Resources

PDFO RESOURCES

PDF RESOURCE GUIDE

A Guide for Postdoctoral Fellows, the handbook for UBC PDFs, provides basic information and advice for prospective and current PDFs. It should facilitate your transition to UBC, and help to ensure that you have a satisfying and rewarding experience.

An aerial image of the Koerner Library and the Orchard Commons (while under construction) at dusk, with the text 'A Guide for Postdoctoral Fellows' and the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies logo in white text.

Download A Guide for Postdoctoral Fellows (opens as .PDF document)

Much of the information in this handbook is from the Faculty Relations website and in the Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) website. Please check these websites for more detailed information and to check for current language and developments. UBC operates according to policies, practices and procedures that may change from time to time. Contained herein are policies and resources pertinent to PDFs. PDFs may also be subject to additional policies that are specific to their departments or funding agencies. The official University of British Columbia Postdoctoral Policy, contained in Policy AP10, can be found within the list of policies on the University Counsel website.

Last Updated April 2026

POSTDOC PROFILES & DIRECTORY

Please ensure that you complete a Postdoc profile to describe your research project and expertise.Various offices and external entities may use the expertise search to identify experts at UBC, for example - media inquiries, research collaborators, prospective employers, government offices or other similar stakeholders. We strongly believe that these Postdoctoral profiles will provide numerous benefits to all of our UBC Postdoctoral Fellows. Additionally, your profile will appear in an internal Postdoc directory.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST 

Postdoctoral Fellowships 
Professional and Career Development
For Supervisors/PIs

 

Additional Resources

CURRENT POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

 

RESPECTFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT

 

HEALTH AND WELLBEING RESOURCES

There are a number of free health, mental health, and wellbeing resources available to Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC. Visit the Health and Wellbeing Benefits web page through Central Human Resources for a full list of resources available at UBC. 

Internal UBC Resources:
 External Resources:

ADMINISTRATORS & SUPERVISORS

 

Conflict Resolution and PDF Coordinators

Open and frequent communication between you and your supervising faculty member is the best way to avoid conflict. To resolve a disagreement between you and your supervising faculty member is to recognize it when it first arises, and collaborate immediately on finding a solution. If unresolved, disagreements should be brought to the attention of the head of your academic unit.

The official process for resolving concerns involving postdocs is outlined in Article 5.6 of Policy AP10, Postdoctoral Fellows. Under this policy, the conflict resolution process is as follows: 

1. First point of contact: Supervisor/Principal Investigator (PI)

  • The Postdoctoral Fellow and supervisor/PI are encouraged to first attempt to resolve concerns directly through discussion.

2. Second point of contact: Academic Head of Unit

  • If the matter remains unresolved after the first point of contact, either party may bring the concern to the attention of the Academic Head of Unit. 

3. Third point of contact: Faculty PDF Coordinator

  • If the concern cannot be resolved with the Academic Head of Unit, the Postdoctoral Fellow may bring the matter forward to the designated Faculty PDF Coordinator or alternatively the Associate Dean, Research or equivalent. 

4. Fourth point of contact: PDFO

  • If additional support is needed, or the postdoctoral fellow is unable to connect with the Academic Head of Unit or Faculty PDF Coordinator, the PDFO, or the College of Graduate Studies at UBCO, may be able to provide assistance or help connect with the appropriate unit. As a central administrative office, the PDFO does not have access to detailed postdoctoral information, and it may therefore be necessary for consultations with other relevant units, including the appointing department or faculty and/or Faculty Relations.

For respectful workplace concerns, the Postdoctoral Fellow can also contact the department/faculty human resources (HR) administrator. 

For additional resources, please see:

FACULTY PDF COORDINATORS

The Faculty PDF Coordinators at UBC Vancouver are: 

Faculty PDF Coordinators or Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC Vancouver may refer an issue to the Postdoctoral Fellows Office.

CONTACTS