All new research associate hires* must incorporate Office of the Provost approval of the position description: (*Like other NTT hires, research associate hires in the IUSM are handled solely by IUSM procedures.)
- Email the draft to Office of the Provost (ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca) for approval. These approvals will be saved in Office of the Provost and reviewed by HR before a HIRE document is approved.
- At the unit, keep the offer letter; research associate personnel files are kept in the unit.
- You are encouraged to do a search, but not required. Any vacancy, interview, and offer eDocs will be approved without delay, if there is a position description on file.
- The ‘visiting research associate’ post (FV8) is still available for temporary appointments.
- Research associates should be performing research under the direction of a research scientist or other faculty:
“The title of Research Associate is limited to those research personnel who are not qualified for a research rank but whose positions call for full-time research under the supervision of a faculty member or a person holding a research rank. Persons working at the University as postdoctoral fellows shall be designated as postdoctoral fellows.” BOT-09 policy.
Include in the position description:
- Title, department, and unit
- Anticipated salary range; whether this is a new or replacement position
- Description of duties. Provide percentages for different duties (e.g. 30% working with community partners).
If the description does not seem to fit the classification of research associate, you will be contacted to provide more information or to consider a different appointment type.
In your offer letter include the expected term of service, and indicate how and when someone might be notified that the position is ending.
About research associates:
- Primary focus on research duties
- Minimum qualifications of a masters degree
- If someone possesses a doctoral degree, consider a postdoc or a research scientist position. Postdocs and research associates primarily assist with research; research scientists are expected to lead. Both research scientists and research associates have the same dismissal period, “at least one pay period prior to end of present appointment.”
- Consider a staff position, especially if the need is anticipated to be relatively stable/long-lasting
- Staff can be hired with “soft” money.
- Staff can serve as PIs and project directors.
- Staff have the ability to be promoted and campus procedures for grievances; research associates do not.
Revised: 11/2025. Review requirement came into effect 7/1/2019.