Research Associate Professor Jobs
Research Associate Professor jobs are open across research universities, medical schools, and academic medical centers, from non-tenure-track mid-career to senior research faculty level, with specializations in biomedical sciences, social sciences, and engineering. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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INTRODUCTION
The Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine (FIRM) in the College of Community Health Sciences seeks a Director of Research from among current College faculty. The Director leads research and scholarship in the Department with 0.50 FTE of administrative effort, reports to the Department Chair, and works closely with the College's Associate Dean for Research (ADR) and established CCHS Research Review Group processes. This is an administrative appointment held concurrently with the appointee's faculty appointment, for an initial three-year term renewable following review. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
Position Summary
The Director's core work is to mentor faculty in research, support scholarly activity for residents, fellows, and medical students, coordinate and track departmental scholarship, and help faculty develop proposals for external funding. The role builds on College and University research resources rather than duplicating them. Responsibilities include:
- Develop a departmental research and scholarship plan with a small number of priorities, aligned with College research priorities in consultation with the ADR.
- Chair the Department Research Committee and serve on the Department Executive Leadership Team.
- Mentor faculty in research, with priority on early-career faculty and faculty preparing for promotion, and expand the pool of faculty mentors for resident, fellow, and student projects.
- Advise residency and fellowship program directors on scholarly activity and help programs meet ACGME scholarly activity expectations.
- Partner with clerkship directors on scholarly opportunities for medical students.
- Identify funding opportunities and support faculty proposal development in coordination with the ADR and through established CCHS Research Review Group processes.
- Help faculty and learners use College and University research resources, including IRB and pre- and post-award support.
- Maintain a departmental inventory of projects, proposals, awards, publications, and presentations, and prepare an annual research and scholarship report for the Department Chair.
The 0.50 FTE administrative effort covers these responsibilities. The appointee's remaining effort follows the existing faculty appointment and is set through the annual FTE review.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Earned doctorate (PhD, MD, DO, DrPH, or equivalent) in a clinical, health, behavioral, or health-services discipline.
- Qualifications for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
- Sustained record of peer-reviewed publication and scholarly dissemination, with evidence of both independent and collaborative scholarship.
- Demonstrated experience obtaining and managing extramural or competitive internal research funding as principal investigator or co-investigator.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring faculty, residents, fellows, or students in research or quality improvement, with evidence of completed and disseminated projects.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in an academic, clinical, or research setting, including leading teams, committees, or programs.
- Working knowledge of human subjects protection, IRB processes, research compliance, and the distinction between quality improvement and human subjects research.
- Effective written and oral communication skills and the ability to work across clinical, educational, and research missions in an academic health setting.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Record as principal investigator on federally funded research.
- Expertise in primary care, rural health, health services research, implementation science, community-engaged research, or quality improvement methodology.
- Experience building research infrastructure, including research committees, mentoring programs, project tracking systems, or practice-based research networks.
- Familiarity with ACGME scholarly activity requirements and graduate medical education accreditation processes.
- Experience in a community-based, regional, or rural-serving academic medical setting.
- Record of national service within relevant professional or research organizations.
INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION
Submit the following through the UA careers site:
- Letter of interest, no more than two pages, describing how the applicant meets the minimum and preferred qualifications and the applicant's approach to the responsibilities of the position.
- Current curriculum vitae. Applications will be evaluated against the published minimum and preferred qualifications. Questions about the position may be directed to Tamer Elsayed, MD.
ABOUT THE DIVISION/ COLLEGE/ SCHOOL
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) was founded in 1972 by William Willard, MD, author of the “Willard Report” and considered the “Father of Family Medicine,” with a mandate to train family physicians for Alabama, particularly its rural areas. The College also provides medical student education as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the four-campus University of Alabama School of Medicine, based at UAB in Birmingham. The College’s mission focuses on improving the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high-quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.
CCHS is sponsor of the UA Family Medicine Residency and seven fellowships for family physicians. The Residency, a 16-16-16 program now in its 45th year, is the second largest family medicine residency in the country. Of the more than 470 Residency graduates, 85% practice in the five-state area of the Southeast, with half in rural areas, and comprise 1 of 7 family physicians practicing in Alabama. Nearly 900 medical students have completed their clinical training at the College since 1974, entering Family Medicine and primary care careers at more than twice the national average.
The College’s nationally recognized Rural Pipeline Programs and the Institute for Rural Health Research, along with basic sciences, social sciences, and health professional faculty and resources on the UA campus and innumerable specialty and medical research faculty among the School of Medicine faculty, create a uniquely resource-rich environment for a medical educator. The College’s clinical enterprise also conducts 150,000 ambulatory visits and more than 10,000 admissions a year to a broad patient population, including UA faculty and staff and the general population of West Alabama.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Alabama, the Capstone, is the state of Alabama’s flagship public university and its oldest and largest public university, founded in 1831. UA is an R1 institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the top tier of doctoral research universities. UA enrolls a record 42,431 students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 95 countries. In fall 2026, Graduate School enrollment reached 6,484 students.
University of Alabama students continue to win prestigious national awards. Sixty-nine UA students have been named Goldwater scholars, including three for 2026-27. The University of Alabama has produced 17 Rhodes scholars, 16 Truman scholars, 43 Hollings scholars and 21 Boren scholars. The Fulbright Program selected 10 UA students for awards for the 2026-27 academic year. UA was named a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Students, a distinction it has now earned nine times in the last 11 years.
UA appeared on 15 U.S. News & World Report lists ranking the Best Online Programs, including seven programs ranked in the top 10 of their respective lists. UA made Time magazine’s list of Best Colleges for Future Leaders 2026. Forty current UA faculty members have received National Science Foundation CAREER Awards, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions of top-performing young scientists, in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
UA made Forbes’ 2026 lists of America’s Top Colleges and Best Employers for Company Culture. According to the UA Center for Business and Economic Research, UA’s total statewide economic impact is $3.4 billion and 15,238 jobs.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND EEO STATEMENT
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine (FIRM) in the College of Community Health Sciences seeks a Director of Research from among current College faculty. The Director leads research and scholarship in the Department with 0.50 FTE of administrative effort, reports to the Department Chair, and works closely with the College's Associate Dean for Research (ADR) and established CCHS Research Review Group processes. This is an administrative appointment held concurrently with the appointee's faculty appointment, for an initial three-year term renewable following review. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
Position Summary
The Director's core work is to mentor faculty in research, support scholarly activity for residents, fellows, and medical students, coordinate and track departmental scholarship, and help faculty develop proposals for external funding. The role builds on College and University research resources rather than duplicating them. Responsibilities include:
- Develop a departmental research and scholarship plan with a small number of priorities, aligned with College research priorities in consultation with the ADR.
- Chair the Department Research Committee and serve on the Department Executive Leadership Team.
- Mentor faculty in research, with priority on early-career faculty and faculty preparing for promotion, and expand the pool of faculty mentors for resident, fellow, and student projects.
- Advise residency and fellowship program directors on scholarly activity and help programs meet ACGME scholarly activity expectations.
- Partner with clerkship directors on scholarly opportunities for medical students.
- Identify funding opportunities and support faculty proposal development in coordination with the ADR and through established CCHS Research Review Group processes.
- Help faculty and learners use College and University research resources, including IRB and pre- and post-award support.
- Maintain a departmental inventory of projects, proposals, awards, publications, and presentations, and prepare an annual research and scholarship report for the Department Chair.
The 0.50 FTE administrative effort covers these responsibilities. The appointee's remaining effort follows the existing faculty appointment and is set through the annual FTE review.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Earned doctorate (PhD, MD, DO, DrPH, or equivalent) in a clinical, health, behavioral, or health-services discipline.
- Qualifications for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
- Sustained record of peer-reviewed publication and scholarly dissemination, with evidence of both independent and collaborative scholarship.
- Demonstrated experience obtaining and managing extramural or competitive internal research funding as principal investigator or co-investigator.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring faculty, residents, fellows, or students in research or quality improvement, with evidence of completed and disseminated projects.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in an academic, clinical, or research setting, including leading teams, committees, or programs.
- Working knowledge of human subjects protection, IRB processes, research compliance, and the distinction between quality improvement and human subjects research.
- Effective written and oral communication skills and the ability to work across clinical, educational, and research missions in an academic health setting.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Record as principal investigator on federally funded research.
- Expertise in primary care, rural health, health services research, implementation science, community-engaged research, or quality improvement methodology.
- Experience building research infrastructure, including research committees, mentoring programs, project tracking systems, or practice-based research networks.
- Familiarity with ACGME scholarly activity requirements and graduate medical education accreditation processes.
- Experience in a community-based, regional, or rural-serving academic medical setting.
- Record of national service within relevant professional or research organizations.
INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION
Submit the following through the UA careers site:
- Letter of interest, no more than two pages, describing how the applicant meets the minimum and preferred qualifications and the applicant's approach to the responsibilities of the position.
- Current curriculum vitae. Applications will be evaluated against the published minimum and preferred qualifications. Questions about the position may be directed to Tamer Elsayed, MD.
ABOUT THE DIVISION/ COLLEGE/ SCHOOL
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) was founded in 1972 by William Willard, MD, author of the “Willard Report” and considered the “Father of Family Medicine,” with a mandate to train family physicians for Alabama, particularly its rural areas. The College also provides medical student education as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the four-campus University of Alabama School of Medicine, based at UAB in Birmingham. The College’s mission focuses on improving the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high-quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.
CCHS is sponsor of the UA Family Medicine Residency and seven fellowships for family physicians. The Residency, a 16-16-16 program now in its 45th year, is the second largest family medicine residency in the country. Of the more than 470 Residency graduates, 85% practice in the five-state area of the Southeast, with half in rural areas, and comprise 1 of 7 family physicians practicing in Alabama. Nearly 900 medical students have completed their clinical training at the College since 1974, entering Family Medicine and primary care careers at more than twice the national average.
The College’s nationally recognized Rural Pipeline Programs and the Institute for Rural Health Research, along with basic sciences, social sciences, and health professional faculty and resources on the UA campus and innumerable specialty and medical research faculty among the School of Medicine faculty, create a uniquely resource-rich environment for a medical educator. The College’s clinical enterprise also conducts 150,000 ambulatory visits and more than 10,000 admissions a year to a broad patient population, including UA faculty and staff and the general population of West Alabama.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Alabama, the Capstone, is the state of Alabama’s flagship public university and its oldest and largest public university, founded in 1831. UA is an R1 institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the top tier of doctoral research universities. UA enrolls a record 42,431 students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 95 countries. In fall 2026, Graduate School enrollment reached 6,484 students.
University of Alabama students continue to win prestigious national awards. Sixty-nine UA students have been named Goldwater scholars, including three for 2026-27. The University of Alabama has produced 17 Rhodes scholars, 16 Truman scholars, 43 Hollings scholars and 21 Boren scholars. The Fulbright Program selected 10 UA students for awards for the 2026-27 academic year. UA was named a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Students, a distinction it has now earned nine times in the last 11 years.
UA appeared on 15 U.S. News & World Report lists ranking the Best Online Programs, including seven programs ranked in the top 10 of their respective lists. UA made Time magazine’s list of Best Colleges for Future Leaders 2026. Forty current UA faculty members have received National Science Foundation CAREER Awards, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions of top-performing young scientists, in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
UA made Forbes’ 2026 lists of America’s Top Colleges and Best Employers for Company Culture. According to the UA Center for Business and Economic Research, UA’s total statewide economic impact is $3.4 billion and 15,238 jobs.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND EEO STATEMENT
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
See All 230+ Research Associate Professor Jobs
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Find JobsResearch Associate Professor Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Indiana University15
- University of Virginia9
- UC San Diego8
- University of Texas at El Paso8
- University of Miami7
Top Industries Hiring
- Education57
- Healthcare & Medical Services9
- Science & Research4
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in research associate professor jobs.
- PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant field
- Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publications in the discipline
- Experience securing extramural grant funding as principal or co-investigator
- Proficiency with statistical software such as R, SPSS, SAS, or Stata
- Experience mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or research staff
- Strong written and oral communication skills for grant writing and presentations
Tips for Your Research Associate Professor Job Search
Tailor your CV to each institution type
Medical schools and R1 universities weigh different signals. Emphasize grant funding and clinical trial leadership for medical school postings, and publication output with graduate mentorship for R1 research universities. A single generic CV won't do both jobs well.
Distinguish your research independence clearly
Many research associate professor postings require proof you can run a lab or project independently, not just contribute to someone else's. Name grants where you were principal investigator and projects you designed from scratch, not ones where you were a co-investigator.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists research associate professor openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Read the department's active research portfolio
Before applying, check the hiring department's current funded projects and faculty pages. Committees quickly filter out candidates whose research agenda doesn't complement existing work. Reference two or three specific faculty or projects in your cover letter to show genuine alignment.
Prepare a research statement under three pages
Most committees cap research statements at two to three pages. Lead with the central problem your work addresses, then your methodology, then a paragraph on where your research is headed. Reviewers lose confidence in candidates who can't state their agenda concisely.
Follow up after the job talk strategically
Send a brief thank-you to the search committee chair within 48 hours of your job talk. Reference a specific question or discussion point from the seminar. This signals engagement and helps distinguish you from candidates who go silent after presenting.
Research Associate Professor Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most research associate professors?
The most active employers for research associate professors right now are Indiana University, University of Virginia, and UC San Diego, and the most openings are in Texas, California, and Virginia, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand tends to concentrate at large R1 research universities and academic medical centers with active grant portfolios.
How many research associate professor jobs are remote?
About 19% of research associate professor openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the lab-based nature of most research faculty roles. Positions in computational research, health policy, epidemiology, and social science methodology are the most likely to offer remote or hybrid arrangements, since they don't require on-site laboratory access.
How do you become a research associate professor?
Start by completing a doctoral degree in your field, then build a postdoctoral or equivalent research record with peer-reviewed publications and at least one co-investigator or principal investigator credit on a funded grant. From there, apply to non-tenure-track research faculty postings, which typically require a demonstrated ability to lead independent research projects and a pipeline of ongoing or submitted funding applications.
Can you get a research associate professor job with limited academic experience?
Some institutions hire candidates into research associate professor roles directly from industry or government research positions if the candidate has an equivalent publication record and grant experience. Demonstrating that you can secure funding independently matters as much as years in academia. Targeting research centers or institutes with specific programmatic needs, rather than traditional academic departments, can open doors for candidates without a conventional faculty trajectory.
What does the research associate professor interview process look like?
The process typically begins with a phone or video screen with the search committee, followed by an invitation for an on-campus or virtual visit. That visit usually includes a research seminar or job talk open to the department, one-on-one meetings with faculty and department leadership, and sometimes a meeting with current graduate students or postdocs. Final candidates are evaluated on research vision, fit with departmental needs, and potential for securing external funding.
Where can I find and apply to research associate professor jobs?
You can find and apply to research associate professor jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your research area and experience level, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 230+ Research Associate Professor Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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