Research professors focus on research without teaching, requiring a doctoral degree and research experience. They bring their own funds and lack tenure, but benefit from access to academic resources. Some may advise graduate students or have minimal teaching loads.
A research professor is an employee of an academic institution who focuses on research, doing little or no teaching. Research professor positions are sometimes described as “postdoctoral programs on steroids,” because they allow individuals to focus on research and take advantage of the institution’s facilities and faculty without the need to teach students. For universities, retaining research professors is a way to increase the university’s reputation and body of knowledge, as the university can attract attention and interest when these employees publish research findings.
To become a research professor, someone generally needs to hold a doctoral degree, and many universities prefer candidates with postdoctoral experience. Research experience is also required by most institutions, as they want to see proof that a potential researcher has the skills, experience, and drive to actually conduct research if hired. A history of publications in academic and commercial journals can also be a strong trait for a candidate, as it indicates that he has successfully completed and written studies.
Research professors are also generally required to bring their own funds. The university may provide facilities and benefits such as academic links, but the bulk of the professor’s financial support will not come from the university. Instead, it must seek funding from agencies that will support the research. For example, a physicist could apply for funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support research that will further space exploration.
Typically, research professors are not tenured and may have a limited term of two to three years. Applicants wishing to seek tenured positions will need to apply for teaching teacher jobs and work their way up the ranks. For research professors, lack of tenure can be a disadvantage, because it undermines job security, but the ability to research without having to spend time teaching can be highly valued. Lack of tenure can also be an incentive to work in many different environments, rather than making a professor feel connected to the same institution.
Access to other members of the academic community, coupled with the university’s considerable resources, can be immensely beneficial to a research professor. Some academic institutions may also require their research professors to advise graduate students, or take on very minimal teaching loads, so as to provide some services to the student body. In positions where student work will be required, the terms are usually stated in the contract that the research professor signs upon hiring.
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