Prepared by: UAMS Executive Search Group
Search Committee Chair:
Judith L. Weber, PhD, RD
Associate Dean for Research, College of Nursing
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Director, Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention
Arkansas Children’s Research Institute
The Opportunity
The College of Nursing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in conjunction with the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP) at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor. This is a tenure-track, 12-month, full-time faculty position with an academic appointment at the Assistant (or Associate) Professor level in the Nursing Science Department, College of Nursing. Evidence of postdoctoral research training and/or the establishment of an emerging research portfolio is required. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in nursing or a related field. If the doctoral degree is not in nursing, then a master’s degree in nursing is also required. Successful candidates must hold an unencumbered RN or advanced practice nursing license with eligibility for licensure in Arkansas and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
This opportunity is matched with the additional opportunity to be considered for immediate project funding through the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention.
About the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP)
In 2016, NIH awarded a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant to Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) to establish the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP). COBREs focuses on developing research infrastructure tied to a specific thematic focus and provides junior faculty investigators with formal mentoring and 50% FTE-protected research time as well as research project funding to help them develop the necessary preliminary data to compete successfully for independent extramural research grant support.
The focus of the CCOP is to better understand the origins of pediatric obesity, as well as the behavioral and environmental contributors to obesity risk; and develop interventions designed to prevent and treat, and ultimately reduce, childhood obesity and its associated complications.
The CCOP offers junior faculty investigators unique opportunities for mentored career development and research skills training, and provides the following support to Research Project Leaders:
- Assignment of a Senior Mentor.
- Assignment of a Biostatistician.
- Access to the CCOP administrative and research cores as needed on a project-specific basis.
- Access to the full spectrum of CCOP research training seminars and workshops, as well as advising from senior Internal and External Advisory Committee members.
Research Project Leaders receive three years of funding with direct costs of up to $150,000 per year. A Research Project Grant (RPG; R01 equivalent) application submission is required by the end of the first two years of COBRE support.
Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP)
About the College of Nursing
The UAMS College of Nursing hosts the only Nursing PhD program in Arkansas. The college’s programs include doctoral (DNP, PhD), master’s, post-master’s certificate, and baccalaureate (BSN and RN to BSN) nursing programs with an enrollment of 719 students (275 undergraduate and 444 graduate). The nurse anesthesia specialty is one of 7 advanced practice nurse specialties in the DNP program.
The Mission of the College: The UAMS College of Nursing is committed to scholarly excellence in (1) undergraduate and graduate nursing education, (2) research, and (3) service to the University, profession, and society.
Research Mission: The research mission of the UAMS College of Nursing is to improve human health and well-being and advance health equity through innovative, interdisciplinary scientific discovery.
The UAMS College of Nursing advances the body of nursing knowledge through scholarship in research. The College of Nursing (CON) is home to a community of scholars who are conducting exciting research that contributes to theory testing, theory generating, and applied or basic research. Currently, faculty are conducting research in both clinical and community settings. Visit https://nursing.uams.edu/research/faculty-research-interests/ to view the nursing faculty’s active research interests.
U.S. News and World Report ranked the UAMS College of Nursing among the top 50 undergraduate nursing programs for 2022. In addition, the annual U.S. News ranking of graduate schools placed the UAMS Master’s in Nursing program 61st in the nation, its Doctor of Nursing program 62nd, and its public health program 79th.
About UAMS
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is the state’s only academic health sciences center, comprised of five health professions colleges (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions, and Public Health), a graduate school, six institutes, eight Regional Centers (six of which include family medicine practices and residency programs), and a comprehensive Medical Center. Its College of Medicine has held a unique and vital role in Arkansas for more than 130 years. UAMS is the largest public employer in the state of Arkansas with more than 11,000 employees. UAMS and its clinical affiliates, Arkansas Children’s and the VA Medical Center, are an economic engine for the state with an annual economic impact of $3.92 billion. Centrally located within the state, UAMS’s Little Rock campus is a tertiary referral center and the only Level 1 Adult Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center for Arkansas.
UAMS has several prominent research centers, including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Translational Research Institute, the Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute, and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. The UAMS strategic plan Vision 2029 outlines the institution’s commitment to growth in research.
UAMS is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Little Rock-North Little Rock communities consist of approximately 750,000 people and offers a high quality of life with a modest cost of living, excellent schools, and recreational opportunities.
UAMS Northwest: The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus was established in 2007 to support the rapidly expanding communities in the Northwest Arkansas region. Academic programs include the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Professions (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Genetic Counseling, Radiologic Imaging Sciences, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography).
UAMS Regional Campuses: Founded in 1973 through combined efforts of the Governor, the State Legislature, and UAMS, UAMS Regional Campuses serves as an educational outreach network for UAMS and the principal means to decentralize medical and other health professions education throughout the state and encourage graduates to remain in Arkansas and strengthen the healthcare in underserved communities.
Candidate Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:
- Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in nursing or a related field. If the doctoral degree is not in nursing, then a master’s degree in nursing is also required.
- Must hold an unencumbered RN or advanced practice nursing license with eligibility for licensure in Arkansas.
- Must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Strong oral and written communication skills, a robust publications record, presentations at scientific conferences
- Evidence of postdoctoral research training and an emerging funded research program
- Teaching experience in a nursing program, with graduate-level teaching experience preferred.
- The successful candidate will demonstrate a scholarly focus in pediatrics/adolescent obesity and related comorbidities, and/or nutrition, and obesity-related individual and/or environmental risk factors
- A cross-cutting focus on rural health and health disparities is strongly preferred.
Preferred Professional Experience
- Evidence of an existing program of research is desired.
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Preferred Personal Characteristics
- Well-developed emotional intelligence with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in a matrixed organization with multiple lines of reporting
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Unquestioned personal integrity
Procedure for Candidacy
The UAMS Executive Search Group is facilitating this search. Applications, inquiries, and nominations should be submitted to Duchess Johnson at ejohnson2@uams.edu.
For full consideration, applications should be received by August 5, 2022, and include the following documents:
- A curriculum vitae
- A letter of interest providing a concise summary of qualifications for the position, including a research statement and a summary of research goals.
This position is subject to a pre-employment criminal background check. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication alone shall not disqualify an applicant except as provided by law. Any criminal history will be evaluated in relationship to job responsibilities and business necessity. The information obtained in these reports will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.
UAMS is an inclusive Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by telephone at (501) 686-6432 and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The safety of our team members at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is our top priority. For this reason, successful applicants for this position must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have filed a request for medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. UAMS will adhere to all federal, state, and local regulations and will obtain necessary proof of vaccination prior to employment to ensure compliance.