Important To Do's

If you are new to MIT, please check out the HR Departments information for new employees (http://hrweb.mit.edu/welcome/).

It is VERY important that you REPORT all vacation when Terry sends you the form.  Even if you take a day off – this is not to check on you but it costs the grant extra money when you do not report your vacation.

Useful links for newcomers

MIT Information

To access all top 6 sites you will need your MIT ID and MIT personal certificates.

Transportation - MBTA

About the Charlie Card
The Charlie Card is a durable plastic smart card with an embedded chip that stores value and/or a monthly unlimited use pass. CharlieCards are reusable and can be reloaded automatically — no more monthly passes to distribute. CharlieCards save time, too — simply tap the CharlieCard at the farebox or fare gate, and board.

MIT Subsidy Program
In an effort to promote public transportation and help reduce traffic congestion around campus, MIT subsidizes the purchase of MBTA monthly passes for students and employees. Once you are enrolled in the program, a Charlie Card, a reusable smart card, will be issued to all Bus and LinkPass users. A Charlie Ticket will be ordered for Commuter Rail and Commuter Boat riders and ready for pickup during the last three business days of each month. More info. . .

Who is eligible for the MIT T-pass program?
Registered students who have a current bursar account and do not have a full parking permit.
Employees who are eligible for payroll deduction and do not have a full parking permit.
Apply online for a T-pass at https://commuting.mit.edu.

Lost your CharlieCard?
Lost cards will be replaced at the Parking and Transportation
Office (W20-022) for a $15.00 fee.

FOR STUDENTS ONLY
Student MIT Subsidized T-Pass accounts are active from September to August each school year. Students need to reapply to the MIT Subsidized T-Pass Program each year. We encourage students to complete an on-line application for the next school year before they leave campus for the summer.

Massachusetts Tenant Information

If you will be renting an apartment in the Boston area, it is important that you know your rights.

The following sites are useful resources regarding your rights as a tenant:

Massachusetts laws regarding rental properties

Tenants Rights and Responsibilities

Massachusetts State Sanitary Code

Housing Code Checklist

There are several courses of action to take if your rights have been violated. For breach of the sanitary code, contact the Board of Health for the town in which you reside. For other issues, if direct contact with your landlord fails to produce results, the state Attorney General's office has information on seeking mediation as well as filing a motion in court.

Use of Animals at MIT

Committee on Animal Care Activities
All students, staff members, visiting scientists, and principle investigators who use animals in teaching or research must be certified by the Committee on Animal Care (CAC). To enable protocol submission and personnel training, the web site for the CAC provides required forms, continuing education material and information on the CAC's activities. DCM staff in conjunction with the CAC has developed an online training program that is combined with individual orientation and training in animal use by the veterinary staff at the Institute. Periodically, individual and group didactic training sessions for Institute personnel on topics pertaining to the care and use of laboratory animals are also offered. The CAC has also developed an occupational health screen for animal related occupational health issues and periodically sponsors seminars on health issues such as zoonotic diseases. The CAC continued to distribute to other institutions in the United States and abroad two instructional videos, one focusing on the role and responsibilities of Institutional Committees for the Care and Use of Animals and the other focusing on the use of anesthesia in laboratory animals. Both are available to researchers at the division or in the Schering-Plough Library. 

Distinctions Between Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates

(taken from MIT Policies and Procedures)

5.3.2 Postdoctoral Associate, Senior Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoctoral associates come to MIT to develop their scholarly competence, working under the supervision of MIT faculty members. Appointments to this academic staff rank are of limited term and are designed for those who have recently received the doctorate. This appointment category is comparable in purpose to the postdoctoral fellow, but is distinguished by the fact that the postdoctoral associate is employed by the Institute and afforded the benefits and privileges associated with staff employment. (See Section 7.4 Benefits for Faculty and Staff Members.) Incumbents are not accorded principal investigator status and do not receive consulting privileges.

The postdoctoral associate appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments or even short-term appointments where the primary goal is to advance a principal investigator's research. Appointments are made to academic departments or laboratories/centers with the approval of the department head or laboratory/center director and may require senior officer approval. Appointments are usually for not less than one term and are normally not renewed beyond a total of four years as either a postdoctoral associate or fellow. Extension for a fifth year requires approval of the cognizant dean. The senior postdoctoral associate rank is a promotional opportunity for postdoctoral associates who have completed three years of postdoctoral experience. Extension of appointment beyond a combined total of five years is only possible in extraordinary circumstances and requires approval of the cognizant dean. Full-time postdoctoral associates on 12-month appointments are entitled to four weeks of vacation each year.

The end date of postdoctoral associate appointments is as specified in the appointment letter. If it is necessary to terminate a postdoctoral associate sooner because of reduced funding, changes in the nature and scope of the work, or for other operational reasons, termination may occur, but only in accordance with the following standards:

a) A three-month notice of nonrenewal shall be given if an appointment is for at least 50-percent time and less than three years of continuous service.

b) A six-month notice of nonrenewal shall be given if an appointment is for at least 50-percent time and three or more years of continuous service.

If an appointment is for less than 50-percent time and for less than three years, no notice is required. The presumption is that such appointments are temporary and terminate on the specified date unless renewed in writing.

Termination for cause may be made at any time.

If an appointment of less than one term is contemplated, a visiting appointment of the appropriate type should be used.

5.3.3 Postdoctoral Fellow, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Fellow

Postdoctoral and research fellows come to MIT with fellowship aid to develop their scholarly competence. They usually work under the supervision of MIT faculty members and use the facilities of the Institute. The postdoctoral fellow title is appropriate for those holding the doctoral degree, while research fellow should be used for those with comparable professional qualifications. Both are academic appointments.

The postdoctoral fellow appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments or even short-term appointments where the primary goal is to advance a principal investigator's research. Appointments are made to academic departments or laboratories/centers with the approval of the department head or laboratory/center director and may require senior officer approval. Appointments are usually for not less than one term and are normally not renewed beyond a total of four years as either a postdoctoral associate or fellow. Extension for a fifth year requires the approval of the cognizant dean. The senior postdoctoral fellow rank is a promotional opportunity for postdoctoral fellows who have completed three years of postdoctoral experience. Extension of appointment beyond a combined total of five years is only possible in extraordinary circumstances and requires approval of the cognizant dean.

Postdoctoral and research fellows are not degree candidates. No services can be required of fellows by virtue of their appointment, and their stipends do not constitute payment of salary for services rendered to the Institute. Neither principal investigator status nor consulting privileges are available to persons holding appointments at this rank. Since fellows are not employees of the Institute, they do not participate in the MIT Retirement Plan or other staff benefits. Certain fellows are required to participate in either the Affiliate Health Program or the MIT Health Plan. (See Section 7.4.3 Affiliate Health Program.)

Funds for postdoctoral fellowships are provided from a variety of sources, including private donors, foundations, corporations, and government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Because the terms and conditions of fellowships vary widely, each must be considered on an individual basis. If the terms of a specific fellowship do not preclude it, a fellow may concurrently hold a part-time appointment at the Institute.