Hiring Incentive FAQ's

Q: What is the UC PPFP/CPF Faculty Hiring Incentive?
A: In 2024, there are two types of hiring incentives in place. The hiring incentive initiated in 2003 provides five years of support for salary or other hiring needs to UC campuses that hire current and former UC President's and Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellows into ladder-rank faculty appointments. Use of funds must be consistent with use of 19900 State General Funds. In 2017, the Hiring Incentive was expanded to include the professional schools, including health sciences. Beginning in 2024, there will be a start-up fund hiring incentive that will provide partial start-up funds for faculty in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at the general campuses and the health science schools.

Q: Who is eligible for the hiring incentive?
A: All UC President's and Chancellor's Postdoctoral fellows appointed in 1996 and forward except for those individuals who already have UC faculty appointments are eligible to receive the incentive when appointed to their first UC ladder-rank appointment. Former fellows from 1996 and forward with faculty appointments at other institutions are eligible for as long as the incentive is in place.

Q: How much is the salary hiring incentive?
A: UC campuses that hire eligible UC President's and Chancellor's Postdoctoral fellows receive $85,000 per year for five years from the Office of the President.

Q: How much is the start-up hiring incentive?
A: UC campuses that hire eligible UC President’s and Chancellor's Postdoctoral fellows receive up to 20% of start-up costs for faculty in STEM fields if the total start-up costs exceed $300K, with a cap of $150K per hire.

Q: Which start-up costs can be included in the request?
A: The calculation of the amount of the incentive may include costs of equipment, research support, students/post-docs, summer salary, etc. It will not cover housing allowances or MOP loan amounts.

Q: How do the incentives work?
A: Each UC campus has its own procedures for implementing the hiring incentives. Departments interested in proposing a hire should contact the dean or Academic Personnel Office for more information about local procedures.

Q: Is there an official document describing the hiring incentives that can be shared with the department, the dean or the search committee?
A: Yes, you can download a copy of the Provost's letter announcing the start-up incentive. You can also download the Provost's letter approving the hiring incentive. 

Q: If a PPFP/CPF awardee accepts a UC tenure-track position with a deferred start date to complete the fellowship, is the hiring incentive still available for other UC offers during the fellowship?
A:  No. If a PPFP/CPF fellow signs a hiring contract at a UC campus that includes a delayed start date to permit the completion of the fellowship, the hiring incentive will be tied to the campus in the contract.  If the Fellow then accepts an offer at another campus, the incentive will not follow the Fellow.

Q: Does the UC PPFP/CPF hiring incentive apply to faculty hiring at the UC Health Science schools?
A: Yes. The hiring incentive was expanded in December 2017 to include the Health Sciences schools.

Q: Are there UC systemwide best practices for hiring UC President's and Chancellors' Postdoctoral Fellows?
A: Yes. Search committees interested in implementing best practices in hiring can find current guidance from the Academic Senate.

Q: How does a campus notify PPFP if they may be considering a hire eligible for one of the hiring incentives?
A: For the salary hiring incentive, please send an email to ppfpinfo@berkeley.edu when you are considering a candidate, and notify PPFP when an offer has been made and accepted. For the start-up hiring incentive, please fill out the PPFP Hiring Incentive Start-up Funds Request form and submit to ppfpinfo@berkeley.edu.

​Q: How is COVID-19 pandemic impacting hiring?
A:  Although campuses are implementing hiring freezes or reducing hiring activity, the Faculty Hiring Incentive is in place and the UC Academic Council endorsed UCAADE's recommendation for Mitigating Negative COVID-19 impacts that excludes President’s and Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellows from hiring freezes.  

Q: How many of recent PPFP/CPF hires went to the same campus where they did their fellowship?
A: In the last 4 years, 9 out of 91 fellows were hired into tenure-track positions at the same campus that hosted their fellowships.

Q: Does the UC PPFP/CPF hiring incentive apply to research jobs at the UC-affiliated National Labs?
A: No, the hiring incentive applies only to faculty hiring. However, the UC-affiliated National Labs are partner programs and are interested in considering UC President's and Chancellor's postdoctoral fellows for research appointments.

Q: Does the UC PPFP/CPF hiring incentive apply to President's Postdoctoral Fellows from partner programs?
A: No, but UC campuses are interested in considering candidates from the University Partnerships for Faculty Diversity for faculty appointments.

Q: Does the University of Michigan President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program have a hiring incentive?
A: For questions about the University of Michigan program, please see University of Michigan PPFP website or contact someone from their program.

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