Division of Biology and Medicine
Postdocs and Early Career Programs
Postdoc Terminations
Postdoc Terminations
PECP approval is required for all terminations. Please follow the instructions based on the type of termination being processed. Once PECP has approved the termination and the postdoc has been notified, this will close out the record.
After the termination is processed, BioMed offers postdocs the opportunity to complete an anonymous exit survey, aimed to improve the training experience for future postdocs. Brown University's Division of Biology & Medicine tracks postdoc career data for use in future training grant submissions and for use in future career development events.
If the postdoc resigns before their appointment end date, they should submit a resignation letter to their mentor and department that includes their last date of work and, if they have one, their next position including title and place of employment. The department should notify PECP using the Termination Form, provide the resignation letter to PECP, and enter the termination in Workday for PECP approval.
Please follow the link below to view a sample resignation letter.
- If a faculty member does not plan to re-appoint their postdoc, this should be communicated in advance (at least 1 month, but preferably 3 months in advance). The department should notify PECP using this Termination Form, and provide a termination letter confirming the end date. Please enter the new date in Workday.
- In cases where a short term extension is being provided, this is requested through the PDAF. Please enter the new end date in Workday, and the extension letter issued to the postdoc will serve as the termination letter.
- If the position is being terminated prior to the appointment end date, the department should notify PECP using the Termination Form. As per section 14.3.2 of the Handbook of Academic Administration, if the faculty mentor cannot resolve performance issues informally through discussions with the postdoc, they should contact Dean Van Wart directly, well in advance of any termination. The PI will be asked to outline to the postdoc the ways in which they are not meeting expectations, listing explicit steps required to resolve the problem, and setting a deadline by which performance should show significant improvement. It should be clear that failure to meet these expectations may result in termination. If the ultimate recommendation is that the contract be terminated, the final decision will rest with the Dean, and the Dean’s office will inform the postdoc of the result.
If a postdoc is being promoted to another title at Brown, the department should notify PECP of their end date using this Termination Form, and provide a copy of the new appointment letter (from Faculty Affairs). The department will manage the transition of the postdoc to the new position in Workday, and PECP will terminate the postdoctoral academic affiliation.