Postdoc Mentors

The postdoctoral experience is a crucial phase of career development. GW makes every effort to empower postdocs to enhance their research expertise, acquire new skills, and work independently on innovative projects.

Postdoc mentors are instrumental in guiding and supporting postdocs throughout their tenure at the university. Mentors inspire postdocs to strive for excellence in their scholarly pursuits and provide valuable advice and resources that help postdocs successfully transition into their future careers in academia, government, or industry.

Effective mentorship not only benefits postdocs but also contributes to the success of GW and its research mission.

Prior to hiring a postdoc the below stated information regarding Fringe Rate for Postdoc Associates and Fee for Postdoc Scholars should be taken into account.

Postdoctoral Associates

GW has negotiated an agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) which approves the fringe benefit rate for postdoctoral associates. Beginning FY25 (i.e. July 1, 2024), the postdoc associate fringe rate will be 27.85%. Looking towards FY26 and beyond, the postdoc associate fringe rate will likely continue to rise in concert with the employee fringe rate.

More details can be found in the rate agreement and institutional information for sponsored projects.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Each postdoc scholar position is being assessed a monthly fee to cover the cost of the postdoc benefit program. The majority of the monthly fee covers a postdoc scholar’s health and well-being program election. For most postdoc scholars, this fee is an allowable expense on sponsored projects and should be budgeted and charged accordingly. The total monthly fee will be determined by the postdoc scholar’s enrollment in health and welfare plans (i.e., individual or family coverage). Investigators can prepare budgets using the “GW Contribution” values in the “Plan Rates” document on the GW Postdoctoral Benefits Program website.

A small portion of the monthly fee covers certain insurances that are not allowable expenses on sponsored projects (e.g., Basic Long-term Disability (LTD), Basic Life (BL), and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)). The monthly fee to cover LTD, BL, and AD&D is determined by the postdoc’s compensation and will range from approximately $12 to $20 per scholar per month. The fee must be covered by the postdoc scholar’s home department. These rates are subject to change. Any changes would become effective January 1 and would be communicated the preceding fall.