Faculty-Level Research Appointments Policy

Effective Date:

July 10, 2014

Supersedes:

COM Administrative Policies Initially Adopted February 28, 2007; amended June 1, 2009; September 30, 2010; January 19, 2011; June 12, 2012; May 10, 2013; July 10, 2014.

Responsible Authority:

Senior Associate Dean for Research and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Policy Statement

Faculty-level research appointments, identified by the titles of Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, or Research Professor, are intended to offer a research career pathway to individuals with experience and scholarly qualifications comparable to regular tenure track and tenured faculty members. Appointees are professional researchers who are interested in and capable of independent investigation and publication, and who support the research mission of the University by assisting a department or center to achieve its research goals. Their research should complement the research programs of regular faculty members in the department or center.

Although they are not normally assigned instructional responsibilities, they may teach courses appropriate to their background when it is mutually acceptable to them and to the department and occasionally take part in upper level or graduate teaching or seminar activities. Research faculty are not eligible for tenure. These appointments are typically but not exclusively funded from sponsored projects or other nonappropriated University funds, are contingent upon the availability of funding and should be at a rate comparable to that of regular faculty of the same rank. These appointments cannot extend beyond the period of availability of supporting funds. Research faculty may serve as principal investigators or project directors on research awards and are expected to seek independent external funding.

Faculty-level research appointments must be approved by the Vice President for Research. Appointments may be for a fixed term, typically one year, but must be contingent on the availability of funds; although the appointment may be for a longer term, employment contracts funded by grants cannot extend beyond the termination date of the funding. Appointments are normally full-time. In some cases, part-time appointments can be made when it is mutually agreeable to the candidate and the department or center and when the work effort is consistent with the salary paid. For cases where an appointee’s salary is paid from an outside source, he/she may be offered an unpaid appointment. University policies pertain to faculty-level research appointees, including but not limited to the University Patent Policy, Policy on Faculty Conflict of Commitment and Conflict of Interest, Policy on Integrity in Research and Procedures for Reviewing Alleged Misconduct, Policy on Employment of Relatives and the Annual Leave Policy for Contract and Grant Employees. The Procedure for Faculty-Level Research Appointments shall apply for initial faculty appointments and reappointments.