Well, you’ve made it! You got an offer for an academic position. You have said yes, they are excited you are coming, and all that is left is hammering out the details. It is always possible things will fall apart during this process, but remember: everyone wants this to work out. No department chair wants a failed search and no prospective faculty member wants to sacrifice what they need to be successful. We’ll talk elsewhere about how to do negotiations, but now let’s look at WHAT you can negotiate.
1) Salary. This is pretty obvious and is sometimes the only thing prospective faculty think to negotiate.
2) Signing bonus. Although rare in veterinary medicine, and some institutions don’t allow them at all, if you have extenuating circumstances (such as a very early start date) you can always ask. Some institutions will wrap this into the moving expenses.
3) Moving expenses. Some institutions have a maximum they allow- such as up to 10% of the offered salary- whereas others are less restricted. Your best bet is to get an actual quote or two to use as data for the negotiation. “I have a quote for moving which will cost $8,000.” Is different than, “Can I please have $8,000 for moving expenses?” The latter is perfectly fine, of course, but the former is more likely to get you the amount for which you ask.
4) Student research support. If you want to ensure funding for your first Ph.D. student, or even for a vet student to do research with you during the summer, you can ask for that. It is rare that this funding will be in perpetuity- it will usually be for a finite amount of time until you can secure extramural funds.
5) Full Time Equivalent (FTE). You should know what the FTE for the position is to which you applied, and you shouldn’t stray much from that amount. For example, if you applied for a 66% clinic time FTE, were happy with that throughout the process, and now pivot and ask for a 50% clinic time FTE, they will not be happy. The job is for 66% time. However, if it is for a tenure-track position and you think you can finagle things a certain way, you may be able to ask for 40% or 45% instead of 50% clinic time. Be aware that this will affect the other faculty members in the discipline and may be impossible. Research and teaching FTE are more easily adjusted/negotiated. Regardless, I strongly suggest that you have your FTE in your offer letter.
6) Clinic equipment. This can be anything as simple as a patient scale that’s needed in a key area to a renal dialysis unit. If there is something you feel you need for ideal patient care or teaching, ask for it. I recommend reaching out to the existing faculty members to find out if they have any identified needs. You can always ask for the stars, and if they give you less, then decide how important that is. Particularly if the clinic is dramatically behind the times or you are in a specialty with an expensive equipment need (e.g. radiology), this could be $500k or more. Be as detailed as possible here, but you probably won’t have time to get official quotes.
7) Research equipment. If you expect to have a lab or extramural funding, make sure they have the core equipment you need or make sure it is in your offer letter.
8) Startup funds. This is money which is generally open to being spent however you need- office furniture, expendable research supplies, etc.
9) Time off. Particularly if you have made a commitment to an event (like a conference) and the timeline is short, you can specify that you need certain time off. If it has been years since you had a vacation, you may be able to specify several weeks of vacation even in the first year, before you have earned enough vacation time. Realize that this is likely to be unpaid leave.
10) Staff, residents, or faculty salary lines. This is a permanent or temporarily funded full-time position. These are often extremely difficult to negotiate for, but they are possible. I know of one person who had an offer for a faculty position who got a commitment for 3 residents and another faculty member in their offer letter. It is likely the institution was looking to grow the program anyway, and you never know when your interests and the institutional direction will align. If you see a strong need, you can make a case for it.
11) Spousal hire. Read this post about the spousal hire, which is a possibility in the United States. Most countries outside the U. S. don’t understand the concept, so you can ask but may not get anywhere.
12) A paid visit before the start date. This is usually to look for housing, or for your spouse to see the area. Some institutions don’t allow this as a matter of course and instead will wrap it into moving expenses. Make sure it includes your significant other (if applicable).
13) Time off for studying for boards. If you need to take boards, this should absolutely be in your offer letter. I would recommend including a stipulation about time off to study in subsequent years in the event you don’t pass the first year.
It is possible there are things which basic scientists may ask for and of which I am unaware, but these are the major categories I can think of. Do you know of any others? Do you have any concerns about how to negotiate your offer or what to ask for? Post in the comments!