Building partnerships through collaboration.
RF Graduate Student Employee Benefits
The Research Foundation for SUNY (RF) offers an array of benefits to eligible employees. These benefits can add an exceptional value to your employment.
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Not an RF Employee?
Return to My Benefits and the Employee Profile.
How to Enroll in Your Benefits
When your department has submitted your appointment information to Human Resources you will receive notification from Human Resources about your benefits eligibility and upcoming benefit orientation sessions.
Enrollment is voluntary — you will not be automatically enrolled in the GSEHP. You will need to attend a benefits orientation session to enroll. Once you have attended a benefits orientation you will be able to enroll online at the RF SUNY website.
Newly eligible employees must enroll within 45 days of their appointment begin date. If you do not attend a session and do not enroll within 45 days of your appointment begin date, you may be subject to a late enrollment period, which would delay your benefits.
To enroll a fellow into the health insurance plan, we require a completed enrollment form along with a letter from the Principle Investigator on department stationary giving us authorization to charge the cost of the health insurance to the specific grant.
In the letter we require the fellow’s name, person number, social security number period of time for the fellow to be covered. Please include the project, task and award to be charged, and if the project will be paying for individual, individual plus one, or family coverage.
Health Insurance is charged to the grant for the full cost, it is not charged to the fellowships paycheck.
Welcome back to the RF. If you are a graduate Research Assistant returning after a break in service longer than 28 days you will need to re-enroll in benefits within 45 days of your return date. You may enroll in your benefits at the RF SUNY website.
If you are a returning Fellow please contact the benefits office.
RF SUNY Self Service
The RF Employee Self Service portal is where you can manage most of your employment tasks online. Start by setting up your account:
- Go to account set up
- Using the RF ID Number you were given when you were employed, create a password
The Research Foundation Employee Self Service portal offers many features:
- Ability to quickly and accurately do tasks online, such as:
- Enroll for benefits
- Enter dependents and beneficiaries
- Update your contact information
- Easy access to your direct deposit payslips, paycheck stubs, tax forms and current benefits enrollment
Your Benefits
Vision
Graduate student employees and fellows enrolled in the Graduate Student Employee Health Plan (GSEHP) will be automatically enrolled in the Graduate Student Vision Care Plan provided through Davis Vision.
Eligibility, enrollment, and continuation of vision benefits are based on enrollment in the GSEHP. The vision care program is not offered separately from the health plan. There is no waiting period for this benefit. Coverage becomes effective on the date of hire, eligibility, or fellowship appointment if the graduate student or fellow enrolls within 45 days. If the student or fellow does not enroll within 45 days of becoming eligible, there will be a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.
Contact An Expert
Zachary Jenney
Manager
Research Foundation Benefit Services
Phone: 716-645-4439
Email: zjenney@buffalo.edu