Benefits for Postdoctoral Scholars

Postdoctoral scholars who are paid salaries from Mizzou funds, including grants and contracts, and are classified as University employees with appointments exceeding .75 FTE receive the same health, leave, educational assistance and retirement benefits as faculty and staff.

Postdoctoral scholars who cannot be considered salaried University employees because they receive stipend or salary support directly from a granting agency or a funding source that does not allow university employee status as a condition of the award, are eligible to receive benefits, but the benefits package differs in some respects from that of individuals who are salaried employees of the University. Postdoctoral scholars who are not employees of Mizzou must become Financially Enrolled to receive benefits. Financial Enrollment creates a formal educational affiliation between the University and the postdoctoral trainee that allows participation in a subsidized University medical insurance plan, educational assistance benefits, use of libraries and other facilities, access to the Mizzou computer system and other services. Financial Enrollment also establishes eligibility to enroll in classes and allows the registrar to issue a transcript verifying the completion of a designated program of postdoctoral training at Mizzou. It is the responsibility of the faculty mentor and/or department chair to ensure that resources are available from grants, departmental funds or other University sources to cover the University’s share of the costs for medical insurance before a postdoctoral trainee is accepted.

The University of Missouri System Faculty and Staff Benefits Handbook provides a comprehensive list of benefits available to postdoctoral trainees who are classified as employees. Details regarding benefits for stipend-funded and other non-employee postdocs are available from the Office of Postdoctoral Education in the Graduate School.