Over the past several years Rutgers has made great strides in becoming a leading research University. The University has been able to support many research active faculty and to attract new faculty with strong research capabilities. These faculty, in turn, have demonstrated an ever impressive ability to be competitive for external research funding and other scholarly activities.

The presence of many sophisticated research enterprises within the University presents unique opportunities for collaborative work and for courtesy appointments of scholars from other organizations. Rutgers' enhanced reputation also attracts visiting scholars of distinction from throughout the world. However, at times, the University is unable to provide these scholars with all the resources that would permit them to work collaboratively with our distinguished faculty.

Previous University policy has allowed only full-time members of the faculty and administrative staff to apply for external grants under the auspices of the University. Non-tenure-track appointees wishing to gain external support have been limited to serving as co-principal investigators, where funding agencies recognize that status, or have been required to ask regular faculty to serve as nominal principal investigators.

In order to eliminate the artificial barriers caused by existing policy, to encourage scholarly interaction and research, and to leverage the effectiveness of our facilities and resources, I am pleased to announce the following new policy with respect to applications for external grants by non-tenure-track faculty. Effective immediately, individuals with full-time faculty or faculty equivalent appointments (such as Research Associates, Lecturers, Research Assistant Professors, and Visiting Professors) who are not on a tenure-track appointment may apply for external grants as Principal Investigator. In addition, Research Associates, Post-Doctoral Fellows and Associates, and others, hired by individual faculty members using grant funds may also apply.

The following conditions apply to this policy:

1. The appointment of the non-tenure-track individual must have been approved by the department, the dean or director, and the campus provost as is customary for other academic appointments.



2. The appointment of the individual should be consistent with the academic and research needs of the department and should not be made solely because of the existence of external support. Appointment of such individuals, however, may be conditioned on the availability of external funding for salary or other support.



3. The appointment must stipulate that the availability of external funds for salary or other support may not be used as a claim for continued employment or tenure beyond the period of the non-tenure appointment contract even if external support extends beyond that time.



4. The academic department or unit must assume responsibility for the overall administration of the external support according to its usual procedures and provide space and other support services within the constraints of its resources, keeping in mind the primacy of the needs of tenured and tenure-track faculty.

To expedite grant applications by individuals who are not tenure or tenure-track faculty, the department chair should provide a memorandum to accompany the application and the University Endorsement form indicating the nature of the appointment of the individual and assuring that the aforementioned conditions have been met. Individuals who are not on tenure track or who are below the rank of assistant professor continue to be ineligible for internal grant support programs.

Implementation of this policy and its effectiveness will be evaluated by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and by the Research Advisory Board which will advise the Vice President for Research and Graduate Education of its findings.

Questions regarding the implementation of the policy should be addressed to Dr. Andrew Rudczynski at x2880.