Executive Vice Dean for Research

Description

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.

As the principal architect of the research agenda, the Executive Vice Dean for Research will collaborate closely with department chairs, center and institute directors, clinical leaders, and campus partners. The Executive Vice Dean for Research will serve as a primary liaison to UT Austin's central research leadership, including the University's Vice President for Research, and to strategic partners across the UT System.

The position will play a central leadership role in advancing UT Medicine's transformational vision to build a world-class tertiary and quaternary academic health system in Austin. As part of UT Austin's greenfield, multi-billion-dollar investment in clinical, research, and translational infrastructure, the Vice Dean will help shape a next-generation model that tightly integrates discovery science, advanced clinical care, and innovation. This includes aligning research strategy with the rapid expansion of UT Medicine's specialty and subspecialty service lines, strengthening the strategic collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center to develop a premier cancer service line in Central Texas, supporting the development of leading-edge institutes, and fostering partnerships that accelerate translation from bench to bedside.

Key Responsibilities

As Executive Vice Dean for Research, you become the architect of a next-generation research enterprise. One built deliberately, at scale, and with national ambition. You will 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.

This role empowers you to shape how research is conceived, supported, and advanced by building the structures, governance, and culture that allow bold ideas and interdisciplinary teams to thrive. You will 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.

You will be positioned to 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. Through strategic investment in infrastructure, talent, and shared resources, you will enable faculty at all career stages to succeed and grow; strengthening both today's research enterprise and the pipeline of future scientific leaders.

At the intersection of research and clinical care, you will accelerate the translation of discovery into practice, expanding clinical trials, advancing implementation science, and helping build a learning health system that continuously improves outcomes. As a visible ambassador for Dell Medical School and UT Medicine, you will represent the institution on the national and global stage, shaping conversations with federal agencies, peer institutions, industry partners, and philanthropic leaders.

Qualifications

Candidate profile & qualifications

The Executive Vice Dean for Research will be an accomplished scholar-leader with the vision, credibility, and executive experience to guide a complex and rapidly growing research enterprise at a top-tier university.

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.

Application Instructions

• CV/Resume
• Cover letter or letter of interest
• 3 References