Welcome to the UMBC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. We hope to provide our postdoctoral research associates with a supportive and enriching environment that fosters research excellence, professional development, and career advancement. As a postdoctoral scholar at UMBC, you can access various resources and opportunities that enable you to thrive in your research, teaching, and career goals. Our community of scholars is vibrant and diverse, with various events, workshops, seminars, and programs sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, the Faculty Development Center, the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development unit within the Grad School, and other UMBC partnerships and memberships. As a CIRTL Campus, we offer support for you to access a national network of virtual workshops that can lead to free certificates in teaching.
What does being a Postdoctoral Research Associate at UMBC mean?
Postdoctoral Research Associates are a faculty rank at UMBC. As approved by our Faculty Senate in December 2021, Postdoctoral Research Associates are defined in the Faculty Handbook as “Postdoctoral Research Associate: The appointee should hold a terminal doctoral degree in the field of specialization and be paid through University funding sources. If the degree has not yet been conferred, the appointment can be made upon receipt of a letter from the appointee’s institution indicating completion of all requirements for the doctoral degree. The appointee should be engaged in a mentored training experience while completing advanced scholarship individually and collaboratively with a group; should be trained in research procedures; and should have had the experience and specialized training necessary to develop and interpret data required for success in such research projects as may be undertaken. This appointment is made annually with reappointment possible for a maximum of five years. Note: This position may be informally referred to as a Postdoctoral Fellow, Postdoctoral Scholar, or Postdoc (names traditionally used with this category), but for HR purposes, these individuals will be classified as Postdoctoral Research Associates.” We also have a category of Visiting Postdoctoral Research Associates, defined in the Faculty Handbook this way: “Visiting Postdoctoral Research Associate: The appointee should meet all requirements of a Postdoctoral Research Associate but is funded at least 51% by direct agreement between the appointee and an institution outside the University System of Maryland. Appointees are still required to comply with UMBC hiring policies and procedures to secure a formal letter of appointment before their arrival. This appointment is made annually with reappointment possible for a maximum of five years.”
How can the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs help you?
Our Office of Postdoctoral Affairs hopes to offer resources and support for postdoctoral scholars at UMBC. This may include career development activities, networking opportunities, and skills workshops that prepare postdoctoral scholars for successful careers in academia, industry, or government agencies. Visit the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development (GSPD) website for more professional development and career support information. We are committed to providing the necessary resources to achieve your academic and professional goals. The Office of Research and Creative Achievement will also offer professional development related to research productivity and funding more specifically.
We also hope to assist Faculty in the hiring and support of Postdoctoral Research Associates. We aim to build resources that will help you retain funding and support your scholar. Visit our “For Faculty” page for more information.