|
2009 HHMI EARLY CAREER SCIENTIST COMPETITION
Q&A: Employment as an HHMI Investigator; Time Commitment to Research
I understand that as an early career scientist I would become an HHMI employee. Would this affect my faculty status at my institution?
Maintaining faculty status at the host institution is a condition of an early career scientist's HHMI appointment.
I am a tenured faculty member at my institution, and I also have a faculty appointment at another institution. Will I have to give up that other faculty appointment if I become an early career scientist?
No. However, if you have a second laboratory at the other institution, we would need to discuss that situation with you before your appointment. We might need to put in place an agreement between HHMI, your host institution, and the institution at which your second laboratory is located. Please note that HHMI is unlikely to pay for space, equipment, or personnel for a laboratory at a second institution.
If I am selected as an early career scientist, are there aspects of my current duties that could delay or even block my appointment as an early career scientist?
Yes. HHMI expects early career scientists to devote 75 percent of their time to the direct conduct of research. Up to 25 percent of an early career scientist's time may be spent on teaching, patient care, committee responsibilities, and other nonresearch activities that include grant and journal reviewing, consulting (subject to HHMI's rules on consulting), and participation in the activities of a scholarly society. We will review nonresearch activities prior to appointing early career scientists. If those activities exceed 25 percent or are incompatible with HHMI policies, they would have to be modified prior to appointment.
If I am selected to be an early career scientist, how long would my HHMI appointment continue?
Early career scientist appointments are for a term of six years and are not renewable. However, these appointees would be eligible to apply for HHMI investigator competitions while employed by HHMI as an early career scientist. If an applicant is successful in such a competition, his or her early career scientist appointment would then be terminated.
My institution allows me to consult or engage in other outside activities for up to one day per week. Does HHMI have a limit on outside activities?
Yes. As noted above, the sum of all nonresearch activities—including consulting—cannot exceed 25 percent of your time because we expect HHMI early career scientists to devote 75 percent of their time to the direct conduct of research. HHMI also limits consulting for companies by its scientists to 36 days per year, and that requirement may be more stringent than guidelines at your current institution.
I am considering moving to a new institution in 2008. If selected by HHMI in this competition, could I be appointed at the new institution?
It depends on when the move occurs. Your application must be submitted from the same institution that will be the site of your appointment. We do not permit transfers. Any early career scientist who changes institutions during his or her six-year term must resign from HHMI.
|
