2016-17 Single Call for High Impact Hiring Plan (HIHP) Proposals

View as PDF: 2016-17 Single Call for High Impact Hiring Plan (HIHP) Proposals

UCI’s faculty is key to the quality, reputation and impact of our academic mission and the High Impact Hiring Plan (HIHP) is one component of our faculty expansion strategy. Below are instructions on how to participate.

First step in the HIHP process, please contact (949-824-6503) Judith Stepan-Norris, vice provost for academic planning. She will meet with you, as you begin to prepare your proposal, to discuss ideas and evaluate whether it is a good fit for the HIHP initiative or might better be proposed for one of our other initiatives.  Given her leadership role with the HIHP, Vice Provost Stepan-Norris will also engage you in conversation intended to more fully develop your ideas.

Full proposals are due to the Office of Academic Planning by 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 10, 2017, and should be submitted electronically, as a complete package, to acadplan@uci.edu. Proposals received after the due date will not be considered for this program.
Senior leadership appointments, called primary hires, will be supported by additional FTEs at lower levels, with the option of linking up to four more junior positions with each primary hire. In most cases, in order to encourage broader impact, at least one or two of the less senior positions should be in disciplines other than that of the primary hire. Clustering positions around each of these distinguished appointments should increase opportunities for successful high-level recruitment by demonstrating the campus’s commitment to outstanding research and global impact in the selected topic.

School of Medicine faculty are eligible to submit proposals and other schools may submit proposals that include hires in the SOM. However, due to the complexity of SOM FTE funding, all proposals involving the SOM will require Interim Dean Stamos’ review and signature prior to submission. He will assess the merits of each proposal to determine his level of support, as well as whether he will commit financial resources should the proposal be approved.

As is the case whenever we seek to recruit new faculty to our campus, our commitment to a culture of inclusive excellence requires us to consider a diverse cross section of highly- accomplished scholars and researchers. We recommend that, as faculty and programs design their HIHP proposals, they work in consultation with their school’s Equity Advisors, who will assist in addressing how the proposed positions might build on and advance the campus’s commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels.

The HIHP continues to target the recruitment of high-impact scholars whose research itself focuses on diversity and inclusion. To reinforce the link between our research agenda and continuing development of our graduate programs, special consideration will also be given to proposals that strengthen our participation in the Diverse Educational Community and Doctoral Experience, or DECADE, initiative.

Primary candidates must be nominated for appointment at the level of Chancellor’s Professor or Distinguished Professor (pending review as usual). Positions allocated through this initiative require cost sharing between the central campus and participating units.

Primary hires must be fully vetted (reviewed and voted as acceptable to invite for an interview). You may propose specific cluster hires or indicate areas of specialization for cluster faculty. All cluster positions require a search if the proposal is funded.

Please follow this outline when preparing your proposal, and limit your proposal to 5 pages, not including letters of support and CVs.

  1. [Approx. one-half page] Proposal Overview
    1. Proposal title or topic
    2. Proposer’s(s’) name(s), units(s), and UCI email address(es)
    3. Senior nominee’s(s’) name(s), current institutions and positions, and proposed primary UCI unit(s)
    4. If identified, cluster candidates’ names, current institutions and positions, and proposed primary UCI unit(s)
    5. One paragraph executive summary of the proposal
    6. Signatures from all relevant deans [for the SOM, this implies Interim Dean Stamos’ support], chairs [indicating that the primary hire has been vetted], center or institute directors, and your Equity Advisor regarding the nomination
  2. [Approx. 2 pages] A description of impact, including thoughtful articulation of the ways in which the individual would (a) advance the university’s standing; (b) build on existing strengths; (c) catalyze new interschool or campuswide initiatives; (d) enhance graduate education; (e) contribute directly to undergraduate education in the classroom in addition to mentoring undergraduates in the generation of new knowledge; and (f) contribute to the diversification of our faculty community and scholarship. The description of impact should also include major contributions that the individual has made to research and scholarship in his/her field. In other words, present a solid case for your proposal’s potential high impact for UCI.
  3. [Approx. 1 page] An account of how the proposed appointment will contribute toward the campus's commitment to diversity and inclusion. (Please consult with your unit’s Equity Advisor.)
  4. [Approx. one-half page] A description of extramural funding opportunities associated with the proposed plan.
  5. [Approx. 1 page] A description of the proposed cluster and the academic units involved; if cluster candidates have been identified, also explain how their scholarly, scientific, and/or artistic accomplishments would contribute to the campuswide objectives and recruitment strategies of the HIHP
  6. [Attachments] The CVs of the senior nominee(s) and any affiliated candidates, plus evidence of the senior candidate’s(s’) likely interest in the position(s); and
  7. [Optional Attachments] Letters of support from Chairs and Center Directors, if applicable (but not Deans).
  8. The Office of Academic Planning will solicit letters from deans summarizing their support for all proposals that involve their schools.
  9. If the proposal is seriously considered to advance, we will ask proposing faculty to provide more detailed budget information.

Proposals will be put through an extensive process of consultation with campus groups including the Academic Planning Group, academic deans, the ADVANCE Program Advising Committee, the Distinctions Committee for appropriate candidates, and more specialized ad hoc groups of faculty as needed for expert assessment. Each group will provide me with a recommendation that includes 1) an analysis of whether the nominee meets the high standard of quality and impact required for appointment through this initiative; and 2) an assessment of the nominee’s potential, in conjunction with the proposed cluster, to advance the university’s standing in strategically significant ways.

If further consideration of the nomination is appropriate, Enrique Lavernia, provost and executive vice chancellor will ask finalists for more detailed budget information. After a review of that information, he will initiate discussions with the pertinent deans to develop recruitment plans for the proposals selected. All candidates will be subject to the normal review process for senior faculty appointments.

Any questions about this process or resubmitting previously declined proposals should be directed to Judith Stepan-Norris at jstepann@uci.edu.