The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

The Dean of the College of Graduate Studies created the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in October 2005 to better address postdoctoral trainees' unique needs. The initial goals were revitalizing the dormant Postdoctoral Association, evaluating postdoctoral policies and resources, counseling postdoctoral scholars in career development, and serving as representation for MUSC postdoctoral training on the national level.

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) consists of the Assistant Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs and the Program Coordinator for Postdoctoral Affairs. The Assistant Dean approves all postdoctoral appointments. All mentors must have Graduate Faculty status. Funding for the OPA comes from the College of Graduate Studies and supports workshops and activities of the MUSC Postdoctoral Association (PDA). The Assistant Dean advises postdocs on career development issues, approaches for resolving conflicts with their mentor, or any general professional or administrative problem.

There are currently 126 postdoctoral trainees at MUSC, 87 as postdoctoral scholars and 39 as NIH postdoctoral fellows, approximately 76 percent of which are US or permanent residents and 24 percent internationals. Gender distribution is 44 percent male and 56 percent female. Of the US postdocs, 14 percent come from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups. Approximately 31 percent of MUSC postdocs are supported by either individual fellowships or NIH T32 training grants.

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Policies and Procedures pertaining to postdocs may be found here (accessible with NetID).  Postdoctoral Trainees are defined at MUSC in accordance with the NIH and NSF definition: “An individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue her or his chosen career path.” All policies are constructed with this definition in mind.

All postdoc salaries are to be reviewed annually by the OPA before onboarding. To do so, please submit an up-to-date CV of the postdoc along with a completed Salary Verification Form (accessible with NetID). Additional information on postdoc salaries and benefits may be found in PolicyTech (link coming soon).

Purpose and Function of the MUSC Postdoctoral Association (PDA)

• Scholarly Learning: This includes inviting outside speakers, organizing workshops, continuing education and giving postdocs opportunities to present their work in local meetings.
• Networking Activities: This includes formal and informal meetings and gatherings of postdocs. In addition, this includes social activities both at the University and outside of the University. The PDA shall have a commitment to promoting networking opportunities both within the postdoc community as well between the postdoc community and faculty.
• Postdoc Advocacy: The PDA should be a source of information and a sounding board for complaints and concerns. The PDA is a place to pass those concerns on to the appropriate channels; however, the PDA does not, in and of itself, have authority to directly alter any policy except its own bylaws and governance. The PDA interacts with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in the College of Graduate Studies, as well as, faculty to address the concerns that are brought forward.