Cluster Hire Program

The Cluster Hire Program supports the recruitment of interdisciplinary cohorts of qualified junior tenure-track scientists from a variety of backgrounds who demonstrate commitment to inclusive excellence in teaching, scholarship, or service; work environments that value diverse perspectives; and community engagement, consistent with our institutional mission. This program is currently on pause (awaiting additional funding). A total of 9 faculty members have been hired with the support of this program.

Faculty hires recruited through this program may have appointments in one or more UMass Chan departments.

Key program features of the program include:

•  Broad national outreach to cast a wide net to ensure a large candidate pool.
• The use of evidence-based strategies to evaluate applicants in a standardized manner to help mitigate unconscious cognitive processes that may influence candidate evaluation and increase objectivity and transparency. These strategies include an anonymized screening of applications (for example, the candidate’s research plan, anonymized by the candidate), consideration of the candidate’s personal attributes and experiences that contribute to the university’s mission, and the use of standardized rubrics for evaluating all candidates.
• Search committees are encouraged to attend a training session on unconscious cognitive processes and strategies to minimize them.
• To further support the career advancement of junior cluster hires, they are encouraged to participate in our Investigator Career Advancement Program (iCAP). iCAP provides mentorship, sponsorship and a structured curriculum intended to empower their scientific and professional development and facilitates their social and cultural integration into our larger UMass Chan scientific community.  

The program is open to qualified junior basic scientists. We are especially eager to consider applicants from groups with traditionally low participation in medicine and biomedical sciences and whose research and experience serve to support the UMass Chan mission. These groups include first-generation college graduates, individuals with accessibility needs, veterans, candidates from certain demographic groups (race/ethnicity, sex/gender), and those with a history of economic and social disadvantage. 

When available, positions are posted on the UMass Chan AJO site in late summer/early fall.