Aligning hiring and review, promotion and tenure (RPT) with the public good helps institutions genuinely serve society, diversify research agendas, and restore public trust in science.

The existing incentive structure disproportionately disadvantages scholars who focus on societal impact or engage deeply in mentorship—activities more frequently undertaken by faculty from a range of backgrounds and experiences. The undervaluation of this work contributes to persistent disparities in faculty demographics and limits the range of research questions pursued, often sidelining issues critical to underserved communities (Whittaker & Montgomery, 2014).

• Advancement of complete lifecycle – e.g., development, socialization, implementation, and assessment – of new research evaluation approaches, procedures, and/or criteria.

• Development of training modules, tools, and infrastructure to effect the rapid transformation of review, promotion, and tenure processes, hiring, and/or awards.

• Creation of qualitative indicators and datasets for effectively recognising diverse research contributions, societal impact, etc.

• Facilitation of traditionally under-resourced partnerships among researchers, community organizations, policymakers, and/or the general public, as well as criteria to recognize the impact of these activities.

• Development of public science communication and outreach efforts, as well as criteria to recognize the impact of these activities.

• Enhancement of tools and platforms for team science and interdisciplinary science, as well as criteria to recognize the impact of these activities.

The grant acknowledges that undergoing hiring and RPT reform takes a significant amount of time, and often involves navigating governance structures in various forms. The grant is intended to support dedicated time to lead reform efforts across units.

The goal is to support actions that implement tangible changes to academic appointment and advancement. No more than 50% of the award may be used for planning phase.