Faculty appointment types

Understanding faculty appointment types

Background

The Institute of Biomedical Engineering offers status-only, adjunct, and non-budgetary cross-appointments to individuals who are qualified to make significant contributions. Which appointment you are granted depends on where your primary appointment is (i.e., if you have a primary appointment at the university or a hospital) and what type of appointment it is (i.e., budgetary, cross-appointment, status only, etc.). We ask that when you are filling out your BME appointment application, you provide information about your current appointment(s) and which type you are applying for in BME to aid our appointment process; therefore, it is important you understand the various appointment terms below so that the information you provide is accurate.

Appointment Terms and Definitions

Academic appointment

Academic appointments are those where an individual is engaged in research, teaching (including provision of clinical care that may involve supervision of students, residents, or other trainees), and/or creative professional activity at the University.  Not included in this definition are faculty administrative appointments (e.g., Department Chair), hospital appointments, university staff appointments, student appointments, medical residencies, or librarian appointments.

Hospital/research institute appointment

A hospital/research institute appointment is used to indicate a position at an affiliated hospital and can be clinical or non-clinical in nature.

Primary academic appointment

Each faculty member at the University is appointed to an academic department/institute. An appointee may belong to only one department or to multiple. If the appointee only holds an appointment in one department/institute at the University, then this is their primary appointment. If the appointee holds appointments in multiple departments/institutes, then the primary appointment refers to the "home" department/institute, typically the first University appointment granted. If no prior appointment is held, then the individual may be considered to be applying for a primary academic appointment. Primary academic appointments are typically either budgetary appointments, status-only appointments, or adjunct appointments.

Concurrent academic appointment

Concurrent appointment refers to appointment in a department/institute other than the primary department. If an individual already holds an academic appointment in a department/institute at the University, then any additional appointments would be considered a concurrent appointment. 

Budgetary appointment

Budgetary appointees are employed by the University and receive a salary from their respective primary department at the University.

Cross-appointment (non-budgetary)

Cross-appointees are those who hold a primary academic appointment elsewhere at the University. Cross-appointees may or may not be employed by the University as faculty members, but those who are not employed by the university are distinguished by having a non-budgetary cross appointment with a status-only rank. Non-budgetary cross-appointees receive no salary or remuneration from BME. Cross-appointees engage in the teaching, supervision, and advising of both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as in committee service to programs, and in other duties specified in the offer letter.

Appointments are made for a fixed term, typically one to three years (up to five). Whereas it is customary that the initial term be no less than three years, the duration of subsequent appointments is decided by the Cross-Appointments Committee at the time of appointment renewal. Cross-appointee ranks at BME are the same as those in the cross-appointee’s primary department/unit at the University. Appointments are renewed at the discretion of the Dean (Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering). Cross-appointments must have the consent of all divisions involved and do not confer primary or secondary appointment status, or any review or tenure committee rights and responsibilities at BME.

Clinicians who hold an academic appointment within a clinical department in the Faculty of Medicine are not classified as non-budgetary cross-appointments (see Status-only appointment).

Status-only appointment

Status-only appointees are not employed by the University but (a) hold full-time employment with an affiliate hospital, research institution, or agency that has a collaborative agreement with the University of Toronto and/or (b) hold a clinical academic appointment within a clinical department in the Faculty of Medicine. Status-only appointees receive no salary or remuneration from the University of Toronto or from BME. Status-only appointees are typically involved in academic activities such as research/teaching, and all members must qualify as independent researchers for appointment consideration.

Status-only appointees receive Assistant/Associate/Full Professor ranks, which are analogous to academic ranks at the University. However, standards for appointee rank at entry are set by the Cross-Appointments Committee. The promotion of status-only appointees is possible but not expected. Status-only appointees may be promoted on the recommendation of a properly constituted promotions committee, according to divisional guidelines and the Policy and Procedures Governing Promotions, and subsequent review and approval by the Vice-President and Provost (see the section on “Promotion to Professor” | www.aapm.utoronto.ca/promotions). Academic promotion is solely awarded on the basis of excellence in research, creative professional activity, and/or teaching (see the section on “Promotion Criteria” | www.deptmedicine.utoronto.ca/promotion-criteria).

Adjunct appointment

Adjunct appointees are employed elsewhere and include positions that may not be academic in nature. Adjunct appointees possess special skills or learning of value to the Institute. There are two types of Adjunct faculty appointments: Lecturer and Professor. Adjunct appointments are awarded for a limited and specified term. Adjunct faculty appointments are not ranked but may receive remuneration for services (see section on “Adjunct Appointments” | www.aapm.utoronto.ca/status-only-adjunct-visiting-professors/#adjunct).

Adjunct Professor: Distinguished individuals of exemplary achievement with whom the Institute expects to have an ongoing connection.

Adjunct Lecturer: Individuals involved with teaching programs or who contribute their skills or experience in supervising clinical placements.

Independent researcher

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) defines an independent researcher as an individual who: (1) is autonomous regarding his or her research activities and can demonstrate that he or she will have sufficient time to devote to the proposed research, (2) has an academic or research appointment, which allows the individual to pursue the proposed research project, to engage in independent research activities, to supervise trainees, and to publish the results, and (3) is obligated to conform to institutional regulations concerning the conduct of research, the supervision of trainees, and the employment conditions of staff.

Affiliated hospital

Nine hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area are fully affiliated with the University of Toronto (see the section on “Fully-Affiliated Hospitals/Research Institutes” (www.medicine.utoronto.ca/about-faculty-medicine/fully-affiliated-hospitalsresearch-institutes).

Determining your BME Appointment Type

To determine which type of faculty appointment you are applying to within BME, follow the flowchart below. If you need clarification of the terms in the flowchart, refer to the terms and definitions above.

Contacts and additional resources

• BME faculty appointment enquiries: director.bme@utoronto.ca
• BME faculty application support: projects.bme@utoronto.ca
• BME appointment application: https://bme.utoronto.ca/faculty-research/faculty-appointments/