SOM Track Faculty:  Advisory Committee on Assistant Professors (ACAP)

SOM Track Assistant Professors, who have significant time protected for scholarship (ordinarily >50%), receive an advisory review by the Advisory Committee on Assistant Professors (ACAP) in their fifth year.  The purpose of the review is to provide helpful advice before you enter the promotion process.  This review requires you to submit a CV, research narrative and brief teaching and clinical narratives, and to make a brief research presentation to the ACAP committee highlighting the significance of your research, the scientific challenge or opportunity you are pursuing, and your projected research timeline. 

This fifth-year review for Assistant Professors was added because the reappointment review, at three years before the promotion decision, can be too soon for assessment of prospects for promotion. The ACAP review is timed to be later but still early enough for advice to be useful.  Note that your ACAP materials (below) and presentation and the review outcome will not be shared with the promotions committee (COAP).  

Your department will need to provide the following documents to ACAP well in advance of your presentation (see below for timing):

1. A current CV, which should include current/pending publications and manuscripts, invited speaking and service, and grant support (click here for a model CV)
2. Research/scholarship statement (1 – 2 pages)
3. Teaching narrative (.5 page)
4. Preprints, unpublished manuscripts and specific aims of grants in preparation or under consideration
5. From the Department Chair:  A Cover Letter (1 – 3 pages) summarizing the Assistant Professor’s prospects for promotion, and the basis for this judgment.  It should also discuss (a) the time burden of duties other than research, and (b) the department’s view of the appropriate summary advice.
6. Information on protected time available to do research.  ACAP uses the following information to understand the time you have available for research.
   • Indicate the approximate protected time (% effort, months, etc.) for each of years 1 – 5
   • Indicate the projected protected time (% effort, months, etc.) for each of years 6 – 8

Preparing the Presentation:  

• Presentations are 15 minutes, plus 5 minutes for open questions from the committee (total 20 minutes).  Please submit a short powerpoint or equivalent presentation the day before your presentation to:  officeoffacultyaffairs@bsd.uchicago.edu.
• As ACAP includes BSD faculty who are not experts in your field (just like the promotions committee), avoid field specific jargon and assumptions and complex slides, and clearly explain the significance of your work.
• Include a discussion of how your published research as an independent investigator will have the “rigor, creativity, and fundamental impact” to satisfy expectations for promotion.
• Be clear about your contributions to collaborative efforts.  Be prepared to answer questions about how you are documenting your contribution and the independence of your involvement in collaborative and team-based research.

Timeline:

These are target dates and are subject to change from year to year.  Timelines are comparable for assistant professors with other start dates.

Additional Resources 

The Office of Academic Affairs houses guidelines and information for SOM Track faculty preparing for promotion, including requirements, timetables, and examples of materials used in successful promotions cases.  Click here for more information.