Officers of Research Appointment and Search Procedures

Searches for a Full-Time Research Scholar or Senior Research Scholar

The following guidelines apply to searches for a full-time research scholar or senior research scholar who would be appointed for more than one year, including a research scholar appointment initially made for one year with the possibility of extending for an additional year. (Appointments of research scholars for one year must comply with University affirmative action requirements and must be approved by the Dean, but do not require a search committee or approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. For further information about one-year appointments, please contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs) The main steps in a search or an appointment of more than one year are as follows:

1. Search proposal.  Searches for research scholars are typically proposed by research center directors or a program director who has secured external funding for a research officer appointment.  Directors or others seeking to initiate a search should submit a brief search proposal—including draft position announcement, proposed search committee, and the source and terms of funds—to the Vice Dean and the Office of Academic Affairs. If a qualified individual has already been identified, the Vice Dean must be informed.
2. Search committee:  Search committees are typically composed of three members of the SIPA faculty, including senior research scholars; when appropriate, committees may include tenured faculty members from other schools.  Committees should include at least one tenured faculty member, unless the Vice Dean determines that there is no qualified tenured faculty member available to serve.  The chair must be a senior SIPA faculty member (tenured or a professor of professional practice who has passed a major review).  The Vice Dean makes the final decision about committee membership.
3. Creation of position description and preparation for search:  Prior to the launch of the search, the search committee will be apprised of the source and terms of the funds and will then review and confirm their approval of the search announcement. The Vice Dean has final authority over the position announcement.  The search committee chair also should discuss any possible or likely candidates for the position, including individuals already identified by the committee chair as qualified for the position and any prior conversations with such individuals.
4. Posting of the search in ASR, which is the University’s online academic search management website.  All searches must be posted on ASR, and all applicants must apply via ASR.  ASR is integral to the University’s affirmative action review procedures.  All search committee members will have access to ASR to review applications.  The Office of Academic Affairs creates the ASR posting and provides search committee members with access to ASR.
5. Placement of adverts for the search.  Ads for all positions are placed on the SIPA website and on at least two additional external advertising venues, including diversity venues identified in the University best practices for searches. Search committees are strongly encouraged to suggest additional ways to publicize the search, with a view to attracting a significant number of applications. Venues that are likely to reach qualified individuals from underrepresented groups deserve special consideration. 
6. Minimum application pool.  It is expected that most searches will result in at least five applications.  In cases in which fewer than five applications are received despite efforts to attract a significant number of applications, the search committee chair should consult with the Vice Dean about whether to move forward or attempt to secure more applications or pursue other options. Of course, the quality of applications received is at least as important as the quantity.
7. Short lists for interviews.  Search committees are responsible for identifying a short list of candidates to visit SIPA, typically with 3 – 5 candidates.  In some circumstances, the short list may contain two candidates, but never only one candidate.  SIPA guidelines require that at least one person on the short list be from a group historically underrepresented at SIPA. If the search committee is unable to identify one qualified finalist from one of these groups, the committee must submit a brief memo to the Vice Dean explaining the steps it has taken to locate such a person.  The Vice Dean may decide either to allow the committee to proceed with the interviews or require the committee to continue to search for a qualified candidate from an underrepresented group.
8. Candidate visits and interviews.  Candidate visits to SIPA always include meetings with the search committee, as well as interested faculty and research scholars.  The research center or program conducting the search is responsible for arranging the candidate’s schedule and handling logistical aspects of the visit, including travel, lodging, and reimbursement of expenses.
9. Nomination for appointment. When the search committee has identified a selectee, SIPA must confirm the appointment track for the candidate. The first track is followed for a standard nomination to research scholar or senior research scholar and requires the selectee pass a Major Review before being appointed. The second track is followed for a non-traditional nomination to research scholar or senior research and allows for initial appointment without a Major Review but requires the selectee pass a Major Review before being appointed for more than two years. Guidelines for Major Reviews are available from the Office of Academic Affairs.
10. Search committee report.  The search committee submits a written report to the Vice Dean, describing the position, search process (including the candidates interviewed), reasons to appoint the selectee (including the selectee’s CV), and Major Review dossier (if applicable).  If the search committee cannot identify a qualified selectee, the committee chair informs the Vice Dean.
11. Review by Committee on Appointments and Promotions.  All appointments for more than one year must be reviewed by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP), which is chaired by the Vice Dean and is advisory to the Dean.  CAP will take a formal vote on whether to recommend the appointment.
12. Authorization to hire and formal offer.  The Dean makes the final decision at SIPA, based on the candidate's dossier, recommendations of the review committee and CAP, and fit with the academic mission of the School. The Dean's decisions on Major Reviews are subsequently reviewed by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. The selectee must be cleared in ASR before making a formal offer; the clearance process requires the search chair to provide reasons for non-selection of all applicants.  The Office of Academic Affairs provides information about the ASR clearance process.
13. Hiring and orientation.  The Dean issues a formal appointment offer to the selectee.  If the selectee accepts the offer, the research center director or other hiring individual meets in person with the selectee and discusses guidelines and related expectations for the Major or Continuing Review. 

Searches for Staff Officers of Research

Staff officers of research (SOR) at  SIPA are generally appointed to support the research portfolio under the supervision of a specific Principle Investigator (PI). SORs may conduct research, manage data, manage grants, or other functions as directed by the PI. SORs may be appointed at the rank of Staff Associate I, Staff Associate II, Staff Associate III, Senior Staff Associate I, Senior Staff Associate II, and Senior Staff Associate III. The Framework for Classification of Staff Officers of Research codifies the differences in qualifications and job requirements for each rank.

SORs are appointed part-time or full-time, but are considered full-time if they are appointed more than half-time (18 hours per week or more) or if their salary is more than half of that of the lowest paid researchers of their rank. All salaries must comply with the Salary Guidelines established by the University Provost for all Officers of Research.

As a general rule, SORs are only appointed for the period of time for which the appointing unit has secured adequate funding. Appointment letters will be issued for no more than one academic year and must include notice that the position will not be extended unless adequate funding is available. SIPA will provide at least three months’ notice of non-renewal.

The School may choose not to renew an appointment beyond its stated term because of any of the following reasons: failure of the SOR to maintain active professional involvement at a high level of excellence; a shift in the ongoing and future goals, needs, specializations, and practices of the School that cannot be adequately met or fulfilled by the research officer; end of funding for the position. As noted above, SIPA must give written notice at least three months prior to the end of the appointment.

The following search process for full-time SOR appointments complies with the standard procedures established by the University Provost and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action.

1. Staff Officers of Research Questionnaire. The hiring unit must complete the SOR Questionnaire and develop the Job Description. Once approved by SIPA’s Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, the questionnaire is submitted by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. The SOR Questionnaire template is available from the Office of Academic Affairs. 
2. Search committee. Once approved by the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, the search committee must be established. With the guidance of the Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, the search committee will consist of the PI and at least one member of the full-time faculty or one SRS who has passed the major review.
3. Posting of the search in ASR. The Office of Academic Affairs will then post the position in the University’s Academic Search and Recruitment system and, in consultation with the PI, any other relevant sites. The job posting must remain open for at least 30 days and no more than 365 days.
4. Placement of adverts for the search.  Ads for all positions are placed on the SIPA website and on at least two additional external advertising venues, including diversity venues identified in the University best practices for searches. Search committees are strongly encouraged to suggest additional ways to publicize the search, with a view to attracting a significant number of applications. Venues that are likely to reach qualified individuals from underrepresented groups deserve special consideration. 
5. Minimum application pool and short list for interviews. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interviews will commence once there are no fewer than five applicants deemed qualified for interview by the search committee. At least three candidates must be interviewed and the short list of candidates must include at least one candidate from an underrepresented group.
6. Authorization to hire and formal offer. Following the interviews of the shortlisted candidates, the search committee identifies the finalist. With the approval of the Vice Dean, the finalist is submitted to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action for Affirmative Action clearance. When this clearance is granted, the hiring unit may then provide the candidate an informal offer of employment. Once terms are agreed between the hiring unit and the candidate, the Office of Academic Affairs will issue the formal letter of appointment.
7. Closing of the search: The search committee will then notify other interviewed candidates that they have not been selected. All other applicants will be notified by the Office of Academic Affairs, or its designee, through ASR. The position will then be removed from all job boards unless the posting is approved as a continuous hiring line.

SIPA’s Diversity Goals and Procedures

As an integral element of its recruitment efforts, SIPA is committed to strengthening the School’s efforts to identify and hire qualified women, underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, and members of other underrepresented groups. 

There are several steps that will help guide this search in accordance with these goals, which include:

• Advertising in wide-ranging recruitment outlets that include groups with diverse audiences.
• Encouraging the search committee to reach out to colleagues in other schools and institutions and ask them to identify potential candidates (or provide contact information for these colleagues to the Office of Academic Affairs, and we will contact them on your behalf).

As noted above, according to SIPA policy, the short list of finalists invited to SIPA for a visit must include at least one finalist from groups historically underrepresented at SIPA (women, underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, and members of other underrepresented groups). If the search committee cannot locate such a candidate, it must provide a short memo to the Vice Dean, explaining the steps it took to locate such a finalist.  The Vice Dean may decide either to allow the committee to proceed with the visits or require the committee to continue to search for a qualified candidate from an underrepresented group.

Compensation

The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs establishes salary guidelines for officers of research which are updated each year. Any exceptions to these guidelines must be approved by the Provost and first discussed with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. No offer of a salary outside of these guidelines can be made to a candidate without prior approval.