Postdoc repayment agreements; possible to get out of one?

[Michael "P." Kolotila]

HI;
I had the same problem with a NIH post-doc.  Research and/or 
teaching is okay with them.  It is however possible to get a stay of 
execution for awhile, a year I think, pleading difficulty in getting a job.
As for getting out scot free only death works.  Good luck
Michael

I am on my second postdoc and want to escape into the real world, 
but 
there is one small problem.  In order to get this position, I had to sign 
a "repayment agreement".  This must be something new, because I 
did not 
have to sign one at my first post-doc.  Basically, it states for each 
month I work as a postdoc, up to one year, I incur a liability to repay 
the money should I decide to leave the field and work in something 
other 
than medical or health related teaching or research.  For each month 
after one year, the liability is removed, until at 2 years, there is no 
repayment liability.  If I were to leave now, after 7 months, I would 
have to repay 7/12 of what I been paid so far, or about $15,000.

So, my question is, does anyone have any experience with this?  Is it 
possbile to get out of it?  I have no interest in doing research any 
more, and teaching would be ok, but finding a job would probably be 
a 
problem.






Michael P. Kolotila, Ph.D.                      
Biotechnology Program Coordinator        v-mail: 508-374-3887
Department of Natural Science               fax:     508-374-3723
Northern Essex Community College
Elliott Way
Haverhill, MA  01830        

 e-mail:  mkolotila at necc.mass.edu