Onboarding

The following information is provided to get postdocs connected to important resources. Please note that this list may not be comprehensive – be sure to check with your faculty mentor to see if there are any additional requirements or resources.

Your First Day

Your first day at the George Washington University (GW) could start as soon as your background check, both criminal and graduate degree verification, have been completed. GW’s Talent Acquisition team will contact you via email with detailed information about the procedure.

• Review our checklist for deadlines and requirements that need to be completed on or before you first day at GW.

Your First Month

Set-up Your GWU Time Reporting System (TRS) Account 

All postdocs use the same time reporting system as faculty and staff at GW that the university calls the Time Reporting System (TRS) to request and manage time off. Shortly after arriving at GW, you will receive an email to set it up. The link to the portal is here, and the link to the instructions on GW's Benefit's site is here.

Postdoc Orientation

New postdocs attend a two-hour session on their first Monday of work that provides new postdocs an opportunity to learn about the GW community, resources, benefits, time off management, and more. The GW Talent and Organizational Development team will send you an email with your orientation date to confirm the session and provide a schedule of events.

Required Training

Responsible Conduct of Research

Postdoctoral trainees engaged in certain sponsored or academic research programs are required to participate in RCR training. Discussion of the issues raised by this training is an important element of professional development.

Certain individuals supported on National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health awards must complete RCR training:

• National Science Foundation (NSF) - Mandatory for all undergraduate and graduate students, and postdocs supported on any NSF award.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Students, faculty and other researchers supported on certain NIH training, career development, research education, and dissertation research grants are required to complete RCR training.

Read more about NSF and NIH training plans including who is covered and how to complete required RCR training.

Site- and Lab-Specific Training

Postdocs who work within the School of Medicine and Health Sciences or the Milken Institute School of Public Health may be required to attend sessions that cover site specific topics such as hazard communications, blood-borne pathogens, laboratory safety, emergency management and fire safety.