Getting Started as a Postdoc

Welcome to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs hosts an orientation quarterly to help familiarize new postdocs with the programs and services available to them. New postdocs are required to attend a mandatory orientation within the first ninety days of their start date (see below). Here are some helpful tips and resources to get you started in the right direction. To assist in your search for housing in the Chapel Hill area, please refer to this list of housing resources. For details regarding policies and health insurance, please visit the Policies & Benefits section of our website.

Upon Your Arrival

First, contact your department’s HR Facilitator (sometimes the department Office Manager) to complete the necessary paperwork including payroll and health insurance forms. If you are not sure who your HR Facilitator is, you can visit your department’s website, ask your PI, or contact opahr@unc.edu.

International fellows are required to check-in with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services here on campus. Every international student and scholar joining UNC-Chapel Hill is required to check-in before classes or employment begins. In order to complete a “check-in” a scholar should bring with them the following documents: passport, visa document (I-20 or DS-2019), and I-94 (Admission/Departure card). At this time, a scholar will be asked to fill out the PR-100 (Information Form), and copies of their documents will be made. The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) staff can assist scholars with any questions or concerns that they might have at this time. For more information visit the ISSS website or call (919) 962-4282.

Finally, we encourage all new postdocs to register for an Orientation session. At Orientation, you can pick up a Postdoc Welcome Package which includes:

• OPA Information and Services
• Individual Development Plan – IDPs serve as a communication tool between the Postdoc and his or her Mentor. You may utilize the online IDP tool or an IDP form can be downloaded here.
• OPA Brochure and Events Calendar
• UNC-Chapel Hill Visitors’ Guide

And much more!

If you missed orientation, here is a link to the Fall 2022 New Postdoc Orientation.

Join the UNC Postdoc listserv!

To receive campus-wide announcements about events, news, and information relevant to the postdoctoral community send a request to opa@unc.edu with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to join the UNC Postdoc listserv.