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9.1. Appointment and Promotion to Assistant Professor

Harvard Medical School

Section 9 Table of Contents

For promotion to Assistant Professor, the candidate is expected to manifest:

  • Substantial academic accomplishments since the candidate’s appointment as Instructor for those who are being promoted internally
  • Significant, typically first-author, scholarship that has advanced the candidate’s field
  • Evidence of a strong local reputation in the Area of Excellence
  • Meaningful contributions to teaching at Harvard and/or its affiliated institutions
  • When applicable, evidence of accomplishments in Significant Supporting Activities
  • Service within the candidate’s department, affiliated institution, or the larger Harvard community
  • Adherence to HMS/HSDM policies supporting the highest level of integrity and professionalism

The following metrics for the rank of Assistant Professor can be found on our Promotion Profile Library webpage:

  • Area of Excellence (AoE)
    • Assistant Professor, Clinical Expertise and Innovation
    • Assistant Professor, Investigation
    • Assistant Professor, Teaching and Educational Leadership
  • Other Significant Supporting Activities (SSA) (optional)
    • Administration and Institutional Service
    • Clinical Expertise
    • Education of Patients and Service to the Community
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Investigation
    • Special Merit in Education
  • All candidates will be evaluated for teaching and educational contributions

Initiating the Appointment and Promotion Process

Institutional and departmental review processes incorporate an evaluation of the candidate’s Faculty of Medicine CV and assessment as to whether the academic criteria for promotion appear to be met. For faculty in the clinical departments, there is no required time by which a promotion must be considered. Faculty members are encouraged to discuss periodically their eligibility for promotion with appropriate department leaders such as mentors, Division Chiefs and/or Department Heads.

Upon initiation of the appointment by the Department Head, the candidate’s dossier is reviewed by the Departmental Executive Committee and, in the absence of an Executive Committee, senior faculty in the department, or both. This step must be completed prior to submission of materials to the Office for Faculty Affairs.

Process:

Step 1: Department Head assesses candidate’s qualifications for promotion
  • Candidate prepares CV in the Faculty of Medicine format
  • The process begins with a meeting of the Department Head (or designee such as a mentor or Division Chief) and the candidate, ideally as part of the annual career conference, to discuss the process and review the candidate’s CV and other relevant materials in consideration of the academic criteria for promotion to Assistant Professor
  • Academic Department Heads are the only individuals who can propose candidates for promotion
  • Department Head determines readiness for appointment at this rank and develops a rationale for advancement in the candidate’s Area of Excellence
  • Department Head prepares a letter of nomination recommending the candidate for promotion
  • The candidate may be asked to provide a list of potential letter writers to the Department Head
  • Department Head (not the candidate) solicits letters of evaluation (see step 3 below for dossier requirements)

Step 2: Department Head proposes candidate to Department Executive Committee
  • The Department Head reviews the candidate’s qualifications with members of the Departmental Executive Committee and, in the absence of an Executive Committee, senior faculty in the department, or both. The faculty provide feedback to the Department Head on the proposed candidate and Area of Excellence and may recommend that the promotion move forward, that the Department Head obtain additional information, or that the department delay consideration pending achievement of other academic accomplishments by the candidate
  • The Executive Committee makes a formal recommendation in writing to the Dean regarding the candidate’s promotion. If there is any dissent or abstention, the letter to the Dean includes the reasons for either dissents or abstentions. If there is unanimity, signature of the chair of the Executive Committee on the Assistant and Associate Term Appointment Promotion Cover Sheet will suffice
Step 3: Department prepares and submits dossier to the OFA

Authorized departmental administrators should submit the following materials electronically via the designated HMS Dropbox folder that has been shared with them, and send a corresponding email to:PnR@hms.harvard.edu

  • Form for Assistant and Associate Term Appointment Promotion Cover Sheet signed by the Department Head and, if different, the Executive Committee Chair
  • Medical Area Reporting System (MARS) Job Summary, which should be consistent with information on the Faculty of Medicine CV
  • The Department Head’s nominating letter
  • Required search documentation unless already provided with a Member of the Faculty Appointment
  • Candidate’s CV in the required Faculty of Medicine format
    • Two (2) significant scholarly works identified by circling the number next to the reference
  • Annotated summary of the candidate’s two (2) significant scholarly works is suggested but not required
  • In those cases where the candidate has selected a publication on which they are a middle author, the candidate must provide an Annotated Bibliography describing their significant contribution to the manuscript
  • Candidate’s two (2) self-selected significant scholarly works as PDFs/electronic format
    • If significant scholarly works are not in electronic format, contact the Office for Faculty Affairs (OFA) at (PnR@hms.harvard.edu) to arrange for alternative submission
  • All letters of evaluation are solicited by the Department Head. The minimum number of letters is four (4)
    • These letters must be from faculty at the rank of Associate Professor or above. Additional letters from individuals not of these ranks may be submitted if they provide a unique and valuable perspective
  • Letters may not be from members of the Search Committee for newly appointed candidates selected by a search
  • Candidates should not contact letter writers or potential letter writers directly; inquiries from the letter writers should be directed to the Department
Step 4: OFA initiates promotion process & provides candidate access to a website to track the major milestones; OFA conducts detailed review of dossier

Upon receipt of the candidate dossier, the staff of the OFA will:

  • Provide access to a confidential website for tracking the status of the promotion available only to candidates with Harvard University IDs, the Department Head and the department promotions administrators: (https://profpromotions.hms.harvard.edu/)
  • Send an email to the candidate to alert them that the dossier has been received, the HMS evaluation process has started, and the website is available
  • Request modifications or additions as needed from the department
  • Once the materials are complete, schedule the dossier for review by the Promotions, Reappointments and Appointments Committee (P&R)
Step 5: Promotions, Reappointments and Appointments Committee (P&R) reviews dossier and makes recommendation
  • Before each meeting of the P&R, three members of the Committee, not based in the candidate’s department or institution, are assigned to review each candidate’s promotional materials
  • If all three reviewers vote to approve the nomination and no concerns are raised, the OFA forwards the candidate’s dossier to the University for consideration without further discussion of the case
  • Any reviewer, or the Dean’s office, may request discussion of any candidate at the P&R meeting
    • If the case is discussed at the meeting, assigned reviewers summarize the candidate’s dossier and make a recommendation on the proposed promotion
    • A departmental representative is present to respond to any questions. If questions regarding the dossier are available in advance of the meeting, they are forwarded to the departmental representative
  • At the meeting, the committee deliberates and members individually render their recommendation to the Dean in the form of a confidential written ballot
Step 6: Dean makes a recommendation to the University
  • The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine reviews all recommendations from the Promotions, Reappointments and Appointments Committee (P&R)
  • The OFA submits the Dean’s recommendation to the University
  • No decision is final until the University review is complete
Step 7: University renders a decision
  • The University reviews the proposed appointment
  • A final decision is communicated to the Dean’s office and the OFA
Step 8: Notification of approval
  • The OFA informs the Department Head of the outcome via email
  • The Department Head is responsible for notifying the candidate
  • Formal letter is sent from the University directly to candidate (the OFA is not involved in this communication)

Last updated June 2023