Academic Track

The Academic Track is designed for faculty whose principal activity is scholarship at the highest level based upon original research related to basic investigations of normal biologic processes or disease, clinical investigation, health services research, public health or medical education.

It is expected that Academic Track faculty at each rank will compare favorably with the foremost investigators in their fields and will publish in peer-reviewed journals of excellent quality. Evaluation of a candidate's publication record will extend beyond the first and last authorship positions and will include the candidate's significant contributions as a middle author. Faculty in this track should also contribute as excellent teachers of medical and graduate students by participating in the School's curricula and by mentoring students, residents and fellows. Those who engage in clinical care must be excellent physicians.

It is expected that as faculty advance in their academic careers, they will demonstrate increasing service and leadership in administrative and policy-making functions of the institution and the broader scientific and medical communities. Significant participation in and contributions to major institutional committees that are critical to the mission of the school and its affiliated hospitals (such as Institutional Review Board, Admissions Committee, Medical Board) will be given consideration when faculty are under review for promotion. Additionally, outstanding service in a significant administrative role (such as Vice-Chair, Training Program Director) will also be considered during promotion review.

Success in this track will be fostered through an earnest effort by Chairs and senior faculty to guide each junior faculty member, provide the opportunity for scholarly achievement, and encourage choices that will enhance internal and external recognition in his or her field.

1. Instructor

   Qualifications: Appointment as an Instructor in the Academic Track may be extended to individuals who have shown potential for academic achievement based upon their training, publications, and possibly entry level extramural funding.

   Appointment and Term: Appointment and reappointment to this position will be at the discretion of the Department Chair. The term of appointment is one year.

   Reappointment and Non-Reappointment: The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

   If the Chair wishes to reappoint the individual, the maximum aggregate time at this rank in this track will be three years.

   If a decision to reappoint a faculty member is made during a term extension as described in the section on notices of non-reappointment, the reappointment notice must be in writing from the Chair. The reappointment will commence retroactive to the first day following completion of the original term of appointment.

   In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice.  The timing of notice of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment and, in some cases, by rank.

   Promotion: The Chair may, at any time during these three years, promote the individual to the rank of Assistant Professor in any track.

2. Assistant Professor

   Qualifications: Appointment, reappointment and promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor in the Academic Track may be extended to individuals who have demonstrated scholarship and the potential for independence in clinical or basic research. Those who are clinicians should provide evidence of excellent patient care.

   1. Scholarship - Candidates should have an early track record of publication in peer-reviewed journals.
   2. Research - Candidates should be engaged in or be prepared to embark on careers as independent scientific investigators. They must have sufficient education, training, practical experience and demonstrated competence to be poised to compete for extramural funding for their research.
   3. Education - Candidates should show evidence of teaching skills and commitment to teaching in the research and/or clinical arenas. Innovation in and development of educational programs will be considered. Candidates at this rank have the opportunity to establish a teaching portfolio that will serve as the foundation for future consideration as an educator in this track.

   Appointment and Term: Appointment, reappointment and promotion to this rank are at the discretion of the Department Chair. The initial term of appointment is four years.

   Reappointment and Non-Reappointment: The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

   If the Chair wishes to reappoint the individual, the second term of appointment in this track will be three years in length, for a maximum aggregate of seven years at this rank.

   If a decision to reappoint a faculty member is made during a term extension as described in the section on notices of non-reappointment, the reappointment notice must be in writing from the Chair. The reappointment will commence retroactive to the first day following completion of the original term of appointment.

   In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice.   The timing of notice of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment and, in some cases, by rank.

   Track Switching:  Track switching will be permitted during the first term of appointment as an Assistant Professor.  Track switching after the first term will require detailed justification by the Department Chair and approval by the Dean. Track declaration must be made before a Chair recommends promotion, and cannot be changed once the promotion process is initiated.

   Promotion: The Chair may, at any time, recommend promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

3. Associate Professor

   Qualifications: Appointment, reappointment and promotion at this level may be extended to individuals who have demonstrated national recognition in research and/or teaching, with a record of scholarly contributions that are widely known, original and potentially ground-breaking. Candidates for promotion must be recognized by the School and Department as having potential for continued growth as well as promise for eventual promotion to the rank of Professor in the Academic Track; candidates for appointment at this rank must show similar promise for growth and promotion. In addition to meeting the qualifications outlined for more junior levels, faculty at this rank are expected to demonstrate skills and accomplishments that include:

   1. Scholarship - Candidates should have a record of significant contributions relating to the innovative conceptualization of or novel solutions to biomedical research or to education. Consideration will be given both to the quality of the science and to the candidate’s role in publications and other forms of communication; for middle authorship on publications, it is essential for candidates to annotate their contributions to the work. For candidates whose scholarly work is in education, original contributions in excellent journals for educators will be required. Invited presentations at national meetings may be considered as further evidence of growing recognition in the field of expertise. Textbook chapters, analytic studies, development of teaching materials and faculty development efforts may also be presented as evidence of scholarship.
   2. Research - Candidates at Mount Sinai or recruited from other academic institutions who are involved in basic, clinical or translational investigation must exhibit a record of sustained success in obtaining extramural grant support from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies. External candidates from industry or other non-academic organizations may offer other evidence of research recognition, which may include, but is not limited to, contributions to drug development, the discovery or development of new technologies, patents and other innovative research approaches. Additional evidence of stature in the field may include participation in professional consultative bodies such as study sections at the National Institutes of Health.
   3. Education - Candidates are expected to exhibit excellence as teachers and role models for students, house staff , postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty and other junior colleagues. Mentoring will most frequently take place on an individual basis, but may on occasion encompass program oversight involving multiple mentees. Participation in curriculum development and innovative educational methods will also be is considered as evidence of teaching excellence.
   4. Service - Internal candidates should have a solid record of exemplary citizenship within the institution, with evidence of important contributions as a faculty member in furthering the missions of the department/center, School and Hospital; participation on institutional committees, with emerging evidence of leadership abilities, should be demonstrated. For all candidates, active involvement in professional organizations as a committee member or officer can constitute important evidence of service.

   Appointment and Term: Appointment, reappointment and promotion to Associate Professor in the Academic Track are upon recommendation by the Department Chair, with subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. The initial term of appointment is five years.

   Reappointment and Non-Reappointment: The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

   Reappointment at this rank requires review by the institutional Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. If approved, the second term of appointment will be four years in length, for a maximum aggregate time at this rank of nine years.

   If a decision to reappoint a faculty member is made during a term extension as described in the section on notices of non-reappointment, the reappointment notice must be in writing from the Chair. The reappointment will commence retroactive to the first day following completion of the original term of appointment.

   In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice. The timing of notice of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment and, in some cases, by rank.

   Track Switching: Following the initial appointment or promotion to this rank, track switching will be allowed only for compelling reasons, upon recommendation by the Chair and approval by the Dean. In all cases, track switching will only be allowed for highly productive faculty who will continue to contribute to the departmental and institutional missions.

   Tenure: Associate Professors in the Academic Track are eligible to be considered for tenure at any time, including at the time of appointment/promotion to this rank. Eminently qualified faculty should be considered for tenure at the earliest possible time. If an untenured Associate Professor is a candidate for reappointment, consideration for tenure will take place simultaneously with the reappointment process.

   Consideration for tenure requires not only that candidates fulfill all of the requirements for Associate Professor, but also that they demonstrate the ability for continued superior productivity and leadership in their field, as well as demonstrable excellence in the dissemination of knowledge.

   Tenure recommendations are initiated by the Chair and require approval by the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure.

   Promotion: The Chair may, at any time, recommend qualified faculty for promotion to the rank of Professor.

4. Professor

   Qualifications: Appointment, reappointment and promotion at this level may be extended to individuals who have attained broad national recognition for excellence and are competitive in the international arena. A continuous high level of productivity is expected. In addition to meeting the qualifications outlined for more junior levels, faculty at this rank are expected to demonstrate skills and accomplishments that include:

   1. Scholarship -Scholarship may take the form of publications, patents and other forms of communication. The quality and impact of output, particularly related to the development and dissemination of new concepts, techniques and methodologies, will be a primary consideration; the temporal distribution should be a reflection of the candidate’s continuous productivity. Explanations of the candidate’s contributions as middle author on publications or co-inventor on patents is essential. For individuals whose scholarly work is in education, original contributions that receive national/international recognition and result in publications in the highest quality journals for educators as well as in invited presentations at premiere professional meetings will be used as criteria.
   2. Research - Candidates should have demonstrated excellence in scientific investigation over a sustained period of time, resulting in highly significant, innovative contributions to the field of study. Candidates engaged in basic, clinical or translational research who are being promoted within Mount Sinai or recruited from other academic institutions should have a sustained record as principal investigator of a scholarly research program funded in large part by external agencies such as the NIH. Candidates recruited from industry or other non-academic institutions should demonstrate comparable evidence of their sustained research accomplishments and attendant recognition; sizable financial and resource support for their research program from their own institution or from other external sources may be presented as an indication of their stature in the field. Other evidence may include but is not limited to contributions to drug development, discovery or development of new technologies, patents and other innovations in research.
   3. Education - Candidates are expected to contribute with excellence as teachers and mentors. Candidates for promotion must demonstrate the capacity to attract degree candidates and/or postdoctoral fellows and to provide comprehensive academic mentoring to guide trainees' research and scholarly endeavors, while candidates for appointment must demonstrate similar abilities applicable to their fields and settings. Management of large programs with many junior scientists or physician-scientists may be cited if the candidate can demonstrate that he/she plays a significant role in mentoring junior members towards achievement of individual or collective goals. All candidates must show evidence of being significant role models. For candidates whose careers have been primarily in academic settings, success of former students in becoming independent investigators is an example of an important indicator of success; recruits from non-academic environments may show comparable evidence of the success of junior colleagues whom they have mentored.
   4. Service - Distinguished service and leadership in administrative, committee or policy-making functions of the home institution, whether Mount Sinai, another school industry or other institution, are important for appointment at this rank. Election to an office in, or receipt of awards from, leading national or international scientific societies can serve as evidence of international stature.

   Appointment and Term: Appointment, reappointment and promotion to the rank of Professor in the Academic Track are upon recommendation by the Department Chair, with subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. For untenured Professors, the initial term of appointment is five years.

   Reappointment and Non-Reappointment: The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

   Reappointment at this rank requires review by the institutional Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. If approved, the second term of appointment will be five years in length, for a maximum aggregate time at this rank of ten years for untenured faculty.

   If a decision to reappoint a faculty member is made during a term extension as described in the section on notices of non-reappointment, the reappointment notice must be in writing from the Chair. The reappointment will commence retroactive to the first day following completion of the original term of appointment.

   In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice. The timing of notice of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment and, in some cases, by rank.

   Tenure: Any candidate who does not have tenure when he/she is proposed for appointment or promotion to the rank of Professor in the Academic Track can be considered for tenure in conjunction with the appointment or promotion process.

   An untenured Professor in the Academic Track should be proposed for tenure when all qualifications are met, at any time during his/her term of appointment.

   Any candidate who does not have tenure when he/she is proposed for reappointment to the rank of Professor in the Academic Track shall be considered for tenure in conjunction with the reappointment process.

   Consideration for tenure requires not only that candidates fulfill all of the requirements for Professor, but also that they demonstrate the ability for continued superior productivity and leadership in their field, as well as demonstrable excellence in the dissemination of knowledge in research, educational or clinical settings.

   Tenure recommendations are initiated by the Chair and require approval by the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure.

   Conversion to Part-Time Status: See Faculty Handbook Chapter V section on "Part-Time Faculty" for discussion of conversion of full-time professors to part-time status.

Updated October 2011