Postdoctoral Fellows Application Funding and Visa Information

Funding

Funding for Beckman Institute Fellows consists of an initial stipend amounting to $52,000 annually. Each three-year fellowship is awarded $25,000, plus a health insurance award as indicated below, to cover:

  • Relocation expenses ($2,000 maximum, first year only)
  • Health insurance
  • Research supplies
  • Facility use/service charges
  • Equipment
  • Training
  • Workshops
  • Support for interdisciplinary collaborations
  • Travel between collaborating institutions
  • Travel to scientific/technical meetings

Health Insurance

Beckman Institute Fellows are not eligible for University of Illinois health insurance benefits through the State of Illinois. Beckman Institute Fellows must make their own purchase arrangements for insurance coverage from an acceptable carrier. (For specific information regarding J-1 status insurances requirements and providers, please refer to http://www.ips.uiuc.edu/isss/pages/index.php?catID=3&pageID=80.) Reimbursement for the actual annual premium expenses from the awarded funds will be as follows: postdoc fellow only - up to $1,500; postdoc fellow + 1 dependent - up to $2,500; and postdoc fellow + 2 or more dependents - up to $3,000.

Tax Information

Beckman Institute Fellows are appointed as Postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These appointments provide a stipend which demands no services in return. Federal and state incomes taxes are not withheld from the monthly stipend payments and individuals will not receive a W-2 or 1099-MISC forms for annual tax reporting each year. However, fellowship stipends may be subject to income taxes and it is recommended that individuals pay estimated quarterly payments for tax purposes at both the federal and state level.

Foreign Nationals - Visa Sponsorship Information

Postdoctoral fellowships are not a form of employment. Therefore, the postdoctoral fellowship appointments are not eligible for H-1B visa sponsorship. In order to qualify for a Beckman Institute fellowship, foreign nationals must be eligible for J-1 visa sponsorship (i.e., J-1 Research Scholar) for the full three-year period of the fellowship. The Beckman Institute will provide the J-1 visa sponsorship for those individuals who are selected to the Beckman Institute Fellows program. The following general information on J-1 visas is provided to help you determine your eligibility for J-1 visa sponsorship. Should you have any questions concerning this information, please contact .

Individuals in J-1 status may remain in the United States for a maximum of five (5) years.  Individuals are responsible for understanding regulations associated with the Two-Year Home Residency Requirement, the Twelve-Month Rule, and the Two-year Bar. This information is especially important for individuals who have been in J-1 status prior to applying to the Beckman Institute Fellows program.

  • Two-Year Home Residence Requirement: Some J-1 exchange visitors are required to return either to their country of nationality or country of legal permanent residence and to live there for a period of two years after their J program ends, and before they can obtain certain U.S. visas and immigration benefits. The purpose of this requirement is to provide the home country with the benefit of the exchange visitor’s experience in the United States.
  • Twelve-Month Rule: If individuals have been in any J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor status for more than six months, they cannot return to the U.S. as a Professor or Research Scholar until twelve months have passed from the end of their previous J program. The time is calculated according to their entry and departure dates.
  • Two-Year Bar: Individuals in the J-1 Research Scholar or Professor category have a two-year bar on repeat participation in those categories. This bar applies to anyone in one of these categories as of November 18, 2006. The bar becomes effective when your program as a Research Scholar or Professor becomes inactive.

For more information on J-1 visa sponsorship and status regulations, please visit the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) website at http://ilint.illinois.edu/isss/scholars/.

Questions?

If you still have questions after reading through this page, please e-mail .