APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Standards and Common Hold Date (CHD);

February 24, 2025     

Program/Training Experience Version
 

Prior to the CHD	On the CHD
Making Offers	Important Considerations
Held Offers	Acting on Previously Held Offers
After an Offer has Been  Accepted.	Making Offers
Program Re-Issuance of Offers	Acknowledging Receipt of Offers
Communication Templates for Training Experiences	Accepting Offers
Communication Templates for Applicants.	Holding Offers
Official Confirmation of Positions	Declining Offers and Program Re-Issuance

                          
Core Principles 

1. The Selection Standards help ensure that the national postdoctoral selection system unfolds fairly and fluidly; applicants and training experiences all have a part to play in creating and maintaining an effective system.   
2. Effective training is maximized in a context in which there is a mutually beneficial arrangement between the training experience and the applicant and when both parties feel that the selection process was professional and ethical.    
3. Training experiences need to respect the interests of applicants and not create a context in which applicants feel unduly pressured to accept offers.   
4. Training experiences that agree to abide by the Standards in their public materials and in their UPPD listing(s) agree to adhere to all of the components listed in the Standards.  

The Standards cannot fully address all situations that may arise throughout the postdoctoral selection process. It is expected that applicants and training experiences will use sound professional and ethical judgment in circumstances that are not specifically addressed by the Standards below. The APPIC Postdoctoral Committee and APPIC Board are available for consultation. 
 

Standards for Training Experiences Prior to the CHD (corresponding Standards for applicants) 
 

Making Offers  

1. Training experiences can make offers to their top-ranked applicant(s) upon completing interviews and ranking all applicants for a position. Training experiences are encouraged to consider a reasonable offer window within a few weeks of the CHD (See Recommendations for guidance and FAQs for further information). Note: Although the Standards intentionally do not explicitly set a date by which training experiences should make offers prior to the CHD, Training Directors are strongly encouraged to complete their interviews and applicant rankings by Friday, February 2, 2024 and to be prepared to initiate offers shortly thereafter. Training experiences are strongly recommended to refrain from shifting their interview schedules to be significantly earlier or making very early offers. Training experiences are encouraged to consult with the Postdoc Committee if they have questions about their timelines.
2. Training experiences can only extend as many offers as they have available positions, at any time. 
3. Though training experiences may contact applicants by phone to initially extend an offer, a written offer sent via email should immediately follow, including a statement that the offer can be held until 10:00 AM EST on the CHD and a request that the applicant confirms receipt of the offer via email (see Template - Making offers).  

Held Offers 

1. Offers made to applicants are considered binding until 10:00 AM EST on the CHD of 2/24/25.   
2. If an applicant does not communicate their acceptance or declination by 10:00 AM EST on the CHD of 2/24/25, the training experience can rescind the offer via email and follow the processes outlined below, “Declining Offers & Program Re-Issuance of Offers" starting at 10:30 AM EST on the CHD. 

After an Offer has been Accepted 

1. Once an offer has been accepted, the training experience should immediately notify applicants with whom they have interviewed that the position for which they applied has been filled. For a training experience that offers multiple positions in a track, applicant notification should occur once all positions in that track are filled.   
2. Once an offer has been accepted, it is considered binding to the extent that it is a professional commitment for the applicant and training experience; barring extreme and rare circumstances, reneging on an offer would likely result in negative consequences for the applicant, the training experience, and other applicants. 

Program Re-Issuance of Offers 

Upon receiving an applicant’s declination, the training experience can immediately extend the offer for that position to its next-ranked applicant, who can accept, decline, or hold the offer until the CHD.  

Communication 

Training experiences may periodically check in with applicants who are holding offers to confirm intent to continue to hold or for updates on their decision-making process (see Templates – Program check-in), but should not: 
     - solicit ranking information from applicants, 
     - attempt to gauge the likelihood of an applicant accepting an offer prior to extending it,  
     - pressure an applicant to hasten their decision-making or accept an offer before the CHD.

Standards for Training Experiences On the CHD (2/24/25) (corresponding Standards for applicants)

 
Important Considerations on the CHD 

1. Up to and on the CHD, training experiences can reach out to applicants who have not previously indicated they are withdrawing from consideration to confirm their continued interest (see Template – Checking in on applicant's continued interest), but as indicated above, they may not: 
        - solicit ranking information from applicants, 
        - attempt to gauge the likelihood of an applicant accepting an offer prior to extending it,
        - pressure an applicant to hasten their decision-making or accept an offer   
2. Applicants who have not secured a position by the CHD need to ensure they are available to field and promptly acknowledge offers made on that date. Prior to the CHD, applicants should speak to their internship training directors about available flexibilities (e.g., rescheduling clinical care or taking professional leave) if needed on the CHD.  
3. If an applicant who is holding an offer does not communicate their acceptance or declination by 10:00 AM EST on the CHD of 2/24/25, the training experience can rescind an offer via email communication (see Template – Rescinding an offer on CHD).  

Acting on Previously Held Offers on the CHD

1. Applicants who have held an offer until the CHD must either accept or decline the offer no later than 10:00 AM EST on the CHD of 2/24/25.
   Note: It is strongly recommended that applicants not wait until 10:00 AM EST to respond but rather respond as soon as they are able to make a decision.  
2. If they wish, training experiences can allow applicants to continue to hold the offer after 10:00 AM EST on the CHD for whatever period the training experience chooses. 

Making Offers on the CHD

1. On the CHD, a thirty-minute Ranking Reset Period occurs between 10:00 AM EST (the CHD deadline) and 10:30 AM EST. Training experiences should not initiate new offers during this thirty-minute Ranking Reset Period. The Ranking Reset Period provides applicants who accepted a position on the morning of the CHD the opportunity to notify training experiences of their withdrawals and provides training directors time to adjust their rank lists to contain only those applicants who remain available. See FAQs for a more detailed explanation of why this reset period is important. 
2. New offers can be made on the CHD starting at 10:30 AM EST and can be held for two hours (see Templates - Making an offer). Training experiences may also decide to allow the applicant to hold an offer for longer than two hours.  

Acknowledging Receipt of Offers on the CHD

Applicants should acknowledge receipt of offers by responding through email or phone on the CHD within 30 minutes of receiving the offer even if they choose to hold the offer (for two hours, or longer if the training experience allows). Failure to do so could result in the training experience rescinding the offer (see Templates - rescinding offers).  

Accepting Offers on the CHD

1. Applicants can accept a training experience’s offer at any point on the CHD but must respond to the offer within the two-hour hold period (see Template - Accepting an offer). Applicants should immediately notify all training experiences for which they are still under consideration that they have accepted a position and are therefore withdrawing from further consideration. 
2. Once an offer has been accepted, training experiences should immediately notify all applicants remaining on their rank lists that the position for which they applied has been filled. 
3. Once an applicant has accepted an offer, it is considered binding to the extent that it is a professional commitment for the applicant and training experience; barring extreme and rare circumstances, reneging on an acceptance would likely result in negative consequences for the applicant, the training experience, and other applicants. 

Holding Offers on the CHD

1. If applicants receive an offer on the CHD and the offer is not from their top-ranked training experience, the applicant can hold the offer for two hours. Applicants can hold only one offer at a time. Training experiences may choose to allow the applicant to hold the offer for longer than two hours. 
        - Applicants should promptly communicate (within 30 minutes) the intent to hold the offer to the training experience.  
        - Applicants should promptly withdraw from consideration from all other training experiences that are lower on their rank list than the offer being held
         (see Template – Withdrawing from consideration).
2. Applicants may reach out to higher-ranked training experiences to ask about their standing or where the training experience is in the offer process.    

Declining Offers & Program Re-Issuance of Offers on and following the CHD

1. An applicant can decline a training experience’s offer at any point after receiving it.   
2. If an applicant declines a training experience's offer prior to 10 AM EST on the CHD, the training experience may immediately extend the offer for that position to its next-ranked applicant. In this circumstance, the new offer must be extended before 9:59 AM EST, prior to the start of the ranking reset period at 10 AM EST (see FAQs document for more details) 
3. If an applicant declines a training experience’s offer during the Ranking Reset Period, the training experience must wait until 10:30 AM EST in order to initiate a new offer.  If an applicant declines a training experience’s offer following the ranking reset period (i.e., after 10:30 AM EST on the CHD), the training experience may immediately extend the offer for that position to its next-ranked applicant (see Template – Making an offer).  
4. As offers are declined, training experiences may continue to extend offers for all remaining available positions.  Training experiences should allow applicants to hold offers made on the CHD for up to two hours (see Template – Making an offer). 

Official Confirmation of Positions 

Programs should email the applicant(s) who have accepted their offer(s) an official confirmation of their position within 48 hours (exclusive of weekends and federal holidays) of offer acceptance . 

Recommendations for Training Experience Directors and Internship Training Directors 
 

1. It is recommended that all postdoctoral training directors, applicants and internship training directors proactively review the recommendations below for all roles, as well as all email Templates (Applicants and Training Experiences versions), to maximize comprehensive understanding and successful navigation of the Postdoctoral Selection Standards and Common Hold Date (CHD).  
2. The APPIC Postdoctoral Committee has developed resources that will help all interested parties successfully navigate the postdoctoral selection process (e.g., Narrated PowerPoint, Webinars, FAQs, and Templates). Please check back here (link) frequently to review these resources as they will be continually updated in advance of the upcoming selection season. They will also be shared through the APPIC listserv – Postdoc-News. 
    

Recommendations for Directors of Training Experiences: 
 

1. Establish an interview time frame that will allow you to make initial offers and allow the selection process to unfold in the few weeks prior to the CHD but not significantly earlier.  

• The APPIC Postdoc Committee has reviewed feedback from training experience training directors requesting a more explicit timeline. Due to concern that incorporating a specific timeline in the Standards could result in fewer training experiences adopting them, timeline information is currently offered as a recommendation rather than an essential element of the Standards. Specifically, Training Directors are strongly encouraged to complete their interviews and applicant rankings by Friday, February 2, 2025 and to be prepared to initiate offers shortly thereafter. If you have specific questions about this timeline, please consult the APPIC Postdoc Committee.
• It is strongly recommended that training experiences refrain from shifting their interview schedules significantly earlier or making very early offers.  By offering this recommendation, the APPIC Postdoc Committee hopes to help training experiences optimize outcomes and their selection experience while also maintaining the Selection Standards as intentionally broad and flexible to ensure that training experiences can meet local demands. In time, a broad goal for the Postdoc Committee is to alleviate the pressures and burden of recruitment season for training directors and interviewers who are engaged in selection at both the internship and postdoctoral levels by decreasing the overlap in internship and postdoctoral selection seasons.

2. Be explicit in public materials (e.g., websites, UPPD) and throughout the interview process about your training experience’s intention (or not) to follow the Postdoctoral Selection Standards and Common Hold Date (CHD).
3. Follow APPIC’s guidance on Virtual Interviews.

Recommendations for Internship Program Training Directors: 

1. Mentor your interns on navigating the postdoctoral selection process, ensuring that your guidance is up-to-date, specific, and informed about the Selection Standards and CHD. Informing other intern supervisors or other training experience mentors about changes to the selection process is also advisable. 
2. Work with your interns to ensure that they are available to participate in postdoctoral interviews and to manage offers (e.g., professional leave allowances if available, rescheduling clinical care), particularly on the CHD if needed (i.e., if the intern has not accepted an offer prior to the CHD).  Note that offers made on the CHD are to be acknowledged within 30 minutes of receipt and may require a response within 2 hours.  
    

Training Eperiences that exhaust their applicant pool

1. Programs that exhaust their applicant list and who wish to continue to recruit for the position(s) should log into their UPPD listing and update the listing to indicate any unfilled positions. Programs may also want to update the “Application Instructions” text box to include information about how to apply, particularly if the training experience was initially using APPA CAS to accept applications.  Applicants who are still looking for postdoctoral positions can search the UPPD by selecting “Unfilled Positions” to identify positions that are still available.  The UPPD unfilled positions field should NOT be used for training experiences that still have viable applicants from their original process (e.g., an applicant is holding a training experience’s offer or the training experience still has applicants that have not withdrawn from consideration).
2. Programs that have indicated they are following the Selection Standards are expected to continue to follow them for positions that are listed through the UPPD unfilled positions field.
    

For Questions or Consultation 

Questions about the APPIC Postdoctoral Selection Standards and CHD or APPIC recommendations regarding recruitment and selection should be directed to Wayne Siegel, Ph.D., ABPP, the APPIC Postdoctoral Committee Chair (siegel@appic.org or 612-756-8850), the APPIC Postdoctoral Committee, or the APPIC Board of Directors.