The decision regarding a faculty member’s readiness for promotion or appointment to a specific rank is ultimately determined by the Department Head. Faculty members are encouraged to discuss eligibility for promotion with appropriate mentors, Division Chiefs, their Department Head and other leaders who can advise regarding the candidate’s achievement of the milestones highlighted in these criteria. In the clinical departments and at HSDM, there is no required time a faculty member must remain at rank before a promotion can be proposed (with the exception of promotions by Longer Service criteria, which require at least ten years of service). Primary appointments and promotions in the Basic and Social Science Departments (HMS Quad) are governed by a tenure clock. Candidates for full-time and part-time ladder appointments are reviewed using the same criteria.
Areas of Excellence apply for appointments and promotions at the level of Full-time and Part-time Assistant Professor (excluding Longer Service), Associate Professor, Professor, and Professor in Residence. Please note that:
- Candidates nominated for promotion to Assistant Professor via Longer Service criteria will not select an Area of Excellence nor any Significant Supporting Activities
- Candidates nominated for promotion to Professor of Clinical X will not select an Area of Excellence but may choose from among three Significant Supporting Activities (Administration and Institutional Service; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Education of Patients and Service to the Community)
- Instructors and Lecturers as well as candidates proposed for Professor of the Practice will not select an Area of Excellence nor any Significant Supporting Activities
For candidates needing to select an Area of Excellence (AoE), the following candidate factors should be weighed:
- the major area of achievement and impact, including a consideration of the quantity as well as quality of contribution
- the type and focus of the candidate’s scholarship, which is a requirement in all categories at all ranks
- the basis of the candidate’s reputation outside of Harvard
- the recent activities to which the faculty member has devoted a substantial proportion of time and academic effort
- how the candidate views his/her career path
The determination of the Area of Excellence is ultimately made by the Department Head (or his/her designee) in consultation with the candidate.
A faculty member’s AoE and Significant Supporting Activities may be different at subsequent promotions if the faculty member’s activities and academic focus shift. The candidate will be expected to meet the usual standards for the new Area of Excellence.
Faculty with a primary ladder appointment in Basic and Social Science department (HMS Quad) will have Investigation as their Area of Excellence.
AoE: Clinical Expertise and Innovation
This Area of Excellence is appropriate when a specific area of clinical expertise provides the unifying theme for the candidate’s academic activities and achievements. The individual is considered a leader in a clinical field and has a reputation as an innovator in approaches to diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease; applications of technology to clinical care; and/or in developing models of care delivery. The candidate must demonstrate scholarship, which may include first or senior author original research, reviews and chapters in his/her area of clinical expertise, guidelines/protocols for patient care, publications evaluating the impact of a clinical innovation, and/or other publications. With higher ranks, there is an increased expectation for the dissemination of clinical innovations beyond the local level, original research publications supporting the impact of clinical innovations, a reputation as a clinical expert beyond the local level, and independence as a thought leader. There should be a strong educational component in the clinical field (reported in Teaching and Education), and the individual may participate in clinical, translational or basic scientific research related to the clinical field. If research activities are substantial, including funding as a principal investigator, investigation should be designated as a supporting activity.
See:
- Clinical Expertise and Innovation AoE by rank on the Promotion Profile Library webpage
AoE: Investigation
This Area of Excellence is appropriate for individuals who spend the majority of their time conducting research. Investigation is broadly defined to include basic, translational and clinical research, including epidemiology, outcomes and health services research, and biostatistics as well as research in social sciences, ethics, bioinformatics and health economics, among others. Investigation also includes the development of innovative methods/technologies and/or novel applications of existing methods and technologies. This Area of Excellence may also be used to recognize the contributions of individuals with research training in diverse fields that bring a unique or critical expertise to the biomedical research team. It includes individuals participating in large collaborative and multicenter research, as well as those conducting research individually or in small groups. The candidate must demonstrate scholarship, which may include first or senior author publications of original research, and/or publications from large multidisciplinary studies with middle authorship positions in which the candidate and to which the candidate made documented, significant intellectual contributions. With higher ranks, there is an increased expectation for robust, sustained extramural funding, the impact of the scholarship, and independence as a thought leader.
See:
- Investigation AoE by rank on the Promotion Profile Library webpage
AoE: Teaching and Educational Leadership
This Area of Excellence is appropriate for candidates who spend a high proportion of their time on educational activities, view education as their primary academic focus, and produce scholarship that advances the science of education. The individual is considered a leader as an educator and has a reputation as an innovator in approaches to teaching, assessment, and educational program development. The candidate must demonstrate scholarship, which may include publication of first or senior author original research, reviews and chapters on clinical or educational topics; curricular materials, assessment tools, and publications evaluating the impact of an educational innovation. With higher ranks, there is an increased expectation for the dissemination of teaching innovations beyond the local level, original research publications supporting the impact of educational innovations, a reputation as an educator beyond the local level, and independence as a thought leader.
See:
- Teaching and Educational Leadership AoE by rank on the Promotion Profile Library webpage
Last updated June 2023