Compensation & Benefits: Administration and Implementation Guidelines for Postdoctoral Education

Compensation

Although faculty mentors are responsible for establishing the level of compensation for their postdoctoral scholars, it is expected that compensation will be consistent with the background of the trainee, the norms for the discipline and the minimum levels established by the Office of Postdoctoral Education. Minimum levels will be established annually and posted on the Postdoctoral Education Web site at the beginning of the fall term.

Currently, the minimum salary for postdocs is $24,000. Please note that this minimum amount may be superseded by specific funding or visa requirements.

Benefits

All Postdoctoral Scholars are eligible to receive benefits, but the type of benefits package received is dictated by the nature of the relationship between the postdoc and the University. As indicated in the Titles section, postdocs can be considered as having either an employer-employee relationship with Mizzou or one that is educational.

Employer-Employee Relationship

This category includes individuals who, while pursuing their postdoctoral training, provide services to Mizzou for compensation. They receive a salary and are classified by the job title Postdoctoral Fellow. To be benefit eligible, they are expected to work at least 75 percent FTE with an indicated appointment duration of at least nine months. Service credit under the UM retirement program requires a minimum of 1500 hours worked per year. These benefits are detailed on the Faculty and Staff Benefits Web site.

Educational Relationship

Postdocs in this category receive support from the University that enables them to pursue research and other training as defined above under the heading Postdoctoral Fellow - Stipend and are eligible for both the Graduate Medical Insurance Subsidy Program and Fee Waiver program as follows:

Medical Insurance Subsidy Program

Postdocs with qualifying appointments are eligible to participate in the Graduate Medical Insurance Subsidy Program (Plan II). It is important to note that Mizzou subsidies currently cover only the Postdoctoral Scholar and that the additional cost of premiums for a spouse and/or family are the responsibility of the postdoc. The current medical subsidy program also provides Medical Evacuation and Repatriation coverage for international postdocs.

Fee Waivers

Stipend-funded Postdoctoral Fellows will be eligible for 75 percent waiver of educational fees under the Graduate Student Support Program with the following restrictions.

• A maximum of 6 credit hours per semester during the spring and fall terms.
• A maximum of 3 credit hours during the summer term.