Research Professor

College of Engineering Procedures for Research Professor Appointments

The College of Engineering has implemented the use of the academic titles (Assistant, Associate or Full) Research Professor. This document details procedures for using this title for a recruitment search to hire a Research Professor as well as reviewing current academic employees for appointment to the title.

Search Procedures for the Research Professor

1) Department must develop a job description, including qualifications consistent with the required credentials for the title and ongoing evaluation criteria as outlined in the Research Professor Guidelines document. This should include the anticipated term of the appointment, whether the position is a 9-month, academic year position or 12-months per year, and the percentage of full-time effort required. Appointments are typically three and no more than five-year appointments.

2) The search process generally mirrors the search process for tenure-track faculty.

a) The Director or Chair appoints a search committee consisting of tenure-track and existing Research Professor faculty from within the department, the majority of which must be tenure track. It is highly encouraged that this committee have at least one member from an external department.

b) The search committee provides to the Chair of the Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC) the general plan to reach a broad and diverse applicant pool for the position prior to the launch of the search.

c) Utilizing standard open search protocols, including identification of the source of funding, the position must be posted on the Cornell website and advertised as appropriate to capture a broad and diverse applicant pool.

A general application process requires a letter of interest in the position along with the C.V. and the names of at least 3 references provided by the applicant. This is followed by interviews of a subset of the applicants conducted by the search committee.

d) The search committee makes a recommendation to the department or school based on their evaluation of the candidate’s likelihood for success in meeting the evaluation criteria for the job.

e) The Director or Chair updates the Dean and Chair of the SOC on the status of the search and the top candidate(s) before a vote is taken within the department.

f) Faculty review the application materials for the recommended candidate(s). A vote is taken of tenured and tenure-track faculty and existing Research Professors on whether to recommend to the department director or chair that an offer is extended to the individual.

g) The Director or Chair submits a recommendation to the Dean.

h) Upon the Dean's approval Human Resources is informed.
i) An Academic Search Summary document is completed with support from the Director/Chair’s assistant and submitted to the HRSC for Associate Dean review and approval.

Revised June 6, 2017