Employment Information

• Unionization

  The University of California and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) have agreed to a collective bargaining agreement.

  ---

  
  As of September 2010, Postdoctoral Scholars working within California at the University of California are represented by the UAW union.  Postdoctoral Scholars not working in California are governed by the Academic Personnel Guidelines 390. The full UAW contract is available online and UCR Postdoctoral Scholars can contact their union at http://uaw5810.org/about-your-union/. All Postdoctoral Scholars should be given a UAW Deduction Authorization Form upon hiring which is then forwarded to Labor Relations.

• Salary Scale

  Provisions regarding salary placement and scheduled increases can be found in the current bargaining agreement: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/04-COMPENSATION.pdf

  Current Salary Scales can be found on the UCOP website: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/compensation/index.html

• Fellowship Opportunities for Postdoctoral Scholars

  • President's Postdoctoral Fellow Program 

  • Michigan Postdoctoral Fellowship 

  • Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Academic Diversity 

  • UNCF Pfizer Postdoctoral Fellowships 

  • The University of California Humanities Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Professional and Academic Development

  The Graduate Division, together with the Riverside Postdoctoral Association, provides numerous resources for the professional and academic development of postdocs at UCR. These are primarily available through the GradSuccess office.

  These resources include:

  • Pedagogical Training

  Postdocs are invited to attend workshops on topics such as student-centered teaching techniques, online teaching, and antiracist pedagogy (many past workshops are recorded and available to view). In addition, postdocs can sign up to give a teaching demo or for one-on-one teaching support/advising sessions with members of the TADP team. Finally, postdocs are eligible for the University Teaching Certificate program, although they will not receive graduate credit for their participation.

  • Writing Support

  Postdocs are eligible to receive writing assistance in any academic genre during any stage of the writing process (e.g. abstracts, grant applications, developing journal articles, CVs and other job documents, etc). The Graduate Writing Center offers one-on-one consultations as well as live and recorded workshops on topics such as cover letters, diversity and teaching statements, and grant applications.

  • Quantitative Training and Support

  GradQuant provides training and support in quantitative methods, programming, and digital research methods. Postdocs are invited to take advantage of weekly drop in hours, make appointments for a one-on-one consultation, and attend workshops on topics in statistics as well as basic and advanced operations in platforms such as R, Python, LaTeX, and more (many past workshops are recorded and available to view).

  • Career Services

  GradSuccess hosts three annual After Grad professional development events: Academic Pathways Week in Fall (focused on academic research careers), Career Pathways Week in Winter (focused on a range of non-academic professions), and Teaching Careers Week in Spring (focused on teaching-oriented positions and teacher training). Each of these events consist of panels, workshops, keynote addresses, job document clinics, networking receptions and other events. Postdocs are also invited to attend our quarterly workshops on topics such as Financial Wellness and Inclusion in the Academy, as well as community-building events such as the quarterly Stress Relief Fair and weekly coffee socials.

• Five Year Limitation

  Postdoctoral Scholars may not work for more than five years at any university; time spent as a postdoc at other universities prior to coming to UCR counts against that time. 

• Health Insurance

  Postdoctoral Scholars working in California are eligible to participate in the Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plans, which include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short term disability, and  voluntary long term disability. In addition, Postdoctoral Scholars are required to contribute to the University of California Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) as Safe  Harbor participants, and may make voluntary contributions to any of the  University of California Retirement Savings Program plans. In addition, the  University shall pay the Workers Compensation Assessment and the Benefit  Broker Fee for all Postdoctoral Scholars. All Postdoctoral Scholars are provided with repatriation and evacuation insurance. There is information on benefits with regard to domestic partnerships. 

  The health plan rates with the monthly premiums for 2018 and 2019 are available for faculty and departments to view to prepare for grants at https://c2mb.ajg.com/uc/home/. Gallagher is a broker who administers the medical insurance for the University. If there are any questions about the insurance itself, the broker should be contacted at UniversityServices.GBS.psbp@ajg.com or 1-800-254-1758.  

  Postdoctoral Scholars are obligated to contribute to the monthly health benefits plan for both the HMO and PPO. Postdoctoral Paid Directs who do not have an on-campus source paying their salary will be billed the monthly premium by Gallagher Postdoctoral Fellows will have their monthly premium taken out of their salary unless they elect to be billed.  Postdoctoral Paid Directs will be invoiced by Gallagher. 

  All UCR Postdocs must sign-up or opt-out of benefits by visiting Gallagher at  https://c2mb.ajg.com/uc/home/ Once they have made their choices, they will be directed to the UCPATH Portal to officially sign-up for their benefits.  

  Initial eligibility requires an appointment at 100% time for at least 3 months or 50-99% time for at least 12 months. To retain eligibility, a Postdoc is required to maintain an average regular paid time of at least 17.5 hours per week (43.75%).  

   

• Sick Leave and Time Off

  In general, Postdoctoral Scholar-Employees are eligible for paid sick leave of up to 12 days per 12-month appointment period. The University shall carry forward unused sick leave to subsequent eligible appointments at the University of California. See Article 23 of the Contract. 

  Postdoctoral Scholars do not accrue vacation but are eligible for 24 days of paid personal time-off per one-year appointment period. These days do not carry over upon reappointment nor require payout when the appointment ends. See Article 17 of the Contract.

• Department Resources

  Appointment Letters and Forms 

  All Postdoctoral Scholars MUST have an appointment letter with a copy of the  2024 benefit contribution rates table attached to the letter and a completed Graduate Division Postdoctoral Scholar Form.  Copies of both must be filed in the Graduate Division once the Postdoctoral Scholar has signed. College Deans must approve before the letter is sent and the appointment is made. 

  All Postdoctoral Scholars MUST have a reappointment letter  with the 2024 benefit contribution rates table attached to the letter. A Progress Assessment must be done annually. This is an evaluation of the Postdoctoral Scholar's progress and accomplishment in research and professional development.  Sample Postdoc Performance Appraisal Form

• Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook

  New and continuing postdocs can find out more information about living and working at UCR in the Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook. Download a copy below!

  Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook

FAQs

Answers to commonly asked questions. 

• Benefits Orientation (Gallagher Benefits Services)

  Gallagher Benefits Services has a useful orientation video that will assist with your decisions. 

  Please click here to be redirected to the video. 

• What’s the postdoc community like at UCR?

  Over 200 postdocs make up the community at UCR.  Every UCR postdoc is automatically a member of the Riverside Postdoctoral Association (RPA). The RPA organizes the monthly Science and Happy Hours, an informal talk from one of our postdoc members followed by snacks and drinks. The RPA also organizes a more formal postdoc symposium to showcase the research being done by postdocs at UCR. 

  Contact postdoc@ucr.edu for additional Information and to get involved with the RPA. 

• What’s Riverside like?

  Riverside has many fun restaurants, bars, and museums within walking distance of the campus.  Hiking trails are also a popular activity in the Box Spring Mountains and Sycamore Canyon.  It can get pretty hot in the summer, but the temperature is mild for most of the rest of the year. From Riverside, you can get to LA, the beach, the mountains, or the desert in about an hour’s drive. 

• Where should I live?

  There are many housing opportunities near UCR campus, both in apartment complexes and in houses.  Just east of campus is a quiet and residential area.  South of campus is near the Canyon Crest shopping center.  North of campus has many apartment complexes and is popular with undergraduates.  Downtown Riverside is to the west and is just a short drive or bus ride from campus. 

  Tip - Although most places are rented unfurnished, several companies will rent furniture (sometimes including the housing complex itself). Many landlords will ask for your Social Security Number (SSN). 

• Getting a Social Security Number (SSN)

  In order to set up your computer accounts at UCR, you will likely need a SSN (the US identification number for tax and several other purposes). Acquiring one of these takes up to two weeks after filling out an application at the Social Security Office.  There are two offices within short distance of UCR: 7880 Mission Grove Pkwy S., Riverside, CA and 22815 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley (be sure to check the locations as they may move offices). Generally, you only need the receipt to show proof of application for most UCR services, which can speed things up considerably. 

• Getting a bank account:

  Opening a bank account in the US is relatively straightforward if you have a government issued ID (e.g. a passport), a US visa, and a contract (i.e. showing proof of income). Popular banks include: 

  -Bank of America (1680 University Ave) 

  -Chase (1299 University Ave) 

  Not all financial services will work the same way as in your home country. In particular, some services are still reliant upon checks and you may have to ask about getting a checkbook. The US is also quite reliant upon credit history, which for a foreigner may be absent (particularly if you are a resident of an EU country where data-protection laws prevent the sharing of your credit history with US banks). As such, you may be denied, or have an extremely low limit on your credit card. 

• Health Insurance / Which health insurance options should I choose?

  The postdoc health insurance is provided by Garnett-Powers & Associates, Inc.  You have 31 days from your date of hire to sign up for health insurance.  Be sure to sign up on the Garnett-Powers web site as the atyourservice.ucop.edu does not work for UCR.   More information about the health insurance plans can be found at: https://clients.garnett-powers.com/pd/uc/.  Services in the US require the user to possess some form of health insurance.  Your choice of providers will depend on your needs: if you need a specific doctor or if you are okay with the doctors on the provider’s list and the amount of any deductible (contribution the user must pay for a treatment). We suggest you take advice from your colleagues. As a last resort, it may be worth showing your US visa, as in the case of a J-1 visa, it was a condition for your entry into the US that your employer (e.g. UCR) has arranged health coverage for you. 

• Getting a mobile/cell phone

  US networks offer a fluctuating number of services involving calls, SMS, and data. In addition to main carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint), there are often local carriers which re-sell network space, often at significant discounts (although almost always with more restrictive terms), and sometimes with more restrictive regional coverage. 

  Tip - If you bring your own phone to the US you may be able to reduce your costs by purchasing a U.S. SIM card. You will likely need an unlocked GSM phone and will have to check that your carrier allows unlocked GSM phones on their networks (currently AT&T but not Verizon and Sprint). 

• Public Transport

  Although a large fraction of residents of Southern California use cars, public transport options exist. The main UCR campus is passed by bus service 1 (to downtown, every 15 min.) and 16 (every 20 min.). With a UCR card (visit UCR card services), you can use these and other Riverside busses for free. 

  Rail services depart from the Riverside Metrolink station (near downtown), which is served by Amtrak and Metrolink services to many destinations, though the most popular is Los Angeles downtown (around 1 hour 40 minutes). See 

  www.metrolinktrains.com 

  www.amtrak.com 

• Are there teaching opportunities for postdocs at UCR?

  Postdocs can apply for teaching positions during UCR’s Summer Session. Keep an eye out for emails from your department if you’re interested in these teaching opportunities. 

• Is the Postdoc Association the same as the Union?

  No, the Postdoc Association and the Union are separate organizations. Here’s a link for more information on the Union: http://uaw5810.org/. 

• How long after I separate from the University do I have access to my UCR email account?

  Employees and non-Academic Senate Faculty who leave the university in good standing can access their e-mail for 30 days after their separation date. 

   

• Who do I contact about visa issues?

  The International Scholars Office will help with any visa questions you may have.  Contact information can be found on their web site at http://internationalscholars.ucr.edu/about/contact.html 

Disclaimer: The advice presented here is solely the opinion of the authors and is intended only as a collection of tips. The RPA admits no responsibility for errors due to incorrect or out-of-date information and is in no-way responsible for services provided by any of the external parties mentioned above. 

Job Postings

Tweets by UCRPostdoc