PROMOTION AND TENURE FOR BASIC SCIENTISTS – BOTH PATHWAYS

Paul Drew, Ph.D.Mark Smeltzer, Ph.D.

P&T for Basic Scientists

Read the 2009 Guidelines on P&T Check out the Companion Guide to the P&T

Document (http://www.uams.edu/facultyaffairs/Promotionandtenuredefault.asp)

Study the criteria table for your specific academic pathway Basic Scientist-Tenure Pathway Basic Scientist-Non-tenure Pathway

Similar criteria - but differ in the extent to which teaching/mentoring and leadership/administrative service are expected

Basic Scientist-TP & Basic Scientist-NTP Basic Scientists- TP are expected to

participate in the full range of academic activities of the College, with emphasis on research and teaching.

Basic Scientists- NTP are expected to

develop one major area of focus: either research or teaching.

Basic Scientist – Tenure Pathway “Full range of activities” means:

Teaching/Mentoring Research/Scholarly Work Leadership/Administrative Service

Majority of Basic Scientist-TP faculty will focus strongly on research, and will teach

Minority of Basic Scientist-TP faculty will focus strongly on teaching, and will participate in some research, which could include educational research

Assistant to Associate Professor

Basic Scientist-TP

Basic Scientist-TP: Time Allotment

DO THE MATH:If your focus is research, you must teach. However, you CANNOT

max out teaching and service without going below the research minimum: THIS IS A RESEARCH-INTENSIVE TRACK!!

Research/Scholarly Work

Funding PI on a major extramural research grant

and/or leader of a major project program grant, or alternatively

Substantial and clearly documented contributions as Co-I on multiple extramurally funded research grants

NIH is best, but others (e.g. American Heart Association; VA Merit) do count

Institutional General Research Support grants for pilot studies will NOT be counted

Research/Scholarly Work

Publications = scholarly evidence of research productivity Peer-reviewed scientific articles

Quality more important than absolute number The P&T Guidelines speak of 1 – 3 first author or senior author

peer reviewed publications per year in rank

Books/book chapters Participation in national/international

meetings Important opportunities to present your work Important opportunities to meet and get to know the experts

in your field

Research/Scholarly Work

Publications in your P&T packet: Copies of your 5 most meritorious

publications are required Must be published or ‘in press’ Middle-author papers count, but must be 1st

or senior author on a significant number of publications

Publication alone does not insure promotion But then, neither does funding if you aren’t

being productive

Teaching/Mentoring

Must include Contact hours in graduate/medical school List of those you mentor

Estimate of contact hours with mentees Evidence of your contributions to their learning

and success Documented evaluation of teaching

performance: Your mean scores compared to the department

scores, NOT copies of evaluations

Teaching/Mentoring

Can include Directing graduate seminars/journal clubs Serving as a major advisor on thesis and

dissertation committees Serving as committee member on thesis and

dissertation committees Evidence of community, local, regional and

national education programs Letters from mentees attesting to time

commitment and level of mentoring

Teaching/Mentoring

Can also include: Service as a graduate or medical school

course leader (for those whose major focus is teaching)

Teaching outside one’s own area of interest

in other departments within the Collegein other UAMS Colleges

Teaching/Mentoring If your major focus is research, while very

important, teaching CANNOT compensate for a lack of research productivity. Strike the proper balance.

Form a mentoring committee or, at the very least, consult your chair if you feel like accepting a significant teaching responsibility at this stage of your career will compromise your research Directing a medical school course at this stage

of your career will compromise you research

Leadership/Administrative Service

Expect to have share in “service load” for departmental and university programs – less as an Assistant Prof, more as an Associate Prof and still more as a Professor

Assessed by review of type and complexity of committee and/or administrative work

Document participation and valuable contributions

Document leadership roles and/or other active involvement in administration

Professional Recognition

Should have established a reputation in the national or international medical or scientific community

Participation in appropriate professional organizations and presentations before national and/or international meetings

Note invited presentations NIH/VA study sections are valued but not

required

Professional Recognition

Letters of Recommendation Three letters are required Authors

Should be recognized national authorities Should be in your field of interest Should NOT have hired you or trained you Should clearly have reviewed your portfolio

and have detailed comments

Obtaining Letters

Provide your Department Chair with a list of names and contact information

Department Chair formally solicits these letters, and sends to those letter-writers: Letter of request for recommendation Your CV COM P&T guidelines

Solicit more letters than you need to ensure you get three great letters back in time

Additional letters may be a good idea if they add significant information or an importantly different perspective on your contributions.

Associate to Full Professor

Basic Scientist-TP

Professorship

Reserved for those members of the faculty who have demonstrated outstanding ability

Not based on length of service alone Should also have:

Considerable time and experience in rank Additional publications Other evidence of scholarly activity and

professional recognition

Basic Scientist – TPAssociate Professor to Professor

Same “full range of activities” “Outstanding record in at least two of

the following three mission areas”: Research/Scholarly Activities Teaching/Mentoring Leadership/Academic Service

Most will have excelled in the first two areas

Study the criteria table carefully

Assistant to Associate Professor

Basic Scientist-NTP

Basic Scientist -NTP

Basic Scientists- NTP are expected to develop one major area of focus: either research or teaching.

Majority of Basic Scientist-NTP faculty will focus strongly on research

Minority of Basic Scientist-NTP faculty will focus strongly on teaching, and will participate in some research, which could include educational research

Basic Scientist-NTP: Time Allotment

Research/Scholarly Work

If your focus is research: Funding

PI on a major extramural research grant and/or leader of a major project program grant, or alternatively

Substantial and clearly documented contributions as Co-I on multiple extramurally funded research grants

NIH is best, but others (e.g. American Heart Association; VA Merit) do count

Institutional General Research Support grants for pilot studies will NOT be counted

Research/Scholarly Work

If your focus is research: Publications = scholarly evidence of

research productivity Peer-reviewed scientific articles

Quality more important than absolute number The P&T Guidelines speak of 1 – 3 first author or senior

author peer reviewed publications per year in rank Books/book chapters Participation in national/international meetings

Important opportunities to present your work Important opportunities to meet and get to know the

experts in your field

Teaching/Mentoring

If your focus is teaching: Must include

Contact hours in graduate/medical school List of those you mentor

Estimate of contact hours with mentees Evidence of your contributions to their learning and

success Documented evaluation of teaching

performance: Your mean scores compared to the department

scores, NOT copies of evaluations

Teaching/Mentoring

If your focus is on teaching: Can include

Directing graduate seminars/journal clubs Serving as a major advisor on thesis and

dissertation committees Serving as committee member on thesis and

dissertation committees Evidence of community, local, regional and

national education programs Letters from mentees attesting to time

commitment and level of mentoring

Teaching/Mentoring

If your focus is on teaching: Can also include:

Service as a graduate or medical school course leader (for those whose major focus is teaching)

Teaching outside one’s own area of interest in other departments within the College in other UAMS Colleges

Leadership/Administrative Service

Leadership/Administrative Service is largely the responsibility of the Basic Science-TP faculty.

Assistant Professors on the Basic Science-NTP may have small leadership/administrative service roles.

Associate Professors on the Basic Science-NTP may have larger leadership/administrative service roles, and Professors on the Basic Science-NTP may devote as much as 10% of their time allotment to leadership/ administrative service.

Typically, the most successful candidates align their committee work with their research and/or teaching interests.

Professional Recognition

Should have established a reputation in the national or international medical or scientific community

Participation in appropriate professional organizations and presentations before national and/or international meetings

Note invited presentations NIH/VA study sections are valued but not

required

Professional Recognition

Letters of Recommendation Three letters are required Authors

Should be recognized national authorities Should be in your field of interest Should NOT have hired you or trained you Should clearly have reviewed your portfolio and

have detailed comments

Obtaining Letters

Provide your Department Chair with a list of names and contact information

Department Chair formally solicits the letters, and sends to those letter-writers: Letter of request for recommendation Your CV COM P&T guidelines

Solicit more letters than you need to ensure you get three great letters back in time

Associate to Full Professor

Basic Scientist-NTP

Professorship

Reserved for those members of the faculty who have demonstrated outstanding ability

Not based on length of service alone Should also have:

Considerable time and experience in rank Additional publications Other evidence of scholarly activity and

professional recognition

Basic Scientist – NTPAssociate Professor to Professor

Having made the decision to focus on either Research or Teaching, candidates for promotion to Professor will have made outstanding contributions in Research or Teaching.

Study the criteria table carefully

Both Tracks

If your department has a Promotion and Tenure committee, the results of their vote should be included in your binder.

When possible, have your packet reviewed by someone in your department who has been on the P&T Committee.

Packets are due to the Office of Faculty Affairs, Central Building (old hospital) 4D40, by 4:30pm on Monday, October 3, 2011.

How can you help to assure your own success?

Know the rules! Study the companion guide (

http://www.uams.edu/facultyaffairs/Promotionandtenuredefault.asp)

Talk to P&T committee chair in department or faculty affairs representative before finalizing your initial appointment or if you have unresolved concerns.

Get a mentor. Attend P&T workshops. Prepare a concise, neat, well-organized

packet that makes it easy for the reviewer to find support that you have met criteria.

Questions?