ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR RESEARCH

About the role

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine seeks a dynamic and visionary Associate Dean for Research to serve as a senior academic leader responsible for advancing and integrating the school's research mission.

Responsibilities

• Provides vision and leadership for the School of Medicine's research enterprise across basic, clinical, translational, maternal, and population health domains.
• Aligns research priorities with institutional goals, health system strategy, and regional and national public health needs.
• Strengthens and expands pharmaceutical-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials.
• Advances translational and population health research programs that move discoveries from bench to bedside to community.
• Serves as a key liaison with the UTRGV Division of Research to ensure School of Medicine faculty have seamless access to institutional research tools, support services, and collaborative opportunities.
• Mentors medical students, residents, fellows, junior faculty, and early-career investigators.
• Delivers administrative guidance to faculty in securing extramural funding from external sources, to include but not limited to, NIH, NCI, CDC, HRSA, foundations, and industry.
• Promotes team science, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cross-departmental research initiatives.
• Supports clinician-scientists in balancing clinical care, research productivity, and academic advancement.
• Buils and sustains partnerships with industry, federal agencies, foundations, public health entities, and community organizations.
• Collaborates closely with basic science leaders to ensure seamless translation of discovery into clinical and population-level impact.
• Supports regulatory oversight and compliance for human subjects research, clinical trials, and translational studies.
• Contributes to the development and expansion of research infrastructure, shared cores, and data-driven population health platforms.
• Participates in Associate Dean of Research meetings hosted by the Division of Research to remain informed of policy changes, emerging developments, and updates impacting the area, while ensuring alignment with institutional, state, and federal rules and regulations.

Requirements

• Terminal degree in Medicine from an accredited university.
• Five (5) years of administrative or leadership experience within an academic medical center or equivalent setting.
• Established record of funded research and peer-reviewed scholarly achievement.
• Experience leading basic, clinical, translational, maternal, or population health research programs, including multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to mentorship and faculty development.
• Experience mentoring residents, fellows, and physician faculty in clinical, translational, and population-based research.

Qualifications

• Broad expertise across clinical medicine, basic discovery, clinical trials, translational science, maternal health, and population health.
• Deep understanding of patient care realities, clinical workflows, EMR integration, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to align research priorities with health system goals such as prevention, early detection, maternal outcomes, and chronic disease management.
• Opportunity for continued, limited clinical responsibilities and direct involvement in clinical and/or clinical-basic research, including patient-facing research activities, allowing the Associate Dean to remain engaged in patient care and discovery while leading the research enterprise.

Skills

• Strong collaborative leadership skills across clinical, research, and community partners.

Benefits

• Opportunity for continued, limited clinical responsibilities and direct involvement in clinical and/or clinical-basic research, including patient-facing research activities, allowing the Associate Dean to remain engaged in patient care and discovery while leading the research enterprise.

Pay

Commensurate with Experience

Schedule

N/A