Faculty-level Research Appointments

SUBJECT:

FACULTY-LEVEL RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS

 Effective Date:
02/01/13 		Policy Number:
10.1.3
  Supersedes:
08/01/08 		Page 1 of 3
  Responsible Authority:
Vice President for Research

  1. BACKGROUND

    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 normally funded from sponsored projects or other non-appropriated 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 from one to three years, 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 and outside source he 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.

  2. PROCEDURES

    Since research faculty appointments will normally be supported by sponsored program funds, it may not be appropriate to conduct searches in the same way as for regular faculty. Nevertheless, affirmative action approval may have to be obtained before an appointment can be made. In this instance the Equal Opportunity Compliance office should be contacted to determine if approval is required.

    Research faculty appointments may be made either in academic departments or in research centers or institutes. In an academic department, the recommendation to appoint a research faculty member should be forwarded to the dean in accordance with departmental and college procedures established for regular faculty appointments. In centers and institutes, the recommendation for a faculty-level research appointment should be made by the center director, who forwards the recommendation to the dean of the college in which the center reports in accordance with procedures established by the center. The approval of all individuals whose accounts will provide funding for the appointment is required.

    The college dean or the University center director forwards the recommendation packet for a faculty-level research appointment to the Vice President for Research. This recommendation packet must include a resume, an unofficial transcript, supporting documents that would be appropriate for a regular faculty appointment, and a draft letter of appointment. The letter of appointment must specify the appointee’s salary and term of appointment and the basis for evaluation. It must indicate that the appointment is contingent upon the availability of continuing resources and state that it is for a non-tenure-eligible position.

    If the Vice President for Research approves the appointment, the college, center or institute will send the official letter of appointment to the appointee and initiate a Faculty/A&P Employment Contract Form to be sent to the Department of Human Resources. No oral or written offer of employment may be extended until approval of the Vice President for Research has been received, and no payroll action initiating a salary for the appointee can be taken until all conditions in the appointment process have been satisfied.

  3. SALARY AND BENEFITS

    Salary ranges for research faculty should be reasonably commensurate with those for regular faculty at the same rank and in the same professional area. Research faculty should be reviewed for annual salary increases at the same time and in the same way that regular faculty are reviewed, based on their assignments. Salary increases should be commensurate with those of equivalent regular faculty positions.

    Research faculty are eligible for certain benefits which may include vacation and sick leave, health and dental plans, certain insurance and pretax options, and several retirement plans. Actual benefits will be determined at the time of offer. The prevailing fringe benefit rate will be charged to the sponsored account that is the source of salary funds. Research faculties accrue annual leave and sick time in accordance with standard university policy and the Annual Leave Policy for Contract and Grant Employees. Reduction of benefits information based on a reduced level of effort appointment may be obtained from the Benefits Division of the Department of Human Resources.

  4. REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE

    Members of the research faculty should be evaluated with the same rigor as tenure-track faculty. A research faculty member’s research activity, including publications, grant applications, and external funding, shall be reviewed at the time of any reappointment or promotion by a duly constituted departmental or center faculty committee in accordance with procedures established by the college or center. This committee’s recommendation is then forwarded by the college dean or center director to the Vice President for Research. Appointees are normally judged by their success in securing external funding and their potential for continued independence, autonomy, and excellence. It is expected that an appointee will be reviewed for promotion after an appropriate number of years of service in the assistant or associate professor rank.

  5. PROCEDURES FOR REAPPOINTMENT

    For reappointment, the research faculty member must be reviewed and approved by a departmental committee or by a committee of faculty affiliated with the center or institute, depending upon the basis for the appointment. This should include an evaluation of the appointee’s research activity and contribution to the department or center research effort, as well as the appointee’s record with respect to securing independent external funding. The reappointment procedure is to be evidenced by the issuance of a continuing employment contract to the appointee, a copy of which must be sent to the Division of Research.

POLICY APPROVAL

Initiating Authority

Barry T. Rosson, Vice President for Research
02/01/13

Executed signature pages are available in the Initiating Authority Office