Associate Professor/Professor (Assoc Chair of Research- Medicine)

The Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) seeks a highly accomplished, collaborative, and visionary physician‑scientist to serve as Associate Professor/Professor and Associate Chair of Research.

About the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria is a regional campus of one of the largest public medical schools in the United States. We are known for having small class sizes and exceptional faculty mentorship. This allows UICOMP students to excel under a rigorous curriculum. In collaboration with our hospitals and clinical partners, UICOMP Faculty members provide care to more than 45,000 patients each year. In addition, they contribute to medical education and training for more than 260 students, and more than 300 physician residents and fellows annually. UICOMP healthcare partners include Jump Simulation, a world-class leader in healthcare simulation and innovation, along with OSF Saint Medical Center, OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois and Carle Hearth Greater Peoria. UICOMP is also part of a R1 research institute with translational research focusing on Alzheimer dementia and oncology.

Learn more about how the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria is helping to transform healthcare here: .

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits . This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Position Summary

The Associate Professor/Professor (Medicine) will provide strategic leadership for the Department of Medicine's research enterprise to advance research, education, and scholarly activity within the Department of Medicine, one defined by exceptional training, innovation, scholarship, and discovery. In this role, the faculty member will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the department's research portfolio to catalyze new research initiatives, increase funded awards, and support high-impact projects and publications. This position will also assess existing research space and develop forward-looking strategies and priorities for its effective allocation. Focuses on growing funded research, launching new initiatives, and supporting high‑impact scholarship. Oversees assessment and strategic allocation of research space.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Planning Develop and execute a comprehensive departmental research strategy that aligns with institutional priorities and supports federally funded training mechanisms, including NIH T32, K-, and R-level programs. Provide leadership in positioning the Department of Medicine as a nationally competitive training environment for clinical, implementation science and health services research. Cultivate a Robust Research Culture: Promote a strong, supportive research environment by intentionally fostering a growth mindset. Celebrate research achievements at all levels to reinforce engagement, motivation, and continuous improvement. Strengthen Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Proactively build and support collaborative research efforts both within the department and across the institution to advance innovative, high impact scholarly work. Advise departmental and institutional leadership on strategies to strengthen research training infrastructure, mentor capacity, and trainee outcomes. Faculty Mentoring and Development Serve as a senior mentor and training leader for postdoctoral physician-scientists and PhD researchers participating in NIH-funded training programs, including training grants and career awards. Lead the development, implementation, and continuous evaluation of structured mentoring frameworks consistent with federal funding expectations for institutional training grants. Ensure availability of team-based mentorship, pairing clinical mentors with methodological experts in implementation science, health services research, biostatistics, and data science. Oversee mentor development activities, including mentor training, mentor evaluation, and accountability, to ensure high-quality guidance for trainees. Collaborate with the Center 4 Health research (C4HR), the Division of Research Services and other institutional partners to align research education curricula with implementation science competencies, including pragmatic trials, health systems research, dissemination, and equity-focused implementation. Support junior faculty and trainees in career development planning, grant writing, and transition to independence, with particular emphasis on NIH K- and R-level funding. Fostering Research Productivity and Training Integration and Seed Funding Opportunities: Identify and secure funding sources to establish internal seed grants or bridge‑funding mechanisms that enable faculty to generate pilot data and strengthen future external grant applications. Integrate trainees into active, funded research programs, ensuring exposure to real-world implementation studies embedded in healthcare systems and communities Promote Collaborative Scholarship: Develop and support structures—such as thematic working groups, research seminars, and informal networking events (e.g., departmental “brown bag” lunches)—that foster collaboration within the department. Strengthen cross‑unit partnerships by encouraging engagement with the Center for Health Research at the College of Medicine Peoria, as well as other Centers across the University of Illinois College of Medicine and UIC. Advance Research Engagement Across Training Levels: Collaborate with UICOMP C4HR, Division of Research Services, Academic Affairs, and the Internal Medicine Academic Programs to expand research opportunities in health outcomes for students, residents, fellows, and faculty, ensuring meaningful participation and mentorship across all levels. Facilitate structured research opportunities for medical students, residents, fellows, postdoctoral trainees, and faculty, ensuring vertical mentoring across career stages. Securing External Funding Champion and support institutional training grants (e.g., T32, K12) and multi-investigator NIH awards relevant to implementation science and translational research. Provide leadership in developing competitive grant submissions that incorporate trainee involvement and mentorship plans, consistent with NIH standards. Support trainees and junior faculty in preparing NIH career development awards (K08, K23, K99/R00) and transition to independent funding. Research Infrastructure, Compliance, and Training Environment Ensure that research infrastructure, data resources, and compliance systems support high-quality training experiences, including protection of trainee research time. Promote a safe, inclusive, and respectful training environment consistent with NIH requirements for institutional training programs. Monitor trainee outcomes, including publications, grant submissions, career placement, and long-term research engagement. Additional Responsibilities Monitor and Report Research Performance: Establish clear research performance metrics and provide regular updates to departmental and institutional leadership. Represent the Department: Serve on institutional research committees, task forces, and external advisory groups. Act as the department’s representative and fill-in for department  when needed. Support Institutional Initiatives: Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possess an MD, MD/MPH, MD/PhD, DO or equivalent doctoral degree. Experience in grant writing and management and proven track record of external funding. Demonstrated record of externally funded independent research, preferably including NIH funding. Established excellence in mentoring physician-scientists and/or PhD trainees, with evidence of trainee scholarly productivity and career advancement.  Eligibility for academic appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior leadership or significant mentoring role on NIH institutional or career development training programs (e.g., T32, K12, KL2, or equivalent). Expertise in implementation science, health services research, translational research, or pragmatic clinical trials. Experience mentoring MD, MD-MPH, MD-PhD, or PhD postdoctoral trainees toward independent research careers. Demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary, team-based science and health equity–focused research.

To apply, please visit this job listing on the UIC Job Board at, , scroll towards the bottom of the page and click, “Apply Now”.

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For fullest consideration please apply by 8/7/2026.

The budgeted salary range for the position is $250,000 to $350,000 per year.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also  considering internal equity.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.