Policy on Faculty Membership

I. Membership

Membership in the GPN is open to all tenure-track and tenured faculty members at the University of Minnesota.

II. Membership Criteria

Faculty may apply to be members at any point in their academic career. All new members must provide a current curriculum vitae, description of laboratory space, and current research support to the Faculty Status Committee. A short (20-30 minute) seminar is recommended, but may be waived by the committee. Each application is voted on by the Faculty Status Committee for recommendation to the GPN Steering Committee. Current members will be reviewed every 5 years for renewal of their membership.

Members are entitled to serve on doctoral committees, including chair of such committees, to teach graduate courses in Neuroscience, and to participate in governance. Faculty membership is based on two major criteria: (1) the applicant's research program addresses issues of interest to neuroscientists and (2) the applicant is an independent investigator.

With respect to criterion (1), each applicant for Membership must demonstrate that students trained in his/her laboratory will be recognized as neuroscientists, that their research into the nervous system will be published in peer-reviewed journals and that presentations by laboratory researchers will be made at neuroscience meetings.

With respect to criterion (2), each applicant must demonstrate independence and continuing productivity by (i) holding a full-time faculty appointment at the University and (ii) having published peer-reviewed articles in nationally recognized scientific journals. Faculty must have an active research program. For faculty beyond the Assistant Professor level, there must be evidence of funding within the past 5 years, e.g. serving as principal investigator (or project PI) on a project from nationally recognized granting agencies such as the NIH, NSF, and VA Merit Review. The relative importance and application of each of the criteria above will be assessed by the Faculty Status Committee on an individual basis.

Reappointment to the Faculty

The membership status of all neuroscience faculty members will be reviewed at five-year intervals. The criteria for reappointment are the same as those for initial appointment. In addition, service to the Graduate Program such as student advisor, teacher, committee member, DGS, participation in recruitment activities, Brain Awareness Week, and BrainU, etc. (see GPN faculty handbook for more complete listing of opportunities for service) will be a major factor in the decision to reappoint at the Membership level. It is unlikely that members who do not perform service to the GPN will be renewed as Members. Finally, it is required for reappointment that all members (or a representative from the laboratory) give a talk in the Colloquium series.

III. Policy on Applications for Membership/Reappointment

A. Eligibility for Membership/Reappointment will be based on a short application. Items 1-3 will be prepared by the applicant.

  1. Summary of the applicant's educational and professional history, including specific information about tenure status, assigned laboratory space, Neuroscience doctoral student mentoring, and past and present service to the program.
  2. Summary of the applicant's grant history, emphasizing nationally competitive grants awarded during the preceding five years.
  3. Listing of the applicant's publications in peer-reviewed journals during the previous five years.
  4. Completion of mentor training module  https://www.ctsi.umn.edu/education-and-training/mentoring/mentor-training

B. Faculty Status Committee (FSC) Process for New Members:

  1. FSC members are sent application materials for GPN membership. Either an in-person meeting of the committee members will be held or the consideration of membership will be based on an e-mail vote. Members of the committee will be allowed 10 days to respond to this request and will be given one reminder during this period. Lack of response will be recorded as an abstention.
  2. If requested by the FSC, the applicant will be asked to give a seminar
  3. The seminar if needed will be scheduled by GPN staff.
  4. In addition to indicating their vote for or against membership, all FSC members will provide a short rationale for their decision. A valid vote requires responses from 3/4 of the committee members. The outcome of the vote will be binding if it is supported by 2/3 of those who participate in a valid vote.

C. Faculty Status Committee (FSC) Process for Reappointments:

  1. Upon notification of the end of the current term, faculty will send reappointment materials to the chair of the FSC
  2. Voting procedures will be identical to those outlined in 5-7 above.