Executive Vice Dean of Research

Position

The Executive Vice Dean for Research serves as the senior academic and administrative leader for the research mission of Dell Medical School and the developing UT Medicine academic health system. This role carries institution wide responsibility for setting research strategy, strengthening operations and governance, and advancing a cohesive, high impact research enterprise that is fully integrated with clinical care, education, and community engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the scientific direction of Dell Medical School and UT Medicine, setting a clear, forward-looking research agenda that aligns discovery, translation, and impact across a rapidly evolving academic health system and one of the nation’s leading public research universities.
• Shape how research is conceived, supported, and advanced by building the structures, governance, and culture that allow bold ideas and interdisciplinary teams to thrive.
• Unite investigators across medicine, engineering, data science, public health, and the broader UT Austin ecosystem, creating an environment where collaboration is not incidental, but foundational.
• Elevate the institution’s national standing by attracting transformative funding, cultivating high-impact partnerships, and championing large-scale, multi-investigator initiatives that define fields rather than follow them.
• Enable faculty at all career stages to succeed and grow; strengthening both today’s research enterprise and the pipeline of future scientific leaders.
• Accelerate the translation of discovery into practice, expanding clinical trials, advancing implementation science, and helping build a learning health system that continuously improves outcomes.
• Represent the institution on the national and global stage, shaping conversations with federal agencies, peer institutions, industry partners, and philanthropic leaders.

Candidate Profile & Qualifications

• Academic Credentials and Scholarly Standing: The successful candidate will hold a MD, MD/PhD, or PhD, with a distinguished record of scholarly achievement meriting appointment as a tenured full Professor. This individual will bring a sustained history of extramural funding as a principal investigator.
• Leadership and Organizational Experience: Candidates will have significant senior leadership experience within an academic medical center, medical school, or research-intensive university, with demonstrated responsibility for advancing research strategy, growing funding portfolios, and building high-performing teams. Experience leading large, complex research organizations (i.e., centers, institutes, or multi-investigator initiatives) and scaling research infrastructure and interdisciplinary programs. A deep understanding of federal funding agencies, regulatory and compliance environments, and research administration is essential.
• Strategic and Collaborative Leadership Attributes: The ideal candidate is a strategic, systems-oriented thinker who appreciates both the mission and the transformative potential of academic medicine at an R1 university. This leader will be highly collaborative and politically astute, comfortable navigating a matrixed environment and forging productive partnerships across disciplines, institutions, and sectors. Exceptional communication skills are critical, including the ability to articulate a compelling vision for UT Austin, Dell Medical School, and UT Medicine to diverse internal and external audiences. Above all, the Executive Vice Dean for Research will be mission-driven, forward-looking, and deeply committed to advancing research that improves health, accelerates discovery, and shapes the future of academic medicine.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.