Postdoc Eligibility
At Washington University in St. Louis, we welcome postdoctoral candidates from all around the world, backgrounds, and identities. Candidates to a postdoctoral appointment must demonstrate evidence of:
- Conferred doctoral degree or satisfaction of all doctoral degree requirements. Click here for more info.
- Less than 4 years of previous postdoctoral or on-the-job training and experience at other institutions (so that the appointment has 1-year duration as a minimum and to comply with our 5-year term limit policy).
- Satisfaction of all requirements to work in the U.S.
Scholars with more than 5 years of postdoctoral or on-the-job training and experience are not eligible to join Washington University as postdoctoral appointees and should look for positions more appropriate for their level of training, expertise, and independence.
Appointment Requirements
Faculty and administrative staff should use the OPA Postdoc Eligibility Form and Experience Calculator before extending an offer to a postdoc candidate. Find the documents in the OPA Box for Administrators.
- Postdoctoral appointments are full-time and limited term.
- Initial postdoctoral appointments should be offered for at least 12 months. Faculty supervisors should demonstrate sufficient funding for at least a full year to hire a postdoc.
- When funding and other circumstances allow it, faculty supervisors should consider longer appointment offers if there is an initial intention to renew or extend the appointment.
- When hiring international postdocs, the OPA recommends extending initial offers for more than 12 months and to the extent that the offer does not violate our 5-year term limit policy.
Satisfaction of Doctoral Degree Requirements
As degree conferrals are scheduled only 2-3 times a year, candidate eligibility as a postdoctoral appointee at Washington University is primarily based on the satisfaction of all doctoral requirements. However, there is an extra consideration to keep in mind when the doctoral degree has not been conferred as of the time of signing the offer letter.
To be offered a postdoctoral appointment at our institution, it is sufficient to provide evidence that all the requirements to earn a doctoral degree have been met, including successful dissertation defense and filing. An example of such evidence can be an official letter from the graduate school of the degree-conferring institution attesting (1) that all requirements have been satisfied (including successful dissertation defense and filing), and (2) that the degree will be conferred on the next conferral date.
Previous Postdoctoral Experience
WashU has defined a 5-year term limit for postdoctoral appointments including previous experience at WashU or other institutions.
What counts as relevant postdoctoral experience?
- Research experience, including industrial
- Teaching assistantship, lectureship, faculty roles
- Internship, residency, clinical duties
- Other time spent in an academic-, health-, or research-oriented field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree.
Important: Clinical training does not count as previous postdoctoral experience.
Scholars with more than 5 years of postdoctoral or on-the-job training and experience are not eligible to join WashU as postdoctoral appointees. They may, however, be eligible for other staff or faculty positions.
Completing a Postdoctoral Appointment
Once the 5-year term limit is reached, current WashU postdoctoral appointees must transition to positions inside or outside academia more appropriate for their level of expertise, and move forward with their careers, whether at WashU (promotion) or at a different institution, company, or industry.
Human Resources has information summarizing the benefits status when leaving the University.