Research Faculty HR Processes

The Research & Innovation Office is responsible for the oversight, review and approval of all "research faculty hiring" who are typically employed by tenure-track faculty who serve as PI's (Principal Investigators) with research grants on the Boulder Campus. We hope that the following information will facilitate ease in working with already-established, as well as upcoming, campus policies and procedures.

Boulder Campus Research Associate Faculty Series (referred to as “Research Faculty”) include the following titles:

  • Professional Research Assistants (PRAs)
  • Sr. Professional Research Assistants (Sr. PRAs)
  • Research Associates
  • Sr. Research Associates

The appointing authority for Boulder Campus research faculty and Post-Doctoral Fellowship recipients is Dr. Terri Fiez, Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, as delegated in Policy 2-K from the Board of Regents to the University of Colorado President, to the Boulder Campus Chancellor, to the Boulder Campus Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation.

All research faculty, Research Professor Series, and Post-Doctoral Fellowship recipients are at-will employees who are paid on monthly/salaried appointments. The primary responsibility of research faculty is to support and advance the research mission of the University of Colorado Boulder.

Two special notes

  1. The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to service and support of its Research Associates ("post-doctoral researchers") on campus through the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado (PAC). PAC's mission is to provide an environment that fosters professional advancement, support services and networking opportunities for all Research Associates and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Recipients.
  2. As an incoming Research Associate ("post-doctoral researcher") and/or Post-Doctoral Fellowship Recipient on the Boulder Campus you are encouraged to learn more about the association's activities at and sign up to receive information about upcoming events at

The Boulder Campus Research Faculty and the Research Professor Series (Research Assistant Professors, Research Associate Professors and Research Professors), proposed by Bruce R. Ekstrand, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in June 1985, was approved by the Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA), the Boulder Campus Administration, the University of Colorado President and the Board of Regents, and implemented in June 1986.

Research and expertise across CUBoulder.

Our 12research institutes conduct more than half of
the sponsored research at CUBoulder.

More than 75 research centers span the campus,
covering a broad range of topics.

A carefully integrated cyberinfrastructure supports CUBoulder research.