Research-track Faculty Appointment and Review

Last updated: 04/18/24

I. Introduction. The College aspires to appoint and promote faculty in the research track committed to achieving excellence in research. Research-track faculty members hold positions through which they contribute primarily to the research mission of the University and hold faculty rank at assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. Research-track faculty are not eligible for tenure. No more than 10% of the total salaried tenure or tenure track College faculty may hold such appointments. The titles of these faculty members shall contain the modifier "research," preceding the rank (e.g. Research Professor) in their professional correspondence.

Justification. The College’s teaching mission is primarily carried out by faculty in four tracks. Tenured and tenure-track faculty carry out a comprehensive agenda of teaching, research, and service in a given area of scholarship. Clinical-track faculty carry out an agenda of teaching, professional productivity, and service, devoting a significant portion of their time to providing and overseeing the delivery of professional services. Instructional faculty carry out an agenda focused primarily on teaching related activities, and they are hired rather than tenure-track or clinical-track faculty when programs have a need for specific, discreet professional or other expertise in the teaching of particular courses. Research-track faculty carry out an agenda of research and contribution to grant-funded research projects in close collaboration with a Center in the College of Education. "Center” in the context of this policy applies to the major centers and entities affiliated with the College of Education; a comprehensive list of collegiate centers and entities is available in the Office of the Dean. This allows for a close focus on research initiatives as needed.
Role of Research-Track Faculty. Research-track faculty serve the University of Iowa, College of Education through their contributions to the College’s research mission. They devote almost all their time to performing externally funded research and to submitting or assisting in the submission of research grant proposals to external funding entities. Research-track faculty participate in faculty governance, receive standard University benefits for faculty, and undergo periodic performance reviews. They may serve on doctoral committees (including as co-chair with a tenure-track faculty member) at the discretion of the relevant Center director in consultation with the Department Executive Officer, with approval of the Graduate College. Research-track faculty may not be assigned to teach courses but occasionally may be invited to share their expertise with students and faculty in the form of a guest lecture. Research-track faculty may not be assigned to administrative duties with little to no research obligations.
Definition of Research-track Faculty Titles. Research-track faculty appointments may be made at the ranks of Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, or Research Professor. Research-track faculty shall be designated as one of the following:
1. Research Assistant Professor in [Center Name] ([Department Name])
2. Research Associate Professor in [Center Name] ([Department Name]): This title is applicable when research-track faculty have an established record of excellence in research and meet the qualifications for rank specified below.
3. Research Professor in [Center Name] ([Department Name]): This title is applicable when research-track faculty are distinguished professionals whose professional expertise and experience qualifies them to conduct and lead research projects, participate in other activities related to their expertise, and meet the qualifications for rank specified below.
Salaried Appointments. Research-track faculty must hold .50 FTE or greater salaried positions as employees of the University of Iowa. Support for the position must be provided entirely based on funds (e.g. grants, contracts, clinical income, private donations) managed by a Center in the college, and not with general education funds. Limited bridge funding may be available, but not guaranteed, from the Center, department, or College from funds other than general education funds.
Requests for Appointment. Requests for research-track faculty positions will be initiated by the Center director(s) in collaboration with the DEO of an academic department in the College of Education that is affiliated with the Center. Plans for how the position will initially be supported financially, as well as a projection about possible future funding, must be included in this request. Each request must also include a detailed description of the proposed duties and documentation of performance expectations. Such documentation includes clear performance and promotion criteria in accordance with this policy and College of Education Procedures for Research-track Promotion Decision Making. This request will be submitted to the Dean for review and approval. Research-track faculty are searched for and appointed through University-wide recruitment processes.
Qualifications for Specific Ranks. The ranks of research-track faculty shall be assigned according to the qualifications below. These qualifications will depend on the needs and standards of the specific Centers.
1. Research Assistant Professor in [Center Name] ([Department Name])
  1. Degree of doctorate or the equivalent.
  2. Evidence of productive scholarship.
  3. Evidence of ability to fulfill relevant responsibilities in the research enterprise.
2. Research Associate Professor in [Center Name] ([Department Name])
  1. Degree of doctorate or the equivalent.
  2. Record of productive scholarship in high-quality venues such as peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, or books appropriate to the discipline.
  3. Evidence of extramural research funding and sustained salary support from extramural grants and/or contracts on which the faculty member is listed as key personnel.
  4. Fulfillment of important responsibilities in the research enterprise.
  5. Clear evidence of regional recognition by peers.
3. Research Professor in [Center Name] ([Department Name])
  1. Degree of doctorate or the equivalent.
  2. Established record of productive scholarship in high-quality venues such as peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, or books appropriate to the discipline.
  3. Established record of sustained research funding with substantial salary support from extramural grants and/or contracts on which the faculty member is listed as key personnel.
  4. Sustained fulfillment of important responsibilities to the research enterprise.
  5. Clear evidence of national or international recognition by peers.
Research and Service Load. The baseline expectation is that a full-time research-track faculty member will have 80% time contributed to research and 20% time contributed to service. Arrangements will be negotiated between the Center Director, the Department Executive Officer, and the research-track faculty appointee, with the approval of the Office of the Dean. The agreement will be specified in the research-track faculty member’s employment agreement and reviewed at the end of each appointment term.
Terms of Appointment.
1. Initial appointments for research-track faculty are one to three years in duration and will have both a Center position and an academic department appointment within the College of Education.
2. Reappointment is possible at the discretion of the college. Reappointments will be accompanied by an employment agreement describing workload allocation.
3. Termination and non-renewal of research-track faculty appointments shall follow the guidelines set forth in the Research Track Policy (OM 10.9(3)).
Faculty Review. Every research-track faculty member shall be evaluated annually by their Center director in collaboration with the DEO and faculty of their academic department. Not every annual evaluation must be equally extensive.
1. The center director, department DEO, and department faculty must review all research-track faculty at the time of reappointment. The written review should be based on expectations established at the time of the initial appointment to the research-track faculty rank, or the most recent criteria approved by the center director and DEO. Criteria shall be consistent with the research-track faculty member’s workload allocation. The review is to provide an informative and useful evaluation and should also offer advice on how to improve any areas of deficit. If appropriate, feedback related to progress toward promotion should be addressed.
2. All tenured faculty and research-track faculty of higher rank in the department may review and vote on the reappointment of research-track faculty members. In addition, research-track full professors may vote on the reappointment of other research-track full professors. Support of the majority of tenured and research-track faculty in the department is required for reappointment.
3. Reappointment is possible at the discretion of the college. Reappointments will be accompanied by an employment agreement describing workload allocation. Upon reappointment, research-track faculty will receive terms of appointment consistent with established procedures for non-tenure track university employees; however, appointments cannot be for a period longer than current monetary support for that faculty member. New offer letters will be required at the time of reappointment.
4. Annual reviews at times other than reappointment will be conducted by the center director in collaboration with the DEO of the academic department or a designated committee. Annual reviews should result in a written report and be based on the expectations established at the time of appointment and criteria established for appointment, reappointment, and promotion, below.
5. Results of all reviews are to be discussed with the research-track faculty member who should receive copies of all materials forwarded to the Dean’s Office.
6. See section II below for Guidelines for Establishing Criteria for Appointment, Reappointment, and Promotion for Research-Track Faculty.
Promotion. The question of promotion of research-track faculty may be brought up during any regular promotion cycle.
1. Promotion will follow collegiate and University Procedures for Research-Track Promotion Decision-Making and will be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval. Promotion review will be based heavily on the unique expectations established for individual positions at the time of appointment and criteria established for promotion.
2. Given that promotion within research-track faculty ranks is not mandatory, a negative recommendation on a promotion request need not translate into termination of employment.
Participation in Faculty Governance. Research-track faculty members enjoy participation in the academic life of the College. Such participation includes the right to be appointed to most department and collegiate committees with full voting rights as defined in the College of Education Manual of Procedure.
1. Research-track faculty may compete for internal funding opportunities as defined by collegiate and University guidelines.
2. They may participate on research related committees and may serve on oversight committees for research core facilities.
3. Research-track faculty may serve on committees considering promotion and reappointment of research-track faculty of lower rank than their own.
4. Additionally, research-track full professors may review and vote for reappointment of research-track full professors in their department.
5. Research-track faculty may not participate in any personnel decisions relating to the appointment, reappointment, promotion, and peer review of tenure-track, clinical-track, or instructional-track faculty.
6. Research-track faculty may serve on advising committees of Ph.D. students and, with approval of the DEO and the Graduate College, may co-direct the committee.
7. Research-track faculty may not serve as DEO. They are, however, eligible to vote in the recommendation process.
Eligibility to Apply for Tenure-Track Positions. Research-track faculty members may apply for open positions on the tenure-track, but they may be appointed to the tenure-track only one time during their career at The University of Iowa. Similarly, tenure-track faculty may apply for open research-track faculty positions, but a research-track faculty appointment shall not be used as an automatic default appointment for accomplished researchers who made an unsuccessful tenure bid.
Policy Adoption and Revision. Any proposal to adopt or change a college’s research-track faculty policy shall obtain the approval of a majority of the voting faculty within the college by a referendum supervised by the Associate Provost for Faculty. Any proposal to adopt or to change a college’s research-track faculty policy shall also be approved by the Provost or designee.

II. Guidelines for Establishing Criteria for Appointment, Reappointment, and Promotion for Research-Track Faculty

Research
1. Research activities include, but are not limited to:
  1. Publications or creative works
  2. Published reviews of scholarship
  3. Externally funded grants or contracts
  4. Invited lectures and conference presentations
  5. Grant proposals, book contracts, and other publishing decisions anticipated in the near future
  6. Inventions and patents
2. Evidence of a faculty member’s efforts in research and evidence of recognition by peers might be demonstrated by:
  1. a list, preferably from most to least recent, of the publications or creative works (with, for each multi-authored work or coherent series of multi-authored works, a brief statement of the contribution to the work or series of works)
  2. a list of all published reviews of scholarship
  3. a list of any externally funded grants or contracts
  4. a list of invited lectures and conference presentations
  5. a list of pending decisions that might affect the promotion deliberations, including grant proposals, book contracts, and other publishing decisions anticipated in the near future
  6. a list of all inventions and patents
Service
1. Service activities include but are not limited to:
  1. Participating in or leading departmental, collegiate, or university committees
  2. Participating and/or leading in professional organizations
  3. Participating in and leading relevant community service committees
  4. Providing professional reviewing services
  5. Serving as an expert witness
  6. Providing relevant public or government service
2. Evidence of a faculty member’s efforts in professional service and evidence of recognition by peers might be demonstrated by:
  1. Documentation of participation or leadership service in departmental, collegiate, or university committees
  2. Documentation of participation or leadership experience in professional organizations
  3. Documentation of participation or leadership service on boards of directors or similar boards
  4. Documentation of reviews provided
  5. Documentation of service as an expert witness
  6. Election to membership in societies stipulating meritorious professional achievement, or to offices in national or international societies