Research Scientist Track

Assistant Research Scientist

The University has established a mandatory review policy for the rank of Assistant Research Scientist. The first period of appointment will be three years. During the third year of appointment, the appointing unit will perform a review of the candidate. 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 below), 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 yet qualified for promotion but is making sufficient progress toward meeting the criteria for promotion to remain in the Research Scientist Track as an Assistant Research Scientist. The subsequent review will take place in the sixth year of appointment.
    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 him/her in the Research Scientist track. The unit may appoint him/her to an appropriate staff position or terminate the candidate’s employment, as described below.
    3. During the third-year checkpoint, contingent on approval from the designated authority, the appointing unit may promote the candidate to either Associate Research Scientist or Research Associate Professor. [only in exceptional cases]

If, at the three-year checkpoint, the unit recommends that the candidate be transferred to the Research Professor Track, the candidate may be appointed as a Research Assistant Professor. 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 an Assistant Research Scientist).

When an Assistant Research Scientist has been in rank for five years without promotion, the appointing unit must do a comprehensive review during his/her fifth (Med School) or sixth (other Units) year to determine his/her eligibility for promotion or continuation in rank. The unit must do a full review, compiling a casebook that is equivalent with the unit’s procedures for promotion of tenure track instructional faculty. The unit must submit the results of this review to OVPR for review.

If the Assistant Research Scientist 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 OVPR and 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 review, contingent on approval by the designated authority, where applicable. The possible outcomes are described below:

    1. During the sixth-year review, contingent on approval from the designated authority, the appointing unit may request to promote the candidate to either Associate Research Scientist or Research Associate Professor. 
    2. The unit may determine that the candidate is not yet qualified for promotion but is making sufficient progress toward meeting the criteria for promotion to remain in the Research Scientist Track as an Assistant Research Scientist.
    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 him/her in the Research Scientist 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 decides to submit a request to OVPR to reappoint the candidate at the Assistant Research Scientist level (outcome #2 above), the appointing unit will request a time in rank extension and prepare a professional development plan that will outline what steps, if any, are needed for the candidate to progress toward successfully meeting the promotion criteria at the time of his/her next review. This development plan will include a time frame for a subsequent review after two years. The date of the subsequent review will be determined by the appointing unit contingent on approval by OVPR. The appointing unit will include the development plan in its request to OVPR to reappoint the candidate.

If the appointing unit decides the candidate is not qualified for promotion or continuation (outcome #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 an Assistant Research Scientist, or for promotion to the rank of Associate Research Scientist, require the approval of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. 

Recommendations for transfer to the Research Professor Track with promotion to the rank of Research Associate Professor require the approval of the relevant Provost. In cases where the Vice President for Research and Innovation does not consent to the promotion, the VPR will communicate with the relevant Provost about the case.

To ensure newly appointed Assistant Research Scientists are aware of this mandatory review policy, OVPR requires the appointing unit to include a signed MOU that includes a statement about this policy as part of the appointment documentation.

Associate Research Scientist

There is no limit to the amount of time an Associate Research Scientist can remain in rank. OVPR recommends annual performance reviews. The appointing unit may conduct an evaluation for promotion any time after the first three years in rank. On a six-year cycle, the unit must conduct a formal review of the faculty member in response to his/her request.

Recommendations for transfer to the Research Professor Track with promotion to either Research Associate Professor or Research Professor must be approved by the relevant Provost, after review and consent from the Vice President for Research and Innovation. In cases where the Vice President for Research and Innovation does not consent to the promotion, the VPR will communicate with the relevant Provost about the case.

Research Scientist

There is no limit to the amount of time a Research Scientist can remain in rank. At any time after the first three years in rank, the appointing unit may conduct an evaluation of the faculty member for promotion to Research Associate Professor or Research Professor. On a six-year cycle, the unit must conduct a formal review of the faculty member in response to his/her request.

Recommendations for promotion to Research Associate Professor or Research Professor require the approval of the relevant Provost, after review and consent from the Vice President for Research and Innovation. In cases where the Vice President for Research and Innovation does not consent to the recommendation for promotion, the VPR will communicate with the relevant Provost about the case.