Documentation Needed for Annual Appointments, Promotions, and Reappointments

First Appointments
(revised 2/8/2024)

This appointment is used for a person’s first appointment at HSPH. The following supporting information is required for a first appointment:

  • Letter from the department chair supporting the appointment *
  • 2 letters of recommendation *
  • curriculum vitae
  • Wasabi Hire Form (transmitted electronically) Please refer to this form to determine whether your hire has held a prior role at Harvard University. If this is a new employee, with no prior service, please submit a new hire. If they have held a prior job, please submit a rehire in Wasabi. 
  • Copy of Harvard International Office ISD form (all international appointments, regardless of salary status)
    •  A description of the activities the appointee will be undertaking must be included in one of these letters.

In addition, if the individual will be paid on a Harvard payroll, the following items may be needed. (Please also refer to the Harvard Registered Payroll States for more information on approved work states for those appointees allowed to work off site). Please note, research fellows are required to be on-site during the length of their training.

  • Signed offer letter from Department
    • OFA will prepare separate offer letter upon transmission, which supersedes department offer letter
  • I-9 Form (not needed for stipendees – object codes 6450 and 6452)
  • New position number transaction (for position management; please refer to https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty-affairs/wasabi/)

For all paid appointments, please submit the required documentation with a PAID annual appointment cover sheet (PDF).

For all unpaid appointments, please submit the required documentation with an UNPAID annual appointment cover sheet (PDF).

If a department wishes to appoint a Visiting Scientist or a Visiting Graduate Student, we have created a Visiting Scientist/Visiting Graduate Student Appointment Form.  This form is optional.  If the Department decides to use this form, it can be substituted for the Department Chair letter and the letters of recommendation necessary for an appointment.

Promotions
(revised 2/8/2024)

This appointment is used when an annual appointee is being promoted to a new annual position. This most commonly happens when a research fellow is promoted to research associate. Please remember, a research fellow being promoted to a research associate will require a position number. A description of the activities the appointee will be undertaking must be included in one of these letters.

The following supporting information is required for a promotion:

  • Endorsement from the department chair indicating support for the promotion (can be chair signature added to letter of recommendation or separate letter from chair) *
  • 1 letter of recommendation *
  • curriculum vitae
  • Position number (transmitted electronically, if applicable)
  • Wasabi Form (transmitted electronically)

Change in appointment type (lateral) 

  • Endorsement from the department chair indicating support for change in appointment type
  • A description of the activities the appointee will be undertaking
  • Updated curriculum vitae

Reappointments
(revised 2/8/2024)

This appointment is used when a person receives an appointment that is identical to an appointment currently held, but with new starting and ending dates. The reappointment start date must immediately follow the current appointment end date with no break in service.

In most cases, an appointment can be renewed for up to three years without documentation.  However, if an appointment has been held for three years and will be extended, a current CV and description of the appointee’s activities will be needed before a reappointment can be processed by Faculty Affairs.

Please note that there is a three-year limit on most postdoctoral fellow appointments.  Information to confirm continued training and when the fellow’s training is expected to be completed is needed before a reappointment for a fourth or subsequent year can be processed.

The department wishes to re-appoint a Visiting Scientist or a Visiting Graduate Student, we have created a Visiting Scientist/Visiting Grad Student Reappointment Form.  This form is optional. Please note, you must provide documentation of continued enrollment in a graduate degree program for visiting graduate student or continued affiliation with another institution for visiting scientist to reappointment these titles. These titles are not typically held for longer than a year or two, given their “visiting” status.