FAQ

Job Code: 061019 / Object Code: 6452 / MEP Paygroup (if paid) / Non-Employee

This category is for postdocs paid by external fellowships. The postdoc can either be unpaid or paid a supplement.  Those with supplements larger than $15,000 should usually be paid as employee postdocs (Job Code: 069591). If paid, these postdocs cannot be paid from a federal grant, because they receive a stipend, which is not allowed on federal grants. 
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/c-postdoctoral-fellows

Aurora New Hire Directions

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Offer Letter

Please base your postdoc offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/x-sample-postdoctoral-fellow-benefits-eligible-offer-letter

Offer letters should include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Research Purpose (This does not need be extensive, but it should clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) If not in the offer letter, the research purpose can be included in the Aurora comments instead. 
• Harvard Stipend (if applicable)
• A statement noting that reappointment is contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding.    

2. CV

3. Ph.D. Verification Letter or Copy of Diploma

• Only required if degree was received in last 12 months.
• If the postdoc is from outside Harvard, this document must come from a degree-granting body, such as a Registrar or Graduate Records/Dean’s Office.  Letters from faculty sponsors/chairs will not be accepted by FAS. Letters must also clearly state that the researcher has completed all requirements for the degree of Ph.D.
• If the Ph.D. is from Harvard, a letter from a chair or department administrator will suffice. For CCB graduates, Joe Lavin or Kathy Oakley can write a letter to include with the appointment.
• In most cases, the researcher can be appointed temporarily as a Fellow, while awaiting PhD letter.

4. Visitor's Participation Agreement (now required for external postdocs)

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements 
• Postdocs with fellowships should complete the VPA for Unaffiliated Individuals.

5. Risk and Release Form  (now required for external postdocs)

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements 

6. Recommendation Letters  (New)

• 2-3 recommendation letters are required for all new postdoc appointments. An exception may be requested for a recently graduate student from your lab who is continuing as a postdoc.

Notes

• Minimum Stipend Requirement: $52,000.
• Any change of an employee postdoc to an external postdoc cannot be done as a salary change or reclass. The previous position needs to be terminated, and a new external postdoc appointment should be entered.
• All foreign nationals working in our labs must have valid employee visas. Researchers with tourist visas or expired work authorization may not legally work in our labs.
• We recommend that you submit the appointment 5-10 business days before the start date. 
• Please have new postdocs meet with Joe Lavin upon arrival. 
• If unpaid, FTE should be .000286. Coding can be left blank.
• Please enter PhD degree information in Aurora under Education. 
• Postdoctoral Fellows may be appointed for up to five consecutive years. Then, they must be reclassed to the Research Associate rank. (The limit was previously three years.)
• The I-9 and Affirmative Action form are not required, because the postdoc will be paid a stipend, rather than a salary.  
• Postdocs can take up to 20 vacation days per year (1.67 days per month). However, they are not eligible for vacation payouts (i.e. vacation time does not carry over year-to-year). Groups should track this locally. A vacation calendar can be found at https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/ccb_postdoc_vacation_calendar.docx
• Maternity/Parental Leave Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/h-family-leave-policy-postdoctoral-fellows-and-research-associates
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment. 

Health Insurance

• Eligible only for UHS Affiliate Health Insurance. (Purchased through CCB Finance Office or directly by individual.) or Mass Health Connector. More information available at https://postdoc.harvard.edu/non-harvard-benefits-eligible-postdocs.
• Note that international postdocs on a J-visa are required to have health insurance. 
• If you have a choice, it is strongly recommended that postdoctoral fellowships be administered through OSP, so that the postdoc can be appointed as a stipendee postdoc and be eligible for benefits. 

If Paid a Supplement:

• Cannot be charged to federal funding.
• If the Postdoc is receiving a supplement of over $15,000, he/she should usually be an Employee Postdoc (Job Code: 069591) to be benefits eligible. 
• Payment will be considered a stipend rather than a salary.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for the month should be submitted in Aurora by the 15th of that month (i.e. enter by Jan. 15th for the Jan. 31st check).
• U.S. Citizens will not have taxes withheld from paychecks and will likely need to file quarterly taxes. 

Job Code: 000502 / Unpaid / Non-Employee

This appointment allows for an unpaid affiliation with Harvard. Associates must be employed. 
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/h-associates

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Review Letter to FAS Appointments Office

This letter is necessary to request permission for an associate appointment. Please base your Associate Review letter on the sample letter located at:
http://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/assoc-review.doc

Please be sure to include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Research Purpose (This does not need be extensive, but it should clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) 
• A statement that there will be no cost impact to the Department.
• Information about the associate's other employment. 

2. Offer Letter

Please base your Associate Review letter on the sample letter located at:
https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/associate_offer_letter_-_template.docx

3. CV

4. Visitor's Participation Agreement 

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements
• May not be necessary if participation agreement is already on file from previous Harvard appointment. Please contact Joe Lavin for guidance in these cases. 

5. Risk and Release Form

• Available at: https://vpr.harvard.edu/files/2020/07/acknowledgement_of_risk_and_relea…
• Not required if associate will not be working in person or if associate is an employee of a Harvard-affiliated hospital. 

Notes

• Must have a paid position elsewhere. 
• Please enter as New Hire in Aurora. This is a different job category, and reclass function is not intended for when individuals are switched to associate from Graduate Student Research Assistant or a paid research appointment.
• Please have associates meet with Joe Lavin, if they are new to the department.
• Associates are always unpaid, FTE should be .000286.
• Associates are not benefits-eligible, nor can they apply for UHS Affiliate Health Insurance.
• No PhD verification letter is needed
• If you wish to keep a postdoc’s HUID active after they leave Harvard, this is the appropriate category to use. 
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment. 

Before accessing Aurora, you will need the following information:

• Social security number
• IF PD/RA DOES NOT HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, they are required to apply for one.  Link: http://www.hio.harvard.edu/social-security-numbers. When SSN received, the PD/RA presents the original document to Barbara Anderson.
• Harvard Assigned Temporary SSN Until permanent SSN received, a temporary SSN will be assigned to PD/RA. LA completes FAS Temporary Social Security Number Request Form and LA submits to faspayroll@fas.harvard.edu (copy to Joe Lavin) FORM: https://finance.fas.harvard.edu/links/temporary-social-security-number-request-form-docx. Last 4 digits of temporary SSN will be emailed to LA within 24 hours of submission to enter into Aurora). (temporary SSN sequence is 999-06-xxxx) For more detail, see sample form at https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/annotated_temp_ssn_form.pdf Please enter the last 4-digits of Temp SSN in the Aurora comments.
• Personal email address (onboard email) NOTE: needed for Aurora appointment entry and claiming HarvardKey (Harvard email address)
• Date of birth
• Local address (NOTE: If the PD/RA does not yet have a local address, enter CCB/12 Oxford Street as the address of record.) (PD/RA updates PeopleSoft when local address secured).

Aurora: https://aurora.fas.harvard.edu/login

Steps to Create New Appointment:

• From Aurora home page, select CREATE NEW ACTION [ENTER]
• then HIRE/TRANSFER/PROMOTION/DOWNGRADE [ENTER]
• SEARCH FOR EXISTING HARVARD IDENTITY [select either HUID, or first/last name [SEARCH]
• If individual found, [SELECT] button left column
• If individual not found, continue with ADVANCED SEARCH [first, last, DOB, last 4 SSN (all fields must be entered] NOTE: real SSN or registered temporary SSN must be used (temporary SSN sequence is 999-06-xxxx). If you use self-created ‘dummy’ SSN, appointment will be denied, and there will be significant delays.
• If individual found [SELECT] then proceed to SELECT APPOINTMENT TYPE (NOTE: Advanced Search is conducted against Harvard’s Identify and Access Management (IAM) database)
• If individual still not found, then CREATE NEW HUID (lower right)
• Advanced Search criteria pre-populate CREATE NEW HUID, then enter Onboarding Email [CREATE NEW HUID]
• SELECT APPOINTMENT TYPE select RESEARCH (under Monthly Paid / Non-Paid)

NEW HIRE FORM

ACTION INFORMATION Complete Only Action Type HIRE (default) REQUISITION NUMBER is blank. [ENTER]

PERSONAL INFORMATION, HOME ADDRESS, EMAIL AND TELEPHONE

Personal Information Complete All Fields (NOTE: Either a real SSN or a Temporary SSN issued by FAS Payroll may be used in the SSN field.  (temporary SSN sequence is 999-06-xxxx) Once the appointment is saved in Aurora, the SSN and date of birth cannot be changed – you will need to cancel and resubmit the appointment in Aurora).  Tax Residency Required field.

Home Address Complete All Fields (NOTE: If the PD/RA does not yet have a local address, enter CCB/12 Oxford Street as the address of record, then PD/RA updates in PeopleSoft with new address once secured).

Email Complete with PD/RA personal email address (onboard email)

Telephone This field is optional, although you will need the cell number for group distribution.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Job Codes NOTE: IF IN DOUBT, CHECK WITH Joe Lavin (6-3209). JOB CODE DETERMINES RESPONSES TO SOME AURORA APPOINTMENT REQUIRED DATA FIELDS.

Appointment Start Date

Appointment End Date: Defaults to one year from start date. May be edited, but cannot be longer than one year.

Term Appointment: Checked by default (cannot be changed)

Aurora Group: Select from dropdown menu.  Will only display groups for which you have permission to hire. [NOTE: Do not use the parent group “Chemistry and Chemical Biology”)

PS Department: Select from dropdown menu FAS^FCOR^CCB Other Academic (100537)

Harvard Location: Auto-populates from PS Department choice.  May be edited.

Business Title: Defaults based on Job Code selected.

Employee Class and Rank: Based on job code selected.

Pay Group: Based on job code (See Above Table)

Offer FTE: Full time is FTE 1.0 (fully paid by HU).  NOTE: Unpaid appointments will default to FTE .000286 (FTE cannot be “0”)

FTE Salary: Is annual salary based on full time (FTE = 1.0). NOTE: If Harvard only partially paying, FTE reflects percentage; e.g., HU pays $20K of $50K annual (FTE = 0.4)

Annual Salary/ Pay Period Amount: Defaults based on FTE salary.

Projected Total Payout: If appointment is not annual (12 months), Aurora will calculate based on the appointment dates.

FACULTY SPONSOR

• Search for primary faculty sponsor (PI) in database. When located [SELECT]

COSTING

• This section is only available for completion if paid appointment job code used.
• Earnings Code: Choose from dropdown menu, then [Add/Modify]
• Edit Costing: Default: Complete this section with applicable account string. [SAVE]
• Add Row: If more than one account string is to be charged, then enter another row with the percentage to be split among account strings. [SAVE]

NOTE: If Postdoctoral Fellow (Stipendee Postdoc) (job code 000949) was chosen, an additional popup screen [External Post Doc Fringe (EPF)] will need to be completed for monthly benefit payments. The annual “Benefits Rate” will display along with the applicable object code.  Simply enter the account string(s) to be charged. NOTE: Any amount not charged to fellowship account should be charged to non-federal funding account string (check with SSRA) [SAVE]

UNIVERSITY MAILING ADDRESS

• Location Code: Search for correct location.  The remaining fields of this screen will populate based on the location code chosen.

NOTE: If information changes need to be entered, must be done by PD/RA through PeopleSoft Self Service.

EDUCATION

• Add Education allows fields to be entered.  A full mm/dd/yyyy must be entered per degree. If day not known, use first of month (e.g., 01/01/2000). The PhD information needs to be included in this field. 

ATTACH DOCUMENT

• PDF FORMAT ONLY
• Never attach document with high risk confidential information (NO SSN,passport copies, or visa documents)
• Attach PDF: Document Naming Convention:  YYYY-MM-DD FirstName LastName TypeOfDocument
• Browse hard drive for document to be attached.
• Document Type: Select from dropdown menu.

Upload each pdf file separately.

DOCUMENT ATTACHMENTS REQUIRED PER JOB CODE:

ACTION COMMENTS

Add any additional information helpful to approvers to review appointment.

COMPLETING THE FORM

Save as Draft: saves all information for editing at a later time, until submission. If any errors made, will need to be corrected for both draft and submission before action accepted.

Submit: Submits Aurora appointment information for next workflow stage in approval process.  

Cancel: Removes all appointment details.  Cannot be edited or submitted once cancelled.      

ACTION REVIEW SCREEN

Once Aurora file is saved as draft or submitted, ACTION NUMBER AND EFFECTIVE DATE populate in Action Information section.  If I-9 warning message received, this is addressed by Joe Lavin when he reviews the appointment for approval.

WORKFLOW HISTORY

From Main Menu, you can search for actions: Workflow History at bottom of screen. Records approval steps that have been completed by Approver Name, Department, Email, Telephone, Status (action taken) and Date

Aurora Help Links: https://about.aurora.fas.harvard.edu/ and email fasasap@fas.harvard.edu for specific questions

FAS Office for Postdoctoral Affairs

• http://www.postdoc.harvard.edu/
• The Postdoc Office's web site is an excellent resource for both postdocs and administrators.
• The following page on their site is dedicated to resources for administrators: http://postdoc.harvard.edu/FASadminresources

Appointment Lengths

The default length of a research appointment is one year. However, appointments can be shorter. Anyone working in a lab over 30 days should be appointed. While appointments under three months do need to be approved by the Assistant Dean for Science, this approval is usually granted. In cases where this approval is needed, Joe Lavin will contact the Assistant Dean for Science.

Social Security Numbers

If a non-citizen does not have a social security number, you may leave the field blank in Asperin. Joe Lavin will obtain a temporary social security number so that the new researcher can be paid. A new researcher is eligible to apply for a social security number after being in the country for 10 days. Once the researcher has an actual social security number, he/she should visit Joe Lavin in order to complete a new I-9 form.

Social security numbers are not required for non-citizens with an unpaid appointment. However, FAS Payroll requires any U.S. citizen to supply us with his/her social security number in order to have an appointment, paid or unpaid. Please enter the social security number in the Asperin appointment. If you are unable to enter it into Asperin, please give it to Joe Lavin. (Note: Social security numbers should never be put into a non-secure email message. If sent by enail, it should be sent as an attachment in Accellion.)

Appointment Corrections

If the original appointment was for less than a year, please extend a researcher with an appointment correction for the remainder of the year, rather than entering a reappointment. With an appointment correction, you only need to change the end date.

Asperin Path:
Actions - Appointment - Correct - Appt

Moving from Paid to Unpaid

When moving an individual from paid to unpaid, you will first need to enter a termination, and then do a new appointment. It is no longer possible to reclass an employee from paid to non-paid, due to issues with benefits.

Terminations

When entering a termination, please enter a forwarding address (if you have it) and include the person's next position in the Asperin comments.  You should use one of the VOL codes. Please contact Joe Lavin before processing any involuntary terminations.

Note: If there are performance issues with a postdoc who is being reappointed, it is best not to reappoint the postdoc for a full year. He/she can be reappointed for less than a year while his/her performance is being reviewed.

Termination Policy from the FAS Appointments Handbook

Ordinarily, non-tenured appointments are made for a specified term. However, regardless of the term length, appointments are always contingent upon satisfactory performance. In the case of involuntary termination before appointment end date of a non-ladder faculty or research appointment, the following documents must be sent to the Office for Faculty Affairs.

• A record of communications between the faculty member/researcher and his/her supervisor, documenting a pattern of expectations/benchmarks on specific tasks, and corresponding deficiencies. Ideally, these exchanges should state that there will be real consequences, if performance does not improve.
• A documented formal conversation between the faculty member/researcher and his/her supervisor, summarizing the issues and alerting the faculty member/researcher, that their performance is not consistent with continued employment.
• A letter terminating the appointment (“fair notice”). There is no standard length of time by which termination is effective; however, 30 days should be given unless circumstances require that less notice be given. It can be less, if stages 1 and 2 have been clear.

Maternity / Paternal Leave Policy

This policy is detailed on the Postdoc Office's web site:

http://postdoc.harvard.edu/medical-leave-process-connection-childbirth-and-recovery-instruction-administrators

Job Code 000024 / Object Code 6452/ MEP Paygroup (if paid) / Non-Employee

This category is for undergraduates from other universities who are being paid. These students are not eligible for benefits and cannot be paid with federal grants. To pay these students from grants, it may be better to appoint them as hourly temps through OFARA.

Required Documentation (Electronic copies encouraged.)

1. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at: http://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/vurf-offer.docx. 

Please be sure to include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Stipend Information
• Research Purpose (This does not have to be extensive, but it should be enough information to clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) If not in the offer letter, the research purpose can be included in the Asperin comments instead.

2. CV

3. Visitor's Participation Agreement

• A Visitor's Participation Agreement is required: http://otd.harvard.edu/resources/agreements/participationVisitor/. This must be signed by the student and a person with signing authority at the other institution before the appointment will be approved by the FAS.

Notes

• Joe Lavin will process these appointments in Asperin. Please send the necessary personal information to enter into Asperin.
• Please have these students meet with Joe Lavin upon arrival.
• These employees are not benefits-eligible, nor can they apply for UHS Affiliate Health Insurance.
• Must be paid from unrestricted funding. 
• Payment will be considered a stipend rather than a salary. U.S. Citizens will not have taxes withheld from paychecks and will likely need to file quarterly taxes.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for a particular month should be submitted to Joe Lavin by the 15th of that month.

Health Insurance Options

• Some international fellows may qualify for alternate health insurance: http://www.hio.harvard.edu/healthcareandinsurance/scholars/insuranceplansoutsideofharvard/
• Mass Health Connector for MA residents: https://www.mahealthconnector.org
• Note that international fellows on a J-visa are required to have health insurance.

Job Code 000048 / Unpaid/ Non-Employee

This category is for undergraduates from other universities who are not being paid. These appointments are processed directly in Peoplesoft. Please send the following documents for Barbara Anderson, fill out the following form, and send to Barbara Anderson by secure email.

Required Documentation (Electronic copies encouraged.)

1. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at: http://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/vurf-offer.docx

Please be sure to include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Research Purpose (This does not have to be extensive, but it should be enough information to clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) If not in the offer letter, the research purpose can be included in the Asperin comments instead.

2. CV

3. Visitor's Participation Agreement

• A Visitor's Participation Agreement is required: http://otd.harvard.edu/resources/agreements/participationVisitor/. This must be signed by the student and a person with signing authority at the other institution before the appointment will be approved by the FAS.

4. Risk and Release Form: http://files.vpr.harvard.edu/files/vpr-documents/files/acknowledgement_of_risk_and_release_form_12_2014.pdf

Notes

• These employees are not benefits-eligible, nor can they apply for UHS Affiliate Health Insurance.
• Note that international fellows on a J-visa are required to have health insurance.

Job Code: 069603 / Object Code: 6030 / MFC Paygroup / Employee

This category is designed for a faculty member from another university to work here. These visiting scholars are eligible for benefits and can be paid with federal grants. Approval from the Assistant Dean for Science is required to use this category, but this will be obtained by Joe Lavin.

https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-visiting-scholars

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Cover Letter to the Appointments Office

Signed cover letter to the Appointments Office from the faculty sponsor, on department letterhead, indicating the reason for the appointment, the type of work in which the visitor will be engaged, the visitor’s home institution and title (specifying that it is a tenure-track or tenured appointment and providing the U.S. equivalent of the title, if applicable), any arrangements for space, I.T., and other resources, and the faculty sponsor’s commitment to meet regularly with the visiting scholar. This statement must also confirm the salary, or, if the position is entirely funded by a source external to Harvard, it must confirm that the candidate has outside funding;

Cover Letter Template

2. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/aa-sample-visiting-scholar-offer-letter

The Offer Letter should be signed by the Chair. Please reach out to Joe Lavin for assistance with this.

3. CV

• Must hold a tenure-track faculty position, or the equivalent if outside the U.S.

4. Visitor's Participation Agreement

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements

5. I-9

• The visiting scholar should meet with Joe Lavin to fill out an I-9 on their first day (or earlier). I-9’s are required if the visiting scholar is being paid a salary directly from Harvard. The visiting scholar should provide either a passport OR both a driver's license and a social security card. Non-citizens will also need to provide visa documents. 

Notes

• All foreign nationals working in our labs must have valid employee visas. Researchers with tourist visas or expired work authorization may not legally work in our labs.
• While an I-9 is required, we recommend that you submit the appointment early without an I-9 (ideally 5-10 business days before the start date). This will reduce the wait for an HUID. 
• Please have visiting scholar meet with Leah DeFrancesco upon arrival.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for the month should be submitted in Aurora by the 15th of that month (i.e. enter by Jan. 15th for the Jan. 31st check).
• If paid entirely by Harvard, FTE should usually be 1. If Harvard is only paying a portion of the salary, the FTE should reflect this. For example, if Harvard is paying $20K of a total salary of $50K, the FTE should be 0.4. 
• Individuals may hold a Visiting Scholar appointment for no more than two consecutive years. They must then wait a period of three years before they can be eligible for another two-year appointment cycle.
• Please enter PhD degree information in Aurora. 
• Visiting Scholars in this category are benefits-eligible, if they work more than half-time or receive more than $15,000 annually.
• Benefits covered by fringe. Fringe will be charged regardless of whether the fellow’s salary is above the benefits threshold. 
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment. 

 Job Code: 069602 / Object Code: 6452 (if paid) / MEP Paygroup (if paid) / Non-Employee

This category is designed for a faculty member from another university to work here. These visiting scholars are not eligible for benefits and cannot be paid with federal grants. They can be paid or unpaid, though usually the visiting scholar is paid from his/her university.
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-visiting-scholars

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Cover Letter to the Appointments Office

Signed cover letter to the Appointments Office from the faculty sponsor, on department letterhead, indicating the reason for the appointment, the type of work in which the visitor will be engaged, the visitor’s home institution and title (specifying that it is a tenure-track or tenured appointment and providing the U.S. equivalent of the title, if applicable), any arrangements for space, I.T., and other resources, and the faculty sponsor’s commitment to meet regularly with the visiting scholar. This statement must also confirm the salary, or, if the position is entirely funded by a source external to Harvard, it must confirm that the candidate has outside funding;

Cover Letter Template

2. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/aa-sample-visiting-scholar-offer-letter

The Offer Letter should be signed by the Chair. Please reach out to Joe Lavin for assistance with this. 

3. CV

• Must hold a tenure-track faculty position, or the equivalent if outside the U.S. 

4. Visitor's Participation Agreement

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements

5. Risk and Release form: 

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements 

6. Funding Letter

 If the candidate is entirely self-funded: 1 electronic PDF copy of a letter outlining the desire for the affiliation without an expectation of compensation, signed by the candidate.

Notes

• All foreign nationals working in our labs must have valid employee visas. Researchers with tourist visas or expired work authorization may not legally work in our labs.
• We recommend that you submit the appointment 5-10 business days before the start date.
• Please have new visiting scholars meet with Leah DeFrancesco upon arrival. 
• If unpaid, FTE should be .000286. Coding can be left blank.
• Please enter PhD degree information in Aurora.
• Individuals may hold a Visiting Scholar appointment for no more than two consecutive years. They must then wait a period of three years before they can be eligible for another two-year appointment cycle.
• These employees are not benefits-eligible, nor can they apply for UHS Affiliate Health Insurance. 
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment.

If Paid a Supplement:

• Cannot be charged to federal funding. 
• If the visiting scholar is receiving a supplement of over $15,000, he/she should usually be appointed in Job Code: 069603 to be benefits eligible.
• Payment will be considered a stipend rather than a salary.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for the month should be submitted in Aurora by the 15th of that month (i.e. enter by Jan. 15th for the Jan. 31st check).
• U.S. Citizens will not have taxes withheld from paychecks and will likely need to file quarterly taxes. 

Job Code: 000913 / Object Code: 6030 / MFC Paygroup / Employee

This category is used for graduate students from other universities or researchers who do not yet have a Ph.D. These fellows must be paid, are eligible for benefits and can be paid with federal grants. Approval from the Assistant Dean for Science is required to use this category, but this will be obtained by Joe Lavin. 
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/b-fellows-doctorate-not-r…  

Aurora New Hire Directions        

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at
https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/fellow_offer_letter…

Offer letters should include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Research Purpose (This does not need be extensive, but it should clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) If not in the offer letter, the research purpose can be included in the Aurora comments instead. 
• Salary information
• A statement noting that reappointment is contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding.

2. CV

3. Participation Agreement

​​​​​​​4. I-9

• The new fellow should meet with Joe Lavin to fill out an I-9 on their first day (or earlier). I-9’s are required if the fellow is being paid a salary directly from Harvard. The fellow should provide either a passport OR both a driver's license and a social security card. Non-citizens will also need to provide visa documents. 

Notes

• Minimum Salary Requirement: $52,000. To be exempt from the salary requirement, the fellow must be actively enrolled as a graduate student elsewhere.
• All foreign nationals working in our labs must have valid employee visas. Researchers with tourist visas or expired work authorization may not legally work in our labs.
• While an I-9 is required, we recommend that you submit the appointment early without an I-9 (ideally 5-10 business days before the start date). This will reduce the wait for an HUID. 
• Please have new fellows meet with Joe Lavin upon arrival.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for the month should be submitted in Aurora by the 15th of that month (i.e. enter by Jan. 15th for the Jan. 31st check).
• If paid entirely by Harvard, FTE should usually be 1. If Harvard is only paying a portion of the salary, the FTE should reflect this. For example, if Harvard is paying $20K of a total salary of $50K, the FTE should be 0.4. 
• Fellows may be appointed for up to three consecutive years.
• Please enter bachelor’s degree information in Aurora. A bachelor’s degree is required. 
• Fellows in this category are benefits-eligible, if they work more than half-time or receive more than $15,000 annually. Not eligible for retirement plans. 
• Benefits covered by fringe. Fringe will be charged regardless of whether the fellow’s salary is above the benefits threshold.
• Fellows can take up to 20 vacation days per year (1.67 days per month) but are not eligible for vacation payouts (i.e. vacation time does not carry over year-to-year.). Groups should track this locally. A vacation calendar can be found at
• https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/ccb_postdoc_vacation_calendar.docx
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment. 

Job Code: 069649 / Object Code: 6452 (if paid) / MEP Paygroup (if paid) / Non-Employee

Aurora New Hire Directions

This category is used for graduate students from other universities or researchers who do not yet have a Ph.D. These fellows are not eligible for benefits and cannot be paid with federal grants. A Bachelor’s degree is required. Fellows in this category can be paid or unpaid.

https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/b-fellows-doctorate-not-r…

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located here.

Offer letters should include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Research Purpose (This does not need be extensive, but it should clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) If not in the offer letter, the research purpose can be included in the Aurora comments instead.
• Harvard Stipend (if applicable)
• A statement noting that reappointment is contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding.

2. CV

3. Visitor's Participation Agreement

• Available at https://vpr.harvard.edu/visitor-participation-agreements

4. Risk and Release Form (if unpaid):

• Available at: https://vpr.harvard.edu/acknowledgment-risk-and-release

Notes

• All foreign nationals working in our labs must have valid employee visas. Researchers with tourist visas or expired work authorization may not legally work in our labs.
• We recommend that you submit the appointment 5-10 business days before the start date. 
• Please have new fellow meet with Joe Lavin upon arrival.
• If unpaid, FTE should be .000286. Coding can be left blank.
• Please enter bachelor’s degree information in Aurora. A bachelor’s degree is required. 
• The I-9 and Affirmative Action form are not required, because the fellow will be paid a stipend, rather than a salary. 
• Fellows can take up to 20 vacation days per year (1.67 days per month) but are not eligible for vacation payouts (i.e. vacation time does not carry over year-to-year.). Groups should track this locally. A vacation calendar can be found at https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/ccb_postdoc_vacation_calendar.docx
• These fellows are not benefits-eligible, nor can they apply for UHS Affiliate Health Insurance. They are eligible for the Mass Health Connector, https://www.mahealthconnector.org/
• Note that international fellows on a J-visa are required to have health insurance. 
• Fellows may be appointed for up to three consecutive years
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment. 

If Paid a supplement:

• Cannot be charged to federal funding. 
• If the fellow is receiving a supplement of over $15,000, he/she should usually be a salaried fellow (Job Code: 000913) to be benefits eligible. 
• Payment will be considered a stipend rather than a salary.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for the month should be submitted in Aurora by the 15th of that month (i.e. enter by Jan. 15th for the Jan. 31st check).
• U.S. Citizens will not have taxes withheld from paychecks and will likely need to file quarterly taxes. 

Job Code: 061101 / Object Code: 6030 / MFC Paygroup / Employee

This category is used for researchers who have been postdocs for five years or longer (either at Harvard or another institution.)
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/d-research-associates

Required Documentation (Documents must be uploaded as PDFs with Aurora appointment.)

1. Offer Letter

Please base your offer letter on the FAS sample letter located at:
https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/z-sample-research-associa…

Offer letters should include the following:

• Title
• Appointment Dates
• Research Purpose (This does not need be extensive, but it should clearly explain the appointment to someone outside of the department.) If not in the offer letter, the research purpose can be included in the Aurora comments instead. 
• Salary information
• A statement noting that reappointment is contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding.

2. CV (for New Hires; should already be on file for reclasses)

3. Affirmative Action Form

• http://facultyresources.fas.harvard.edu/files/facultyresources/files/af…
• No search is required when reclassing a postdoc to this category. Submit the form with the information for the research associate, and use search exemption 6.
• For new hires, list all the applicants since your last postdoc/research associate was appointed. The list should include all applicants, not just those interviewed. 
• The person being appointed should be included on the list.
• Signature of Hiring Officer should now be signed by the PI. Typed name of PI on that line is acceptable.
• If you do not know the gender of an applicant, leave blank. If you do not know the ethnicity, use 7 for unknown. 
• Convert to PDF before uploading.

4. Signed Paid Family Medical Leave Acknowledgment (New)

• Form available at: https://hr.harvard.edu/ma-pfml. The English version of the form is linked to at the bottom of that page under: Cover letter and English Notification 
• New research associates should complete in their preferred language. The notice is in 13 different languages. This should already be on file for those being reclassed to research associate. 
• Make sure that page 4 is signed and page 5 is initialed.

5. I-9

• New research associates should meet with Joe Lavin to fill out an I-9 on their first day (or earlier). The research associate should provide either a passport OR both a driver's license and a social security card. Non-citizens will also need to provide visa documents. 
  •    Those reclassed into this category will likely not need an I-9, though international research associates may need to update their I-9 if their visa dates have changed. 

6. Recommendation Letters (New)

• 2-3 recommendation letters are required for all new research associate appointments. An exception may be requested for a postdoc from your lab who is being promoted to a research associate.

Notes

• Minimum Salary Requirement: $52,000. (Effective 1/1/22) Documentation for any outside funding will need to be included.
• All foreign nationals working in our labs must have valid employee visas. Researchers with tourist visas or expired work authorization may not legally work in our labs.
• Please have new research associates meet with Joe Lavin upon arrival.
• Paid at the end of the month. Coding changes for the month should be submitted in Aurora by the 15th of that month (i.e. enter by Jan. 15th for the Jan. 31st check).
• If paid entirely by Harvard, FTE should usually be 1. If Harvard is only paying a portion of the salary, the FTE should reflect this. For example, if Harvard is paying $20K of a total salary of $50K, the FTE should be 0.4. 
• Please enter PhD degree information in Aurora. 
• There is a strict 8-year limit on research appointments (generally 5 years as a postdoc and 3 years as a research associate). Postdocs should become research associates after five years. (Note this was recently changed from 3 years.) For more information, see section 5 at https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/d-research-associates
• Research Associates are benefits-eligible, if they work more than half-time or receive more than $15,000 annually. Also eligible for retirement plans. Benefits covered by fringe. Fringe will be charged regardless of whether the salary is above the benefits threshold. 
• Research Associates are eligible to be co-PIs on a grant. 
• Once the new research associate has an HUID and PIN, they must sign the participation agreement electronically at: https://vpr.harvard.edu/harvard-university-participation-agreement. The CCB Department Office will track this. 
• It is recommended that new researchers with over five years of postdoctoral experience at other universities be appointed as Research Associates. 
• Research Associates can take up to 20 vacation days per year (1.67 days per month) but are not eligible for vacation payouts (i.e. vacation time does not carry over year-to-year.). Groups should track this locally. A vacation calendar can be found at

• https://chemistry.harvard.edu/files/chemistry/files/ccb_postdoc_vacation_calendar.docx

• Maternity/Parental Leave Policy:
• https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/h-family-leave-policy-pos…
• FAS Termination Policy: https://academic-appointments.fas.harvard.edu/g-termination-documentati…
  Please contact Joe Lavin if there are performance issues, especially when considering reappointment.