Faculty Specialist

The appointee shall hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area and show potential for excellence in the administration and/or management of academic or research programs. Faculty Specialists are expected to engage in activities such as developing curriculum and/or innovative means for delivering curriculum, supervising the non-research activities of graduate or post-doctoral students, serving as grant writers or authors of other publications for an academic or research program, conducting specialized research duties or other such duties that would generate intellectual property to which the faculty member shall retain the rights. Appointments to this rank are typically one to three years and are renewable. To complete the Appointment, Evaluation and Promotion (AEP) process for a Faculty Specialist, gather the required documents listed below and email them to UMIACS Coordinator Elizabeth Hontz. *Each document needs to be signed and dated by the candidate for validity.

• CV*
• General List of Duties and Responsibilities*
• UMIACS Professional-Track Faculty Policy*
• Nomination Letter from UMIACS staff or faculty member
• Professional Statement*
• References

Post-Doctoral Associate

The Post-Doctoral Associate appointee shall have been trained in research procedures, be capable of carrying out individual research or collaborating in group research at the advanced level, and have the experience and specialized training necessary for success in such research projects as may be undertaken. A doctoral degree is normally a minimum requirement. Appointments to this rank are typically for one to three years and are renewable, provided the maximum length of consecutive service in this rank does not exceed six years. After six years in rank, appointees who have performed satisfactorily should be eligible for appointment to an appropriate faculty position. To complete the Appointment, Evaluation and Promotion (AEP) process for a Post-Doctoral Associate, email the required documents listed below to UMIACS Coordinator Elizabeth Hontz. *Each document needs to be signed and dated by the candidate for validity.

• CV*
• General List of Duties and Responsibilities*
• UMIACS Professional-Track Faculty Policy*
• Professional Statement*
• References

Faculty

A number of policies and procedures impact the process of hiring a new tenured, tenure-track, or professional-track faculty members. The University of Maryland policy on the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) process establishes baseline standards for all faculty appointments, including possible faculty titles, credential requirements, contract requirements, and the tenure and promotion process. The UMIACS Professional Track (PTK) Policy establishes unit-level policies that are compliant with college and university-level guidelines for the appointment, evaluation, and promotion of professional track faculty. The hiring and promotion process for tenure-track faculty is administered through your home department. Go here to review the University's hiring and promotion process and here to view title descriptions of tenured track faculty.

Senior Faculty Specialist

In addition to showing superior ability to administer academic or research programs, as evidenced by successfully discharging responsibilities such as those of the Faculty Specialist, the appointee shall hold a Master’s degree or have at least three years full-time experience as a Faculty Specialist (or similar appointment at another institution), or its equivalent. Appointments to this rank are typically one to five years and are renewable. To complete the Appointment, Evaluation and Promotion (AEP) process for a Senior Faculty Specialist, gather the required documents listed below and email them to UMIACS Coordinator Elizabeth Hontz. *Each document needs to be signed and dated by the candidate for validity.

• CV*
• General List of Duties and Responsibilities*
• UMIACS Professional-Track Faculty Policy*
• Nomination Letter from UMIACS staff or faculty member
• Professional Statement*
• References

Associate Research Professor

This rank is generally parallel to Associate Professor. In addition to the qualifications required of the Assistant Research Professor, appointees shall have extensive successful experience in scholarly or creative endeavors, the ability to propose, develop, and manage major research projects, and proven contributions to the educational mission through teaching or service. Appointments to this rank are typically one to five years and are renewable. To complete the Appointment, Evaluation and Promotion (AEP) process for an Associate Research Professor, gather the required documents listed below and email them to UMIACS Coordinator Elizabeth Hontz. *Each document needs to be signed and dated by the candidate for validity.

• CV*
• General List of Duties and Responsibilities*
• UMIACS Professional-Track Faculty Policy*
• Professional Statement*
• References

Expectations of Conduct for UMIACS Members

Throughout its 40+ year history, UMIACS has developed a collegial culture that values all members of the Institute equally, irrespective of academic rank or demographic characteristics. In order to promote and maintain this culture, which is a key enabler of the Institute's academic excellence, we hold all members of the Institute to the highest standards for professional and academic conduct.

Allegations of professional or scientific misconduct are addressed according to the relevant University policies, notably:

University of Maryland Policy on Faculty Professional Conduct 

USM Policy on Professional Conduct and Workplace Bullying 

Other relevant USM and UMD Policies:

Below we list some of the policies relevant to promoting scientific integrity and professional conduct. This list is not exhaustive. Additional policies may apply.

Non-discrimination:

University of Maryland Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement of Policy

University of Maryland Policy on Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity 

Professional Conduct:

University of Maryland Policy on Sexual Misconduct 

University of Maryland Policy on Faculty Professional Conduct

USM Policy on Professional Conduct and Workplace Bullying

State of Maryland Policy on Bullying in the Workplace

Scientific Conduct:

University of Maryland Policy and Procedures Concerning Scholarly Misconduct

Research Misconduct from Faculty Affairs 

Research Infrastructure

Resources

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe that diversity is a key prerequisite of scientific excellence, and that we can only achieve our full potential if all members of our community—irrespective of seniority and rank—are valued and supported. Learn more about what we do to support diversity and inclusion here.

Policies & Procedures

The operation of UMIACS is governed by a plan of organization, comprising a constitution and bylaws, as well as several policies related to the appointment, promotion, and evaluation of our members. The policies, as well as the operational procedures and processes used by UMIACS to implement these policies are described in more detail here.

Intranet

The UMIACS intranet page contains information about the computational resources available in the institute, as well as a range of "self service" apps allowing you to manage your computational resources (e.g., requesting accounts for students or collaborators).

Business Office

Information about the business processes in the institute, such as new appointments, travel, grant administration, etc., is available on the business office page.

Broadening Participation

We believe that expanding the scientific workforce is a key prerequisite of scientific excellence, and that we can only achieve our full potential if all members of our community—irrespective of seniority and rank—are valued and supported. Learn more about the expectations of conduct for UMIACS members.

The institute is committed to broadening participation of those who want careers in computing and technology.

Many UMIACS faculty are actively engaged in activities on campus and beyond in support of this goal. The institute also provides support to a number of organizations and initiatives that promote and support broadening participation in computing, such as: 

• The University of Maryland Computing Catalyst
• Technica—the world's largest hackathon celebrating underrepresented genders
• The Rising Stars in Machine Learning program organized by the University of Maryland Center for Machine Learning
• The Institute for Broadening Participation

About Us

The University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS)—pronounced YOU-me-acks—is a flagship multidisciplinary research institute where leading scientists harness the power of computation to tackle some of the most complex challenges facing science and society.

Established in 1984, UMIACS brings together more than 130 faculty members from 16 departments across the University of Maryland campus. These researchers represent a wide range of fields, including computer science, engineering, linguistics, physics, biology, information science.

A hallmark of the institute is its collaborative, team-based approach to research. UMIACS faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students advance knowledge in areas such as trustworthy AI, machine translation, autonomous robotics, microbiome science, quantum information science, computer vision and cybersecurity.

UMIACS researchers secure more than $30 million annually in external funding, much of it from federal agencies and national laboratories across the Washington–Baltimore region. The institute also collaborates closely with physicians and clinicians at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, applying advanced computational techniques to accelerate biomedical research and improve health care.

To help train the next generation of researchers, UMIACS supports more than 200 graduate students pursuing Ph.D.s across multiple disciplines, and provides research opportunities for undergraduates through NSF-funded summer programs. The institute also provides administrative and technical support for interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Immersive Media Design (IMD) program, helping prepare future cohorts of innovators.