University of San Diego Research Associate

The Research Associate position is an honorary appointment of external scholars who are not currently USD employees. It does not involve salary or benefits paid by the University. The purpose of the position is to recognize the valuable active research contribution of the Research Associate to USD and to create an official, although honorary, connection with USD. In this role, the Research Associate may apply for an externally funded grant if the Research Associate submits the grant as a co-principal investigator (co-PI) with a currently eligible USD PI, as described in the PI Eligibility Protocol.

Application process

New appointment requests: To be considered for a USD Research Associate position, the dean of the affiliated academic unit must submit a proposal on behalf of the candidate to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. The proposal must include a candidate’s CV, a letter of support from the academic department chair and a letter of support from the dean. Specifically, the following elements are required in the letters:

Chair’s letter for new appointment requests:

• Research Associate’s potential contribution to research profile of the department
• Highlights of candidate’s qualifications and past research record to support the potential research productivity during the appointed term
• Commitment of the department to facilitate research collaboration between the candidate and USD faculty within the department and to oversee research activities carried out by the candidate throughout the term of the appointment

Dean’s letter for new appointment requests:

• Reasons for the requested appointment
• Proposed start date of the appointment
• Requested term of the appointment and justification for the term
• Specific USD resources needed to support this appointment
• Commitment to provide the needed resources available within the academic unit to fulfill the purpose of the requested Research Associate position

USD Research Associate appointment is not designed as a means to simply grant a non-affiliated individual with a USD email address and library access.

USD Research Associate appointment may be granted for a period of up to two years, with the possibility of renewal. New appointment requests may be submitted throughout the calendar year, with the earliest possible start date no sooner than 30 days from the date of submission. Renewal requests should be submitted at least 30 days prior to the current appointment's expiration date to ensure uninterrupted continuation of an active appointment. Once an appointment has expired, a New application must be submitted rather than a Renewal. If a Research Associate resigns before the official end date of their term, the dean of the affiliated academic unit must notify the Provost's Office via email at researchassoc@sandiego.edu and request immediate termination of the appointment.

Renewal appointment requests: To be considered for the renewal of a current USD Research Associate position, the individual must have demonstrated meaningful research productivity resulted from the current appointment. Evidence of research outputs must be submitted with the renewal application for consideration. Continual commitment of support from the affiliated academic department chair and academic unit’s dean must also be documented in the supporting letters. Specifically, the following elements are required in the letters:

Chair’s letter for renewal requests:

• Research Associate’s contribution to research profile of the department during the previous term
• Notable research accomplishments by the Research Associate during the previous term
• New potential research outcomes associated with the term renewal
• Department’s continual commitment to facilitate research collaboration and oversee research activities carried out by the Research Associate.

Dean’s letter for renewal requests:

• Reasons for the appointment renewal
• Duration of the additional term and its justification
• School/College’s continual commitment to provide the needed resources available within the academic unit to fulfill the purpose of this appointment renewal