A Senior Investigator is an NIH employee who has been granted tenure by the Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR), after review and recommendation by the NIH Central Tenure Committee or the Senior Biomedical Research Service Policy Board. Tenure at the NIH is the commitment of salary to an independent Senior Investigator. Tenured Senior Investigators are granted independent resources (personnel, budget and space) by their Institute, and are required to have regular outside, expert review by Boards of Scientific Counselors. Resources may be adjusted up or down by the Institute, based on productivity and the quality of their work, as determined by these and other reviews.
Post-tenure evaluations of Senior Investigators are conducted
annually by the Laboratory/Branch Chief or Scientific Director and
every four years by the IC Boards of Scientific Counselors.
Tenure includes assurance of continuing salary even if scientific
resources are cut back. The renewal of Senior Investigators is
assumed, regardless of personnel mechanism, except in cases of
malfeasance or if the Senior Investigator fails to remain a
productive member of the scientific community. The amount of research
support, however, must depend on the quality of science as determined
by the BSC and other reviews.
NIH Senior Investigator is reserved for NIH's most preeminent Senior Investigators (top two or three percent) at the highest level of career accomplishment, with entrance requiring a special peer review and approval by the Director, NIH.
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Appointment Check Sheet
Appointment procedures are outlined in Flow
Chart for Approval of Intramural Professional Designation, Clinical
Credentials, and
Salary.
Approval to extend a Commissioned Corps officer in the Research
Officer Group (ROG) beyond 30 years of active duty is based on
request by the IC, along with endorsements by NIH, for approval by a
Commissioned Corps Board. Extensions are limited to a maximum of six
years for members of the ROG. (SDs Minutes - 4/16/97)
Once a promotion has been approved, please forward a
copy of the promotion memo to the DDIR.
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of Tenured Scientist Check Sheet
Promotion Process for Senior Investigators in Title 42
Appointments
Senior Investigators in Title 42 do not receive promotions but are eligible for salary adjustments through the yearly Spring Increase mechanism, as well as the Quadrennial Review process that occurs following a BSC review. Details are available in the Title 42 Pay Model.