Administering Employment for Postdoctoral Scholars
Note: The university and the Postdoctoral Fellows Association (PDFA) have a renewal collective agreement for Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2028. Updates to some terms in the agreement might impact administration of Postdoctoral Scholars, including changes to compensation.
There are three categories of postdoctoral scholars:
If, at any point, the postdoctoral scholar receives funding from the university, they will be considered an employee for the time they receive payment. The Collective Agreement governing postdoctoral scholars is available at Collective Agreements + Handbooks.
For general inquiries about postdoctoral scholars, including awards, funding and career development, visit the Postdoctoral Affairs Office or contact pdfo@ualberta.ca.
Salary + Stipend
The minimum stipend for full time postdoctoral scholars and the university is $45,000. Postdoctoral scholars are paid on a semi-monthly schedule.
Postdoctoral scholar employees contribute to Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and are covered by workers’ compensation (WCB) in the case of workplace injury or illness. EI and CPP and WCB rates change annually. To calculate or estimate annual statutory deductions, please use the Total Compensation Calculator.
Recruitment + Selection
Review the Appointment Procedure when initiating the recruitment and appointment of a postdoctoral scholar.
Reach out to your for assistance with creating a job posting.
Appointing + re-appointing
If the postdoctoral scholar is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or holds a Post Graduate Work Permit, use the . If the postdoctoral scholar is a foreign national, follow the steps for Foreign Visitor Category Assessment (FVCA) on the Visitors to the University page.
A postdoctoral scholar must be appointed within 5 years of the completion of their PhD (or 10 years after a MD/DDS) and can be appointed for up to 5 years. For clarity, any reappointment of a postdoctoral scholar must not exceed 5 years unless a request for a waiver has been approved by Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
Submitting Changes
Use an to submit new appointments (hires), reappointments, rate changes or terminations unless otherwise stated.
Changes to Contract
Each time there is a change to the original contract, the postdoctoral scholar must be notified. In some instances, an email to the individual from the supervisor will suffice. In other cases, a letter must be provided.
An individual may not be able to take up the appointment at the time noted on the invitation letter (for example, due to visa issues). Once the postdoctoral scholar arrives, the department must provide a letter to the individual advising of the new start and, if applicable, end date. This letter must be signed by the supervisor and postdoctoral scholar. A copy of the letter must be provided to the PDF Office and attached to the when you submit the hire.
Sample: Further to your contract letter dated XXX, in which your appointment was to commence on XXX, 20XX, this is to advise that [due to visa issues] your appointment will now commence on XXX, 20XX and end on XXX, 20XX. All other conditions of your contract remain the same.
Department must provide a letter to the postdoctoral scholar advising of the change in supervisor. This letter must be signed by the current supervisor, the replacing supervisor, and the postdoctoral scholar. A copy of the letter must be provided to Employment Services.
Sample: Further to your contract letter dated XXX, this is to advise you that effective DATE your current supervisor XXX will be replaced by XXX. All other conditions of your contract remain the same.
Department must provide an email to the postdoctoral scholar advising of the new source of funds. A copy of the email must be attached to the form.
Sample: Further to your contract dated XXX, this is to advise you that your source of funds has changed from XXX to XXX effective XXX, 20XX. All other conditions of your contract remain the same.
Department must provide an email to the postdoctoral scholar advising of the increase. A copy of the email must be attached to the and sent to Employment Services.
Sample: Further to your contract letter dated XXX, this is to advise you that your stipend will be increased to $ effective XXX, 20XX. All other conditions of your contract remain the same.
Department must provide an email to the postdoc advising of the additional pay and indicate the reason for the additional pay. A copy of the email must be attached to the and sent to Employment Services.
Sample: Further to your contract letter dated XXX, this is to advise you that you will receive an additional payment of $ xxx per annum, effective XXX, 20XX to XXX, 20XX for "reason xxxx". All other conditions of your contract remain the same.
Department must provide an email to the postdoctoral scholar advising of the one-time payment and indicate the reason for the payment. A copy of the email must be attached to the and sent to Employment Services.
Sample: Further to your contract letter dated XXX, this is to advise you that you will receive a One-Time Payment of $ xxx effective XXX, 20XX for "reason xxxx". All other conditions of your contract remain the same.
There are no leave options specifically through the U of A for leaves for postdoctoral scholars unless the grant from which the postdoctoral scholar is being paid has provisions for parental leaves.
If the funding agency doesn't have provisions for a parental leave or leave of absence, or the funding doesn't cover the entire requested leave, the postdoctoral scholar might be able to apply for EI.
Please see below for the documentation and steps required.
- The postdoctoral scholar will write a letter to their supervisor requesting a leave, including the dates they will be absent. A letter is preferred.
- The supervisor will write a letter in response, confirming the leave, including the dates mentioned in their reply. The supervisor will also state whether the leave will be paid or unpaid, and depending on the duration of the leave if the benefits will be continued while the postdoctoral scholar is on leave.
- The department will then prepare and include the letters when submitting the documents.
*Additional pay and one-time payments must fall in the scope of work for the postdoctoral scholar as indicated in the appointment letter, especially in cases where the postdoctoral scholar is a foreign national. In cases where the postdoctoral scholar is a foreign national, please contact Shared Services - Immigration Services through the Staff Service Centre prior to offering additional payments or one-time payments.
Letter of completion
The university does not provide certificates of completion or certifications at the end of a postdoctoral appointment. We suggest postdoctoral scholars requiring such certification obtain a letter of recommendation from their supervisor, as such a recommendation will carry more value in an academic record.
The university will issue, upon request, a letter of completion that will attest to the duration of a postdoctoral scholar appointment and confirm the department where the appointment was served and the name of the supervisor. This letter is signed by the Director of the Postdoctoral Affairs Office. If you require such a letter, please email pdfo@ualberta.ca. Typically, the letter will be issued within 10 business days.
Please note that the letter of completion is not an employment letter and is not meant to be used as a proof of employment for banks, governments or other non-academic bodies.