Kathy Sukanek's inquiry repeats one I made to this list several weeks
ago. Colleagues from six institutions that recognized both
postdoctoral employees and postdoctoral trainees responded to me
directly. And colleagues from twelve other institutions asked me
to let them know what I learned, so I am posting this summary to the
list.

The distinction between associates (employees) and fellows (trainees)
in postdoctoral position is exclusively one of sponsor intent.
Fellows are fellows because they have been so designated by an
extramural sponsor, or because they are supported by an extramurally
sponsored training grant requiring that be appointed as fellows.
Associates may in fact be performing the same activities, in the same
place, under the same supervision, and at the same time, though one
of them is an employee and the other is not.

Procedurally, the six responding institutions differ in their
implementation of the distinction. For example, some pay fellows
through accounts payable and issue a 1099 to the IRS, while others
pay them through payroll (though without tax withholding) and issue
an annual "tax letter" to the fellow to document the amount of
stipend paid.

The real procedural difficulties probably come at the supervisory
level, particularly when the extramural sponsor stipulates the
benefits to which the fellow is entitled. Some fellowships, for
example, make fellows eligible for regular host university holidays,
but not for vacation. Some specify the length of family leave
benefits. Some provide health insurance only for the fellow, others
also for the fellow's dependents. And others allow the host
university to establish policy in these areas. The result is that a
lab director may appoint  in the same lab and apparently at the
same job not only both employees and fellows, but also fellows with
different levels of compensation and different benefit packages.

The University of Wisconsin has an interesting category of
Employee-in-Training which includes postdoctoral associates and other
positions whose common features include (1) required or desired
professional development at a postgraduate level, (2) limitations on
the time that may be spent in the category, and (3) reduced levels of
employee benefits. You can learn more about it at
http://www.wisc.edu/ohr .

Herbert Chermside of Virginia Commonwealth University faxed me
several pages of pertinent information from his home university, the
NIH,  and the IRS. I'll be glad to repay his kindness by faxing them
to any list readers who request them. Please email such requests to
me directly, not to the list.

And thanks to everyone else who helped with this inquiry.

> I would like to know how your institution "handles" postdocs. At our
> institution we have 3 "categories" of payment - faculty &staff, consultant,
> student.
>
> Postdocs are usually handled by one of these categories, which, of
> course, is not a very good "fit".
>
> Does your institution have similar categories? If you have a category
> of "training" or something similar that is more tailored to the
> nature of postdocs, I would appreciate hearing from you.
>
> Thank you.
>
> kathy
>
>
> Kathy Sukanek                             601-232-7482
> Associate Director of Research
> The University of Mississippi         601-232-7577 (fax)
> 125 Old Chemistry                         xxxxxx@olemiss.edu
> University, Mississippi 38677
>
>
>
>
> Kathy Sukanek                             601-232-7482
> Associate Director of Research
> The University of Mississippi         601-232-7577 (fax)
> 125 Old Chemistry                         xxxxxx@olemiss.edu
> University, Mississippi 38677
>
Sharon Jackiw, Associate Director
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
University of Maine
5717 Corbett Hall
Orono ME 04469-5717
phone 207.581.1480
fax   207.581.1479
xxxxxx@maine.edu