EPA Non-Faculty Research Positions

Positions qualifying for designation as "Research" are characterized by the following:

• The position must require substantial independence in creativity or research efforts and in the interpretation and dissemination of research results.
• The duties must be integral with the University's instructional or research activities and represent an extension of the regular academic and educational experience provided by the University.
• The position must require that a substantial portion of the total work commitment is devoted to those research activities.

For positions that permit candidates demonstrating comparable "independent research productivity", this is to include independent research design, implementation of research procedures, analysis of data, and interpretation of research results.

Listed below are the various individual sub-categories of research positions and thier respective specific criteria.

(includes Research Computing Management)

Criteria: Positions whose primary purpose is to direct staff in providing electronic data processing services that directly support the institution's academic and research missions. Note: The positions supervise staff that support specific academic and research programs as opposed to general LAN or operational computing support services.

Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable background in academic or research computing management, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution.

Criteria: Positions whose primary purpose is to serve as principal investigators or research associates for primary or secondary research projects that may advance or enhance a field of academic learning.  These positions function with substantial independence and expertise in research design, implementation of research procedures, data analysis and interpretation of results. Note: These positions do not include operational support related positions.

Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution.

(also applicable for instructional/educational community service roles)

Criteria: Positions whose primary purpose is to direct staff in the development and administration of programs which focus the academic resources and research products of the institution on the resolution of community and regional issues and foster the incorporation of these issues in the institution's academic research programs.

Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity or comparable background in independent academic or instructional activities, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. This experience may be related to the direction/oversight of programs that focus the academic and research resources of a higher education institution towards community or regional issues.

Criteria: Positions whose primary purpose is to direct staff in the collection of data and information concerning students, faculty, facilities and related items used for reporting and directly supports the institution's planning and assessment processes.

Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity or professional-level institutional planning/assessment experience, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution.

Criteria: Positions whose primary purpose is to direct staff serving as principal investigators assigned to research projects; or positions that serve as directors of sponsored research including determining if project proposals as consistent with the institution's academic and research policy, advising staff on the development of project proposals and negotiating with sponsoring agencies particularly as it relates to terms and conditions that affect academic freedom and ownership of the product. The latter positions which "direct" sponsored research are only approved EPA non-faculty at the institutional-level or for a School-level role serving directly in a Dean's Office (see Note 2 below).

Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity or professional-level background in sponsored research administration, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution.

Note 1: UNC General Administration guidance (as recent as the 5/24/06 UNC General Administration EPA Personnel Workshop) stipulates that these positions do not include individuals whose primary duties are to develop or write contracts and grants or to provide administrative support to these activities.

Note 2: Clarification was requested from UNC General Administration (GA) Office of the Associate Vice President for Human Resources on 11/9/06 as to whether School-level Director of Research Administration/Sponsored Research positions qualify for EPA non-faculty Research Administration status. GA's guidance is that School-level Director positions reporting directly reporting within a Dean's Office qualify but they must be Director-level roles, supervise one or more staff members, and directly exercise research policy administration/compliance responsibility for the entirely of their respective School.

Criteria: Positions whose primary purpose is to manage the flow of research innovation, disclosures, patents, trademarks, copyrights and other aspects of technology transfer.  These positions include professional staff who assess each disclosure for its technical and commercialization merits, develop relationships with industry, negotiate business transactions for the exchange of intellectual property rights, collaborate with regional and state economic development agencies and/or engage in other aspects of technology transfer such as negotiating licensing or equity agreements.  These positions also provide outreach services such as training and education to university faculty and students.

Minimum Education and Experience: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity or professional-level background in technology transfer, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. Technology transfer experience would be related to managing the flow of research innovation, disclosures, patents, trademarks, copyrights and other aspects of technology commercialization.