Faculty and Staff

The information on this site is designed to provide faculty and staff some of the basic information regarding the policies and contractual elements for the hiring and employment of postdoctoral fellows. For issues not covered on this site, please consult Dr. Christopher Heinen, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs.

Postdoc Classifications

Postdoctoral scholars at UConn Health are classified in two broad categories: postdoctoral fellows and postdoctoral trainees.

Postdoctoral fellows are employees of UConn Health and are members of the University Health Professionals (UHP) bargaining unit. Currently the minimum salary for postdoctoral fellows is $50,004 per year (effective July 2019), but fellows may be hired above this minimum. In addition to salary, a generous benefits package for fellows includes health insurance, retirement contributions, and 30 days of paid leave per year which includes vacation, personal days, and holidays. Twelve days of paid sick leave per year are also included. There is no carryover of paid leave from year to year.

Fellows are subject to a probationary period of six months, which can be extended for an additional six months at the discretion of the mentor. The probationary period is automatically extended for an additional six months if a fellow switches mentors or transfers (i.e., no break in service) to another UHP position. Dismissal during the probationary period cannot be grieved.

  • UHP Contract
    Details that refer specifically to postdocs begin on page 117.

Postdoctoral trainees are individuals receiving a postdoctoral stipend from an NIH training grant or other source that does not permit them to be employees. Postdoctoral trainees are eligible to participate in the graduate assistant/trainee health plan.

Vacation and other leaves for trainees who are not UConn Health employees are governed by the policies of the agency funding the training support.