointee is able to maintain his/her training responsibilities. If it appears that continued leave will interfere with satisfactory completion of the training program, the Appointee may be terminated from the program. A period of terminal leave is not permitted, and payment will not be made for sick leave that is not taken.
Postdoctoral Appointees may take pregnancy, parental or family leave as these terms are defined by the OHSU Administrative Policy Manual. Up to 12 days of such leave may be taken each academic year as paid sick days in accord with the sick leave policy described above. Any additional leave is without pay, unless allowed by the granting agency or funding source. Postdoctoral appointees are entitled to take up to 12 consecutive calendar weeks of pregnancy, parental, or family leave per academic year. Individuals intending to take such leave must provide advance written notice of their intent to the Mentor and Training Program Coordinator (and Training Grant Director if applicable). Extended leave for Trainees is subject to final approval by the granting agency. Postdoctoral Appointees who return from pregnancy, parental, or family leave within 12 weeks will be reinstated at the same stipend level in effect when the leave began.
There may be additional restrictions or requirements for Trainees who receive stipend support from individual or institutional traineeship or fellowship awards from NIH or other sources. Students should consult their training program director and the awarding agency for additional information.
I.6. Travel and Research Expenses
Postdoctoral appointees are allowed up to $2,000 in travel funds to attend research-related conferences or events. Generally, there are no funds for study costs. If postdocs receive medical insurance outside of OHSU and wish to opt out of OHSU insurance, the T32 may be able to provide an additional $1,000 in research expenses.
Tuition for some courses are allowable expenses, e.g., the Human Investigation Program. Tuition for other courses and workshops may be allowable within the T32 but needs to be discussed with and approved by the mentor and one of the T32 co-PIs. Some additional funding may be provided annually from the individual and/or the mentor’s research funds.
The T32 training program does not provide funds for moving expenses.
II. NIH Public Access Policy & T32 Acknowledgement
All papers resulting from NIH funds are required to be submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) immediately upon publication. There are four PMC submission methods (A, B, C and D) and the process you need to follow depends on the journal: https://publicaccess.nih.gov/submit_process.htm. It is best practice to use the Identification Wizard to determine your journal’s PMC submission method before signing a publishing agreement, so the submission proceeds correctly and you are aware of any actions you must take. In some cases (Methods A and B), the journal will manage the entire submission, in other cases (Methods C and D) the corresponding author must take some action.
If you publish with a Method D journal/publisher, the article must be submitted to the National Institutes of Health Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS) by the publisher within 3 months of publication. If the publisher does not submit in time within the 3-month period, please initiate the deposit yourself following Method C best practices.
Also, the T32 should be acknowledged in all publications made possible, at least in part, while funded by the T32. Acknowledgement text should include: NIH-NCCIH T32 AT002688.
III. Trainee Citizenship
At the time of appointment to the training program, individuals selected for research training supported by NRSA institutional training grants must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or some other legal verification of legal admission as a permanent resident. Non-citizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (e.g., American Samoa and Swains Island). Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible for Kirschstein-NRSA support. In addition, trainees must be able to commit full-time effort in the program at the time of appointment.
IV. Required Training
Research training expectations are that the trainees will present, in rotation, at the monthly journal club, attend and present at the annual, half-day research retreat and enroll in CAM and other courses relevant to your area of research. A minimum of 20 hours of CAM courses must be undertaken per year. All requirements are listed on the T32 Educational Requirements check-off sheet that each postdoc is asked to complete annually along with their NIH progress report.
All are also required to take “Neurobiology of Disease” (NEUS 626) and Biomarkers of Psychological Stress (HIP 536). Both are usually offered every other Spring (not necessarily in the same cycle.)
IV.1 Individual Development Plan (IDP)
All postdocs are required to complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP) within three months of their appointment. The IDP needs to be reviewed with your primary mentor and with your assigned T32 co-PI. In addition, your IDP will be presented at the annual retreat. For assistance in plan development, visit:
http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
IV.2 Human Investigations Program (HIP)
Human subject researchers are expected to enroll in the Human Investigations Program (HIP). For Fall term, applications must be submitted by July 16th (this date may vary year to year) and applicants will be notified of admission decisions by mid-August:
IV.3 Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)
Postdocs involved in clinical projects are recommended to take the OCTRI RCR for Training Grants Seminar. Those doing preclinical work have the option of taking the Training Grants Seminar, Practice of Ethics & Science (CONJ 650) or the Seminar for RCR/Bioethics (BEHN RCR 003). Not all RCR courses are offered every year, so it is recommended to take the course that best fits the appointee’s timeline while on the T32.