Postdoctoral and Postgraduate Associate Computer Policy

1. Postdoctoral and Postgraduate Associates (“PDA/PGAs”) at YSE must use an approved computer package purchased through Yale/YSE-IT that is under warranty during their time at YSE.  If a PDA/PGA arrives at YSE with a personal computer, it will not be supported by YSE-IT or Yale ITS staff in any way.   
2. Reasons for new policy:  frequently, PDA/PGAs have arrived with their own computers.  This presents the following problems: (a) Yale’s licensing policy prohibits the downloading of Yale-licensed software onto personal computers. (b) These computers and their software are sometimes outdated and inadequate to meet their basic research needs, necessitating that YSE-IT staff spend an inordinate amount of time trying to support them.  (c) Security requirements for devices have increased and employee machines must be encrypted.  Most consumer computers do not have the required hardware to support the new security policy.
3. If PDA/PGAs have external funding (usually a grant) that provides for the purchase of a computer, the computer must be approved by and purchased through YSE-IT. 
4. If external funding does NOT exist to cover the cost of a computer package, funding must be supplied by the PDA/PGA's supervisor/PI. 
5. The YSE-IT approved computer package generally costs about $2,000 - $2,400 and consist of a laptop computer with an i5 processor, at least 12gb of RAM but not more than 24gb, 256-512gb SSD HD, a docking station, one 27” display, and a 4-year on-site warranty with accidental damage protection.  Parameters may change from time to time; any changes will be communicated well in advance.  
6. If the PI doesn't have sufficient funding available for the initial purchase, YSE-IT will lease him/her a computer package at the cost of $600 per year ($300 per academic semester, January – June, July – December, if necessary).  We expect this will put the cost of the computer package within reach for all PIs.  The computer must be returned to YSE-IT upon the departure of the PDA/PGA if that happens within four years; if it is not returned, the PDA/PGA's supervisor/PI is responsible for payment. 
7. If a PDA/PGA requires a computer with special features that deviate from the normal Yale/YSE- IT approved parameters, YSE-IT must specially approve of the computer and the PI must provide full funding for the purchase; the lease arrangement won't be available.

A note on FES-IT services provided to Postdoctoral/Postgraduate Fellows (“PDF/PGFs”)
 

Postdoctoral Associates vs. Postdoctoral Fellows

There are two categories of postdoctoral appointees at Yale: postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral fellows. The difference in classification arises from the requirements of the funding source. Appointees funded from Yale-administered research grants, contracts, or other University sources in order to provide services related to the supported research are postdoctoral associates; they are employees of the University even though they are considered trainees.

Postdoctoral fellows are also trainees, but they are not Yale employees. They may be funded either from training grants to the University or from funding directly awarded to the trainee from an outside source. The postdoctoral fellow classification is used if the funding source requires that the candidate not be an employee of the University. In nearly all other circumstances, appointees are classified as postdoctoral associates.

Postgraduate appointments may be made under certain circumstances to invite individuals who have completed a terminal degree other than a doctorate to come to Yale primarily for advanced training. Their relationship to Yale is comparable to that of postdoctoral appointees and follows the same naming convention.