GIDP Shared Hiring Initiative

Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDPs) Shared Hiring Initiative

Background

The goal of the Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDPs) shared hiring initiative is to help departments recruit outstanding faculty to the University of Arizona – to both strengthen the home department and GIDPs. Such hires may be in areas of existing strengths, or as part of a strategic plan to build new areas of excellence. By engaging in shared recruiting, the intent is not only to advance science and enhance the quality of graduate education at the University of Arizona, but also to help build an increased sense of community.

Engagement in a shared hiring not only requires goodwill and flexibility, but also adherence to the university process. Procedurally, the searches carried out by departments that are supported by the GIDPs are a little different from the standard open national searches. The difference lies in the participation of the GIDPs in the search process, and the support of the hire offered by the GIDPs. This participation is described below. The steps involved are not intrusive and are simply a natural extension of the university recruitment policy. In addition to these formal steps, it is anticipated that there will be many informal discussions about potential partnerships, and the process involved.

Submission Cycle

Application submission is open in the early fall semester every year and the decision will be made by the end of the calendar year, which is subject to change based on available funding.

Applicants must submit all requests via Arizona Cultivate no later than Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 12 p.m. (noon). The system will not accept applications after the deadline. 

Application Now Open!

Process

  1. The Dean of the Graduate College sends a call for applications to all deans and department heads, chairs, and directors.
  2. Proposals are submitted to the Graduate College via Arizona Cultivate.
  3. The Associate Director of GIDP Administration conducts initial review for accuracy and completeness and routes the proposals for review.
  4. The Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs Advisory Council (GIDPAC) reviews and evaluates the proposals and makes recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate College.
  5. The Dean of the Graduate College reviews the recommended proposals and sends approval/denial notifications.
  6. The Office of the Provost disburses funds to the department upon hire.

Hiring Eligibility and Criteria

The benefits of a shared hiring can be measured primarily in terms of its impact on the recruitment, education, and research training of students and postdocs. Criteria for success in these regards include:

  • The reputation of the potential hire is such that he or she would enhance GIDP’s reputation and increase its ability to recruit exceptional students.
  • The potential hire would be an attractive and effective advisor for GIDP students, and that they have a good record of interdisciplinary interactions at the interface of their specialties.
  • The area of expertise and interests of the hire are such that they could spearhead competitive applications for training grants and multidisciplinary research grants (that would be channeled through the GIDP) that would support GIDP students, as well as students from other departments.
  • There is the potential, if not intent, for developing a noteworthy and effective “sub- program” of interdisciplinary research activity in the GIDP
  • The hire would be able to teach/lead a core course or develop an enduring special topics course in their area of expertise that would be of interest to program students in general.
  • The hire would be willing and able to participate, on a reasonable basis, in some aspects of the day-to-day running of the GIDP such as serving on program committees, organizing seminars and colloquia, and helping with recruitment activities.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are evaluated based on the following criteria.

  • The program has strong data on student progression through milestones and a high retention rate.
  • The program has a strong history of faculty financially supporting their students.
  • The program has demonstrated prior success in fulfilling the expectations of this funding mechanism as demonstrated in the final report.
  • The program offers a master’s or doctoral degree.
  • A program has not been selected to receive a shared hire in the last 5 years.
  • A program with unfilled hire commitments from a previous 5-year cycle must be filled first, prior to receiving a new award.

Submission Materials

1.One-page proposal, which includes:

  • A description of the area of specialization of the shared hire and how this hire aligns with the above criteria for success.
  • A description of how the shared hire aligns with the strategic plans of the GIDP, partner departments/school, partner colleges, and the University of Arizona
  • Signatures from participating department heads, the executive committee and chair of each participating GIDP

2. Two-page summary describing the percentage of students financially supported in the GIDP, program retention data, and program time to degree data.

3. Letters of support from the academic partner dean(s).

4. A financial plan detailing salary, start-up costs and space accommodation including both office and lab needs. This plan should indicate the sources of all funds. Please use the template provided.

Reporting Requirements

As described above, the benefits of a shared hiring can be measured primarily in terms of its impact on the recruitment, education, and research training of students and postdocs. Within 3 months of the end of financial support, a summary of how your shared hire met these criteria for success will be due to the Dean of the Graduate College. These reports will be critical in demonstrating the ROI of this program.