Research Faculty Track

From: Subject: Research Faculty Track Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:25:22 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C708CA.4472AAD0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C708CA.4472AAD0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/faculty/facultyaffairs/ResearchFacultyTrack.html Research Faculty Track

Carver College of Medicine

Proposal for a Nontenure Research Faculty=20 Track

Rationale
There is increasing diversity and = complexity in the mission of the modern comprehensive research = university=20 and, increasingly, scholarly progress is occurring at the borders = of=20 established disciplines. This is particularly striking in the = biomedical,=20 engineering and physical sciences, where new disciplines such as=20 informatics bridge traditional disciplines. In these fields, the=20 fulfillment of our mission and our success and national prominence = require=20 increasing diversity of our faculty not only in terms = of
disciplinary=20 adherence but also of faculty roles.

At the University of Iowa this change in the national = research=20 environment has stimulated existing=97and led to the establishment = of=20 new=97interdisciplinary research programs, centers and institutes = that=20 overlap traditional disciplines. This change is in line
with = the new=20 NIH Roadmap which states =93The scale and complexity of today's = biomedical=20 research problems demand that scientists move beyond the confines = of their=20 individual disciplines and explore new organizational models for = team=20 science.=94 These
emerging models do not always have congruence = with=20 traditional disciplines and departments in their formal didactic=20 educational roles and teaching needs. Teaching in this = interdisciplinary=20 research environment needs to have its focus in the laboratory and = at the=20 boundaries between traditional disciplines. Such research = instructors=20 often carry out certain activities traditionally performed by = faculty;=20 however, because they are not involved substantially in didactic = teaching,=20 appointment in the tenure track is not appropriate. With the = continuing=20 potential and expectation for expansion of the University=92s = research=20 mission and stature, and the accompanying need for research = instruction=20 and supervision, it is important to provide a more appropriate = status than=20 presently exists for certain staff involved in this developing = research=20 and research education enterprise.

Many, though not all, scientists who are nonfaculty P&S = employees=20 (e.g., Research Scientists in the College of Medicine and other = health=20 science colleges, Research Scientists in the College of Liberal = Arts and=20 Scientists or Research Engineers in the College of Engineering) = are=20 independent research scientists. However, their appointment as = research=20 scientists or engineers, rather than as faculty, may be an = impediment to=20 their obtaining independent extramurally funded research grants = when=20 review groups and study sections favor principal investigators = with=20 faculty titles and penalize those who are appointed in a staff = capacity,=20 because of the perception that these individuals are tied to a = specific=20 Tenure Track faculty research program and a perceived lack of = commitment=20 to staff on the part of the University. these independent = scientists are=20 critical to the increasingly diverse and complex missions of = several=20 colleges in the university. They
offer important contributions = to=20 research, participate in graduate education and enhance the = reputation of=20 the University. A research faculty track will be an important = mechanism to=20 recruit, retain and reward these independent scientists.

In summary, the rationale for a research faculty track=20 includes:

1) the contribution of such faculty to the increasingly = diverse,=20 complex and competitive environment in which the modern research=20 university exists;

2) the need for research scientists whose mission is primarily = research=20 and teaching in a research environment without a substantial role = in=20 formal didactic teaching; and

3) the need to recognize, recruit, retain, and reward = independent=20 research scientists in an academic environment.

For all these reasons we propose the establishment of a = Research=20 Faculty Track at the University of Iowa for individuals whose = principal=20 mission would be research, and teaching in a research = environment.

As occurred when the clinical track was established, all = colleges would=20 have the opportunity to develop a collegiate researchtrack faculty = policy=20 consistent with the University policy. However, appointments to = this track=20 are expected to occur primarily in the health/life sciences, = physical=20 sciences and engineering. The total number of faculty to be = appointed to=20 this track is expected to be small, limited to less then 10% of = the=20 faculty within any College.

Definition and Characteristics
The = nontenure=20 research faculty track at The University of Iowa would be defined = so as to=20 be largely consistent with that of the existing clinical = track:

Research faculty would have positions through which they = contribute=20 to the research mission of the University, and hold faculty rank = at the=20 level of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. =
Research faculty would not be eligible for tenure.=20
Research faculty would have the right to serve on = departmental,=20 collegiate and university committees and to participate in the = faculty=20 governance process as defined by individual colleges and the = Faculty=20 Senate.=20
Research faculty would be subject to the provisions of the = Faculty=20 Dispute Procedures, with appropriate revisions made to section = II.29.9,=20 which concerns clinicaltrack faculty, so as to incorporate = researchtrack=20 faculty as well.=20
Research faculty would devote most of their time to = independent,=20 externally supported research and would be expected to submit = and obtain=20 research grants as principal investigator.

Teaching is an essential function of all faculty and in the = case of=20 researchtrack faculty would occur predominantly in the form of = supervising=20 and advising graduate students and postdoctoral students in = research and=20 in serving on graduate degree committees. Such activities, = including=20 mentoring graduate students and serving on graduate thesis = committees,=20 will require recognition of researchtrack
faculty by the = Graduate=20 College (on a case by case basis). The use of research faculty = largely to=20 perform service or administrative activities with little or no = research=20 involvement would be inconsistent with this policy.

Appointments and Promotions
The scholarly = and=20 research expectations and standards for faculty appointment and = promotion=20 in the research track would be similar and parallel to the = scholarly and=20 research expectations of faculty in the tenure track. Faculty in = the=20 research track would be expected to demonstrate involvement and = competence=20 in teaching in an informal research environment, but would not be=20 substantially engaged in formal didactic teaching.

Initial appointments for research faculty would be one to three = years.=20 After three years, or prior to that if a promotion is = contemplated, a=20 fullscale, departmentalcollegiate review would be undertaken. This = review=20 would take into account the faculty member's demonstrated = effectiveness in=20 research and research supervision. It also would include an = evaluation of=20 the departmental, collegiate, and University research mission and = the=20 likely role of the faculty member in the future in achieving those = goals.=20 To assure unified decisionmaking at this point, full central=20 administration review of the departmentalcollegiate recommendation = would=20 be required. It is not anticipated that all existing Research = Scientists=20 and Research Engineers would be qualified or would seek = appointment on the=20 research track. Rather, the track would be targeted to those = functioning=20 as independent researchers.

After a positive review, research faculty would receive terms = of=20 appointment dependent on the rank. Assistant professors, associate = professors, and professors would receive one to five year = appointments.=20 Faculty would be reviewed on a schedule commensurate with their=20 appointments according to written standards of competence and = performance=20 defined by their unit. A decision not to renew an = appointment of a=20 research faculty member would be for failure to meet written = standards of=20 competence and performance established by the unit and the = University, or=20 for changed economic circumstances, including failure of the = faculty=20 member to obtain research funding, or
program needs such that = the=20 position itself is terminated. Nonrenewal for changed economic=20 circumstances or program needs only would occur at the conclusion = of an=20 appointment, and must carry appropriate notice (cf. UI Operations = Manual=20 III12.2). As with the clinical track, research track faculty will = have the=20 opportunity to transition into the tenure track at any time in = their=20 appointment. However, such a transition can only occur once. = Similarly,=20 tenure track faculty may have the opportunity to transition into = the=20 research track, but only within the first three years of their = appointment=20 and without the chance to reenter the tenure track.

Conclusion
The introduction of a research = track at=20 the University of Iowa would strengthen the research and research=20 instruction capacity of the university, particularly in = engineering and=20 the biomedical sciences; would increase opportunities for = recruitment and=20 career
advancement for a number of research scientists and = engineers;=20 and would further diversify the faculty in a way that will enhance = the=20 mission of the University.

PowerPoint=20 Presentation from COM Faculty Open Forums 10/25/06 and=20 11/1/06

Last Updated: November = 13, 2006

------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C708CA.4472AAD0 Content-Type: text/css; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/faculty/facultyaffairs/css/mm_sky.css A:hover { COLOR: #cc0000; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } H1 { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 30px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px; COLOR: = #000099; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } H2 { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 18px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px; COLOR: = #000099; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } H3 { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 18px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px; COLOR: = #000099; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } H4 { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; MARGIN: 0px; = COLOR: #ccccff; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } H5 { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px; COLOR: = #000066; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } H6 { FONT-WEIGHT: lighter; FONT-SIZE: 10px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px; COLOR: = #000099; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } TD { PADDING-RIGHT: 20px; PADDING-LEFT: 20px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif } TD TH { PADDING-LEFT: 10px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; COLOR: = #ffffff; PADDING-TOP: 2px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; = BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000099 } TD TD { PADDING-LEFT: 5px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, = sans-serif } HR { COLOR: #000066; HEIGHT: 1px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000066 } UL { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } LI { LIST-STYLE-POSITION: outside; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3px; MARGIN-LEFT: -20px } .MMhide_reverse { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, = Helvetica, sans-serif } .MMhide_reverse A:link { COLOR: #ffffff } .MMhide_tableHeader H1 { COLOR: #ffffff } .MMhide_tableHeader H2 { COLOR: #ffffff } .MMhide_tableHeader { BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000099 } .MMhide_slideHeader H1 { COLOR: #ffffff } .MMhide_slideHeader H2 { COLOR: #ffffff } .MMhide_slideBody TD TD LI { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 24px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; = VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; COLOR: #000066; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, = Helvetica, sans-serif } ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C708CA.4472AAD0--