Ladder faculty appointments at the Schools of Medicine and Public Health are made in the Traditional Track, Investigator Track, Clinician-Scholar Track, and Clinician-Educator Track. Appointments and promotions are made in the context of department needs and the missions of the school.
Track designation occurs at the time of promotion to associate professor except in the case of the Clinician-Educator Track where it may occur after at least one year in the rank of assistant professor.
Transfer of Track. Faculty in any track may request a transfer of an appointment to another track, subject to the following restrictions:
No transfer of track at the rank of associate professor or professor will be permitted within two years of the expiration of an appointment. (Transfers from the rank of assistant professor in the Clinician-Educator Track are not subject to this restriction.)
Transfer to the Traditional Track is permitted only for faculty who have served at the ranks of assistant professor and associate professor for less than a total of ten years. Such requests must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate appointments and promotions committee.
Assistant Professor. Faculty who are appointed at the rank of assistant professor are usually not assigned to a track. In this way, entry-level faculty have flexibility to test their strengths and to define their interests.
Appointments to this rank are conferred without a track designation, except for appointments as assistant professor in the Clinician-Educator Track (see F.4 below) where the appointment can be made after the first year as an assistant professor without track designation. Appointment as assistant professor may be considered for individuals who have achieved an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree and who have completed appropriate postdoctoral training. Qualifications for initial appointment include promise as a teacher and scholar. Published papers of high quality are desirable. Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary appointment in a basic science department are automatically appointed to the Graduate School. Those who will contribute to graduate education and hold a primary or secondary appointment in a bridge department are eligible for appointment to the Graduate School.
The initial appointment is usually for, but cannot exceed, three years. Reappointment requires evidence of success as a teacher and scholar. Reappointments may bring a faculty member's total years in rank as an assistant professor to no more than six years, unless he or she is in the Clinician-Educator Track. In the Clinician-Educator Track, there is no limit to the number of years a faculty member may serve as assistant professor. Any appointment or promotion beyond six years requires assignment to a track. In order to be appointed to the Traditional Track, Investigator Track, or Clinician-Scholar Track, the candidate must achieve promotion to the rank of associate professor. Non-reappointment requires one year written notice, except in the case of current one-year appointments or reappointments, which require 30 days notice.
1. Traditional Track. Individuals who achieve excellence in research and teaching are eligible for appointment in this track.
Appointments on Term
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor on term should have achieved recognition as independent investigators and have demonstrated excellence as teachers. Their achievements and promise as teachers and scholars should be strong enough to suggest that they will be qualified for appointment to tenure at Yale or another major medical institution within four to five years. Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary or secondary appointment in a basic science department are eligible for appointment in the Graduate School.
The maximum initial term of this appointment is five years. If, at the end of the term, the individual has been a member of the faculty at the combined ranks of assistant and associate professor for less than ten years (plus extensions described in Section III.F ), the appointment may be extended for up to two years, subject to the approval of the Dean and the Provost and in accordance with limits on term appointments described below.
Limits on Term Appointments. No one shall be appointed in the Traditional Track at the combined ranks of assistant professor and associate professor on term for longer than a total of ten years, plus extensions described in Section III.F. Toward this maximum shall count years of appointment to the ladder ranks at Yale and up to three years served in the ladder ranks at other institutions.
Appointments with Tenure.
A tenure appointment, whether at the rank of professor or associate professor, is a permanent, forward‑looking commitment. This commitment is made with consideration of the achievements of the individual and the programmatic needs of the department and the School. Appraisals of past contributions must be supplemented by strong evidence of future contributions to the profession and the teaching program. In choosing among available candidates, the faculty may decide that outstanding promise of a person in the earlier stages of a career justifies appointment even though his or her published attainments to date may be fewer than those of more established candidates.
While the several manifestations of intellectual distinction are prerequisite to an appointment with tenure, it is recognized that the balance among them may vary from candidate to candidate and from field to field; there may be variation in the quantity of the written or creative work, though the quality must always be high. Unusually effective teaching or an unusually significant contribution to the community's well‑being may serve to supplement but not substitute for evidence of scholarly achievement.
Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary or secondary appointment in a basic science department are eligible for appointment in the Graduate School.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor with tenure must have produced a significant body of scholarship, must be able teachers, and if clinicians, must be accomplished in their clinical fields. They must be rising toward national and international leadership in their areas of specialty, and there must be clear evidence that academic growth will continue, with the expectation that their value to the institution and their national and international standing will make them suitable candidates for promotion to professor within a reasonable period of time.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor with tenure are expected to stand in competition with the foremost leaders in their fields throughout the world, as demonstrated by major scholarly achievements and by teaching. If they are clinicians they must be outstanding practitioners of their field of clinical medicine. There should be ample evidence that they will continue to make significant contributions as scholars, to serve as able and influential teachers, and to contribute to the well‑being of the academic community. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates in this track have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
2. Investigator Track. This track is intended for investigators who demonstrate conceptual and creative leadership in research that may be carried out either as an independent investigator or as a key participant in a research team or core facility. If working in a collaborative research effort, an investigator's creative contributions must be distinguished and identifiable. There must be sustained funding for salary and research activities. Faculty members in this track may engage in teaching, but their major responsibility will be the development of productive research programs.
Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary or secondary appointment in a basic science or bridge department are eligible for appointment to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Investigator Track must have demonstrated a strong record of conceptual and creative research leadership in independent research or in collaborative efforts as part of a team. If working in a collaborative research effort, an investigator's creative contributions must be distinguished and identifiable. There must be clear evidence that academic growth will continue with the expectation that the investigator will be a suitable candidates for promotion to professor within ten years. There must be a record of sustained funding sufficient to cover the proportion of salary and research activities required by the investigator's department.
The initial term of appointment may be up to five years. Reappointments may be made for terms of up to five years, providing that the total years in the rank of associate professor in the Investigator Track do not exceed ten years. Non-reappointment requires one year's written notice except in the case of one-year appointments or reappointments, which require 30 days' written notice.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor in the Investigator Track are expected to stand in competition with the foremost leaders in their fields throughout the world. A strong record of conceptual and creative research leadership that has significantly advanced the frontiers of knowledge must be demonstrated in independent research or in collaborative efforts as part of a team. If working in a collaborative research effort, an investigator's creative contributions must be distinguished and identifiable. There must be a record of sustained funding sufficient to cover the proportion of salary and research activities required by the investigator's department. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates in this track have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
Appointments at the rank of professor in the Investigator Track are made on a continuing basis without term but do not confer tenure. Appointments continue without extra‑department review as long as the faculty member generates funding sufficient to cover the proportion of salary and research activities required by the investigator's department. Funding is reviewed annually by the department. If, for any three years in a five‑year period, the individual's funding is not sufficient, as determined by the department and the Office of the Dean, the appointment reverts to a term appointment that expires at the end of two additional years. Non-reappointment requires one year's written notice.
3. Clinician-Scholar Track. Individuals who achieve excellence as clinicians, public health practitioners, teachers, and scholars are eligible for appointment to the Clinician-Scholar Track.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Clinician-Scholar Track must excel in patient care and teaching and must have an emerging national reputation for outstanding scholarship. Appointments are made for terms of up to five years. They may be renewed if clinical productivity, scholarship, and teaching expertise continue and if programmatic needs of the department and school justify renewal.
There is no limit to the number of terms a faculty member may serve at this rank, but there is no entitlement to reappointment. Non-reappointment requires one year written notice.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor in the Clinician-Scholar Track must be national or international leaders in their fields. In addition to excellence in patient care, public health practice, and teaching, they must have produced outstanding, nationally or internationally recognized scholarship which has substantially advanced the field. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
Such appointments will be made on a continuing basis without term. Continuing appointments may be terminated for reasons of financial stringency and with written notice of not less than two years. Under such circumstances, termination shall be applied to a class of individuals holding continuing appointments (e.g., all those in one or more departments or all those with fewer than a certain number of years of service) and not to any single individual.
4. Clinician-Educator Track. Individuals who achieve excellence as clinicians or public health practitioners and teachers are eligible for appointment in the Clinician-Educator Track. Faculty in this track must play an integral role in the department's clinical and teaching programs. They must also participate in the research endeavors of the School.
Support for salary and professional activities is expected to come predominantly from the faculty member's clinical or public health practice, supplemented as appropriate from department funds.
Assistant Professor. Candidates for appointment to the rank of assistant professor in the Clinician-Educator Track must have completed at least one year as an assistant professor without a declared track. They must show evidence of excellence in clinical practice and must contribute to educational programs. They must also demonstrate a commitment to the research mission of the School.
Appointments are made for terms up to three years. There is no limit to the number of terms a faculty member may serve at this rank, but there is no entitlement to reappointment. Non‑reappointment requires one‑year written notice.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Clinician-Educator Track must have an outstanding record of patient care or public health practice. Equally important, they must be exemplary teachers and active contributors to the educational mission of the School. They are expected to influence the teaching or practice of medicine in a significant way and should participate in research and scholarly activities.
Appointments are made for terms of up to five years. They may be renewed if clinical productivity, scholarship, and teaching expertise continue and if programmatic needs of the department and School justify renewal. There is no limit to the number of terms a faculty member may serve at this rank, but there is no entitlement to reappointment. Non‑reappointment requires one year written notice.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor in the Clinician-Educator Track must be national or international leaders in their fields, as evidenced by scholarship that has had a national impact on clinical medicine, public health, or education, as well as sustained excellence in patient care and teaching. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates in this track have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
Appointments are made on a continuing basis without term but do not confer tenure. Faculty at this rank must continue to contribute to the clinical and teaching missions of the School. Appointments are contingent upon continued faculty productivity and the capacity to generate financial support, which are reviewed annually by the department. If either is found unsatisfactory for three years in any five-year period, as determined by the department and the Office of the Dean, the appointment reverts to a term appointment that expires at the end of two additional years. Non-reappointment requires one year written notice.
Ladder faculty appointments at the Schools of Medicine and Public Health are made in the Traditional Track, Investigator Track, Clinician‑Scholar Clinician-Scholar Track, and Clinician‑Educator Clinician-Educator Track. Appointments and promotions are made in the context of department needs and the missions of the school.
Track designation occurs at the time of promotion to associate professor except in the case of the Clinician-Educator Track where it may occur after at least one year in the rank of assistant professor.
Transfer of Track. Faculty in any track may request a transfer of an appointment to another track, subject to the following restrictions:
No transfer of track at the rank of associate professor or professor will be permitted within two years of the expiration of an appointment. (Transfers from the rank of assistant professor in the Clinician-Educator Track are not subject to this restriction.)
Transfer to the Traditional Track is permitted only for faculty who have served at the ranks of assistant professor and associate professor for less than a total of ten years. Such requests must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate appointments and promotions committee.
Assistant Professor. Faculty who are appointed at the rank of assistant professor are usually not assigned to a track. In this way, entry-level faculty have flexibility to test their strengths and to define their interests.
Appointments to this rank are conferred without a track designation, except for appointments as assistant professor in the Clinician‑Educator Clinician-Educator Track (see F.4 below) where the appointment can be made after the first year as an assistant professor without track designation. Appointment as assistant professor may be considered for individuals who have achieved an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree and who have completed appropriate postdoctoral training. Qualifications for initial appointment include promise as a teacher and scholar. Published papers of high quality are desirable. Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary appointment in a basic science department are automatically appointed to the Graduate School. Those who will contribute to graduate education and hold a primary or secondary appointment in a bridge department are eligible for appointment to the Graduate School.
The initial appointment is usually for, but cannot exceed, three years. Reappointment requires evidence of success as a teacher and scholar. Reappointments may bring a faculty member's total years in rank as an assistant professor to no more than six years, unless he or she is in the Clinician-Educator Track. In the Clinician-Educator Track, there is no limit to the number of years a faculty member may serve as assistant professor. Any appointment or promotion beyond six years requires assignment to a track. In order to be appointed to the Traditional Track, Investigator Track, or Clinician‑Scholar Clinician-Scholar Track, the candidate must achieve promotion to the rank of associate professor. Non-reappointment requires one year written notice, except in the case of current one-year appointments or reappointments, which require 30 days notice.
1. Traditional Track. Individuals who achieve excellence in research and teaching are eligible for appointment in this track.
Appointments on Term
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor on term should have achieved recognition as independent investigators and have demonstrated excellence as teachers. Their achievements and promise as teachers and scholars should be strong enough to suggest that they will be qualified for appointment to tenure at Yale or another major medical institution within four to five years. Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary or secondary appointment in a basic science department are eligible for appointment in the Graduate School.
The maximum initial term of this appointment is five years. If, at the end of the term, the individual has been a member of the faculty at the combined ranks of assistant and associate professor for less than ten years (plus extensions described in Section III.F ), the appointment may be extended for up to two years, subject to the approval of the Dean and the Provost and in accordance with limits on term appointments described below.
Limits on Term Appointments. No one shall be appointed in the Traditional Track at the combined ranks of assistant professor and associate professor on term for longer than a total of ten years, plus extensions described in Section III.F. Toward this maximum shall count years of appointment to the ladder ranks at Yale and up to three years served in the ladder ranks at other institutions.
Appointments with Tenure.
A tenure appointment, whether at the rank of professor or associate professor, is a permanent, forward‑looking commitment. This commitment is made with consideration of the achievements of the individual and the programmatic needs of the department and the School. Appraisals of past contributions must be supplemented by strong evidence of future contributions to the profession and the teaching program. In choosing among available candidates, the faculty may decide that outstanding promise of a person in the earlier stages of a career justifies appointment even though his or her published attainments to date may be fewer than those of more established candidates.
While the several manifestations of intellectual distinction are prerequisite to an appointment with tenure, it is recognized that the balance among them may vary from candidate to candidate and from field to field; there may be variation in the quantity of the written or creative work, though the quality must always be high. Unusually effective teaching or an unusually significant contribution to the community's well‑being may serve to supplement but not substitute for evidence of scholarly achievement.
Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary or secondary appointment in a basic science department are eligible for appointment in the Graduate School.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor with tenure must have produced a significant body of scholarship, must be able teachers, and if clinicians, must be accomplished in their clinical fields. They must be rising toward national and international leadership in their areas of specialty, and there must be clear evidence that academic growth will continue, with the expectation that their value to the institution and their national and international standing will make them suitable candidates for promotion to professor within a reasonable period of time.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor with tenure are expected to stand in competition with the foremost leaders in their fields throughout the world, as demonstrated by major scholarly achievements and by teaching. If they are clinicians they must be outstanding practitioners of their field of clinical medicine. There should be ample evidence that they will continue to make significant contributions as scholars, to serve as able and influential teachers, and to contribute to the well‑being of the academic community. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates in this track have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
2. Investigator Track. Individuals at the Schools of Medicine and Public Health who have established themselves as nationally recognized independent investigators and who have a record of sustained funding, or in the case of new recruits, strong promise of such funding, are eligible for appointment in the Investigator Track. While these faculty members This track is intended for investigators who demonstrate conceptual and creative leadership in research that may be carried out either as an independent investigator or as a key participant in a research team or core facility. If working in a collaborative research effort, an investigator's creative contributions must be distinguished and identifiable. There must be sustained funding for salary and research activities. Faculty members in this track may engage in teaching, but their major responsibility will be the development of productive research programs. Teaching will normally occupy no more than ten percent of their professional time.
Individuals who will contribute to graduate education and who hold a primary or secondary appointment in a basic science or bridge department are eligible for appointment to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Investigator Track must have demonstrated a strong record of high quality conceptual and creative research leadership in independent research and of successful competition for grant support. or in collaborative efforts as part of a team. If working in a collaborative research effort, an investigator's creative contributions must be distinguished and identifiable. There must be clear evidence that their academic growth will continue with the expectation that their value to the institution investigator will make them be a suitable candidates for promotion to professor within ten years. There must be a record of sustained funding sufficient to cover the proportion of salary and research activities required by the investigator's department.
The initial term of appointment may be up to five years, and there may be one reappointment at this rank. Reappointments may be made for terms of up to five years, providing that the total years in the rank of associate professor in the Investigator Track do not exceed ten years. Non-reappointment requires one year's written notice except in the case of one-year appointments or reappointments, which require 30 days' written notice.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor in the Investigator Track are expected to stand in competition with the foremost leaders in their fields throughout the world. Their research must have A strong record of conceptual and creative research leadership that has significantly advanced the frontiers of knowledge must be demonstrated in independent research or in collaborative efforts as part of a team. If working in a collaborative research effort, and there an investigator's creative contributions must be distinguished and identifiable. There must be a record of sustained outside funding sufficient to cover the proportion of salary and research activities required by the investigator's department. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates in this track have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
Appointments at the rank of professor in the Investigator Track are made on a continuing basis without term but do not confer tenure. They Appointments continue without extra‑department review as long as the faculty member generates external funding sufficient to cover his or her salary and fringe benefitsthe proportion of salary and research activities required by the investigator's department. Funding is reviewed annually by the department. If, for any three years in a five‑year period, the individual's funding is not sufficient to cover salary and fringe benefits, as determined by the department and the Office of the Dean, the appointment reverts to a term appointment that expires at the end of two additional years. Non-reappointment requires one year's written notice.
3. Clinician-Scholar Track. Individuals who achieve excellence as clinicians, public health practitioners, teachers, and scholars are eligible for appointment to the Clinician‑Scholar Clinician-Scholar Track.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Clinician-Scholar Track must excel in patient care and teaching and must have an emerging national reputation for outstanding scholarship. Appointments are made for terms of up to five years. They may be renewed if clinical productivity, scholarship, and teaching expertise continue and if programmatic needs of the department and school justify renewal.
There is no limit to the number of terms a faculty member may serve at this rank, but there is no entitlement to reappointment. Non-reappointment requires one year written notice.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor in the Clinician-Scholar Track must be national or international leaders in their fields. In addition to excellence in patient care, public health practice, and teaching, they must have produced outstanding, nationally or internationally recognized scholarship which has substantially advanced the field. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
Such appointments will be made on a continuing basis without term. Continuing appointments may be terminated for reasons of financial stringency and with written notice of not less than two years. Under such circumstances, termination shall be applied to a class of individuals holding continuing appointments (e.g., all those in one or more departments or all those with fewer than a certain number of years of service) and not to any single individual.
4. Clinician-Educator Track. Individuals who achieve excellence as clinicians or public health practitioners and teachers are eligible for appointment in the Clinician‑Educator Clinician-Educator Track. Faculty in this track must play an integral role in the department's clinical and teaching programs. They must also participate in the research endeavors of the School.
Support for salary and professional activities is expected to come predominantly from the faculty member's clinical or public health practice, supplemented as appropriate from department funds.
Assistant Professor. Candidates for appointment to the rank of assistant professor in the Clinician‑Educator Clinician-Educator Track must have completed at least one year as an assistant professor without a declared track. They must show evidence of excellence in clinical practice and must contribute to educational programs. They must also demonstrate a commitment to the research mission of the School.
Appointments are made for terms up to three years. There is no limit to the number of terms a faculty member may serve at this rank, but there is no entitlement to reappointment. Non‑reappointment requires one‑year written notice.
Associate Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Clinician‑Educator Clinician-Educator Track must have an outstanding record of patient care or public health practice. Equally important, they must be exemplary teachers and active contributors to the educational mission of the School. They are expected to influence the teaching or practice of medicine in a significant way and should participate in research and scholarly activities.
Appointments are made for terms of up to five years. They may be renewed if clinical productivity, scholarship, and teaching expertise continue and if programmatic needs of the department and School justify renewal. There is no limit to the number of terms a faculty member may serve at this rank, but there is no entitlement to reappointment. Non‑reappointment requires one year written notice.
Professor. Candidates for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor in the Clinician‑Educator Clinician-Educator Track must be national or international leaders in their fields, as evidenced by scholarship that has had a national impact on clinical medicine, public health, or education, as well as sustained excellence in patient care and teaching. The strength of commitment conferred by appointment to the rank of professor mandates that candidates in this track have attained the same level of achievement in their domains as candidates for professor in the other ladder tracks.
Appointments are made on a continuing basis without term but do not confer tenure. Faculty at this rank must continue to contribute to the clinical and teaching missions of the School. Appointments are contingent upon continued faculty productivity and the capacity to generate financial support, which are reviewed annually by the department. If either is found unsatisfactory for three years in any five‑year five-year period, as determined by the department and the Office of the Dean, the appointment reverts to a term appointment that expires at the end of two additional years. Non-reappointment requires one year written notice.
