New Postdoctoral Welcome Guide
New Postdoctoral Orientation
Effective September 7, 2011: New postdoctoral fellow orientations will be offered on the first Wednesday of every month at 3:00pm.
Please RSVP here.
Before Getting Here
Pre-Entrance Health Requirements and Health Insurance
Incoming postdoctoral fellows in the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering must provide proof of immunity to certain communicable diseases and must complete required pre-entrance health forms prior to their arrival on the campus.
Additionally, postdoctoral fellows are required to enroll in the Aetna health insurance program upon arrival. Domestic postdoctoral fellows may waive this coverage with documented proof of an alternative plan.
Please click here for more information concerning immunizations and insurance.
Housing Information
Incoming postdoctoral fellows in the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering who need housing accommodations while looking for a place to live can contact the Off-Campus Housing Office to obtain information about living in Baltimore. Extensive housing information, rental listings are posted at www.jhu.edu/hds/offcampus. The Off-Campus Housing Office can be reached at offcampus@hd.jhu.edu or by calling (410) 516-7961.
Finding Housing
The following resources are helpful when trying to secure permanent housing near the Homewood Campus:
- Johns Hopkins University's Off-Campus Housing Office
- BaltimoreCollegetown Network
- Baltimore Craig's List
- Apartments.com (Baltimore)
- Graduate Representative Organization's Guide to Living in Baltimore
- GRO's Housing Information and Forum
- The JHU Gazette Newspaper
- Baltimore Neighborhoods Map (pdf)
- JHU Shuttle Route (pdf)
Before Signing a Lease
- Baltimore Housing Authority
- Landlord and Tenants: Tips on Avoiding Disputes
- Tenant Rights for Students
Setting up email
Each postdoctoral fellow is assigned a unique Johns Hopkins Enterprise Directory Login ID (JHED LID), shortly after arriving at Johns Hopkins University. The JHED LID allows each person to set up a JHU email account and gain access to various campus services. The last four digits of a postdoctoral fellows's social security number are required in order to set up email.
Website: my.jhu.edu (click on "First Time Logon")
Other useful websites
Services and Information for International Students
All new international postdoctoral fellows need to check-in with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services upon arrival.
Upon Arrival to the Campus
Campus Map, Safety, Parking and Transportation
- Homewood Campus Map (pdf)
- JHU Parking and Transportation (parking and free JHU shuttle information)
- Escort Van Service
- Campus Safety and Security
- BaltimoreCollegetown Network (free shuttle)
- Hampden Shuttle Bug Route
- Baltimore City Buses
Zipcar (Car Sharing) at the Homewood Campus
Finding affordable and convenient on-demand transportation upon arrival can be a challenge. Four Zipcars are be available to students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff and neighbors from the Greater Homewood community. Zipcar members pay one simple hourly (or daily) rate that includes gas, insurance, maintenance, a reserved parking space, and 180 free miles per trip. Please visit the JHU Zipcar site for further information and rates.
Tax Information
Postdoctoral fellows are subject to specific tax filing guidelines by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a guide through this process the IRS provides Publication 970, which spells out all tax obligations for students. To obtain further information, please contact the Johns Hopkins University Tax Office at tax@jhu.edu.
Tax Information Sheet for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens (pdf)
Tax Information Sheet for Nonresident Aliens (pdf)
Other Postdoctoral Services
- Krieger School Graduate Affairs and Admissions Office, Anna Qualls (Shriver Hall 28)
- Whiting School Office of Academic Affairs, Dan Horn (NEB 103)
- Financial Aid Office
- Student Employment Services
- Libraries
- Counseling Center
- Career Center
- Campus Ministries
- Student Health and Wellness Center
- Office of Institutional Equity
- O'Connor Recreation Center
Services for Postdoctoral Fellows with Disabilities
Prospective postdoctoral fellows with a disability who may need accommodations at Johns Hopkins University are urged to contact Student Disability Services now to discuss how the University could provide reasonable and necessary accommodations to you. Satisfaction with your chosen graduate program will depend on many things, including how well the university and the disability services program meet your needs as a student with a disability. Contacts with SDS are strictly confidential and are not shared with the graduate admissions offices. For specific questions, please email or call: studentdisabilityservices@jhu.edu or (410) 516-4720.
Louis Whitcomb
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Louis Whitcomb, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, along with his graduate students and collaborators at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is developing innovative navigation control software that will maneuver a deep submersible craft, the Hybrid Remotely Operated Vehicle (HROV).
“I build robots that allow us to work in extreme environments—to perform tasks that we humans otherwise cannot do and to go places we otherwise cannot go."
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