Here's a brief list of what you need to do to get started:
All HR-related issues are handled by the HR professionals within your Department or School, including each of the following items:
If you have questions about the appointment process, contact your departmental HR professional or Director of Finance and Administration (DFA). HR professionals and DFAs should reference the Policy for Research Postdoctoral Fellows-Trainees when making decisions, and are encouraged to contact the Postdoctoral Office with questions.
Completed your training? Please complete the Postdoctoral Office Exit Survey.
The survey should only take about 10 minutes and sharing your experience will help us ensure we are providing a supportive postdoctoral training environment.
Postdoctoral Fellows are hired directly by their faculty mentors and the Department and School in which they conduct their training. Guidelines for postdoctoral fellows’ salaries and benefits are described in the university “Policy for Research Postdoctoral Fellows-Trainees”.
Postdoctoral fellows must receive a salary at least equal to the zero year experience level of the NIH NRSA stipend scales.
All Postdoctoral Fellows employed
50% or more receive the same benefits, regardless of the source of their support. You can find your full benefits eligibility on the CU Employee Services website.
Briefly, benefits include the standard employee offerings and are subject to the same eligibility and usage requirements as other employment classifications and include the following items:
Leave and Holidays: In addition to campus holidays listed, full-time postdoctoral fellows also receive 12 working days of vacation and 12 working days of sick leave per fiscal year (24 working days total, or 192 hours), and are eligible for Family Medical Leave similar to the standard criteria used for other campus employees.
Postdoctoral fellows are also considered equivalent to medical residents for the purposes of loan deferment. If you would like to apply for loan deferment, please use this form and email the Postdoctoral Office at postdoc.office@ucdenver.edu.
General University resources, policies, and procedures will be explained to you at your New Employee Orientation.
You can find this information in the New Employee Orientation packet, and instructions for New Employee Orientation registration can be found here. Additionally, here are some other resources that also may be helpful for you as you begin your new position:
Human Research Protocols: COMIRB
Animal Research Protocols: IACUC
This is just a short list of the general resources available to you at the University. Please contact the Postdoctoral Office if you specific questions.
With an average 300 days of sunshine a year and easy access to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, Denver’s appeal is not surprising.
So now that you’re part of the city, here are some resources that may be helpful as you navigate life
in the Denver Metro area:
During this extremely exciting, but stressful, time in your life, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself. Wellness encompasses many different aspects of your life (e.g., physical, mental, financial, spiritual, etc.), and the more you can incorporate wellness into your daily life, the happier and more productive you will be. CU Anschutz has a new tool to help you connect to resources and here are some other resources to help you maintain balance:
Physical Wellness:
As the old adage goes, “a sound
body equals a sound mind”. Whether it’s a weekend hike, an early morning spin class, incorporating walking meetings into your day, or simply standing up to stretch and move once an hour, physical activity is an essential part of wellness.
Visit the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center for more details.
Campus Fitness Centers:
Mental Wellness:
Physical wellness is important for mental wellness, but the two are not synonymous. Mental wellness deserves explicit attention and should be part of your overall wellness plan. Whether it is formal counseling
services, stress management, or just needing to talk with someone, everyone needs support from time-to-time. Make your mental wellness a priority and give it the attention it deserves.
Financial Wellness:
Although you do not receive a matched retirement contribution from the university, you can take advantage of their other retirement plans (e.g., 403(b), 401(k), 457) and services. Information on seminars,
individual financial consulting, healthy financial habits, and more can be found on the Financial Wellness page
of the Employee Services website.
Postdoctoral Association:
The Postdoc Association (PDA) also hosts a number of wellness events (e.g., hikes, peer support group, meditation, etc.) and you can find more information on resources on the PDA's Postdoc Wellness page.
International postdoctoral fellows also have some additional considerations when starting at the University.
Your best resource for immigration and international-related questions is International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) within the Office of International Affairs.The ISSS office will be your best resource for adjusting to life in the U.S., and in the Denver Metro area, but please contact the Postdoctoral Office if you have any questions.
Among other services, ISSS provides...
You can schedule an appointment with ISSS online or by calling 303-724-0795. They have office hours on both the Denver Campus and the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Taxes: Employee Services provides resources for understanding U.S. tax obligations (here) and will serve as your point of contact for tax-related questions. As a reminder, the University of Colorado requires all new international employees and stipend recipients (students, staff, faculty members and researchers) to meet with an International Tax specialist to document their U.S. tax status. You can find more information here.
CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
W5112
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-2930