Prospective Postdoctoral Fellows
Thank you for your interest in research postdoctoral fellowships at MD Anderson, one of the original three NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers.
Postdoctoral fellowships at MD Anderson are educational appointments that provide mentored research training to enhance the professional skills and research independence of recent doctoral degree graduates.
At MD Anderson, we encourage postdocs to explore all career options and support them as they pursue their passion. We offer robust educational programming to complement mentored research training and enhance the development of core competencies identified by the National Postdoctoral Association.
Roles & Responsibilities
Everything we do at MD Anderson is guided by our core values of Caring, Integrity, Discovery, Safety, and Stewardship. We set a high bar for both our trainees and faculty, and expect them to approach their roles as a partnership. Some of the basic roles and responsibilities include:
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Accountable for own career development and best advocate for oneself
- Increases independence over training period
- Allocates time to developing professionalism and competency skills not related to research
PI/Research Mentor
- Offers time for networking and learning opportunities outside of lab
- Provides postdocs with supportive and productive lab environment
- Mentors postdoc on research and academic career path; open to helping postdoc explore non-traditional paths
Partners
During your postdoctoral training, your appointment will be managed by individuals from multiple departments, including:
Research Group: This includes the lab and faculty mentors who will guide your education and training at MD Anderson.
Department: Postdocs are appointed by their research mentors’ academic department, which helps determine the scope of day-to-day activities and responsibilities of its employees, including trainees.
Research Trainee Programs: Research Trainee Programs handles trainee-specific matters, including appointments, salary and benefits, policies and procedures, etc.
Visa and Immigration Administration: This office solely focuses on providing Visa services for international workforce members, including trainees.
Office for Postdoctoral Fellows: The Office for Postdoctoral Fellows is our trainees’ biggest resource asset during their appointments. This office addresses their research, education and career planning needs and facilitates opportunities for networking, learning and career growth. It also supports the Postdoctoral Association. You can learn more about our office here.
Postdoc Stipends
MD Anderson follows the National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) stipend policy. Postdoc salaries are adjusted every year to correspond to the annual stipend levels set by the NIH.
Years of Experience Stipend for FY21
0 $53,760
1 $54,144
2 $54,540
3 $56,712
4 $58,608
5 $60,780
6 $63,036
Standard Benefits
All postdoctoral fellows who are benefits-eligible (i.e., appointment is > 4 ½ months; work at least 50% time; receive their compensation from MD Anderson) receive competitive benefits during their training. The standard benefits package includes the following:
- Medical insurance
- 160 hours vacation and 120 hours sick leave annually (full-time fellows)
- Eligible to receive 50% of salary through MD Anderson’s Reduced Paid Leave policy
- Up to 480 hours FMLA leave after fulfilling criteria
- Fitness Center membership (full-time postdoctoral fellows)
- Access to group plans for dental, vision, short- and long- term disability
- Health care and daycare spending accounts
- Enrollment in the Teacher’s Retirement System
- Access to the Employee Assistance Program, Employee Health and Well-Being, the Ombuds office, etc.
Annual sick leave carries forward annually and automatically, but the maximum amount that a full-time trainee may have at any one time is 200 hours.