Membership Categories

The two categories of faculty membership are Members and Investigators. Membership in both categories is based on relevance of a faculty member's research, clinical, training, or service interests to the mission of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and to EKS NICHD research priorities. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows may be appointed as predoctoral or postdoctoral Affiliates.

Member

A Member is a Vanderbilt faculty member (a) who has extramural or intramural funding for a research program that is relevant to the Center's mission, or (b) who engages in research, clinical, training, or service activities relevant to the Center's mission. A Member who conducts research has access to research support services supported by the Center's university budget and access to research support such as funds for pilot research. In return, Members are expected to commit time to Center activities in a variety of ways of the Member's choosing.

Criteria for appointment as a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member include:

• A Vanderbilt faculty appointment
• An active program of research relevant to the Center's mission supported by active extramural or intramural funding or pending applications; and/or research, clinical, training, or service activities relevant to the Center's mission.
• Publication as first author or senior author in peer-reviewed journals, and/or evidence of relevant clinical activities
• Evidence of extramural activities; for example:
  • Reviewer for journal articles
  • Membership in and/or service with local, state, or national associations
  • Invited addresses, colloquia, workshops
  • Presentations at local, state, or national meetings or conferences
  • Willingness to commit time to Kennedy Center activities, e.g., program development, committee service, or core activity support.

Investigator

An Investigator is a Vanderbilt faculty member who meets the Member criteria (see above) and has extramural funding for a research program that is relevant to EKS NICHD research priorities and is approved for access to core support services in the Center's Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center core grant from EKS NICHD. An Investigator has priority access for research support services provided by the core grant. In return, Investigators are expected to commit time to Center activities in a variety of ways of the Investigator's choosing.

All Vanderbilt Kennedy Center appointments are made initially as Members. Each year when the Center submits its annual progress report/continuation application to NICHD, or every five years when we submit the renewal application, the active research grants of all members are reviewed by the Center director. Those whose grants are most relevant to NICHD’s research priorities are included as Investigators in the Center grant as a national IDDRC.

Application Process for Members

Application for Member may be submitted at any time during the year. To apply:

• Complete a brief membership application form
• Submit a current vita
• Ask two Center investigators or Members to provide brief letters of support.

Materials should be submitted to attention of Jan Rosemergy, Communication Services, PMB 40, 230 Appleton Place. When application materials are complete, they will be forwarded to the Membership Committee for review and recommendation to the Director, typically within two weeks of receipt of application materials. The Director's decision will be communicated to the applicant.

Faculty from Other Institutions of Higher Education

A faculty member from an institution of higher education other than Vanderbilt University must have a Vanderbilt adjunct faculty appointment or Visiting Faculty appointment to be considered for membership (a requirement of NICHD). All other membership criteria above apply.