PPFF Duties Contract

The Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP) at Florida State University is funded by the Offices of the Provost and Faculty Development and is coordinated through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to facilitate the training of independent researchers who will be among the leaders in their fields and enhance diversity among faculty in the next decade.  Postdoctoral trainees will be associated with the department of their faculty mentor and will participate in all the professional development opportunities (research seminars, development workshops, or specialty courses) there within.

Requirements/Duties:

	1.  Full-time research in the mentor's laboratory and contribution to research publications.  Trainees may change mentors and/or department with approval of the Diversity Scholars Evaluation Committee.  When publishing your supported research in a manuscript or as a conference abstract in a well-recognized and appropriate peer-reviewed journal, your acknowledgment should be: “This research was supported by a Diversity Postdoctoral Scholar Award from the Provost’s Office at Florida State University”  Likewise when applying for a job or career-related scholarship, grant, or award, your biosketch should state the following funding mechanism:  “Diversity Postdoctoral Scholar Award from the Provost’s Office at Florida State University” and include the dates of your support.

	2.  Completion of the New Postdoctoral Orientation or New Postdoctoral Welcome, dictated by the time of year employment is initiated.  The trainee and faculty should jointly participate.  As part of the activities of the full orientation, you will formulate an Individual Development Plan (IDP). We hope you will find it useful as a compact between your advisor and yourself to guide your long-term career planning.  In addition, you will be provided a memory stick with an assortment of professional development resources, the IDP, the FSU Postdoctoral Handbook, and the trainee/mentor compact.

	3.  Complete a course in Responsible Conduct of Research (within 3 years before 1st appointment).  As part of any human or vertebrate animal research, appropriate approvals should be sought jointly by the trainee and faculty pair.

	4.  Participation in the Spring Professional Development Event (May) and the Fall Postdoctoral Symposium and Poster Competition (September).  	

	5.  Arrangements of regular meetings with the faculty sponsor where the IDP is updated as necessary by modifications in career interests and planning.  Yearly meeting with trainee's individual postdoctoral director or coordinator for detailed discussion of research problems, solutions and progress.   As part of this annual review process, you will provide an annual report to your departmental coordinator on your presentations and publications, any awards or special recognitions, and notifications concerning any submitted or acquired extramural grants.  You will also provide contact information for permanent job placement following completion of your traineeship at FSU.  Following your career promotion from your postdoctoral training period, you will be contacted for a periodic update in your career progress as a result of the training experience at FSU.
	6.  Expenditures from the funds set aside for trainee travel and “training related expenses” (generally used for research expenses) require approval by the trainee’s faculty advisor and departmental grants manager.  These ancillary funds must be spent by the end of the two year appointment.  Questions regarding appropriateness of expenditures can be directed to the OPDA.

7.  Note that FSU and your departmental postdoctoral coordinator have no expertise in US tax policy but your salary and training-related expenses may be taxable if your income is sufficient to incur tax liability.  You should seek counsel regarding the filing of your income taxes.

8.  Although not an absolute requirement, trainees are highly encouraged to submit an individual NRSA, extramural grant award, or application to a private foundation (i.e. L’Oréal Research Grants, Robinson Foundation) as soon as your academic and research progress makes this feasible.  Not only is this an additional honor for you, it increases your competitiveness of your future job seeking as an academic.  To facilitate submission of an extramural grant application, the OPDA organizes a three-part grant workshop every spring that starts in early February and runs through mid summer.  

9.  Participation in the Postdoctoral Association (PDA) really shapes your ability as a leader and is highly encouraged.  The PDA meets once a month to plan professional development opportunities across campus and elects a President and Vice-President to serve on the Postdoctoral Advisory Board to the Provost.  

My signature below designates that I look forward to the research opportunities described above and if selected as a FSU Diversity Postdoctoral Scholar I will strive to fulfill the outlined duties and responsibilities to the best of my ability.  

Trainee Signature							Date

	

Please state the name of your faculty advisor

PhD or Postdoctoral Advisor	Signature				Date