Research Professor Track

Research Assistant Professor

The University has established a mandatory review policy for the rank of Research Assistant Professor.

The first period of appointment will be three years. During the faculty member’s third year, the appointing unit will perform a review. Based on the results of the third-year review, the unit may determine that any of the three possible outcomes listed below are appropriate. Note that if the unit determines that the candidate is not yet qualified for promotion, but is making sufficient progress to remain in rank (outcome #2), the unit does not need to submit a plan to OVPR at the third-year review period.

    1. The unit may determine that the candidate is not currently qualified for promotion but is making sufficient progress toward successfully meeting the criteria for promotion to remain in the Research Professor Track as a Research Assistant Professor.
    2. The unit may decide that the candidate is not presently qualified for promotion and that his/her performance to-date is insufficient to justify continuing an appointment on either research faculty track. The unit may appoint him/her to an appropriate staff position or terminate the candidate’s employment as described below.
    3. Contingent on approval from the designated authority, the appointing unit may promote the faculty member to Research Associate Professor or Associate Research Scientist. [only in exceptional cases]

For Research Assistant Professors who are reappointed after the third-year review, the subsequent review will take place in the sixth year, as previously stated.

If, at the three-year review, the unit recommends that the candidate be transferred to the Research Scientist Track, the candidate may be appointed as an Assistant Research Scientist. Nonetheless, the candidate will still undergo the mandatory sixth-year review based on the original appointment date (i.e., after five years from having been appointed as a Research Assistant Professor).

When a Research Assistant Professor has been in rank for five years without promotion, the appointing unit must conduct a comprehensive review during his/her sixth year to determine his/her eligibility for promotion or continuation in rank. As part of this review, the unit must compile a casebook that is equivalent with the unit’s procedures for promotion of tenure track instructional faculty. The results of this review will then be submitted to the relevant Provost’s Office for review and a decision.

If the Research Assistant Professor also holds a tenure-track position in a School or College with a tenure probationary period other than six years in length, the appointing unit for the research appointment may ask the relevant Provost’s Office to change the length of the review period for the research appointment to the same length as the faculty member’s tenure probationary period.

There are three possible outcomes of the sixth-year reviews, contingent on approval by the designated authority, where applicable. The possible outcomes are described below:

    1. Contingent on approval from the designated authority, the appointing unit may request to promote the faculty member to Research Associate Professor or Associate Research Scientist.
    2. The unit may determine that the candidate is not currently qualified for promotion but is making sufficient progress toward successfully meeting the criteria for promotion to remain in the Research Professor Track as a Research Assistant Professor.
    3. The unit may decide that the candidate is not presently qualified for promotion and that his/her performance to-date is insufficient to justify continuing an appointment on either research faculty track. The unit may appoint him/her to an appropriate staff position or terminate the candidate’s employment as described below.

If, after the sixth-year review the unit recommends the candidate for a continued appointment in the Research Assistant Professor rank (option #2 above), the unit will request a TIR extension and prepare a professional development plan that will outline what steps, if any, the candidate and the unit will take to help the candidate continue to develop toward meeting the criteria for promotion at his/her subsequent review. The unit will propose a time for the subsequent review as part of this development plan. The appointing unit, contingent on approval by OVPR and the relevant Provost’s Office, will decide the date of the subsequent review. The appointing unit will include the development plan in its request to the relevant Provost’s Office to reappoint the candidate.

If the appointing unit decides the candidate is not qualified for promotion or continuation (option #3 above), the unit has two options, as described below. In each case, the Dean or Director of the appointing unit must approve the decision.

    1. If the unit wants to continue to employ the candidate, the unit may appoint him/her to an appropriate staff position.
    2. If the unit decides to terminate the candidate, it must provide appropriate notice to him/her of this decision. The unit must notify the faculty member at least 90 days before the date on which the unit will terminate his/her appointment or up to or no longer than one year before the date of termination.

Recommendations for continuation as a Research Assistant Professor, or promotion to the rank of Research Associate Professor, require the consent of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and the approval of the relevant Provost. In cases where the Vice President for Research and Innovation does not consent to the continuation or promotion, the VPR will communicate with the relevant Provost about the case. Transfer to the Research Scientist Track with promotion to the rank of Associate Research Scientist, is contingent on the approval of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Research Associate Professor

There is no limit to the amount of time a Research Associate Professor can remain in rank. An evaluation for promotion to Research Professor may be conducted at any time after the first three years in rank. A formal review for promotion may be requested by the candidate on six-year cycles. This review should be conducted with the same process and in parallel with promotion reviews of tenure track instructional faculty.

Promotion to Research Professor is contingent on the consent of the Vice President for Research and the subsequent approval of the relevant Provost. In cases where the Vice President for Research does not consent to the promotion, the VPR will communicate with the relevant Provost about the case.