Policies

Guidelines on Authorship and Acknowledgement are available on the website of the FAS Office of Research Administration.

The relevant grievance policies and procedures are described on the site of the University Disability Resources Office.

The University's policy on drugs and alcohol in the workplace is designed to address the University's concern for the health and well-being of its employees, and to ensure that the Harvard community complies with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. Complete policy.

Harvard's policy can be found on the site of the University Provost. More information about and supportive resources for these policies can be found on this page of the Harvard University Office for Community Support, Nondiscrimination, Rights and Responsibilities (CSNDR).

This policy applies to all members of the Harvard Community. 

Postdocs may teach, provided appropriate conditions are met. In every case, this requires

• Written approval from the faculty mentor/PI.

• In the case of international postdocs, prior clearance from the Harvard International Office/SEAS Office for Faculty Affairs. Please note that postdocs on H-IB visas may not teach, unless already included in the terms of their visa.

• In the case of external grants, permission from the granting agency.

The FAS considers teaching a course to require 25% of an instructor’s time during the regular year. If the course is co-taught with another faculty member, or as a Teaching Assistant, the portion of effort and salary devoted to teaching is lower. Teaching is ordinarily in addition to their full-time research responsibilities, although FTE level and pay for research appointments may be reduced during postdoc teaching periods to lower the total FTE. 

1. Postdocs who are funded by their PI from sponsored funds or are on postdoctoral fellowships that are funded by the federal government, notably T32 traineeships and F32 fellowships, may teach, provided that the compensated services

• Occur on a limited, part-time basis apart from the normal research or training activities and

• Do not interfere with, detract from, or prolong their approved training program or research project. In every case, the research training experience must remain paramount and the Postdoc and his or her PI or mentor must ensure that the teaching does not jeopardize the quality or quantity of time devoted to the research training.

• Is relevant to their training as a scientist-educator and is not being undertaken merely to supplement their stipend or to help a department to cover its teaching responsibilities. 

2. College Fellows.

Teaching duties are part of their responsibilities and their compensation.  

Approval for outside activities, notably consulting, involves several considerations, including approval from your PI. Please fill out this form, and let me (kargere@fas.harvard.edu) know that you have done so.

If you're on a visa, the HIO will also be required to get this form completed and signed by your PI.

Every and all information on the subject can be found on the FORA (FAS Offfice of Research Administration) website.

These policies and resources are available on the site of the Harvard Information Security and Data Privacy Office.

All relevant policies are listed on the website of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

In addition, the FAS policy on research misconduct is described in the “Interim Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct”

Due to the importance of in-person mentoring with their faculty sponsor and having the opportunity to interact with colleagues and researchers within their department, it is expected that postdoctoral fellows and research associates work on campus.

While postdoctoral fellows are responsible for their career trajectory and progress, faculty mentors are expected to help their postdocs achieve their goals, by initiating and providing on-going mentoring, guidance, and resources, in both scientific and career development. Mentors/PIs should schedule regular conversations to review research direction and progress as well as career goals. Postdocs are encouraged to request these conversations, if they are not otherwise taking place.
 

I. Work Conditions

The work conditions of postdoctoral fellows should support and enhance their research and professional training. This objective may be compromised if postdoctoral fellows are overworked, or if their research and professional training are compromised for any reason.

Inappropriate work conditions include, but are not limited to:

• Demanding excessive or inappropriate hours of work;

• Preventing a postdoc from moving to another position;

• Using intimidation and threats, for example by using visa renewal, recommendations, or authorship decisions as leverage.

In addition, all postdocs and mentors should abide by FAS and Harvard University policy, notably:

• Authorship Disputes

• Non-Discrimination and Bullying

• Retaliation

• Sexual and Gender-based Harassment

• Intellectual property, notably the policy protecting the traditional rights of scholars with respect to the products of their intellectual endeavors.

   

II. Expectations for Faculty Mentors
 

a. Develop in consultation with their mentee

• A mutually satisfactory research project or scholarly program.

• A career plan. A useful tool in this regard is the Individual Development Plan (IDP), available here, which should be initially filled out by the mentee, updated at least once a year, and serve as a basis for discussion at least once a year.

b. Encourage their postdocs to

• Present their work and publish their results in a timely fashion;

• Acquire and enhance their knowledge and technical skills, as dictated by their current and future needs;

• Participate in career development activities (workshops, courses, conferences), complementing their scientific research training, including teaching opportunities, as appropriate;

• Apply for training and research support, as appropriate;

c. Meet regularly with their postdocs to discuss progress in their research;

d. Provide constructive, respectful feedback;

e. Provide an annual review of performance;

f. Provide career counseling and mentoring to help their postdocs reach their career objectives;

g. Give postdocs time to participate in professional training programs;

h. Give proper credit and attribution for postdoc intellectual contributions to projects;

i. Provide appropriate work conditions for postdocs. See above.

III. Expectations for Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdocs have obligations to their faculty mentor, the group in which they are working, the Department/Area with which they are associated, the sponsor whose funds support them, and the University. These obligations include, but are not limited to:

a. Conscientiously fulfilling their research, scholarly, and teaching responsibilities, as applicable;

b. Conforming to ethical standards in research and scholarship;

c. Complying with good scholarly practice, including the maintenance of adequate research records.

d. Communicating with their faculty mentor openly and regularly on the status of the research and notifying their faculty mentor of any change in plans;

e. Discussing with their mentor the possession or distribution of tangible property such as materials, reagents, and the like;

f. Discussing with their PI laboratory records or scholarly materials, if relevant;

g. Disclosing to their PI prior to the event any scholarly information, findings or techniques proposed for dissemination privately, at scholarly meetings, or in publications;

h. Behaving collegially with all members of the Harvard community;

i. Complying with all applicable University policies, some of which are mentioned below. A comprehensive list of policies can be found on the Provost website.

The FAS/SEAS is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the FAS/SEAS community is, on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any University program or activity. 

Harvard University’s policies prohibiting sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct apply to all Harvard students, faculty, staff, postdocs, Harvard appointees, and third parties.

Title IX Resource Coordinators for FAS/ SEAS Postdocs are listed on this page. Postdocs should contact Title IX Resource Coordinators for Faculty and Researchers for information and support.

In addition, the Harvard University Office for Community Support, Nondiscrimination, Rights and Responsibilities (CSNDR) provides a comprehensive list of additional resources that may be of help to you, if you need to talk someone for crisis support, confidential support, responsible employee support, and LGBTQ+ support.

Instructions for Filing a Formal Complaint can be found on the Harvard University for Community Support, Nondiscrimination, Rights and Responsibilities (CSNDR).