Policies governing postdoctoral fellows at Albert Einstein College of Medicine are administered by the Belfer Institute for Advanced Biomedical Studies. The Belfer office manages the appointment of new postdocs, monitors salaries and oversees housing policy, health insurance and other benefits. Postdoctoral policies at Einstein are summarized in the links below.
Individual questions about any aspect of postdoctoral life should be addressed to the Belfer Program Manager, Toni Burrell, at toni.burrell@einsteinmed.edu, or at 718.430.3191.
Appointment and Reappointment Policies and Procedures
At Einstein, a postdoctoral researcher is appointed a "research fellow." The position of postdoctoral researcher is defined as a period of intense postgraduate research, performed under the guidance of a mentor. General Information regarding the recruitment and appointment of a postdoctoral investigator can be found here.
The appointment process is initiated by the department in which the individual will be a postdoctoral researcher. The office of Human Resources is responsible for verification of credentials and the office of Academic Appointments (Room 1202 Belfer, 718.430.2844) processes the official appointment and reappointment letters. Criteria for postdoctoral appointment include proof of satisfactory completion of a doctoral degree and eligibility to work legally in the United States.
Health Benefits
Full-time postdoctoral fellows at Albert Einstein College of Medicine are eligible for the following benefits: health, dental and vision coverage, access to reimbursement accounts for eligible healthcare, dependent care and transportation expenses, a retirement plan and disability benefits.
For more information about the various healthcare plans and benefits available to postdoctoral fellows please visit the Human Resources website.
Housing Policies and Procedures
Albert Einstein College of Medicine owns several apartment buildings on or near the campus, including 1579 Rhinelander Avenue, which is reserved for postdoctoral researchers and their families. Postdoctoral researchers are allowed to occupy an apartment in Einstein housing for a maximum of three years, as described in the Housing Policies and Procedures.
All Einstein housing is managed by the Einstein housing office and all occupancy is subject to the policies and procedures outlined above and in the Housing Policy Handbook, a copy of which is available in the housing office.
The Belfer Institute office maintains the postdoctoral waiting list for on-campus housing. The list includes eligible postdoctoral researchers at Einstein who wish to reside in Einstein housing, as well as eligible postdoctoral researchers whose appointments have not yet started. For a postdoctoral researcher to get on the waiting list, the Postdoctoral Housing Application must be completed, and submitted to the Belfer Institute office with a copy of the postdoctoral researcher's C.V. For postdoctoral fellows who have not yet arrived, the signed letter of acceptance of the position must also be provided. A new postdoctoral researcher will not be eligible for an apartment until the Belfer Institute has verified that the arriving postdoctoral researcher has received his/her graduate degree or has provided acceptable documentation from the degree-granting institution that all requirements for receiving the degree have been satisfied. Once a postdoctoral researcher is on the official waiting list, the Belfer Institute is responsible for notification of availability.
Postdoctoral Fellows residing in Einstein postdoctoral housing or those in Einstein temporary housing who wish to have guest should review the Postdoctoral Housing & Temporary Housing Guest Policy and complete the Postdoctoral Housing Guest Application and return the Belfer Institute (belferinstitute@einsteinmed.edu) and Einstein Housing Office (einsteinhousing@montefiore.org).
Paid and Unpaid Leave
For policies regarding vacation, sick days and leave, postdoctoral fellows should refer to the postdoctoral Paid and Unpaid Leave Policy. Recipients of a Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship should refer to the Paid and Unpaid Leave Policy Kirschstein-NRSA.
International Students and Scholars Office
Many postdoctoral researchers at the College of Medicine are foreign nationals. Alexia Pakiela serves as manager of The Office of International Services (OIS), and is available to help postdoctoral researchers regarding visas and immigration status. The ISSO is located in Room 1201 of the Belfer building; 718.430.2850 or alexia.pakiela@einsteinmed.edu.
Stipend Levels for Research Fellows
Albert Einstein College of Medicine requires minimum stipend levels equivalent to those established by the NIH stipend schedule (based on years of postdoctoral experience at Einstein) plus an additional 3%. Mentors are encouraged to exceed this minimum stipend level commensurate with the training, expertise, and productivity of the individual. As the NIH adjusts its stipend levels, Einstein will adjust its minimums to reflect the new NIH stipend schedule plus 3%.
Effective December 1, 2023, the stipend schedule is as follows:
| Years of Postdoctoral Experience |
EINSTEIN SALARY MINIMUM |
| 0 |
$58,179 |
| 1 |
$58,586 |
| 2 |
$59,019 |
| 3 |
$70,000 |
| 4 |
$70,000 |
Termination Policy
Albert Einstein College of Medicine requires a minimum of two months' notice prior to termination. Principal investigators are urged to give postdoctoral researchers as much notice as possible, to facilitate the postdoctoral researcher’s finding a new position. The procedure for termination can be accessed here.