The postdoctoral appointment is a full-time research position. On-campus career development activities with minimal time requirements may not pose problems — and advisors should encourage suitable opportunities — but outside professional activities (OPAs), such as consulting, teaching, entrepreneurship, or some research collaborations, and/or more extensive arrangements do require careful review, planning and approval.
Required Review Before Committing to OPAs
Postdocs may occasionally pursue short-term, temporary outside professional activities (OPAs), only after a careful review process to confirm that compliance with sponsored funding terms, fellowship terms, visa requirements, and alignment with professional development goals. Because postdocs do not have Permitted Time for outside professional activities (see MIT Policies and Procedures 5.3.2 and 5.3.3), postdocs must request approval before pursuing these opportunities.
If you identify an opportunity (paid or unpaid, and including MIT or Lincoln Laboratory activities not related to your postdoc appointment) you would like to pursue, review the Consulting Questionnaire (Touchstone required) used to obtain formal approval. Draft initial responses to facilitate conversations with the following:
- Your PI, about any overlap between your MIT research and the outside activity, as well as the time commitment with respect to your MIT work. Review COI Guidance for Postdocs and Researchers without Permitted Time for questions to guide the discussion.
- The HR representative for your department, lab, center or institute (DLCI), regarding the duration and time commitment, and any limits imposed by your MIT funding (including fellowship funding if relevant). They may also recommend that you contact Postdoctoral Services.
- International Scholars Office (if you are on a visa) to determine if your visa restricts the activity. Note that approval for one activity may not translate to approval for future/different activities.
- Technology Licensing Office, if the outside activity is for a third-party commercial or research organization, or is related to entrepreneurship or a start-up led by you or your PI, in order to review intellectual property considerations.
After these discussions, submit the COI Consulting Questionnaire (Touchstone required) to request approval. While other factors may be considered, activities should be time-limited and separate and distinct from your MIT research. Approval must be granted by:
- Your PI
- Your DLCI's HR representative
- The head of your home DLCI
- MIT’s COI Officer
For internal activities (paid from MIT or Lincoln Laboratory), your HR administrator or DAF will request approval from the Dean’s Office (or OVPR, for units reporting to OVPR).
Reductions in Effort
In some situations, postdocs may need to formally reduce their MIT effort on a temporary basis, to accommodate the effort required by the outside activity. After discussing your intended time commitment to the OPA with your PI, discuss if a reduction in effort is necessary with:
- Your DLCI's HR representative, to determine the terms of your funding source (grant or fellowship).
- International Scholars Office (if you are on a visa), since visa regulations may prohibit the reduction of MIT effort. This must be confirmed with ISchO for each unique OPA.
Reductions in effort must be approved by your Dean’s Office or the OVPR (for units reporting to OVPR).
Required Disclosures and Managing Conflicts of Interest or Commitment
If approved, you must disclose your OPA as an engagement in MyCOI-OPA+ within 30 days of starting the engagement.
Follow Conflict of Commitment Policy guidance and adhere to a Conflict of Interest Management Plan, if necessary. For questions about this, contact coi-help@mit.edu.