So you want to appoint/be a Postdoc..?

So you want to appoint/be a Postdoc..?

This is the

“Everything you’ll need to know to appoint/be a Postdoctoral Fellow”

Handbook

October 2013

Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs

Postdoctoral Fellow Handbook

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Preface Welcome to the “Everything you’ll need to know to appoint/be a Postdoctoral Fellow” Handbook! This easy-to-read guide is designed to aid you in your efforts as you strive to strengthen Carleton University’s community and research agenda by appointing a Postdoctoral Fellow. If you have any questions after reading this handbook, please feel free to contact the PDF Administrator (512G Tory Building, ext. 2518, [email protected]).

Frequently Asked Questions 1) What is the difference between a Postdoctoral Fellow and a Research Associate? 2) Am I eligible to be a Postdoctoral Fellow? 3) How do I appoint (or apply to be) a Postdoctoral Fellow? 4) How do I renew or extend a Postdoctoral Fellow? 5) Are Postdoctoral Fellow stipends taxable? 6) Can Postdoctoral Fellows get benefits? 7) Are there any special rules about PDFs paid from my Tri-Council research grant? 8) Are Postdoctoral Fellows eligible to apply for additional external research funding? 9) Where can international Postdoctoral Fellows find more information? 10) Can an Adjunct Research Professor sponsor a Postdoctoral Fellow? 11) Can Postdoctoral Fellows teach? 12) Can a Postdoctoral Fellow take a leave of absence? 13) Are Postdoctoral Fellows eligible for a Campus Card? 14) Can Postdoctoral Fellows use the Athletic Facilities? 15) Can Postdoctoral Fellows use the library? 16) Can Postdoctoral Fellows use the Health Centre on campus? 17) Where can Postdoctoral Fellows park their cars? 18) Are Postdoctoral Fellows eligible for a Carleton email account? 19) Can Postdoctoral Fellows enroll in the myCareer workshops? 20) What do I do if I have a disagreement with my PDF/Supervisor? 21) Is there an Association for Postdoctoral Fellows? 22) I’m still puzzled. Who can I contact?

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Postdoctoral Fellow vs. Research Associate A Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) is a person who holds a PhD or doctorate degree, is registered with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, and works in coordination with a researcher or research unit at Carleton University. A Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) is neither a student nor a faculty or staff member, but an independent researcher. As such, Postdoctoral Fellows are not eligible for non-discretionary benefits (CPP, EI, WSIB, or EHT) or vacation pay. They are not taxed at source, but they do pay taxes on their stipend at the end of the tax year (or in semi-annually or quarterly payments) to Revenue Canada.  T4A earnings (not taxed at source, but taxed in April)  Eligible for a Campus Card  No employee deductions


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   

No additional employer costs above the amount indicated on the Payroll profile Not eligible for EI once contract is complete Eligible for a voluntary discretionary (health/dental) benefits plan Length of appointment is a maximum of 5* years. *Note: if paid from Tri-council grants,

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Must complete doctoral degree within 5* years prior or 6 months after start of the appointment (depending on the funding source regulations). *Note: 2 years prior if paid

the maximum length of appointment is 2 years for domestic PDFs and 3 years for exceptional international PDFs from Tri-council grants.

Research Associates (aka grant appointments) are not registered with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and are considered to be employees of the Grant Holder. Unlike PDFs who are independent researchers holding a doctorate, Research Associates might not hold a doctorate (or any degree for that matter) and are normally hired to fulfill specific tasks that do not involve independent research. As employees they are entitled to benefits and vacation pay, and they are taxed at source. The procedures for hiring a Research Associate may vary by department, but for all intents and purposes the sponsoring researcher or research unit just submits a payroll profile to Research Accounting to establish the position.  T4 earnings (taxed at source – federal and provincial)  Not eligible for a Campus Card  Library access by written permission only  Additional 14% employer costs on top of the amount indicated on the Payroll Profile (CPP, EI. EHT, WSIB, vacation pay)  Mandatory employee deductions (federal tax, provincial tax, CPP, EI)  Employee eligible to apply for EI once contract is complete  Note: a Research Associate must be hired for a minimum of one year to qualify for Carleton benefits.  Few, if any, education level requirements The remainder of this document will apply to Postdoctoral Fellows only.

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Eligibility The Tri-Council stipulates that PDFs must be appointed within two years of the completion of their doctoral degree. The Tri-Council also states that the maximum length of a PDF appointment is two years. Exceptional foreign candidates may qualify for a three year term. Non-Tri-Council funded PDFs may be appointed within five years of the completion of their doctoral degree for a term of up to five years, depending on the conditions of the funding source.

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Appointment Postdoctoral Fellow positions are not centrally posted. A faculty member or research unit will appoint a PDF based on need and research funds available. PDFs may be recruited by whatever means is deemed appropriate (e.g. through personal contacts, response to enquiries or


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approaches, advertisements, locally, nationally, or internationally) and, when appropriate, a selection process may be conducted. Appointing a PDF is now a quick and easy process:

Step 1: The Sponsoring Faculty Member completes the quick “Intent to Appoint a Postdoctoral Fellow” form. If the PDF funds will be funneled through Carleton, the Sponsoring Faculty Member must complete a Payroll Profile and send it to Research Accounting.

Note: If in Engineering, a space form must also be completed

Step 2: FGPA receives the form and writes an official Letter of Offer to the PDF. Step 3: The PDF completes the one-page “Registration form”. Step 4: FGPA then forwards these documents to HR. The PDF will need to visit HR (5th floor Robertson Hall) to be documented.

It is the Supervisor’s responsibility to complete the Payroll Profile (as the Supervisor has the signing authority on the account). The Payroll Profile can go directly to Research Accounting.

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Renewal/Extension Renewing/extending a PDF is now a quick and easy process:

Step 1: The Sponsoring Faculty Member completes the quick “Renewal/Extension” form. If the PDF

funds will be funneled through Carleton, the Sponsoring Faculty Member must complete a Payroll Profile and send it to Research Accounting.

Step 2: FGPA receives the form and writes an official Letter of Extension/Renewal to the PDF. Step 3: The PDF verifies with FGPA that they accept the position. Step 4: FGPA then forwards these documents to HR.

In general, extensions are for a period of less than six months, and a renewal is for an additional term of six months or more. It is the Supervisor’s responsibility to complete the Payroll Profile (as the Supervisor has the signing authority on the account). The Payroll Profile can go directly to Research Accounting.

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Taxes As per the 2010 Federal Budget, all Postdoctoral Fellows are to be taxed. Postdoctoral Fellow income is not taxed at source, so some Postdoctoral Fellows may find they have a large payment due when filing their taxes in April. To avoid this lump sum payment, Postdoctoral Fellows could contact the Canada Revenue Agency when they receive notification of their appointment to establish instalment payments. The Postdoctoral Fellow may also make arrangements with Human Resources to provide for some withholding of tax at source during the year. It is


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important that the sponsoring researcher explains this matter to the Postdoctoral Fellow. Postdoctoral Fellow candidates should contact the Canada Revenue Agency directly to determine the tax implications of accepting a Postdoctoral Fellow appointment.

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Benefits and Vacation Pay Postdoctoral Fellows are not entitled to non-discretionary benefits (CPP, EI, WSIB or EHT) or vacation pay. However, Postdoctoral Fellows may buy into a discretionary benefits plan (health/dental) provided through Great West Life. This option is voluntary. As of April 1, 2011 the cost of this plan, including sales tax, is a monthly premium of $107.11 for a single person or $248.18 for a family. Premiums are paid a month in advance (so enrolling on April 1st will give coverage as of May 1st). The entire cost must be paid by the Postdoctoral Fellow. For more information, please see www.carleton.ca/fgpa/post-doctoral-fellows/health-and-dental-insurance/

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Tri-Council Funded Postdoctoral Fellows Postdoctoral Fellows that are paid out of a researcher’s Tri-Council research fund must meet the related Tri-Council requirements. For more information, please visit the relevant Tri-Council website or contact Research Accounting. http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/FinancialAdminGuide-GuideAdminFinancier/FundsUseUtilisationSubventions_eng.asp#compensation

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Additional External Research Funding Postdoctoral Fellows may be eligible to apply to external sources for additional funds to support their research efforts. For further information, please contact the Research Office www.carleton.ca/curo/.

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International PDFs For information about UHIP, the International Student Services Office (ISSO), www.carleton.ca/isso/, is very helpful. The UHIP rate chart can be found here: www.uhip.ca/_uploads/en_PremiumTable.htm. For work permit matters, please contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC): www.cic.gc.ca/English/information/offices/vac.asp and/or [email protected]

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Honourary Ranks Adjunct Research Professors, Distinguished Research Professors, and Professors Emeritus with full graduate co-supervision status may sponsor a Postdoctoral Fellow. Adjunct Research Professors, however, must enlist a Carleton faculty member to act as a partner. This partner should send the PDF Administrator a quick email, indicating that they agree to be the back-up, if required.


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Teaching According to Article 17.4 in the CUPE 4600-2 Collective Agreement, PDFs are permitted to teach, but “no PDF may be assigned more than two (2) credits (or equilvalent) lifetime under this article”. Only a small percentage of PDFs teach, as it can be desirable for PDFs to take advantage of the Fellowship to focus on research. Note: Some funding sources have limits on how much a PDF can teach. Please contact your funding source to confirm their regulations on teaching.

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Leaves of Absence If a PDF chooses to take a leave of absence, no stipend will be given for that time period. The end date may be extended to accommodate the lost time, but the funding agency must be contacted before the leave is taken and they must be in agreement. Since PDFs do not pay into EI, they are not eligible to collect EI during the leave period. FGPA must be informed if a PDF takes a leave of absence.

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Campus Card Once all the required documentation has been submitted to FGPA and the approved Payroll Profile has been submitted to HR (if applicable), the PDF’s file will be complete and entered into BANNER by HR. At this stage, the Postdoctoral Fellow will be eligible to receive a Campus Card. The Campus Card office is located on the fourth floor of the University Centre Building. For full details on what the Campus Card can be used for, please visit www.carleton.ca/campuscard/

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Athletics Facilities If a Postdoctoral Fellow would like to have access to the Athletic facilities, he/she just needs to email the PDF Administrator, [email protected]. FGPA will then alert Athletics of the individual’s status so that he/she can be entered into their system. The PDF then visits the Athletics’ front counter, and he/she will be charged the student rate for membership.

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Library All Postdoctoral Fellows are entitled to full library privileges, once they receive their Campus Card. For further information about the services available to graduate and post-graduate researchers, please contact the Subject Specialist for your area. A list of Library staff can be found on the Library’s website.

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Health Services Postdoctoral Fellows are welcome to visit the walk-in clinic doctor for medical problems which are episodic in nature (ex. a cold, an infection, etc). Website: www.carleton.ca/health/


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Parking If PDFs would like to park their vehicle on campus, they have the option of registering with Parking Services as either a casual staff member or as a student. In general, the staff parking lots are closer to the central areas of campus but are more expensive, and the student parking lots cost less but are further away. For more information, please visit www.carleton.ca/parking/

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Email Account Postdoctoral Fellows are entitled to a Carleton email account. Once the Postdoctoral Fellow receives his/her Campus Card, the Departmental Administrator can contact CCS to set up the account.

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Career Services If PDFs would like to enroll in the professional training Career Services offers in myCareer, they simply need to complete this form, www.carleton.ca/cc/special-registration-form/. A guest account will be established, which will allow the PDF to participate in the myCareer programming. Note: PDFs who are Carleton Alumni do not need to complete this form, as they are already set up in the myCareer system.

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Issues and Disagreements Disagreements between a PDF and supervisor should first be addressed at the Departmental level. If they cannot be resolved at that level, they should be referred to the Associate Dean (Student & Postdoctoral Affairs) in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs for a resolution, via the Postdoctoral Fellow Policy Committee. In the case of PDFs who are also employed as contract instructors, grievances arising from the contract employment are dealt with under the provisions of the Collective Agreement with CUPE 4600 (Unit 2). Grievances and complaints alleging sexual harassment are dealt with according to University procedures and policies.

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Postdoctoral Association For more information about the Carleton University Postdoctoral Association (CUPA), please visit their website: www.carleton.ca/cupa/

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Questions? Please feel free to contact the PDF Administrator in 512G Tory Building, ext. 2518, [email protected]. Thank you!