Keck Research and Clinical Appointments, Promotions and Track Changes

I. Clinical Group Appointments and Promotions (view summary table)

A. Clinical Scholar

The designation of Clinical Scholar is a high honor, requiring a review process as rigorous as, and following the same steps as, that used for tenure decisions and promotions. It is a title only bestowed by the President of the University. This designation is appropriate for some of the top physician-scientists at the Keck School—particularly those who have performed work of considerable impact in clinical and translational research.

  • The Clinical Scholar title is only applied at the ranks of Associate Professor or Professor.
  • Candidates must demonstrate:
    • excellence in research/Scholarship, excellence in either teaching or service, and strength in remaining category
    • minimum of 30-40% time devoted to clinical/translational research
    • Attract extramural research funding
    • Recognition at national or international level for having significant impact in clinically important research
    • Research has a “theme of expertise”

B. Clinical Series

Faculty members on the clinical series are expected to have a mixed activity profile that includes a varied amount of research time, clinical practice, teaching/mentoring/educational activity, and university service.

  • Candidates must demonstrate:
    • excellence in either research/Scholarship or teaching, and strength in remaining categories (all areas must show evidence of at least strength)
    • evaluation depends on stated area of strength. A more rigorous evaluation of scholarship is required if scholarship is the area of excellence, and teaching’education if that is the area of strength.

C. Educational Scholar

The Keck School of Medicine recognizes the importance of faculty who are appointed in the Clinical series who have demonstrated exceptional and sustained commitment to education by appointing and promoting them as Educational Scholar. Candidates for the Educational Scholar designation must fulfill all criteria for appointment or promotion on the Clinical Series. In addition, the following criteria will be evaluated:

  • This designation is only awarded at the Associate Professor and Professor ranks. .
  • Candidates must demonstrate:
    • evidence of excellence in scholarship in education, including production of original or innovative teaching materials, publications on educational methods or content.
    • Other educational attributes also considered (e.g., leadership in education, development of academic or educational programs, materials, or teaching modules, educational grants, didactic and clinical teaching evaluations, awards, etc.)

D. Clinician Educator Series

The Keck School of Medicine recognizes the importance of the contribution of many faculty whose primary efforts have been in education of medical students, graduate students, and residents, as well as in clinical care of patients. The Clinician Educator series was created for faculty who spend 85% or more of their time performing educational activities and clinical practice.

  • Candidates must demonstrate:
    • excellence in both teaching/educational activities/mentoring AND clinical care.
    • It is not expected that these individuals have significant service outside their own specialized area, although they may have service within their area.
    • It is not expected that these candidates demonstrate significant activity in scholarship/ research, as would be demonstrated by published papers, funding for research, etc.,

E. Practitioner Series

The Keck School of Medicine recognizes the importance of the contribution of faculty whose primary efforts have been clinical care of patients.

  • Candidates must demonstrate:
    • excellence in clinical care.
    • Educational activities will constitute no more than 10-15% of the time for these faculty, but because this is an educational institution, it is expected that there be some minimal evidence of teaching or mentoring of trainees, other faculty members, staff, or community members.
    • It is not expected that these candidates demonstrate significant activity in scholarship/ research (no more than 5-10%), such as demonstrated by published papers, funding for research, etc., with the following exception.
    • Some service is expected for those at senior ranks.

II. Research Series

Keck School of Medicine faculty members with a research designation have a diverse range of approaches in how they fulfill their research roles: some research faculty members manage independent laboratories and have external funding to support their research effort, while others serve as integral contributors to research teams, basically part of “team science,” or play a key role in supporting the activities of multiple investigators of a shared resource facility.

  • Usually candidates devote more than 80% of their time to research
  • Candidates who are Independent researchers: are expected to have independently funded research and to publish routinely as first or senior author responsible for the research project.
  • Candidates who are a critical member of a research team: must play an indispensable role in obtaining extramural funding for multiple projects and/or groups, and must have demonstrated creative scholarship through peer-reviewed publications to which they made specialized contributions (not required to have independent extramural funding as a principal investigator)
  • Should not teach more than 1 4-unit class per year:
  • Provide education/mentoring to students as trainees in research that is directly related to their scientific field.
  • Service primarily limited to service to the field (grant and manuscript review, editorship on journals).

View table summarizing clinical promotion series.

Changing Promotional Track

A.    Changes between Tenure Track and Research/Clinical Faculty Series

Any change in status of tenured or tenure track faculty is governed by the UCAPT Manual and the Faculty Handbook, and generally requires approval of the Provost.

A faculty member who is not appointed on the tenure track may not transfer to the tenure track, and the reverse may only occur with Provost’s approval. Should a tenure track position be opened at the university, a research and clinical faculty member may apply for the open tenure track position.

B.    Changing from Clinical Series to Clinician Educator or Practitioner

Faculty who are on the Clinical series and wish to change to the Clinician Educator or Practitioner series, and who are not seeking promotion, may have this approved by administrative action if they meet the 85% profile of activities requirement, and their department chair is supportive. A CV, a profile of activities, a letter from the candidate requesting the change, and a letter from the Department Chair recommending approval should be provided to the Keck Office for Faculty Affairs. If the faculty member seeks a promotion, a dossier must be prepared and evaluated by the CAPC committee.

C.    Changing from Clinician Educator or Practitioner to Clinical Series

Faculty at junior rank (Instructor or Assistant Professor) who have appointments on the Clinician Educator or Practitioner series and wish to change to the Clinical series may have this approved by administrative action by providing their CV, a profile of activities, a letter from the candidate requesting the change, and a letter from the Department Chair recommending approval.

Faculty at senior ranks (Associate Professor or Professor) who have appointments as Clinician Educator or Practitioner may be allowed to change to a junior rank Clinical appointment by administrative action as described above (this would be a reduction in rank). However, to change to the Clinical series at the same rank they currently have or a higher rank would require preparation of a clinical dossier, and full review and recommendation for approval by the FAPTC.

D.    Changing between Clinician Educator and Practitioner

Faculty on either the Clinician Educator or Practitioner series may change to the other series without submission of a dossier, as long as their profile of activities (or proposed profile of activities) meets the 85% profile of activities requirements for the series to which they would be changing. This would be approved as an administrative action after providing a CV, a profile of activities, a letter from the candidate requesting the change, and a letter from the Department Chair recommending approval.