Description

The Department of Medicine at the University of Texas Dell Medical School is seeking candidates for the position of Associate Chair of Research (ACR). The ACR plays a key role in bidirectional communication of research needs, strategy, accomplishments, and works in progress with the department Chair and Vice Dean for Research. The ACR will be responsible for the full spectrum of research activities within the Department to shape the overall objectives and execution of Dell Med's research strategy within the context of departmental needs and goals.

About the Department of Internal Medicine

The Department of Internal Medicine is home to 20 categorical residents per year, which includes a Primary Care Track and a Distinctions Track in Care Transformation, plus 5 preliminary interns in Medicine. Dell Seton Medical Center (DSMC) is a 220-bed, safety net, Level 1 Trauma Center, and serves as the inpatient training facility for this program. In September 2021, Dell Med's IM program deployed a resident staffed team to Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin (SMCA) Hospital. SMCA is a full-service hospital with 24/7 emergency care and comprehensive Level 1 Stroke Center. SMCA also has a Level IV Trama Center.

About Austin

Austin is a vibrant, lively university city, known for its excellent public K-12 schools, lively music scene, superb cuisine, and international festivals such as South by Southwest. The city typically ranks among the country's best places to live. Nearby lakes and rivers as well as the beautiful adjacent Texas Hill Country provide ample opportunities for outdoor activities.

About the Position

The specific roles and responsibilities of the ACR:

Leadership, Strategy, and Impact

• Represents the department and Department Chair in all research matters.
• Serves as the point of contact between the department, including Department Chair and investigators, and the Office of the Vice Dean for Research to inform guidelines, policies, and strategic directions.
• Promotes high-impact research to improve health and healthcare throughout Central Texas.
• Aligns departmental research efforts to establish UT Medicine as the premier leader in research discovery, translation, and implementation.
• Works with the other ACRs to develop and execute Dell Med's research strategy.
• Facilitates and enables joint research efforts and team science across Dell Med departments, UT Austin Colleges and Schools, and outside partners.
• Oversees collecting, assembling, and presenting departmental research benchmarks and impact.
• Identifies and communicates departmental research accomplishments to leadership, communications, and other stakeholders as appropriate.

Resource Management, Operations and Infrastructure

• Represents the department at all required meetings organized by the Office of Research.
• Endorses and approves departmental clinical trials, IRB, biosafety, and IACUC applications and protocols. This includes the feasibility and resource needs of projects.
• The ACR shares responsibility with departmental investigators and the Office of Research to ensure all research activities adhere to ethical standards, regulatory requirements, institutional policies, and scientific integrity.
• The ACR will coordinate, at a departmental level, responses to issues of non-compliance and collaborates with relevant internal and external regulatory bodies to address compliance issues and facilitate research integrity.
• Will identify and communicate departmental resource needs, including enhancing and maintaining departmental research infrastructure and space, to the Office of the Vice Dean.
• Ensures faculty use appropriate channels of approval and negotiation for all sponsored projects, whether federal, industry, or donor sponsored.
• Assists in the oversight of systems design to facilitate stewardship of departmental and common resources.

Funding and Grant Management

• Assists in identification and targeted dissemination of funding opportunities to departmental faculty.
• Will determine Dell Med or partner feasibility, deadlines, and appropriate resourcing for extramural funding applications.
• Ensures departmental awareness and compliance with application guidelines, deadlines, and reassurances for proposals.
• Ensures research faculty follow all notification guidelines to sponsored projects administration and is involved in communication around any missed deadlines.
• Identifies early career researchers and ensures mentorship and tracking to facilitate successful transition to R stage.
• Identifies and tracks later career researchers and encourages resources and collaborations necessary to transition from smaller R awards to R01, from R01 to P and U awards, and to sustain programs of research as needed.
• Facilitates organization of works in progress, review of proposals, and other events to facilitate success of the department's research program. Can include mock reviews.

Personnel Management

• Oversees departmental mentorship of early career research faculty.
• Assists with recruitment and on and/or off-boarding of departmental research faculty.
• Provides promotion and tenure assistance for research-focused faculty.
• Oversees stewardship for student, resident, and postdoctoral fellow research.
• Participates in research matchmaking for students.
• Identifies potential research collaborators across Dell Med departments, UT Austin Colleges and Schools, and outside partners.

Qualifications

• MD or DO degree; board certified
• Strong track record of research productivity, including NIH (or comparable independent) peer-reviewed funding; significant experience obtaining and administering extramural funding from a range of sponsors.
• Must have a proven track record of collaborating with, supporting, and developing multiple members of a clinical research department including writing and administering complex grants.
• Experience in guiding and mentoring junior faculty, fellows, resident physicians and medical students in academic activities.
• Academic rank commensurate to experience.