Information for New Postdocs

Welcome to Stony Brook from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

 
As you get oriented to Stony Brook University, we hope you'll connect with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and through us, to other postdocs here at Stony Brook.

GET CONNECTED

 

 For questions in the meantime, contact: 
Assistant Dean Kathleen Flint Ehm, PhD at postdocs@stonybrook.edu or 631-632-7531.

 

What to do when you arrive

• Contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

  Complete the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs information form in order to ensure you are on our mailing list for information, services, and events.

  You can e-mail the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at postdocs@stonybrook.edu or find us on the second floor of the Computer Science Building in Room 2401, in the Graduate School suite.

• Attend the New Postdoc Welcome

  OPA offers a New Postdoc Welcome once every three months to help orient and welcome all new postdocs who have joined Stony Brook in the interim. It's a chance to hear information and ask questions about the postdoctoral experience at Stony Brook, as well as meet other postdocs new to our community.

  Visit the New Postdoc Welcome page or contact OPA about the next welcome.

• Get your ID Card

  Your SBU ID number is your gateway to services on campus. When you first arrive, you will want to take your number and some form of photo ID to the nearest Campus Card office to have your SBU ID card issued.

  • For West Campus employees the office is locatedin the Stony Brook Union, Suite 207.
  • For East Campus employees the office is located in the Health Sciences Center, Level 3, Room 162.

  Telephone numbers and office hours for both locations can be accessed at the following link: Campus Card.

• Learn about transportation

  The region around Stony Brook has limited public transportation options, and so many postdocs prefer to have a car to get around Long Island. Some options are below.

  • Stony Brook University has campus buses that run at different levels of service depending on the time of year. For a campus bus schedule with an explanation of service levels, visit SBU Transit.
  • If you have a car and want to park on campus, you have several options, most of which will require a parking permit. Basic faculty/staff permits are free, but some options cost money. To review your parking options, visit Parking Services. 
  • The Stony Brook Long Island Rail Road station is located on the north side of West Campus. The train runs from Port Jefferson (one stop east of Stony Brook) west to New York City. There are transfer points to other LIRR lines at Huntington, Jamaica and Hicksville. Click here for a LIRR schedule. For transportation options in New York City, visit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority system maps.
  • Stony Brook University is located in Suffolk County, which has a bus system that runs from the middle of the island out to the north and south forks of Long Island. For a schedule and a bus route finder, see Suffolk County bus schedule.
  • For those of you who may be temporarily staying at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a daily shuttle bus is available. See BNL/SBU bus schedule.
• Learn about Housing

  Finding for affordable housing can be a challenge on Long Island. Visit our Housing page for information.

International Scholars

• Contact the Visa and Immigration Services

  All international Postdoctoral Scholars must visit the Visa and Immigration Services office within the first few days of their arrival to campus.

  Visa and Immigration Services is located on the fifth floor of the Melville Library, Suite E5310.

  There you can find a list of services offered, upcoming events, news, office hours and reference guides.

• Get a Social Security Number

  In order to receive a paycheck in the United States, a person must have a Social Security Number (SSN).

  Please note: Your first step to get a SSN is to contact the Office of Visa and Immigration Services upon your arrival, as you will need an authorization letter from them.

  International postdocs will want to begin the process of requesting a SSN as quickly as you can, but you can still be paid during this process.  Talk with  your department contacts during your onboarding.

  Read More about SSN from Visa and Immigration

• Get a U.S. Bank Account

  The easiest way to receive your new paycheck is through direct deposit into a US bank account. Stony Brook has a bank on campus, Island Federal Credit Union, that you might consider. In many cases, you will not need to have your Social Security Number to open the bank account. Once set up, you can provide the bank routing number and the account number to payroll and your paycheck will be conveniently deposited in your account every two weeks.

• Learn about Taxes

  If you are hired as an employee by Stony Brook, you may be liable to pay income tax during your postdoc. The details of your situation will depend upon a number of factors, including your appointment type, your country of citizenship, and any tax treaties that may apply to you.

  Information and resources on taxes are available for postdocs each year around tax time (January through April). Additional resources are available through the National Postdoctoral Association.

• Driving in New York

  You do not need to be a New York resident to register a car in New York State, and you may drive in New York on a foreign or international driver license. You also can obtain a New York driver license as a non-U.S. citizen; see the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Web site for more information on Moving to New York.

• International Postdoc Survival Guide

  The National Postdoctoral Association maintains an International Postdoc Survival Guide with tips on things like your visa status, getting a credit card, and general aspects of living in the United States, like health insurance and taxes.

Family Resources

• Maternity and Paternity Leave Resources

  Postdocs considering having or adopting children during their tenure at Stony Brook should review their leave options for their respective employment type.

  State Employee Leave

  RF Employee Leave

  Stony Brook RF and State employees may be eligible for a paid family option via the New York State Paid Family Leave program. Plus, State postdocs have a new family leave policy with the 2023 UUP contract. Stony Brook also offers Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) unpaid leave for eligible RF and State employees.

  Postdoc Fellows should consult the terms of their fellowship or training grant for leave options.

  For more information, consult the benefits office in HR.

• Child Care

  Stony Brook University is home to on-campus, nationally accredited childcare services. Stony Brook Child Care Services is located on West campus at the corner of Stony Brook Road and South Drive. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 6 pm with various shifts available and serves University faculty, staff and students as well as Hospital employees and students. The Center is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. The student-teacher ratio in the 3 to 5-year-old centers is 7 to 1; in the Infant Center it’s 4 to 1. Fees are charged on a sliding scale according to family income. More information can be found at Stony Brook Child Care Services.

  The Stony Brook area also boasts a number of other childcare options for every budget.

• Dual Career Households

  Stony Brook University is a member of the northeastern region of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). which provides resources for employees seeking nearby jobs for their spouse or partner.  The HERC site offers information and dual-career job searches in the metro New York and southern Connecticut area with links to other regional coverage areas. Many local universities and organizations belong to the consortium and share their employment opportunities. Some of the members close to home are:

  Adelphi University Barnard College Brookhaven National Laboratory Brooklyn Law School The City University of New York Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Columbia University Fashion Institute of Technology Fordham University The Juilliard School Manhattanville College

  Marist College Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Molloy College The New School New York University Norwalk Community College Polytechnic University Pratt Institute The Rockefeller University Sarah Lawrence College

  St. John's University St. Joseph's College Teachers College, Columbia University Union Theological Seminary United States Coast Guard Academy Vassar College Wagner College Weill Medical College of Cornell University Western Connecticut State University Yale University Yeshiva University

   

Connect with SBU Postdocs 

If you would like to connect with local SBU Postdocs before you arrive for your position at Stony Brook for advice on housing, getting around, or anything else, e-mail the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at postdocs@stonybrook.edu. You can also visit our Facebook page. Once you arrive, be sure to attend the New Postdoc Welcome held every quarter, join our other networking events and socials, and make sure to complete the Postdoc & Research Scientist Info Form to ensure you are added to our mailing list and database.