A Postdoctoral Fellow appointment is a full-time position intended to provide advanced training under the direct supervision of a faculty mentor. The total duration of a postdoctoral fellow's term of service at MGH should not exceed five (5) years, and they must be paid a minimum salary of the current NRSA scale in effect at the time of appointment. Effective 10/1/24, postdoctoral fellows must be paid market rate (NRSA + 20%). Please click here to see the research fellow postdoc salary policy.

Current Effective October 1, 2023 Future Effective October 1, 2024
Years of experience NRSA pay scale FY23 Years of experience Market Rate
0 $56,484 0 $ 70,000
1 $56,880 1 $ 71,750
2 $57,300 2 $ 73,544
3 $59,592 3 $ 75,382
4+ $61,572 4+ $ 77,267

A department administrator and PI can request an exception based on the following cases listed below. These exceptions are reviewed by the MGH Professional Staff Office and the Vice President for Research Strategy & Faculty Development.

Types of Postdoctoral Fellow Exception Requests

Exception for the PGY level

  • The Postdoctoral fellow's PGY level is not commensurate with post-graduate research experience (i.e. leave of absence, travel after graduating, post graduate experience not related to degree, etc.)

Exception for Part-time

  • Personal or professional reasons that justify the need for a postdoctoral fellow to be hired or converted to part-time.
  • Requires mutual agreement from the faculty member and postdoctoral fellow.

Exception for Sponsored Research Employee/ POI Research Collaborator

·         Only external funding

  • External funding supplemented with MGH funding
  • External grant or award will be used to support postdoctoral fellow's salary).
  • Funding offer letter from outside institution needs to be provided.
  • Must comply with MGB postdoctoral fellow salary policy

Exception for Unpaid Research Trainee

  • The postdoctoral fellow's primary duty is to be trained and/or learn a specific technique or skill set.
  • Fellows may remain in this special training role for no more than one year.
  • A comprehensive training plan is required to onboard postdoctoral fellow into this category.
  • Postdoctoral fellow may need to show evidence of financial support if obtaining visa.

Exception to Five Year Limit (Postdocs already at MGB)

  • Since the adoption of the MGH Guidelines for Research Fellows, the research fellow appointment is limited to a maximum of five years. In some cases, it is beneficial for the research fellow to remain in this training position for an additional year (see Guidelines for Research Fellows for details). 

Please complete the form below based on the exception request being requested.

Thanks,

MGH Professional Staff Office

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