Table 2: Basic Scientist-Tenure Pathway Time and Effort Distribution
| Range | Typically | ||
| Teaching/Mentoring (Total) | 10 – 35 | 30 | |
| Research | 50 – 85 | 60 | |
| Clinical Service (Total) | |||
| Leadership/Admin. Service | 0 – 35* | 10 | |
Table 3: Basic Scientist-Non-Tenure Pathway Time and Effort Distribution
| Range | Typically | ||
| Teaching/Mentoring (Total) | 0 – 30 | 5 | |
| Research | 90 – 100 | 90 | |
| Clinical Service (Total) | |||
| Leadership/Admin. Service | 0 – 10* | 5 | |
Basic science research involves the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge or new insights into existing knowledge that results from competent mastery of a scientific discipline. Discovery may also consist of innovative conceptualizations that lead to novel biotechnologies, diagnostic or health solutions.
Basic Scientists on the tenure-eligible pathway are expected to participate in the full range of academic activities of the College, with emphasis placed on research and teaching. Qualifications for appointment and criteria for promotion as a Basic Scientist-Tenure Pathway are specified within Table 4. Qualifications for appointment and the criteria for promotion as a Basic Scientist-Non-Tenure Pathway are specified in Table 5. The criteria are quite similar but differ in the extent to which teaching/mentoring and leadership/administrative service are expected. The other major distinction between the Basic Scientist-Tenure Pathway and the Basic Scientist-Non-tenure Pathway is the existence of a probationary period and the potential of being awarded tenure for individuals appointed on the former pathway. Excellence may be demonstrated and promotion may therefore be awarded without the candidate having fulfilled every single criterion noted on the tables.
Table 4: Criteria for Appointment or Promotion as a Basic Scientist on the Tenure Pathway
| Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor |
| Qualifications: Terminal degree (Ph.D. or equivalent); two or more years of post-doctoral fellowship training is typical for most basic scientists | Qualifications: Service as an Assistant Professor with demonstrated excellence in research/scholarly activity, high quality teaching/mentoring, and contributions in academic service or demonstrated excellence in teaching/mentoring; high quality contributions to research/scholarly activity, and contributions in academic service | Qualifications: Service to all mission areas of the College as an Associate Professor with a record of outstanding contributions in at least two of the following three mission areas: research/scholarly activity, teaching/mentoring, and contributions to academic service. Typically, the two areas of outstanding contributions are research/scholarly activity and teaching/mentoring. |
| Teaching/Mentoring – Strong potential as a teacher, mentor, and role model of professional conduct for trainees and colleagues – Teaching experience at the time of appointment is desirable but not required. – During the time of appointment as Assistant Professor – participation in teaching activities including but not limited to lectures, small group teaching session, and mentoring activities | Teaching/Mentoring – Continued participation in local teaching activities including but not limited to lectures, small group teaching sessions, one-to-one teaching in the laboratory, and mentoring activities – Continued favorable evaluations of teaching activities by students, peers, and supervisors -Teaching awards -Mentoring activities take on a broader scope at this rank. Evidence of effective mentoring includes co-authorship with trainees on abstracts & manuscripts and evidence of mentees’ successful career progression. -For the Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching, the candidate should show evidence of actively seeking extramural financial support for educational activities & innovations as the PI or Co-I, and publish the peer reviewed results of the innovative educational activities -For Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching, evidence of regional and/or national teaching influence through educational presentations at national professional organizations and/or dissemination of innovative curriculum materials beyond UAMS COM | Teaching/Mentoring -Continued high quality teaching in the activities of the College, as specified for Associate Professor -Continued participation in mentoring activities, with evidence of effective mentoring including documented success of mentees; co-authorship of abstracts, manuscripts, and funding applications. -Continued evidence of local, regional, national, and/or international teaching influence -For the Basic Scientist whose major emphasis is teaching, evaluations from learners & peers documenting that the individual is an outstanding teacher. -For the Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching, the candidate should show evidence of continued seeking of extramural financial support for educational activities & innovations as the PI or Co-I, and publish the peer reviewed results of the innovative educational activities |
| Research/Scholarly Work Demonstrated potential for excellence in creative research Demonstrated promise to obtain peer-reviewed research funding awards as a Principal Investigator Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively Publication in peer-reviewed journals with consideration of quality as well as quantity | Research/Scholarly Work Principal Investigator (PI) on a major extramural research grant and/or leader of a major project of a program grant (or the equivalent), or alternatively, substantial and clearly documented contributions as a Co-I on multiple extramurally funded research grants Evidence of research productivity manifest as 1 – 3 first-author or senior author peer reviewed publications per year in rank as Assistant Professor. Note that the quality of publications will be considered to be as important as the quantity Regional and/or national reputation for excellence in research/scholarly activity demonstrated through scientific presentations at meetings of professional organizations and/or invitations to serve as a visiting scholar at other academic institutions. | Research/Scholarly Work Robust record of extramural funding for research as demonstrated by being awarded at least two major extramural research grants (e.g., R01 or equivalent) or a single major grant that has been competitively renewed, or alternatively, continued substantial and clearly documented contributions as a Co-I on multiple extramurally funded research grants. Evidence of outstanding contributions to the individual’s field(s) of expertise with typically 30 – 50 peer reviewed journal publications of original and innovative research findings of basic, clinical or translational studies, on roughly half of which the individual is first or senior author. Note that the quality of the publications will be considered to be as important as the quantity. Regional, national and typically international reputation for excellence in research/scholarly activity with recognition as being an authority in one’s area(s) of expertise. National and/or international invitations to present one’s research findings |
| Leadership/Administrative Service Potential to contribute to the good functioning of the Department, College, and/or University | Leadership/Administrative Service Active participation in one or more committees of the Department, College and/or University For Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching, significant achievements include successful leadership of teaching programs for medical students and/or graduate students, and/or leadership roles in planning, implementing, and evaluating curriculum innovations. May serve on editorial boards and/or as peer reviewer for journals in one’s discipline May serve on study sections and equivalent bodies that peer review grant proposals May serve as an advocate for science and/or health care policy | Leadership/Administrative Service Demonstration of leadership in department or institution Active involvement in appropriate administrative committees in the College and/or University, including service as chair of some committees Leadership, service or committee work for regional, national or international professional organizations Service, sometimes as chair, on study sections and equivalent bodies that review major grant proposals (e.g., NIH, NSF, major foundations review panels) Service on external advisory committees of other academic institutions and/or commercial firms For the Basic Scientist whose major emphasis is teaching – long-standing leadership of one or more major graduate or medical student courses and/or administrative leadership at the College level in curriculum planning & implementation |
| Professional Recognition The Department Chair, on behalf of a candidate for promotion to Assoc Professor, must present Promotion & Tenure Committee at least three letters of recommendation, based on assessment of the candidate’s contributions to academic medicine, from recognized authorities in candidate’s field outside UAMS, typically Professors, who have neither trained nor employed the candidate. | Professional Recognition The Department Chair, on behalf of a candidate for promotion to Professor, must present to the Promotion & Tenure Committee at least three letters of recommendation, based on assessment of the candidate’s contributions to academic medicine, from recognized authorities in their field(s) outside UAMS, all Professors, who have neither trained nor employed the candidate. |
Basic Scientists on the Non-Tenure Pathway are expected, with the concurrence of the Department Chairman and Dean, to develop one major area of focus and excellence: either research or teaching. The majority of faculty members on the Basic Scientist-Non-Tenure Pathway are expected to focus on research and scholarly activities, while a minority will focus on teaching and mentoring and associated scholarly activity. The Time and Effort distributions for those faculty members who elect to focus on teaching and mentoring are specified in Table 2 rather than in Table 3, above.
Qualifications for appointment and promotion on the Basic Scientist Non-Tenure Pathway are specified in Table 5. Excellence may be demonstrated and promotion may therefore be awarded without the candidate having fulfilled every single criterion noted on the table.
Table 5: Criteria for Appointment or Promotion as a Basic Scientist on the Non-Tenure Pathway
| Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor |
| Qualifications: Terminal degree (Ph.D. or equivalent); two or more years of post-doctoral fellowship training is typical for most basic scientists | Qualifications: Service as an Assistant Professor with demonstrated excellence in the individual’s stated primary mission area: research/ scholarly activity or teaching/mentoring of trainees | Qualifications: Service as an Associate Professor with outstanding contributions in the candidate’s area of primary focus: research/scholarly activities or teaching/mentoring |
| Teaching/Mentoring The candidate may have experience in teaching and/or mentoring interactions with trainees at the time of appointment as Assistant Professor. | Teaching/Mentoring – if these activities are part of the candidate’s work portfolio: Participation in local teaching activities including but not limited to lectures, small group teaching sessions, one-to-one teaching in the laboratory, and mentoring activities Favorable evaluations of teaching activities by students, peers, and supervisors Teaching awards Mentoring activities take on a broader scope at this rank. Evidence of effective mentoring includes co-authorship with trainees on abstracts & manuscripts and evidence of mentees’ successful career progression For Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching – evidence of regional and/or national teaching influence through educational presentations at regional and/or national professional organizations and/or dissemination of innovative curriculum materials beyond UAMS COM. For the Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching, the candidate should show evidence of actively seeking extramural financial support for educational activities and innovations as the PI or Co-I, and also publishing the peer reviewed results of the innovative educational activities | Teaching/Mentoring – if these activities are part of the candidate’s work portfolio: Continued participation in teaching activities of the College as specified for Associate Professor Continued participation in mentoring activities, with evidence of effective mentoring including documented success of mentees who may be students, fellows, and/or junior faculty. Continued evidence of local, regional, national, and/or international teaching influence For the Basic Scientist whose major emphasis is teaching, evaluations from learners and peers should document that the individual as an outstanding teacher For the Basic Scientist whose major emphasis is teaching, the candidate should show continued evidence of active seeking of extramural financial support for educational activities and innovations as the PI or Co-I, and also publishing the peer reviewed results of the innovative educational activities |
| Research/Scholarly Work Demonstrated potential to conduct independent research Evidence on scholarly activity as manifest by publication in peer reviewed journals with consideration of quality as well as quantity Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively | Research/Scholarly Work Principal investigator (PI) on a major extramural research grant and/or leader of a major project of a program grant, or the equivalent, or alternatively, substantial and clearly documented contributions as a Co-I on multiple extramurally funded research grants Evidence of research productivity manifested as 1 – 3 first-author or senior author peer reviewed publications per year in rank as Assistant Professor. Note that the quality of publications will be considered to be as important as the quantity. May be invited to present research findings at other institutions and/or regional and/or national professional organizations May participate actively, including leadership roles, in national professional scientific organizations | Research/Scholarly Work Robust record of extramural funding for research as demonstrated by being awarded at least two major extramural research grants (e.g., R01 or equivalent) or a single major grant that has been competitively renewed, or alternatively, continued substantial and clearly documented contributions as a Co-I on multiple extramurally funded research grants. Evidence of outstanding contributions to the individual’s field(s) of expertise with typically 30 – 50 peer reviewed journal publications of original and innovative research findings of basic, clinical or translational studies, on roughly half of which the individual is first or senior author. Note that the quality of the publications will be considered to be as important as the quantity. Regional, national and typically international reputation for excellence in research/scholarly activity with recognition as being an authority in one’s area(s) of expertise National and/or international recognition may also be demonstrated through invitations to present research findings |
| Leadership/Administrative Service Potential to contribute to the good functioning of the Department, College, and/or University | Leadership/Administrative Service Active participation in one or more committees of the Department, College, and/or University is typical. For Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching – significant achievements include successful leadership of teaching programs for medical students and/or graduate students, and/or leadership roles in planning, implementing, and evaluating curriculum innovations. May serve on editorial boards and/or as peer reviewer for journals in one’s discipline May serve on study sections and equivalent bodies that peer review grant proposals May serve as an advocate for science and/or health care policy | Leadership/Administrative Service Active involvement, including some leadership service on appropriate administrative committees of the Department, College, and or University. For the Basic Scientists whose major emphasis is teaching, long-standing leadership of one or more major graduate or medical student courses and/or administrative leadership at the College level in curriculum planning and implementation. |
| Professional Recognition The Department Chair, on behalf of a candidate for promotion to Assoc Professor, must present Promotion & Tenure Committee at least three letters of recommendation, based on assessment of the candidate’s contributions to academic medicine, from recognized authorities in candidate’s field outside of UAMS, typically Professors, who have neither trained nor employed the candidate. | Professional Recognition The Department Chair, on behalf of a candidate for promotion to Professor, must present to the Promotion & Tenure Committee at least three letters of recommendation, based on assessment of the candidate’s contributions to academic medicine, from recognized authorities in their field(s) outside UAMS, all Professors, who have neither trained nor employed the candidate. |