Policies covering Postdoctoral Scholars

You can find policies related to the appointment, roles, benefits, privileges and obligations of Postdoctoral Scholars at USC here.

Minimum Salaries for Postdoctoral Scholars

In keeping with the University’s alignment of the Postdoctoral Scholar minimum stipends or salaries with the California exempt salary basis threshold, effective Jan. 1, 2023, the State of California’s minimum salary will increase to $64,480 annually. This minimum applies to all Postdoctoral Scholars who are newly-appointed or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2023.

Postdoctoral Scholars currently receiving below $64,480 will require increases up to $64,480, effective Jan. 1, 2023.  For those Postdoctoral Scholars on training grants who are not considered salaried employees (i.e., Postdoctoral Scholar – Fellowship Trainees and Postdoctoral Scholars – Visiting Fellows), the required increase will take effect on their appointment renewal date.

In addition, the updated fringe rate for Postdoctoral Scholars is 24.5%, effective July 1, 2022.  More information can be found here.

As is currently the case, each school is permitted to set a higher minimum for its Postdoctoral Scholars.

For all new and renewed postdoctoral scholar appointments, the category of postdoctoral scholar fellowship trainee and postdoctoral scholar visiting fellow may only be used if an external sponsor requires an appointment as a student.  Evidence must be provided to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to demonstrate that such an appointment is required. The category of postdoctoral scholar fellowship trainee and postdoctoral scholar visiting fellow may not be used for newly appointed and renewed scholars paid from unrestricted university funds.

Grievance Resolution Procedure for Postdoctoral Scholars

The Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs is committed to supporting and enhancing the postdoctoral experience at USC. Please feel free to reach out to our office if you encounter any difficulties during your stay here at USC.

The postdoctoral scholar grievance policies and procedures outline procedures for resolving academic and non-academic grievances during the course of your postdoctoral appointment at USC. The postdoctoral scholar grievance procedure is designed to supplement and enhance existing university procedures at policy.usc.edu and the postdoctoral scholars policy page.

The grievance resolution procedure applies to postdoctoral scholars appointed under the following job titles: Postdoctoral Scholar – Research Associate (Job Code 98227), Postdoctoral Scholar – Teaching Fellow (98223), Postdoctoral Scholar – Fellowship Trainee (Job Code 98219), Postdoctoral Scholar –Visiting Fellow (Job code 98229), and Postdoctoral Research Associate (Job Code 98067).  The process and information is provided below.

If you are concerned about suspected violations of law, university policy, or USC’s Code of Ethics, you can report the matter anonymously through USC’s Help and Hotline at (213) 740-2500 or https://ooc.usc.edu/how-to-use-help-hotline/

Grievance Resolution Procedure for Postdoctoral Scholars

The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs is committed to supporting and enhancing the postdoctoral experience at USC.

The postdoctoral scholar grievance policies and procedures described below outline procedures for resolving academic and non-academic grievances during the course of your postdoctoral appointment at USC. The postdoctoral scholar grievance procedure is designed to supplement and enhance existing university procedures outlined at policy.usc.edu and the postdoctoral scholars policy page.

The following policies and procedures apply to postdoctoral scholars appointed under the following job titles: Postdoctoral Scholar – Research Associate (Job Code 98227), Postdoctoral Scholar – Teaching Fellow (98223), Postdoctoral Scholar – Fellowship Trainee (Job Code 98219), Postdoctoral Scholar –Visiting Fellow (Job code 98229), and Postdoctoral Research Associate (Job Code 98067).

Grievances Defined

Any University of Southern California postdoctoral scholar who believes that he or she has been subject to an improper decision by the university, or by anyone acting officially on behalf of the university, that adversely affects their appointment or training, may file a grievance to obtain an independent review of the decision, and if appropriate, corrective action. A grievance is a written complaint made to an administrative officer of the university concerning such a decision. The grievance procedure below applies to decisions that directly and adversely affect the postdoctoral scholar. The procedure is not available to challenge a university policy perceived to be unfair or inadvisable or contest policies of an individual school, department, or program of the university, unless such policies are inconsistent with university policy.

A grievance may also be filed for a violation of rights provided by law, or by established university policies outlined in https://policy.usc.edu/ and https://policy.usc.edu/postdoctoral-scholars/ and including those contained in the postdoctoral scholar’s appointment letter.

How to File a Grievance

A postdoctoral scholar may present a grievance at any stage outlined below and may elect to discontinue the process if he or she feels that the conflict has been resolved successfully:

  1. Initial intake, consultation and advisement by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
  2. Where appropriate, initiate a conversation with parties directly involved.
  3. Consultation by the postdoctoral scholar with the program administrator, department chair, and the dean, as appropriate, to discuss the issue.
  4. The scholar is encouraged to consult with any individuals with whom he or she feels comfortable discussing the matter. They may also reach out to any of the confidential resources listed below.
  5. Consultation by the postdoctoral scholar with the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs
  6. If a satisfactory resolution is not attained through these options, a postdoctoral scholar may file a formal grievance in writing to the dean of his or her school. This should be submitted within 90 days of the act or decision that is the subject of the grievance. The document should include a description of the decision or act in dispute and the reason why the grievant believes the decision or act was improper. The grievance document should also include a description of the remedy sought and the informal efforts that have been pursued and their outcomes.
  7. The dean will inform the parties to the dispute in writing of his or her decision and the reasons for the decision, generally within 60 days of the filing of the grievance.
  8. If the grievant feels that the decision of the dean is inappropriate for substantive or procedural reasons, he or she may, within 30 days, file a written appeal with the provost specifying those reasons.

For general grievances not related to one’s roles or responsibilities as a postdoctoral scholar, you are encouraged to resolve disputes and disagreements informally. There are available resources designed to assist postdoctoral scholars in the informal resolution of problems. These confidential resources include:

The Center for Work and Family Life has provided services for the Trojan Family for 40 years, and they continue to support faculty, post-docs, and staff, their dependents, and retirees during COVID-19 through remote Zoom and telephone sessions. Effective August 1, 2021, all postdoctoral scholars are eligible to access free and confidential work/life resources and brief counseling services via CWFL. To make an appointment or get more information call (213) 921-0800 or email CWFL@usc.edu

External Reporting and Support Resources

  • Law Enforcement: Reports can be made to law enforcement if you feel your experience warrants investigation: 877- ASK-LAPD is a non-emergency reporting line.
  • State Medical Board: Reports can be made to the California Medical Board.
  • Peace Over Violence provides advocates who support those in the process of reporting.
  • Center for the Pacific Asian Family provides Chinese speaking and other Asian language advocates for those in the process of reporting. (800) 339-3940
  • U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. This includes discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, sex, religion.

Related Policies and Resources