At UC Merced, postdoctoral scholars serve as advanced researchers who pursue specialized studies and training while working closely with faculty mentors. They are encouraged to pursue professional growth in addition to their research activities during their appointment. Our campus provides resources designed to assist both faculty mentors and postdoctoral scholars in achieving these developmental goals.
We outline the process here to help faculty mentors get started. There are 5 steps:
4. Recruitment (Have a candidate in mind? Contact school staff to ask about an exception to waive the open search.)
Budgeting for a PostDoc
How much should I pay a postdoc?
That depends on several factors, and let’s start here as an example:
1. How much prior experience does the candidate have as a postdoc?
Use the table above, or look up the updated version of Table 23 on this page here. Using this table, for example, if they have 26 months of previous Postdoc experience then their starting salary will be Level 2 $71,769 in 2024.
2. Can you pay more to make the offer more competitive?
Yes. The PI can choose to pay one salary level above their starting salary without any preapproval. This will not change their experience level, their records will still indicate that their experience level is 2 and their pay is at level 3.
Occasionally, should a PI wish to pay a Postdoc two levels above their experience level, this must be approved by the Graduate Dean. The PI will need to draft a justification memo addressed to the Graduate Dean and submit this, along with the Postdoc's CV, to the school staff for review. If approved, the school will be able to move forward with the appointment process.
3. Can you pay less than what the experience level requires?
No.
To accurately capture salary in a budget, you will need to decide:
1. Title/Step
2. Pay Rate (monthly, listed here)
3. Months of Effort per year
4. % of Effort per month
(Pay Rate) x (Months of Effort) x (% of Effort) = (Cost of Postdoc)
For 1 year, the base salary cost is = (Pay rate)x(12)x(100%)
Don’t forget to budget for comprehensive benefit rates and indirect costs.
How do I budget for comprehensive benefits rate (CBR) and indirect costs?
Verify for recent updates here or go to https://finance.ucmerced.edu/
The indirect rate in 2025 stands at 58.5% of Modified total direct costs (MTDC). Verify for recent updates here or go to https://spo.ucmerced.edu/develop-proposal
Which funding sources can I use ?
If already budgeted, grants are allowable sources. For internal sources such as start-up funds, check with your school staff.
How long must I guarantee funding?
Per the postdoctoral union contract, all postdocs must be appointed for a minimum of two years for their initial appointment. However, if two years of funding is not available at the time of making the offer, the initial appointment must be made for two years with one year’s funding guarantee, and the second year conditional on availability.
Paperwork and Forms
For these questions, please contact your school staff:
School of Natural Sciences:
Stephanie Lopez, Academic Personnel Analyst
sgarcia262@ucmerced.edu
sgarcia262@ucmerced.edu
School of Engineering:
Tomiko Hale, Director of Personnel Services
School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts
Rebecca Smith, Assistant Dean, Personnel
rsmith7@ucmerced.edu
rsmith7@ucmerced.edu
Timeline and position structure
What is the standard appointment length ?
The initial appointment shall be for a minimum of 2 years, per the contract (Article 2 B 2a). Reappointments may be 1-2 years.
What are the minimum/maximum appointment terms ?
Postdoc appointments are temporary and have a fixed end date. Per the contract (Article 2 A 3) the total duration of the PD service may not exceed 5 years, including PD service from other institutions. An exception can be granted for a sixth and final year.
Can the position be renewed? Under what conditions ?
Yes, after their initial 2 year appointment they can be reappointed for a minimum of 1 year. To begin the process, PIs will go through the school staff just as they did with the initial appointment. If the postdoc has reached the 5 year limit and a reappointment would put them over, then they can draft a justification memo addressed to the Graduate Dean asking for an exception beyond the 5 year limit.
However, appointment may NOT go past 6 years. For example, if they have 8 months until they hit 6 years, then they will need to have a less than one year reappointment, which is allowed per the contract in situations like this. Process wise is similar to that mentioned above with a higher level of pay.
Have a candidate in mind?
Faculty are allowed to use an exception to waive an open search for a postdoc position. Contact the school staff member you are working with to find out the documentation needed.
As an example, the School of Natural Sciences has a form to request an exception here. It requests:
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A summary of candidate’s qualifications,
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A brief justification of why an exception is requested,
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The candidate’s CV.
Want to do an open search?
Contact Esmeralda Martinez, Senior Academic Personnel Analyst, in the Academic Personnel Office (emartinez35@ucmerced.edu)
The candidate has not completed their PhD yet but will do so by the start date. Can I make them an offer?
Yes, an offer can be made at this point, with the condition that proof of PhD will be required before the hiring paperwork can be completed. If the candidate is international, the visa application may have additional requirements on this matter. For that, check here.
The candidate will not have the formal PhD degree in hand by their designated start date. Can they still complete hiring paperwork?
Yes, they can. They must present an 'Conferral Letter' with the following details :
- on the degree granting institution's formal letterhead
- be dated
- include the Postdoctoral Scholar’s name
- be Signed by the Graduate Division or Registrar’s office
- have confirmation or language that the requirements for PhD have been completed
- include the Date of completion (which may be the same as the date of the letter)
- an Official stamp/seal is preferred, but not required
The candidate has questions about housing, taxes, Catcards, parking…where should I direct them?
