Purpose: To 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 processing: 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.
- In AXESS
- Mouse over the OPA/Bechtel Center tab
- Click Postdoctoral Administrative Forms
- Click Recommendation Form
To create a new Recommendation Form, click “Add”
- POSTDOC TRANSACTION DETAILS BOX
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Select Postdoc Information Sheet field: Click the magnifying glass
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In the Look Up Box, enter the postdoc first and last names, click “Look Up”
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From Search Results, click the name of the postdoc
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The Look Up Box closes and 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,” as appropriate
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Appointee Information, Department Applied, and Education Details Boxes are populated
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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 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
- Comparative Display of Biographic Data link – this link is not functional
- 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
- Complete Information Sheet link: review the postdoc’s Information Sheet
- 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 Associations field: Non-degree granting programs (Independent Labs, SLAC, BioDesign, etc., use this field)
- Click on the magnifying glass
- Click “Look Up”
- Click the appropriate association for the postdoc
- APPOINTMENT INFORMATION BOX (“Request Type: Clinical” does not include all fields noted below)
- Area of Research/Training - Position Description field:
- Enter a brief job description to 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
- Appointment End Date field: Enter the requested appointment end date
- 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,” complete the follow up question
- Is this a joint appointment Instructor/Clinical Instructor field: Defaults to “No”
- If “Yes,” complete the follow up questions
- Research Experience since last conferral date field: Months are pre-populated based on work experience entered by postdoc in the Information Sheet
- KNOWN ISSUE: the pre-populated number of months may include pre-conferral research data or other work experience that should be excluded
- CAREFULLY REVIEW the CV for the correct number of months of research experience. For help, visit the calculating research experience page.
- Research Experience noted by department field: Enter number of months of research experience from your calculation
- If postdoc is an MD will they have patient contact field: Defaults to “No”
- If “yes” complete the Additional Information regarding Patient Contact field
- Additional Information regarding patient contact field: Complete if postdoc will have patient contact
- Additional details regarding this appointment to be included in the offer letter field:
- Entered text creates a new paragraph in the Offer Letter
- FUNDING DETAILS BOX
- Funding types are Salary, Stipend, and Outside Funding
- If no funds are paid from a particular salary type, LEAVE THAT DESCRIPTION FIELD BLANK
- Entering “None” or “N/A” will populate as text in the funding sentence of the Offer Letter
- Funding Description field(s): In the appropriate New Salary, New Stipend, or New Outside Support Description fields:
- Provide the following description: US or Foreign; Agency/Fellowship Name; Dates of Funding
- Example Description 1: Foreign; Swiss Natl Funding Fllshp; 05/01/20-04/30/21
- Example Description 2: US; John Doe Gift Funds; 10/01/19-09/30/20
- 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 to Nolij
- 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 minimum
- Outside funding must be supplemented by department funds when exchange rate fluctuations result in funding falling below minimum
- VISA DETAILS BOX
- For international scholars, click the drop down arrow and select the appropriate visa type
- For international scholars, click the drop down arrow and select the appropriate visa type
- SPONSOR INFORMATION BOX (ONLY for “Request Type: Clinical”)
- Post Graduate Year Field: Click the drop down arrow and select the appropriate PGY
- Various Questions with Radio Buttons: Select the correct answer.
- NOTES TO APPROVER BOX may be used for:
- Notify OPA of an existing Student ID number
- Request policy exceptions
- Explain any unusual appointment terms
- Notify OPA of erroneous Info Sheet data to be corrected (names, birth dates, degree conferral dates, etc.)
- REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IN NOLIJ
- Ensure postdoc has uploaded the following documents:
- Doctoral diploma (English translation if issued in foreign language), OR
- Letter of completion (issued by Registrar or equivalent; no department letters)
- Letter must confirm ALL degree requirements are COMPLETE, and the expected degree conferral date
- Postdoc CV
- For International Scholars:
- Passport: copy of bio-demographic page (with picture)
- For J-1 Visa status: Admin submits a DS-2019 request web form
- For F1 OPT status: Postdoc provides copy of EAD card or application if card not yet issued
- For H-1B Visa status: Postdoc provides copy of most recent I-797
- For Permanent Residents: Postdoc provides a copy of green card
- Outside Funding Award letter (if data entered in Outside Support field)
- Admin uploads the following documents, as applicable:
- Any documents not available to the postdoc when Info Sheet was submitted
- Research Experience Calculator (if postdoc has previous research experience)
- Currency conversion printout (if outside funding is paid in foreign currency)
- Outside funded benefits coverage approval email (if applicable)
- 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 Information Sheet, approve it without proof of degree
- Create and submit the Recommendation Form for Department Manager approval
- After the postdoc accepts the online offer, HOLD your verification approval and submission to OPA until you have received and uploaded proof of degree to Nolij
- THEN submit the recommendation form to OPA
To search for a previously saved or submitted Recommendation Form
- In AXESS, mouse over the OPA/Bechtel tab
- Click the Postdoctoral Administrative Forms link
- 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 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, etc.
- After DFA/Department Manager approval, the postdoc receives an email with instructions for accepting the offer letter
- The Admin receives an email to return to workflow to verify the Recommendation Form
- The Admin's Approve button is disabled until the postdoc accepts the offer letter
- After the Admin verifies and approves the Recommendation Form, it routes to OPA
Searching for Student ID
Please allow 24-48 hours (longer if high volume) 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, mouse over the OPA/Bechtel Center tab
- Click the Postdoc Administrative Forms link
- 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
Returning a recommendation form to yourself for editing (form must be pending your final review and approval before submitting to OPA)
- In AXESS, click on the OPA/Bechtel Center tab
- In the Work Flow Transaction list, click My Approvals
- In the Activity list, click on PD-REC-SHEET-PD-INTRNTNL
- Scroll to find the postdoc recommendation form transaction
- Click on the postdoc 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
- In AXESS, mouse over the OPA/Bechtel Center tab until additional links appear
- Click on Postdoc Administrative Forms
- Click on recommendation form
- Enter the postdoc first and last names in the corresponding search fields
- Click on the postdoc 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 acceptance of the revised offer letter
Rejected Offer Letter Return to Workflow
- When a postdoc rejects the offer letter, the recommendation form returns to the Admin Verify role in workflow
- Admin will follow the instructions above to return the recommendation form to him/herself
