Guidelines for Obtaining Approval of Additional Research Scientist (RS) Appointments for Faculty

Note: Appointment guidelines for the Research Professor track are on the Provost’s Office website.

These guidelines set forth the procedures for obtaining approval to offer current University of Michigan faculty an additional RS appointment in another department or academic unit at the same, or equivalent, rank. Approval is required for additional faculty appointments with the following titles:

Appointments in School/Colleges, ISR, LSI, UM Dearborn & Flint:

  • Associate Research Scientist
  • Research Scientist

Appointments in units reporting to OVPR:

  • Research Investigator
  • Assistant Research Scientist
  • Associate Research Scientist
  • Research Scientist

Procedure:

  1. The school/college/research unit/academic unit approves the additional appointment.
  2. Submit the following information to the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR):
    • Endorsement letter co-signed by the Dean/Director of the unit in which the faculty member holds a current appointment and the Dean/Director of the unit that wishes to make the new appointment.
      • Please indicate the fraction of effort for each title.
      • Description of the new appointment in the context of th efield and the specific needs of the academic department/program/unit.
      • Joint appointments at 0% fraction (“dry”) should include a brief account of how the dry appointment is a good fit for the new (requesting) department or school and why the appointment makes sense. This account might describe contributions the faculty member will make through research, collaborations, mentoring and advising, teaching, or other activities, as well as ways in which their work will advance specific aims of the unit.
      • Please summarize the evaluative comments of the review committee and/or executive committee and include the final vote tally and number of positive votes, negative votes and abstained (such as 4-2-2; please do not include names of committee members).
  3. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is highly recommended for all joint appointments for research faculty. A template MOU is available at https://research.umich.edu/templates-research-faculty-offer-letters. (Note the MOU is required for all joint appointments with units reporting to OVPR.)
  4. Candidate’s updated curriculum vitae.
  5. Once approved by the Vice President for Research, the appointing or requesting unit(s) will be notified.