Merit and Promotion Review of
Academic Federation Research
Titles
Prepared by
Daniel Wilson
Chair, Joint Personnel Committee
2008-09
Academic Personnel FAQ for federation titles:
academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/AF FAQs/AF FAQs MAIN.htm
Joint Academic Federation/Senate Personnel Committee – contains many useful links
academicfederation.ucdavis.edu/joint_pc.cfm
Academic Personnel Manual – systemwide and UC Davis
manuals.ucdavis.edu/APM/apm-toc.htm
UCD Campus APM
UCOP systemwide APM
Note: Where UCD campus APM exists it generally has more specific information
“Faculty parallel” titles
• Professional Research
• Specialist in CE
• Agronomist in AES
Expectations in these titles closely track Professor, and there’s
a lot of guidance on web pages in addition to what’s on
Federation pages, e.g.
academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/faq.cfm
manuals.ucdavis.edu/apm/220.htm
Expectations - Professional Researcher
APM 310: Continuous and effective engagement in independent and creative
research equivalent to that required for Professor series
RESEARCH
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals as first or senior author (Leadership role in
publications)
• Grants as PI and Co-PI (typically also leadership in collaborative grants)
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY
• Presentations at conferences
• Participation in professional societies or other educational/research organizations
• Offices held in these organizations, editorial boards, etc.
• Invited presentations, invited review articles
UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE
• Expected at the Associate and full rank Professional Researcher (campus
committees, managing departmental facility, government committees, review
panels, advisory committees)
• Ad hoc teaching contributions (if regular teaching is expected, then should have
title that goes through CAP review)
A word on teaching
___________________________________
• Titles under JPC review do not have regular
teaching expectation. Expectations dominated by
research.
• Teaching review includes CAP, (eg lecturer and
adjunct professor)
• Ad hoc teaching contributions by those with
research appointments is a valuable University
Service. Where teaching is regular expectation of
incumbent then title should reflect the role.
Expectations - Specialist in CE
APM 334 - Conducts educational activities and mission oriented
research in the area of specialty. Responsible for
interpretation, adaptation and transmission of relevant
research.
EXTENDING KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION
(Quality, quantity, audience and venue)
• Talks and presentations, invited presentations, workshops,
newsletters, websites, etc
RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORK, PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
AND ACTIVITY, UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE
• See Professional Researcher, more or less
Expectations - Agronomist in AES
APM 320 - Appointees in this series have one or more Agricultural Experiment
Station (AES). These AES projects are supported by Federal and State funds
earmarked for mission-oriented research, both basic and applied,
consistent with the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station
MISSION ORIENTED RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORK
• Requirements equivalent to Professor and Professional Research series
MISSION ORIENTED OUTREACH
• Interaction with local/state/federal agencies, private sector companies;
publishing articles in industry magazines, etc.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY, UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE
• See Professional Researcher, more or less
http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/faq.cfm
http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/frequently_asked_questions.htm#Dossier
What is meant by 'research or creative activity'?
In the APM, 'research' usually refers to scholarly investigative endeavors, while creative
activity usually describes activities in areas of the humanities and the arts, such as music
composition/performance, theater and dance, creative writing, etc. Evidence submitted to
document achievements in this category include published articles, books, recordings,
works of art, videos, etc.
How do reviewers evaluate independence?
Independence in research/creative activity is an important criterion for merit and promotion.
A candidate must show that he/she has established a productive research program at UC
Davis, as opposed to simply a continuation of research associations with previous training
programs or colleagues. The candidate must also show that he/she has a cohesive program
of research, rather than a mere collection of unrelated papers. Collaboration with colleagues
is strongly encouraged, but reviewers will look to see if:
•The candidate's contribution to the body of work is distinct and can be clearly associated
with his/her name
•The candidate is sole, first, or corresponding author on a significant number of the papers
•The candidate is the Principal Investigator (PI) on funding of a significant number of the
projects in his/her program.
The Research Titles (81% of JPC actions last year)
___________________________________
Professional Researcher
Project Scientist
Specialist
Must demonstrate
continuous and effective
engagement in
independent and creative
research activity of high
quality and significance,
equivalent to that
expected of the Professor
series. Shall be reviewed
with the same rigor
accorded to the Professor
series. (requires PhD)
Significant, original, and creative
contributions to a research or
creative project in any academic
discipline. Need not demonstrate
the same independence or
scholarly breadth as members of
the Professor or Professional
Research series. Expected to
have a broader range of
knowledge and competency and
a higher level of independence
than appointees in the Specialist
series (requires PhD)
Academic appointees who have
an identified area of technical
specialization and provide
technical or specialized
expertise (e.g., with
instrumentation and research
equipment or with social
science research methods) in
the planning and execution of a
research project, or an outreach
project that contains a research
component. (MS typical at Asst.,
PhD - level at Assoc.)
I.e., lead an independent
research program
equivalent to Prof.
expectations
e.g. manage activities in a
research lab, or oversee
execution of subcomponent of
larger project under a PI
e.g. execute specialized
research
Expectations - Project Scientist
APM 311 - Significant, original, and creative contribution to a research or creative program
RESEARCH
• Publications are expected: Peer-reviewed publications, proceedings, other appropriate
peer-reviewed outlets
• First author not required for PS but encouraged to have some
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
• evidence of achievement and leadership in the field and of demonstrated progressiveness
in the development or utilization of new approaches and techniques for the solution of
professional problems
• Same types of activities as Prof. Res. apply, though expectations of breadth are less
• Invitations to consult with other professional groups may also indicate that one's research
or creative work is recognized and valued nationally and/or internationally
UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE
• Encouraged but not required
Expectations – Specialist
APM 330 - The Specialist series is used for academic appointees who have an identified area of
technical specialization and provide technical or specialized expertise (e.g., with
instrumentation and research equipment or with social science research methods) in the
planning and execution of a research project, or an outreach project that contains a
research component.
RESEARCH
• Engage in publishable research - Publications not required but evidence of publishable
research as documented that acknowledge the Specialist contribution, co-authorship in
publications
• Other Evidence: e.g. letters from collaborators, dissemination of information through
presentations, etc.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
• Participation in professional/technical organizations
• Presentations at national/international meetings
• Reviewing manuscripts, proposals, etc
• Describe efforts to develop new approaches to solve problems in the area of your research
expertise
UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE
• In agreement with expectations/restrictions specified by funding source
Title and Position Description
___________________________________
At appointment, sets expectations for position between
candidate & department / research group
JPC reviews proposed Title and the Position Description at
appointment for consistency with campus expectations
– In many cases, the PD does not match the title, e.g., PD for a Professional
Researcher reads:
“The candidate will work under the PI in research
projects related to…” or “The candidate will
assist the PI in writing grants”
Sets expectations for advancement. Reviewers (department and
campus) weight review by expectations.
Federation Personnel Actions
• Department Review and Recommendation:
– Peer Group: >5 people that can offer an informed and sound review of both the
function and the disciplinary content of the candidate’s performance. Advises the
department Chair on the merits of the personnel action. The Chair, in turn, shares the
Peer Group’s comments with the department’s Voting Group. The peer comments and
department vote are included in the Chair’s letter to the Dean along with a
recommendation
– Voting Group: Designated to review and vote on Federation personnel. The basic
voting group should include unit members in the same AF title series and Professorial
series members. If desired, other AF members of the unit in different research titles
can be included.
• Campus Review and Recommendation:
– Joint Personnel Committee
– Dean’s office
• Approval
– Dean or Vice Provost of Personnel
academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/AF FAQs/AF FAQs MAIN.htm
Delegation of Authority
___________________________________
http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/delegations.cfm
Delegation of Authority
___________________________________
Delegation of Authority
___________________________________
What makes life easy for review?
• Publications as lead or senior author
– published or in press only
•
•
•
•
•
•
Publications as co-author
Grants as PI
Grants as co-PI & senior personnel
Patents
Acknowledgements
Citations of work
• External Letters at Promotion (a valued measure of the
impact of your work)
If productivity doesn’t fit the easy metrics, make sure to demonstrate creative
contribution and impact in the personal statement
E.g. leading the activities of a large lab where major research activity is going on
but maybe not included as co-author
JPC Summary
___________________________________
• Department & JPC Review & Recommend, Dean or Vice
Chancellor Approves
– Position Description and Title set the standard for expectations at
appointment and for advancement
• Resources on the web help describe the merit review process
– Academic federation pages include many FAQs
– Academic Senate info applies in general to JPC titles
• Research contributions, creative accomplishments, outreach
activities, professional competence and service are evaluated;
not just enumerated
– Personal statement is highly valued by JPC for helping us understand
your role in activities, especially when traditional metrics don’t capture
your contributions