Research Faculty Ranks
There are three ranks for research faculty: Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor and Research Professor.
Research Assistant Professor
For appointment or promotion to this rank, a candidate should:
- Hold a terminal degree (PhD, MD, DO, or their equivalent) and have completed at least two years of postdoctoral training in an appropriate area
- Demonstrate competency in a scientific discipline and commitment to original and independent research
- Demonstrate scholarly productivity through authoring publications in peer-reviewed journals
Research Associate Professor
For appointment or promotion to this rank, a candidate should:
Serve as a research assistant professor at Northwestern University, or its equivalent at a comparable university or research institution, for a period of five to six years. Continued service at the rank of research assistant professor shall not, in and of itself, constitute grounds for promotion
Demonstrate a consistent record of excellence in original and independent research by:
- Continuous publication of research in refereed journals (including some as first author) and of written reviews, chapters, or scientific textbooks
- Obtaining initial external, peer-reviewed research funding as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator
- Obtaining patents or licenses for techniques developed or software written in the course of research activities
Have garnered substantial external professional recognition:
- In most instances by obtaining external, peer-reviewed research funding
- By election to membership in major scientific societies
- By receipt of formal awards, invited lectures, and participation in symposia and on the programs at national meetings
- By leadership roles in local or regional scientific meetings
For research faculty engaged in research support, the extent to which these activities contribute to research excellence within the medical school shall be considered, especially the establishment of new research support facilities of demonstrated excellence
Research Professor
This rank is reserved for those faculty members whose achievements as independent investigators have brought distinction to the school. For appointment or promotion to this rank, a candidate should:
Serve as a research associate professor at Northwestern University, or its equivalent at a comparable university or research institution, for at least five years. Continued service at the rank of research associate professor shall not, in and of itself, constitute grounds for promotion.
Demonstrate a continuous record of excellence in original and independent research by:
- Continuous publication of research in refereed journals (including some as first or senior author) and of written reviews, chapters, or scientific textbooks
- Securing sustained, external, peer-reviewed research funding as Principal Investigator
- Obtaining patents or licenses for techniques developed or software written in the course of research activities
Have achieved the highest form of external professional recognition by:
- Selection for membership on editorial boards, study sections, and/or advisory groups
- Receipt of distinctive national recognition, for example, membership in prestigious societies, participation in major society committees and programs, formal awards and major invited lectures
- Selection for named lectureships and awards or participation in national and international symposia, courses, or teaching programs
- Exceptional leadership roles in regional or national professional scientific organizations
For research faculty engaged in research support, the extent to which these activities contribute to research excellence and the recognition the research faculty member has attained at the regional, national and international level shall be considered. Contributions to excellence in research may be evidenced by the following (in addition to those related to the faculty member’s own research program, if applicable):
- Establishment of new research support activities of demonstrated excellence that have clearly enhanced research capabilities and research excellence of the University
- Receipt of letters from investigators at the University or at other institutions, from administrative officials at the University, or from authorities outside the University attesting to the contributions made by the faculty member toward progress in the research programs of individual investigators or to research excellence at the University, in general
This page last updated Apr 10, 2012