Research Track

 
Research faculty appointments are intended to increase the quality and productivity of research programs at the Feinberg School of Medicine by permitting appointment of scholars to the faculty on a non-tenure basis in order to participate in and cooperate with the research efforts of faculty with tenure-track appointments. Individuals appointed as research faculty should hold terminal degrees and intend to concentrate on research. They are not subject to teaching responsibilities, though they may participate in the training of students in an area of expertise in which they are uniquely qualified. They are not eligible for tenure and cannot participate in the governance of the University. Research faculty do not normally move to positions on the tenure-track faculty, and may do so only in conjunction with a national search.

Appointments as research faculty (as research assistant professor, research associate professor and research professor) designate professional research personnel whose principal duties fall into one of two categories, independent research programs or research support activities. The principal criterion for promotion of research faculty shall be excellence in the performance of independent research or in research support activities. The extent and quality of any teaching or service activities shall be taken into account when the research faculty member is evaluated for promotion. Promotion to research professor requires demonstration of scholarship in addition to the promotion criteria mentioned above.

The portfolio for research faculty promotion will be initiated by the head of the appropriate medical school unit and shall include a current curriculum vitae, a letter of nomination, and external references to review the research faculty member’s achievements. The portfolio will be evaluated by the Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee of the medical school and the dean before being referred to the Vice President for Research of the University for final approval.

Research Assistant Professor

For appointment or promotion to this rank, a candidate should:

• hold a terminal degree (Ph.D., M.D., D.O. , 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;

by obtaining initial external, peer-reviewed research funding as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator;

by 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;

by securing sustained, external, peer-reviewed research funding as Principal Investigator;

by 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;

by receipt of distinctive national recognition, for example, membership in prestigious societies, participation in major society committees and programs, formal awards and major invited lectures;

by selection for named lectureships and awards or participation in national and international symposia, courses, or teaching programs;

by 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):

by establishment of new research support activities of demonstrated excellence that have clearly enhanced research capabilities and research excellence of the University;

by 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;