Benefits

An array of benefits are available to postdoctoral scholars working at Stony Brook University. There are different plans offered depending on your title and your employer. For questions on your benefits, contact Human Resources.

Postdoc Employees

Employee postdocs will have a different benefits plan depending on whether their employer is the Research Foundation at Stony Brook University (RF Postdocs) or the State of New York (State postdocs). Employee benefit plans typically include options for individual and family health insurance, retirement options, and other benefits. Your employer and appointment title should be indicated in your offer letter. The vast majority of postdocs working at SBU are hired and paid from standard research grants, and so are RF postdocs.
New employee postdocs will be invited to either an RF or State new employee orientation that will explain employee benefits options and how to enroll.

State postdocs should be mindful when choosing a retirement plan that some of their options are designed for long-term permanent employees staying at SBU for ten years or more (and the choice can never be changed).
- State Employee Benefits
- RF Postdoc Employee Benefits
RF Postdoc Employees also have expanded health insurance options starting July 1, 2019. See details here:
- RF Postdoc Employee Benefits Bulletin (Apr 2019)
- RF Postdoc Benefits Handbook 2019
All postdocs are invited to the New Postdoc Welcome , which is an orientation held every quarter by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA). Contact OPA at postdocs@stonybrook.edu for more information.

Postdoc Fellows and Paid Direct Fellows

Postdoc Fellows and Paid Direct Fellows are supported by a fellowship or other external sources of trainee stipend funding and are not RF or State employees. Postdoc Fellows are those who receive their fellowship stipend through university payroll (e.g., NIH NRSA fellows). Postdoc Paid Direct Fellows receive their stipend directly from their funder (e.g., NSF postdoctoral fellows). Both types of Fellows have access to the same health insurance, vision and dental plans as regular postdoctoral employees starting July 1, 2019.
All postdocs are invited to the New Postdoc Welcome , which is an orientation held every quarter by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA). Contact OPA at postdocs@stonybrook.edu for more information.

Family Leave Benefits

Postdocs who may need to take leave for family-related purposes during their tenure at Stony Brook should review their leave options and short-term disability for their respective employment type.

Stony Brook offers Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) unpaid leave for eligible RF and State employees.

For employees, New York now has a new paid leave program, New York State Paid Family Leave, that supports leaves for purposes such as: birth, adoption, fostering, family illness. It works through payroll deduction and can cover partial salary for up to 12 weeks and covers up to 67% salary in steady state. RF employee postdocs started receiving this benefit Jan 1, 2018, and State postdocs on Jan 1, 2019. Family leaves may also be eligible to be supplemented with accrued annual and sick leave.
- RF postdoc family leave policy
- State postdoc family leave policy
Note:
Postdoc Fellows should consult the terms of their funding for leave options.

Campus Recreation Center

Postdocs and their spouses are eligible for memberships to the Walter J. Hawrys Campus Recreation Center. Postdoc Fellows should bring a letter from their department to demonstrate their campus affiliation.

RF postdocs may also be eligible for an insurance reimbursement for the membership fees (see the RF benefits manual on Gym Membership Reimbursement for more details).

Stony Brook Postdoc Handbook