Information for Vanderbilt University

Review our Prospective Postdocs page.

This provides information on Nashville, campus life, and housing resources. 

Check All Initial Appointment Requirements Have Been Completed

Check with your department to make sure that the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) has verified that all appointment requirements have been completed, including your background check.

Please note: the background check includes both the criminal portion and graduate degree verification. Under no circumstances can a postdoc begin employment until all OPA requirements have been met.

International Postdocs

If work authorization is needed, please refer to your prospective department for questions regarding visas and costs associated with work authorization.

If you have a J1 visa, contact:
International Student & Scholar Services
Phone: (615) 322-2753
Email: ISSS

If you have an H1B visa, contact:
Global Support Services
GSS contact information

Please visit the ISSS and GSS Offices for additional resources.

For more information regarding employment visas, refer to the GSS website or email the Office of Immigration Services.

Complete Both Parts of the I-9

Both parts of the I-9 MUST be completed before your first day of work. You will not be entered into the VU Human Resources systems until the I-9 is completed. If you have questions regarding your I-9, please submit an email for assistance. Note: Postdoctoral Associate, Visiting (9136) should refer to their department for guidance regarding I-9 completion.

Complete your W-4

Once you receive your VUnetID, you can complete your W-4 in Oracle under the Pay tab > Tax Withholding.

Your VUnetID and password are required by anyone who wants to login to the VU network and use University resources. Please note that access to VU systems is dependent on your completion of the I-9 form. Once new hire paperwork has been processed, new hire postdocs will receive an email with instruction to claim their VUnetID.

New users should visit the VUIT New to Vanderbilt to authorize their VUnetID and enroll in DUO Multi-Factor Authentication. 

VU employees are required to change their VUnetID password once a year. Employees will be notified via email with instructions. 

Visit Card Services to upload your photo for your Vanderbilt Commodore Card. 

Vanderbilt University faculty, staff, and students are eligible to add their Commodore Card to their Apple or Android device to access doors of academic buildings, residential halls, libraries, and rec center as well as utilize for payment for printing (students), dining halls, off-campus merchants, parking, and the book store. More information on the GET app can be found on the Card Services website. 

Vanderbilt University requires all employees (including faculty, staff, post-docs, temps, and student workers) to enroll in direct deposit as a condition of employment.  Failure to enroll in a timely fashion is a basis for employment action, up to and including separation from employment.

Employees without bank accounts can join the Vanderbilt Credit Union. 

For information to set up or change your direct depost enrollments, visit the Human Resources website. 

OPA holds VU postdoc orientation on the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. Your department staff administrator will register you for this session. If you do not receive registration confirmation from OPA, contact the staff administrator in your department to make sure they have submitted your registration.

OPA orientation is open to all VU Postdocs, which includes:

• 9145: Postdoctoral Scholars, Research
• 9146: Postdoctoral Scholars, Trainee
• 9136: Postdoctoral Associate, Visiting

If you are a Postdoctoral Scholar, Research (job code: 9145), it is your responsibility to review the Human Resources benefits information and enroll within 30 days of your hire date. You can access all benefit information along with vendor presentations at your own pace. (Please note: you will need your VUnetID and password to access the document.)

The benefits team is always available to answer questions regarding benefits, please contact us via email at benefits@vanderbilt.edu.

Note: If you are unsure of your postdoc job title, please refer to your appointment letter.

Postdocs must enroll for health insurance within 30 days of your hire date (both Postdoctoral Scholars, Research and Postdoctoral Scholars, Trainees). For enrollment and plan information, visit the postdoc HR benefits overview.

Individual training and compliance requirements can be discussed with your PI/mentor. These may include, but are not limited to: 

• Responsible Conduct in Research
• CITI Training
• Animal Care

In the interest of the security of Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff, and to manage limited parking resources effectively, the University requires that all vehicles operated on campus by members of the University community be registered with VUPS Parking Services. Registration is required for automobiles, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), trucks, vans, golf carts, mopeds, and motorcycles, etc. Bicycles should be registered with the VUPD. To register, visit Parking Services. 

Options for parking include an annual parking permit and the daily parking program.

Free bus rides are available for all Vanderbilt University students, faculty, staff, and postdocs with WeGo local buses, regional buses, and the WeGo Star by using their physical Commodore Card. This service is available for use any time, not only when commuting to and from campus. 

Other options for getting to and from campus can be found on the MoveVU website. 

Postdocs are invited to new postdoc coffee on the fourth Thursday of each month*. This is open to all postdocs on campus and gives new postdocs a chance to meet administrators, members of the Vanderbilt Postdoc Association, and other postdocs.

*unless otherwise noted