Investigation 
This area of excellence is appropriate for individuals who spend the majority of their time performing 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 who 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 on which the candidate was in another authorship position and to which the candidate made documented, significant intellectual contributions.
At the Assistant Professor level, the candidate must have evidence of a strong local reputation for contributions to research with an identified research focus or area of expertise. He/she must demonstrate scholarship which most often includes publications on which the candidate is first author; the candidate may also be in another authorship position on publications from collaborative research to which he/she has made documented, substantive intellectual contributions. The candidate generally has some funding to conduct research, though not necessarily as principal investigator, and most often has evidence of teaching and supervision of trainees.
For promotion to Associate Professor, the candidate must have a national reputation as an independent investigator and major contributor to the field. There must be a record of independent scholarship which most often will include first and senior authorship on high quality publications that have advanced the field; the candidate may also be in another authorship position on publications from collaborative research that significantly advance biomedical science to which he/she contributed critical ideas or innovations, having taken the role of first or senior author on some publications. The candidate should have a successful extramural funding record, and must have evidence of teaching and supervision of trainees.
For promotion to Professor, the candidate must have a sustained national, and in many cases international, reputation as one of the top researchers in the field. He/she must be the leader of an exceptional independent research program and/or have key leadership roles in collaborative studies. The candidate must have a longstanding record of exceptional scholarship which most often includes senior authorship on high impact publications of original research. The candidate may also have played a leadership role on, and made critical contributions to, publications of high impact collaborative research. The candidate should have a sustained record of extramural funding, which most often will include principal investigator funding, and must have evidence of effective teaching and supervision as demonstrated by the number and stature of his/her trainees.
