Welcome and Orientation

Welcome & Orientation

Onboarding and Orientation

Postdoctoral Associates and Scholars are to attend the mandatory virtual, onboarding within 2 weeks of their start date. Onboarding is typically scheduled for your first Monday.  GW's Talent and Organizational Development team will send you an email on the Friday before your orientation date to confirm the session, provide the link, and the agenda. 

Please note: Postdoctoral Associates are considered GW Employees, and therefore most information on general GW staff and employee websites, including benefits, time off and leave, employee appreciation, resources, etc., applies to associates. Postdoctoral Scholars are not considered employees, and therefore have specific benefits available to them based on the guidelines of their funding source. Information on the postdoc categories is available on the hiring & appointment changes page. 

Before Your First Day

1. Review the benefits available to you.
   1. Enrollment will become available on or near your start date
   2. The GW healthcare benefits meet the requirements for visa holders.
2. Review the University's Payroll Calendar and Holiday Calendar
   1. Postdoc fellows are paid monthly in alignment with the exempt staff and faculty.
3. Check out the OPA Events Calendar
4. Review the GW Employee handbook
5. Scholars, review the tax obligation associated with employer-paid healthcare premiums.
   1. Tax website
6. Scholars, Enroll as a non-degree student for course 0901
   1. Once you apply, email the Office of Non-Degree Students at ondsgwu [dot] edu (onds[at]gwu[dot]edu) and request a waiver for the $25 registration fee.
      1. Enrollement in course 0901 is for stipend purposes only. 

Your GW Identification number (GWID) will be emailed to you on or close to your start date. Your GWID can also be referred to as your UserID. You will need your GWID to complete the rest of the onboarding steps. 

Your First Day

1. Attend the Required New Staff Orientation
   1. You will receive an email invite from GW's Talent and Organizational Development team on or around your start date.
2. Complete your I-9 Form.
   1. Completing the I-9 is very important and is necessary to complete within 3 days of appointment in accordance with federal regulations.
      1. Section 1 of the I-9 is completed online and must be completed on your first day
         1. You can access and complete section 1 here. GW's Employer Code is: 14290
      2. Once you have completed Section 1, the list of acceptable documents to complete Section 2 will be presented to you.
      3. To complete Section 2, bring the required documents to one of our I-9 Verification centers; appointments are not required.
         1. Section 2 of the I-9 must be completed in-person within three (3) business days of your start date
         2. If you require accommodation due to not residing near the Washington, DC, or Maryland campuses, or have any questions about completing your Form I-9 please contact GW HRIS Operations at 571-553-3679 or hrisgwu [dot] edu (hris[at]gwu[dot]edu).
         3. Additional information is available on the GW Employment Eligibility Verification Website.
3. Complete the following forms in GWeb
   1. Payroll Tax Forms
   2. For states outside of DC, Virginia, and Maryland, please complete the appropriate form, print, sign, and scan to Payroll at payrollgwu [dot] edu from your GW email address.Enroll in Direct Deposit
   3. Postdocs who are not U.S. residents for tax purposes should contact the University’s Tax Department before completing withholding forms at (571) 553-8313.
4. Enroll in Benefits
5. Enter your emergency contact information
6. Update your campus address
7. Review and acknowledge DC Wage Notification in GWeb – In accordance with the District of Columbia’s Wage Theft Prevention Amendment Act, GW provides you with your current compensation information.
8. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting the Equal Employment Office and Employee Relations by email at eeogwu [dot] edu or by phone at (202) 994-9656, or by fax at (202) 994-9658.
9. Obtain Your GWorld ID Card
   1. The GWorld Card is the official ID card for the George Washington University and provides access to on-campus services such as building entry, dining plans, shuttles, and parking. GWorld Cards are required for all postdocs who should have access to the campus.
   2. You can obtain your card at the GWorld Office on the G floor of the University Student Center, 800 21st st NW, Washington DC 20052
   3. No appointment is necessary, and it typically takes between 5 and 10 minutes.
10. Add your Gworld card to your Phone- if desired.
    1. iPhone Instructions
    2. Android Instructions
11. Set up Your GW Time Reporting System (TRS) Account
    1. TRS is the system used to request and manage time off.
    2. All postdoctoral fellows, including postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral scholars must track their time.
12. Set up your GW Email Signature
13. Sign up for GW Alerts

Review Additional Training Requirements

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training
  • Mandatory for all postdocs supported on any National Science Foundation (NSF) Award and ranges from 5 to 8 hours. This training can be completed in 2 ways
    • Online via the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative
      • RCR training using CITI is highly recommended and takes about five hours to complete. Within CITI, you may select the appropriate RCR course related to your professional interests (e.g., biomedical, social and behavioral, physical science and engineering, or humanities).
    • In-Person
      • Postdocs also have the option of taking RCR courses that are available in lecture/classroom settings. For those who select this option, they can take a minimum of eight (8) hours of approved in-person RCR instruction.
      • To identify in-person training opprotunities visiti the Office of Research Integrity & Compliance (ORIC) training page and look for event listings in OVPR’s Research Updates e-newsletter.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Responsible Code of Research (RCR) Training
  • Postdocs supported on certain National Institutes of Health (NIH) training, career development, research education, and dissertation research grants are required to take eight hours of live RCR training*:
    • at least once during each career stage throughout a scientist’s career (e.g. at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels); and
    • at a frequency of no less than once every four years.
  • The Office of the Vice President for Research provides this training through lectures, workshops, and courses that are qualified for RCR live training credit. To identify in-person training opportunities, visit the ORIC training page and look for event listings in OVPR’s Research Updates e-newsletter.

Site and Lab Specific Trainings

• 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.
  • Please check with your PI about site and lab-specific trainings.

*this NIH requirement applies to the following programs: D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2, R25, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R. This policy also applies to any other NIH-funded programs supporting research training, career development, or research education that require instruction in responsible conduct of research as stated in the relevant funding opportunity announcements.