Postdoctoral Classifications and Benefits

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Classifications  ||  Benefits  ||  Time-Off and Leave Policies  ||  Student Loan Programs

Postdoctoral Classifications

  • Postdoctoral Associates

  • Postdoctoral Scholars

A Provost Memo provides more information about University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Fellows Employment Classification. 

Postdoc Benefits

Postdoc Time-Off and Leave Policies

Compensated Days

Postdocs are compensated for 20 days total for vacation, sick, and personal time per contract year. These days are in addition to University holidays and Winter Recess, for which postdocs are also eligible. 

Parental Leave for Postdocs

Postdoctoral Associates (PDAs) and Postdoctoral Scholars (PDSs) are eligible for paid parental leave in conjunction with the birth or adoption of a PDA/PDS’s child.

Birth Mothers: Parental leave provides the birth mother with either 6 weeks of paid parental leave for a non-surgical delivery or 8 weeks of paid parental leave for a surgical delivery (cesarean section). If employed for one or more years, the birth mother’s, parental leave will be used in concert with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). A parental leave in conjunction with FMLA coverage is recorded on the PDF/PDSs Employee Record. See FLMA policies below.

PDA/PDS birth mothers are eligible for parental leave regardless of their eligibility for FMLA. In cases where the PDA/PDS has been employed less than one year, the birth mother’s leave is managed within the department without a change to the PDA/PDSs Employee Record.

Non-birthing Parents: Parental leave provides 4 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a PDA/PDS’s child for the non-birthing parent. This nonmedical-related leave is managed within the department without a change to the PDA/PDSs Employee Record.

View the Parental Leave Guidelines for Postdoctoral Associates and Postdoctoral Scholars.

Medical-Related Leave

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

PDA/PDSs have 20 compensated days to use for vacation, personal, or sick time. Once these benefits are exhausted, PDA/PDSs who have been employed for at least one year are eligible for a health-related leave under FMLA policies.

FMLA is a federal law that provides up to 12 weeks (60 working days) of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees of the University of Pittsburgh. In order to qualify, you must have been employed by the University of Pittsburgh for at least 12 months, and you must have worked at least 1,250 hours for the University of Pittsburgh in the past 12 months.

Find the answers to common questions about FMLA for postdoc trainees—including why and how to apply for Family and Medical Leave, contacts for questions, and more—in the FMLA FAQs.

Student Loan Programs

Student Loan Deferments

Most financial institutions will defer student loan payments upon verification of the length of your postdoctoral training.

  • Contact your lending institution and request a student loan deferment form.
  • Postdocs within the Health Sciences should complete this forms and email to postdoc@hs.pitt.edu. For postdocs outside of the Health Sciences, please contact the office of your department chair.
  • Your status will be verified based upon the length of your postdoctoral contract, the form will be signed by an institutional representative, and it will be returned to you.
  • You are responsible for submitting the signed deferment request form to your lending institution.
  • If you are reappointed, or if you transfer to another postdoc position, a new student loan deferral form is required.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

  • If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
  • PSLF forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.
  • Postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh meets qualifying employer criteria.
  • Complete the Employment Certification Form and email to postdoc@hs.pitt.edu to request that an institution representative verify your employment/training.

Student Loan Repayment

  • The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers.
  • The LRPs counteract that financial pressure by repaying up to $50,000 annually of a researcher's qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research.
  • Eligibility requirements for applicants include:
    • U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident;
    • Doctoral-level degree (except the Contraception and Infertility Research LRP);
    • Domestic, non-profit research funding (Extramural) or NIH employment (Intramural); and
    • Qualified research for an average of at least 20 hours per week during each quarterly (13 weeks) service period of the award
  • Forms for institutional verification are provided after creating an account through the LRP application system
  • Postdocs within the Health Sciences should complete these forms and email to postdoc@hs.pitt.edu. For postdocs outside of the Health Sciences, please contact the office of your department chair.