Purpose: Generate a postdoctoral appointment offer letter
Confidentiality: Web forms are part of Student Records. Do not enter confidential or sensitive information.
Processing Timeline
- U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, and F1 OPT visa holders: 5-7 business days before the requested start date
- J-1 scholars and DS-2019 holders: 8 weeks (9-10 weeks preferred) before the requested start date
- H-1B visa holders: 3-4 months with premium processing (requires premium processing fee)
Submitting a recommendation form with incomplete supporting documents or insufficient proof of doctoral degree will result in processing delays in the timeframes noted.
To create a recommendation form:
- In AXESS: click the OPA/Bechtel Center tab > Postdoc > Postdoctoral Administrative Forms > Recommendation Form
- Click “Add” (leave search fields blank)
Recommendation form data entry:
- POSTDOC TRANSACTION DETAILS BOX
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Select Postdoc Information Sheet (Data Form) field: Click the magnifying glass to "Look Up" the data form
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Enter the postdoc first and last names, click “Look Up”
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From Search Results, click the postdoc name
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The Transaction Details Box is populated
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Postdoctoral Request Type field: Click on the dropdown menu arrow and select “Clinical” or “Research” type, as appropriate to your postdoc candidate
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Appointee Information, Department Applied, and Education Details Boxes are populated from the approved data form
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Admin must check the accuracy of the pre-populated information
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Is this request for Department Transfer field: Defaults to “No”
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If the postdoc is transferring to your department as a postdoc from another Stanford department, click the drop down arrow and select “Yes”
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It is important to coordinate the transfer start date with the transferring department to comply with visa policies, and ensure continuation of pay, benefits, and ID Card privileges, and avoid a gap in dates from the end date to the new start date
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- TRANSACTION DETAILS LINKS
- Offer Letter link: enter all appointment information and click “Save” to review the offer letter
- Please review dates of appointment, funding source(s), and any additional text you entered
- View Data Form link: review the postdoc candidate’s data form
- Offer Letter link: enter all appointment information and click “Save” to review the offer letter
- ACADEMIC INFORMATION BOX
- Academic Career field: Click the magnifying glass
- Click “Look Up"
- Click the appropriate career (GR or MED)
- Academic Program field: Click the magnifying glass
- Click “Look Up”
- Click on the appropriate Academic Program Description (must use Academic Program of the faculty sponsor)
- Academic Plan field: Click on the magnifying glass
- Click “Look Up”
- Click on the Academic Program Plan Description (search results will be blank if Academic Program field is blank)
- Academic Sub-Plan field: For School of Medicine only
- If the program has a sub-plan, repeat the same steps above to enter a sub-plan
- Other Stanford Affiliation field: Non-degree granting programs (Independent Labs, SLAC, BioDesign, etc., use this field)
- Click on the magnifying glass
- Click “Look Up”
- Click the appropriate unit affiliation
- Academic Career field: Click the magnifying glass
- APPOINTMENT INFORMATION BOX
- Area of Research/Training - Position Description field:
- Enter a brief job description that will complete the offer letter sentence that begins “During this appointment you will be involved in…”
- DO NOT CAPITALIZE the first word of your text; DO NOT ENTER A PERIOD at the end of your text, it is coded in the offer letter text
- Appointment Start Date field: Enter the requested appointment start date, if not pre-populated from the invite
- Appointment End Date field: Enter the requested appointment end date, if not pre-populated from the invite
- Offer Letter Date field: Enter the preferred date of issue of the offer letter
- Will the postdoc conduct research outside of Stanford campus field: Defaults to “No”
- If “Yes,” please enter the research location(s) and travel dates
- Will the postdoc work in a laboratory field: Defaults to “No”
- If “Yes,” click yes and complete the follow up question
- Is this a joint appointment Instructor/Clinical Instructor field: Defaults to “No”
- If “Yes,” click yes and complete two follow up questions
- Area of Research/Training - Position Description field:
- PRIOR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE BOX (displays only for Request Type: Research)
- Admin Explanation field: if a discount is applied or a correction is made (see below), please enter an explanation
- Research experience since last doctoral degree: research experience is pre-populated based on work experience entered in the data form by the postdoc candidate
- CAREFULLY REVIEW the CV and compare to the pre-populated number to ensure the correct number of months of research experience is displayed
- For calculation help, visit the calculating research experience page
- Research Experience noted by department field:
- If the pre-populated research experience is correct, re-enter that same number in this field
- If the pre-populated research experience is incorrect, enter the corrected number of research months and provide an explanation
- CAREFULLY REVIEW the CV and compare to the pre-populated number to ensure the correct number of months of research experience is displayed
- If postdoc is an MD will they have patient contact field: Defaults to “No”
- If “yes” click yes and complete the Additional Information regarding Patient Contact field
- Additional Information regarding Patient Contact field: SOM only: complete if postdoc candidate will have patient contact
- Additional details are in the offer letter field:
- Text entered here creates a new paragraph(s) in the offer letter
- FUNDING DETAILS BOX
- Funding Description field(s):
- Funding types are Salary, Stipend/Fellowship, or Outside Support
- Enter the name of the funding source for each funding type that will be paid
- The text entered in each description field will populate the funding sentence of the offer letter as the source(s) of funding
- If no funds are paid from a particular salary type, LEAVE THAT DESCRIPTION FIELD BLANK
- Do not enter “None” or “N/A” as that text will display in the funding sentence of the offer letter
- If no funds are paid from a particular salary type, LEAVE THAT DESCRIPTION FIELD BLANK
- Amount fields:
- Enter the funding amount(s), ensuring that the total (or combined total) meets or exceeds the Required Salary listed
- If funding data is entered in the Outside Support field, a copy of the outside funding letter must be uploaded
- Outside funding letters must provide an award start and end date and a specific funding amount
- Funds must be stated in U.S. dollars, or upload a currency conversion
- Outside support must be entered in GFS as Outside Funding lines
- Departmental quarterly review of currency exchange rate is required to ensure funding does not fall below the required minimum in any given quarter
- Outside funding must be supplemented by department funds when exchange rate fluctuations result in funding falling below the required minimum in any given quarter
- Funding Description field(s):
- VISA DETAILS BOX
- For international scholars, click the drop down arrow and select the appropriate visa type
- SPONSOR INFORMATION BOX (displays only for Request Type: Clinical)
- Post Graduate Year field: Click the drop down arrow and select the appropriate PGY
- Questions with Radio Buttons: Select the relevant answer
- POLICY EXCEPTIONS BOX
- The recommendation form is programmed to find data that may not meet postdoc policy
- A warning message will display to indicate that further review is needed for any data found not meeting postdoc policy
- Postdoc admin may select any of the following policy exception request types and enter detailed responses to each of the five questions that support the policy exception request
- Conditional DS-2019 approval in advance of the appointment approval
- NOTE: OPA will NOT conditionally approve a DS-2019 when the doctoral degree institution has an extended doctoral thesis evaluation process (3+ months). In these cases you can:
- Delay the appointment start date until proof of degree is uploaded, or
- Appoint as a Visiting Student Researcher until proof of degree is uploaded
- Purpose: Starts the 8 week DS-2019 processing clock while awaiting proof of degree from the doctoral institution
- Supporting web forms and document(s):
- Recommendation web form
- DS-2019 web form
- Uploaded letter of progress toward degree issued by the doctoral institution
- NOTE: OPA will NOT conditionally approve a DS-2019 when the doctoral degree institution has an extended doctoral thesis evaluation process (3+ months). In these cases you can:
- Short-term (less than 9 months) appointment for a Stanford PhD grad
- Purpose: Provides Stanford PhD graduates a university affiliation to bridge a short gap to a new position elsewhere
- Supporting web forms and document(s):
- Recommendation web form
- DS-2019 web form (if international)
- Appointment approval 3+ years (PhD) or 6+ years (MD) after doctoral degree conferral
- Purpose: Allows training for postdocs whose doctoral degree was conferred 3+ years ago, or MD conferred 6+ years ago
- Supporting web forms and document(s):
- Recommendation web form
- Accurate research experience calculation with no more than 51 months of previous research experience at start of Stanford appointment
- Current CV
- DS-2019 web form (if international)
- Recommendation web form
- Other Policy Exception (request a policy exception based on a postdoc candidate's specific circumstances)
- Purpose: OPA review of other circumstances that may justify a policy exception
- Supporting web forms and document(s):
- Recommendation form
- Upload any relevant document(s) that support the reason for the request
- DS-2019 web form (if international)
- Recommendation form
- Conditional DS-2019 approval in advance of the appointment approval
- SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS BOX
- The Supporting Document box displays a list of required documents that must be uploaded for submission to OPA for review
- DOCUMENT TYPE / UPLOAD FILE
- NEW! Documents are uploaded directly in the recommendation form
- Select document "type" from the dropdown menu list to identify the document being uploaded
- Click "Upload File"
- Click "Choose File" to select the document from your hard drive; click "upload"
- PDF is the only compatible document file type; incompatible file types such as JPEG, PNG, DOCX, must be uploaded again in PDF
- NEW! Documents are uploaded directly in the recommendation form
- ATTACHMENTS BOX
- Review all uploaded documents by clicking "View File"
- Compare the Supporting Document list to the Attachments "Document Type" column
- All Supporting Documents listed must appear as that document "type" in the Attachments box (missing document "types" will trigger an error message)
- e.g., If the Supporting Document list says CV and proof of doctoral degree, then the Attachments box must show uploaded document "types" for both CV and proof of doctoral degree
- A CV categorized as an "Other document" rather than as a "CV" will trigger an error message; a new document must be categorized as a "CV" and uploaded to Attachments to remove the error
- NEW! Postdoc candidate may return to secure portal to upload documents at any time before the recommendation form is approved by OPA
- All Supporting Documents listed must appear as that document "type" in the Attachments box (missing document "types" will trigger an error message)
- Postdoc admin uploads additional documents (as applicable):
- Currency conversion printout (when outside funding is paid in foreign currency)
- Outside funded benefits coverage approval email
- Clinical appts only: Patient Care form, signed Clinical Scholar letter
- International Scholars only:
- Passport: Postdoc candidate uploads copy of bio-demographic page (with picture)
- J-1 Visa: Postdoc admin submits a DS-2019 request web form
- F1 OPT: Postdoc candidate uploads a copy of EAD card (application/receipt if card is not yet issued)
- H-1B Visa: Postdoc candidate uploads copy of most recent I-797
- Permanent Residents: Postdoc candidate uploads a copy of the permanent resident (green) card
- PREVIEW AND CERTIFICATION BOX
- Click “Save” and then click “Preview Offer Letter”
- Review the offer letter for punctuation, grammar, and any text you entered
- Click the Certification Box to confirm you have reviewed the offer letter text
- Click “Submit"
“HOLD” recommendation form while awaiting final proof of degree
- Begin the appointment process by sending the invite
- After review, if all else is in order on the data form, approve it without proof of degree
- Create and submit the recommendation form for department manager approval to generate the offer letter for postdoc acceptance
- Postdoc admin will be unable to submit the form to OPA until proof of degree is uploaded
To search for a previously saved or submitted recommendation form
- In AXESS: click the OPA/Bechtel tab > Postdoc > Postdoc Administrative Forms
- Click the “Recommendation Form” radio button
- To search for all recommendation forms, click “Search”
- To search for a specific recommendation form:
- In the search criteria fields, enter the postdoc’s first and last names, and click “Search”
- From the Search Results, click the Transaction ID of the recommendation form
After Admin Submission of recommendation form
- The recommendation form routes to the next approver, e.g., department manager/DFA
- After DFA/department manager approval, the postdoc candidate receives an email with instructions for accepting the offer letter
- The Postdoc admin receives an email to return to workflow to verify the recommendation form
- The Postdoc admin's "Approve" button is disabled until the postdoc accepts the offer letter
- After the Postdoc admin verifies and approves the recommendation form, it routes to OPA
Searching for a Student ID
Please allow 24-48 hours (longer during high volume times) for Student IDs to be created after appointment approval
If you do not have access to PeopleSoft or GFS to search for a Student ID, use this method:
- In AXESS: click the OPA/Bechtel Center tab > Postdoc > Postdoc Administrative Forms
- Click the "Change Transactions" button
- Click "Add"
- Click the magnifying glass to the right of the Student ID field
- In the Look Up box, enter the postdoc’s first and last names
- Click "Look Up"
- The student ID is displayed in the Search Results
- Write down (or copy and paste) the ID number
- Exit the look up box
- Exit the change form without saving or submitting
Return a recommendation form to yourself for editing (must be pending your final review before submitting to OPA)
- In AXESS: click OPA/Bechtel Center tab > Visit Workflow Home Page
- In the Work Flow Transaction list, click "My Approvals"
- In the Activity list, click on PD-REC-SHEET-PD-INTRNTNL or PD-REC-SHEET-PD-CTZN
- Scroll to find the recommendation form transaction
- Click on the postdoc candidate name to open the recommendation form
- Scroll to the Approve – Return - Decline buttons
- Click “Return” to return the recommendation form to yourself for editing
- Exit OPA/Bechtel Center workflow
Then:
- In AXESS: click OPA/Bechtel Center tab > Postdoc > Postdoc Administrative Forms
- Click on the "Recommendation Form" button
- Enter the postdoc candidate's first and last names in the corresponding search fields
- Click on the postdoc candidate name in the search results to open the editable recommendation form
- Edit the recommendation form and resubmit to workflow
- The full approval process repeats, including postdoc candidate acceptance of the revised offer letter
Rejected Offer Letter Return to Workflow
- When a postdoc candidate rejects the offer letter, the recommendation form returns to the Admin Verify role in workflow
- Postdoc admin will follow the instructions above to return the recommendation form to him/herself