University of Toronto Governing Council
Administrative Procedures for Engagement of Post-Doctoral Fellows
May 27, 2002 rev
October, 2007
To request an official copy of this policy, contact:
The Office of the Governing Council
Room 106, Simcoe Hall 27 King’s College Circle
University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1A1
Phone: 416-978-6576
Fax: 416-978-8182
E-mail: governing.council@utoronto.ca
Website: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/
Administrative Procedures for Engagement of Post-doctoral Fellows
Approved by the Provost's Office May 27, 2002 Revised October 2007
- Engagement of post-doctoral fellows requires the approval of the Chair or Director of the Department/Unit in multi-department faculties, and the Dean in single department faculties.
- The SGS Post-doctoral Office has developed a system to facilitate the initiation of the registration of post- doctoral fellows. The unit administrator with responsibility for post-doctoral fellows will enter information directly into the system and this will generate a letter of engagement.
- The engagement letter should be signed by the Chair, the faculty supervisor and the post-doctoral fellow.
- Elements of the engagement letter should include:
- The duration of the engagement (not more than three years, and limited opportunity for renewal for up to a further three years with the approval of the Dean in multi-department faculties and Provostial approval in single department faculties).
- Termination at any time for cause (i.e. failure to meet standards of the training program and the commitments undertaken by the post-doctoral fellow).
- Early termination (for reasons such as cessation of funding) by giving two months’ notice or, in the case of the University, payment in lieu of notice of the amount of the stipend that would have been provided over the two month period.
- Identification of the stipend and any additional support, including third party funds.
- A description of the services to be provided.
- A description of training and professional development opportunities that will be provided to prepare the post-doctoral fellow for a full-time academic and/or research career.
- Identification of any supports that will be provided (e.g. conference support).
- Confirmation that all post-doctoral fellows are required to complete registration with the SGS Post- doctoral Office in order to activate University services such as an e-mail address, library card and to enroll in any health/dental plan.
- Confirmation that, provided the standards of the training program and the commitments undertaken by the post-doctoral fellow are met, and after discussion with the faculty supervisor to ensure operational feasibility, the post-doctoral fellow is free to take time off for personal reasons, to provide the equivalent of vacation, etc.
- Confirmation that no tuition fee or registration fee will be applied.
- Confirmation that the letter does not establish an employment relationship, and that the post- doctoral fellow is responsible for his/her own income tax and other statutory obligations.
- When a copy of the engagement letter, signed back by the post-doctoral fellow, is received, the administrator with responsibility for post-doctoral fellows will confirm receipt in the system. Upon confirmation of engagement, the system will generate a unique identifier – UTID – and a template letter to be given to the post-doctoral fellow by the SGS Post-doctoral Office to secure access to university services, including the library and utoronto email.
- The minimum trainee stipend will be $27,500 plus the cost of a basic health/dental benefit plan.
- The SGS Post-doctoral Office will produce reports and forward them to each Faculty for verification of statistics on an annual basis.
- These procedures will apply for all post-doctoral fellows starting after January 1, 2008. Engagement letters meeting these terms should be offered to current post-doctoral fellows no later than June 30, 2008.