Overview --> Appointments and Promotions Table of Contents --> Resident Scientific Staff

Resident Scientific Staff Assistant Scientist Associate Scientist Associate Scientist without Tenure Process Associate Scientist with Tenure Process Senior Scientist Scientist Emeritus Termination of Appointments Back to Table of Contents

The Resident Scientific Staff consists of those year-round employees of the Institution holding appointments as Senior Scientist, Associate Scientist,or Assistant Scientist, and those retired members of the Scientific Staff who remain in active residence at the Institution and have been appointed Scientist Emeritus.

Appointments to the Scientific Staff are based upon recommendations to the President and Director by the Staff Council whose members vote following review and discussion of a confidential file. Appointments to Assistant Scientist are made by the President and Director, and to Associate Scientist, Senior Scientist, and Scientist Emeritus by the Executive Committee of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the President and Director.

A description of the position to be filled, or individual to be considered, is first brought to Staff Council by the relevant Department Chair for initial discussion and evaluation of the scientific and financial implications of the appointment. Taking this discussion into consideration, the Director of Research approves or denies posting an advertisement or other further action on the appointment.

The necessary criteria for promotion and appointment within the Resident Scientific Staff are the performance of research of the highest quality and demonstrated impact on the field of choice. Evidence for this is sought in the publications and manuscripts which describe the research, and in the opinions of experts in the candidate's field of expertise. In making such judgments, creativity, innovativeness, originality and impact within the field of research are the important factors.

The Institution encourages all members of the Resident Scientific Staff to participate, in ways appropriate to their science, in its educational programs. If an individual chooses to participate, success in teaching and/or supervision of graduate students is considered a positive factor in the evaluation for promotion and these activities are expected to be of the same high quality as for research.

An appointment to the Resident Scientific Staff is made with the expectation that the individual will work for the Institution on a full-time, year-round basis. Any change in this status results in review of the individual's appointment. A member of the Resident Scientific Staff shall not hold a tenured position at another institution or any other formal employment or consulting that requires an excess of one-sixth of his/her time (347 hours) per year.

All members of the Scientific Staff are expected to actively pursue extramural funding to support their research. Because reasonable success in obtaining funding is necessary for the development of a successful research career at WHOI, prospects for extramural funding need to be considered in the hiring of new scientific staff.

In addition, all members of the Scientific Staff are expected to participate in the life of the Institution through the normal activities of his/her department. This might include mentoring of junior staff, selection of department Postdoctoral Scholars, students, and Summer Student Fellows, and participation in the departmental annual merit increase review process.

Any exceptions, extended and/or repeated absences, need the approval of the Department Chair and the Director of Research.