Postdoctoral Program

The HSS Research Institute Postdoctoral Program provides training to ensure that Postdoctoral Fellows are well-prepared for their future independent research careers, whether in academia, industry or elsewhere.

HSS Postdoctoral Fellows are exposed to a diverse research environment and benefit from the close relationship with Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University.

Our goal is to enhance the quality of life as you develop you career goals not only with mentoring and career development, but also with support for issues such as housing and social events to encourage networking.

Training Opportunities

Individuals interested in a postdoctoral position at HSS should contact directly the faculty member whose area of research is of interest.

Available Positions:
Spine Development and Regeneration Lab; Chitra Dahia, PhD
Laboratory of Pathological Bone Metabolism and Osteoimmunology; Baohong Zhao, PhD

Research Programs
Research Faculty

Ruth L. Kirschtein National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant (T32)

In January 2019, we will have an opening for a fully funded 2-year postdoctoral fellowship.

In July 2019, we will have an opening for a 2-year predoctoral trainee.

The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) T32 Program provides pre- and post-doctoral trainees with the basic science education and research skills necessary for a successful career in academic orthopaedics. The program is an interface between basic research and clinical orthopaedics with emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to clinically relevant research problems. The faculty includes clinician scientists who treat patients and conduct research, and scientists who contribute to patient care through translational research. The result is a diverse program providing appropriate role models and research opportunities with direct clinical application.

More information on the T32 Program.

What Is a Postdoctoral Fellow?

The purpose of a Postdoctoral Fellow appointment is to provide the holder of a terminal degree (PhD, ScD, MD, DVM or equivalent) with additional research and scholarly training for an academic or research career. Postdoctoral Fellows are characterized by the following:

Appointment is temporary;
Appointment involves primarily full-time research;
Appointment is preparatory to an independent academic and/or research career;
Appointee works under the supervision of an HSS faculty member;
Appointee is expected to publish the results of his/her research during the period of the appointment.

An individual engaging in research activities for a year or two as part of a clinical training program is not considered to be a postdoctoral trainee, unless the goal of training is to develop the ability to perform independent research.

Appointments generally are restricted to those who have received their advanced degree within the last six years; exceptions are permitted in cases when the candidate has been away from research activity after a doctoral degree and wishes to start a training program.

International Postdoctoral Fellows

Sponsorship

The visa sponsorship process is coordinated by the Hospital's Human Resources (HR) department and follows the guidelines below:

In qualifying for visa status, certain thresholds must be met requiring applicants to possess specific knowledge, skills, experience, and education germane to the visa classifications.
In order for the Hospital to agree to initiate the visa process, the applicant must meet the criteria.
Upon satisfying all requirements, the Hospital will proceed with requesting the most appropriate visa in conjunction with the Hospital’s designated immigration firm.

Commencement of Work Authorization Process

Once a job offer has been extended by a representative of the Hospital’s HR department, the foreign national should notify the HR representative of his/her work authorization status. Upon notification, HR will review the foreign national’s status, and advise of next steps to obtain the appropriate work authorization/visa, if necessary. In accordance with federal guidelines, visa applications may not be submitted more than 6 months in advance.

Most communication may be completed via e-mail prior to arrival in HSS.

Selection of Appropriate Visa

Identification of the most appropriate visa category is dependent upon a number of factors including type of position, length of commitment, and credentials. Once all required documents are collected and reviewed, the candidate will be advised of the selected category. A Foreign National may meet the credentials for multiple visas; however, the Hospital selects, at its discretion and in consultation with its immigration counsel, the one that most closely aligns with its needs. The J-1 is the foremost visa utilized.

International Postdoctoral Fellows should note that postdoctoral appointments are not guaranteed to match the length of visa eligibility.

Salary and Research Institute Benefits

Salary

Postdoctoral Fellows are supported either by grants and contracts, training grants, departmental funds, external Fellowships, or by a combination of these sources.

Minimum salary or stipend levels for Postdoctoral Fellows are set by Research Administration in consultation with Human Resources, NIH salary scale for Kirschstein-NRSA institutional training grant and individual fellowship awards, and comparable salary at other academic institutions; and may be modified from time-to-time. The FY2017 minimum new postdoctoral hire salary is $47,484.

Housing Assistance- To assist with housing costs, Research Administration provides a subsidy of up to $500/month for up to four years based on eligibility criteria.
Relocation costs may be reimbursed depending on distance up to a maximum of $2,000.
Travel expenses up to $2,000 per year are provided to participate in a scientific conference where the Fellow is presenting a poster and/or talk.

Benefits

The Human Resources professional will review medical and dental benefits, and leave policy with Postdoctoral Fellows. Further information is available on the HSS intranet site.

Medical and Dental Insurance

Coverage options include both Single and Family Coverage.

Retirement Savings Plan / Voluntary 403(b)

The Retirement Savings Plan/403(b) is a defined contribution (DC) retirement plan. In a DC plan, there is an individual account to which contributions are made. The Postdoctoral Fellow decides how those contributions are invested by choosing among the fund options available under the plan.

The 403(b) Plan allows a Postdoctoral Fellow to contribute to retirement savings through pre-tax payroll deductions (2017 Maximum Contributions: Under age 50: $18,000. Age 50 or older: $24,000). HSS will make a contribution equal to 4% of eligible compensation to the Fellow’s retirement under The Retirement Savings Plan.

Transit Benefit

Eligible employees can pay for part or all of their commute (MetroCard and TransitCheck) and parking costs with pre-tax contributions through TransitCenter.

Contact Us

Franck J. Barrat, PhD
Director, Postdoctoral Program
barratf@hss.edu

Angelic Cruz
Coordinator, Postdoctoral Program
cruzan@hss.edu

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