Section IV. Research Appointments

Research Appointments: The distinguishing characteristic of the research ranks is that the faculty member is to be engaged primarily in research activity with less emphasis on teaching. (Handbook, Vol. II, Chapter 24, Section 24-35). Appointment or promotion to any of the research ranks requires qualifications, except for the amount of teaching, generally corresponding to those described for the regular academic ranks in Sections III and IX.
Research faculty are not eligible for the award of tenure (Handbook, Vol. II, Chapter 25, Section 25- 32), but may be eligible for appointments to regular academic ranks if they meet the requirements specified elsewhere in these guidelines for academic appointments. Change from a research appointment to a regular academic appointment will be subject to the full review required for an appointment to a regular academic rank.

Appointment or promotion to the ranks above Research Associate are reviewed by the APT Committee, the Dean, the Provost, and the Board of Regents.

Persons appointed to a research rank are not voting members of the University Faculty (Handbook, Section 21-32). However, they are voting members of the School of Dentistry Faculty (Code of Organization and Procedures for the Faculty, Article I, Section 1, e). Research faculty may participate in the regular instructional program but are not required to do so, except insofar as required by their funding source. Thus, teaching, in any form (clinical, graduate student supervision, or lecturing in the classroom), is not mandatory for research faculty, though it is
to be encouraged.

Research Associate: This is a junior rank. Faculty holding this title may not be principal investigators on research grants and contracts, nor may they be members of the graduate faculty (University Handbook, Vol. II, Chapter 24, 24-31.). Appointments of Research Associates may be for one to three years. Only under exceptional circumstances will an appointment be extended beyond three years. Regardless, faculty may serve a maximum of six (6) years in this title.

Searches at the Research Associate rank are not required. However, if a search is not conducted, the Research Associate is not eligible for promotion to the research professorial titles, though such faculty may compete for open, nationally advertised faculty positions. If a national search is conducted, then the individual is eligible for promotion and advancement through the research faculty ranks.

Individuals hired as Research Associates are not eligible for University processes related to Permanent Residence for non-U.S. citizens (pages 57-58 of these Guidelines).

Research Assistant Professor: This title is the initial level of appointment for faculty entering the research faculty track. National searches are required and credentials equivalent to regular Assistant Professors are required, including possession of the terminal degree in the field.

Research Assistant Professor appointments are to follow an appointment track identical to Assistant Professors; that is, the initial appointment is normally to be for three (3) years, a thorough renewal review is to be conducted during Spring Quarter of the second year of the initial three-year appointment, and if renewal is awarded, a mandatory review for promotion
or non-renewal must be made in the sixth year of appointment. The rules recognize that some grants only have funding assured for one or two years. In such cases, appointment to the Research Assistant Professor rank can be for less than three (3) years, renewable for an additional year (or years). But, even with successive appointments, when they total six (6) years, a mandatory review for promotion or non-renewal must be conducted. If the research promotion will not be approved, then appointment to a Professional Staff Research Scientist rank may be indicated.

Please note that although the Research Associate/Research Assistant Professor ranks are equivalent to the Acting Instructor/Assistant Professor ranks, the maximum time in rank theoretically can total twelve (12) years for the two (2) research ranks and only ten (10) years for the two (2) academic ranks.

Research Associate Professor and Research Professor: Appointment (or promotion) to one of these titles requires credentials equivalent to those of the regular equivalent rank, with attention focused on research productivity and grant and contract support. Appointments may be for up to five (5) years, and renewal decisions must occur in the Autumn Quarter of the last year of the appointment period.
Renewal of Research Faculty: Should the appropriate voting faculty of a department (i.e. voting members of the faculty “of equal or superior rank to the person under consideration”) recommend re-appointment at a research professorial title, the term of the appointment must be specified. For Research Assistant Professors, the term will normally be for three (3) years, depending on funding availability. For Research Associate Professors and Research Professors, the term can be up to five (5) years.

Faculty recommendations and Chair recommendations should be forwarded to the Dean in sufficient time for the Dean to decide the matter and notify the faculty member before December 31st. The letter from the Dean should specify the term of the appointment as well as the date for the next mandatory review.

Research Faculty Funding: All research (and WOT) faculty appointments are subject to continuation based on the existence of funding. "Termination of funding" is the "failure, for a continuous period of more than twelve (12) months, to obtain funding sufficient to provide at least 50% of the faculty member's base annual salary." Thus, if a faculty member loses all or a portion of his/her funding, the appointment cannot end involuntarily for lack of funding during its term until the average of funding over twelve (12) months falls below 50%. The loss of funding from external sources does not obligate the University to replace the salary lost in any way, nor is the University required to dedicate laboratory space for faculty without research funding support. The provision does require faculty appointments to continue until the 50% average annual support test is fulfilled, thereby enabling faculty with funding fluctuations or deficiencies to continue to generate research proposals through the University system.

APT review required

Research Professor

Research Associate Professor

Research Assistant Professor

Research Associate

Permission to recruit (Dean's written concurrence

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National ad approved in advance by Equal Opportunity Office

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Not required

Approved draft letter
offering terms of appointment

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Faculty Applicant Flow Sheet and CVs of highest-ranking minority and women candidates

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Dept. Chair' s Letter

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Biography from 1015
(updated if re-appt.)

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Wash State Patrol & Criminal History
PDF and I-9
W-4 (not necessary if gratis

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4-5 Letters of Evaluation

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Credentials Form

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Professional Liability Questionnaire

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Professional Liability Questionnaire

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Evidence of scholarship: publications

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Curriculum Vitae

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