BMS Faculty Membership Policies

BMS has over 270 faculty in the program. You can view the complete list on the main BMS website. 

BMS Faculty Membership Policy and Code of Conduct

Membership in the BMS training program is a privilege and a responsibility.

The Executive Committee conducts membership reviews every three years. Faculty members receive notice 4-6 months in advance of the review as a reminder to renew their commitment to the program and its training goals.

Excerpt from the letter to faculty:
Dear Colleagues: 

The BMS community is a vital part of the rich academic life of UCSF. We thank you for your contributions that maintain a robust training environment for BMS students and an exciting place for all of us to conduct research. I am also writing to remind you that the future of BMS depends on your continuing commitment. 

Your affiliation with the BMS program provides you access to graduate students. Membership is reviewed every three years and renewal is contingent upon demonstrated involvement in the program. The next review will be conducted ___.

As a general guideline, BMS Faculty members should contribute at least 20 hours per year of contact time in graduate program activities, exclusive of the time spent mentoring thesis students in an individual lab. Please also understand that “pizza talks” and other activities designed to help match students with rotation and thesis labs are not service to the program, but rather a privilege for participating faculty.

We recognize that some UCSF faculty members participate in multiple programs and that there is increasing pressure on all of our time. Nevertheless, the expectation is that you are willing to make a substantial commitment to BMS, whether you are a longstanding member, mid-career faculty, or a new member still building your research program. Please consider whether you could help more to advance the educational mission of our program.

At each review, membership renewal is contingent upon evidence of commitment to the training program by teaching in courses and the journal club (i.e. presenting and/or coaching students), academic advising, service on thesis and qualifying examination committees, outreach and other activities that promote diversity and inclusivity in the BMS program, regular attendance at program events, and/or BMS program committee service. In addition, training program faculty are expected to maintain a productive and inclusive training environment for thesis students of all backgrounds and identities. Relevant measures include whether lab students produce rigorous and reproducible publication-worthy research, complete their degrees, and transition successfully into careers in the scientific workforce. 

Training program faculty must also continuously participate in the Graduate Faculty Development Program (formerly the Thesis Mentor Development Program).  Each faculty member with a BMS student in his/her lab must complete the Sharpening your Mentoring Skills (SyMS) workshop OR the DEI Champions training within 2 years of accepting a student into their lab and take part in at least one mentorship development activity of their choosing each successive year. Failure to attend the SyMS workshop /DEI Champions training and participate in mentorship development activities will result in a ban from taking future rotation students until compliant. The program coordinator tracks faculty participation, and this information is made available to students and the BMS Executive Committee.

Faculty are given the opportunity to appeal membership non-renewal by providing the Executive Committee with additional information or circumstances regarding their participation or mentorship, and a plan for mitigating deficiencies. Non-renewed members are invited to reapply for membership in the future. Student safety and appropriate mentorship are our highest priority when considering faculty membership. 

The Executive Committee will revoke program membership at any time for conduct detrimental to the program, including but not limited to Scientific Misconduct or violations of the University Code of Conduct. In these cases, the program may seek guidance from the Office of Academic Affairs. We expect all BMS faculty members to represent and uphold UCSF values of Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.

Applying for BMS Faculty Membership

There are two ways faculty can join BMS – through a BMS sanctioned search or by applying to membership once they have already joined UCSF. 

BMS Sanctioned Search – A BMS sanctioned search is a search conducted by a department that adheres to certain requirements and is approved by the BMS program PRIOR to the search being conducted. To initiate a BMS-sanctioned search, please complete the BMS Sanctioned Search Form. Return the completed form to Meredith Miner the request will be forwarded to Adrian Erlebacher and Anita Sil (BMS Program Directors) for review and approval. Once approved, a signed copy will be returned to you. Please retain this for your records. Following conclusion of the search, please submit your final candidate’s CV and projected start date to the BMS program along with a copy of the approved search request form for review by our Executive Committee prior to a formal appointment as a BMS faculty member.  It is the responsibility of the hiring department to contact the BMS program once the search has concluded.

Search Guidelines

  • Permission to do a search with BMS must be forthcoming from either the BMS director or its Executive Committee before appointment of the search committee.
  • 50% of the members of the search committee must be from BMS faculty, and the composition of the committee must be approved by the BMS director or BMS executive committee.
  • During the search, as candidates come through they should meet not only with the search committee but also with several members of the BMS Executive Committee so that wider opinion about them can be formed. The earlier in the search this happens, the better.
  • If a candidate’s mentor is serving on the search committee, the mentor should recuse himself or herself from the committee.

Candidate Criteria

  • Research relevant to the emphasis of BMS on the cellular, molecular, and biochemical basis of vertebrate development, physiology, and disease.
  • Confidence that the individual would be a suitable mentor for a graduate student. This may include such considerations as time devoted to research if the candidate will have clinical responsibilities, publication record, funding resources, training record, etc.
  • Membership in the UCSF Academic Senate (no adjunct or clinical appointments).
  • The job should carry with it space assigned to the recruit (i.e., no hiring lieutenants appended to others' laboratories).
  • The location and extent of this space should be made known to the search committee and to the BMS director prior to the start of the search process.

** Once an employment offer has been accepted by the final candidate, the BMS Executive Committee must review the candidate's CV, a letter of support from the department Chair and a letter of support from a BMS faculty member to ensure the above criteria have been met before a decision about membership can be made. It is the responsibility of the hiring department to forward these materials to the BMS Program Manager once a hiring decision has been made so that a review can be scheduled. Membership depends on the applicant receiving a majority 'in favor' vote of the BMS Executive Committee.

Non Sanctioned Faculty Membership – Requesting BMS faculty membership is fairly simple. We will need a letter of support from a current BMS faculty member (a list is available on the main BMS website) and your department chair, and a copy of your current CV. The letters should attest to the items in the criteria list below, and the letter from your chair should also describe available lab space and grant support. These will be reviewed by the BMS Executive Committee, and your membership will be voted on at the soonest quarterly meeting.  In some cases, prospective faculty members will be asked to give a seminar to the BMS community before admission is approved.

Basic criteria for inclusion in the BMS Graduate Program faculty includes:

  1. Research relevant to the emphasis of BMS on the cellular, molecular, and biochemical basis of vertebrate development, physiology, and disease.
  2. NIH R01 support to ensure external peer review and support for a student's project.
  3. Confidence that the individual would be a suitable mentor for a graduate student.
  4. Membership in the UCSF Academic Senate.

The letter and CV need to be forward to the Program Manager, Meredith Miner.

Additional considerations before initiating a BMS-sanctioned search

1) Please consider carefully whether BMS sanction is appropriate for each search. If you are not certain that a position or a specific recruit is an appropriate candidate for graduate program membership, be aware that sanctioned searches are not the only way for a faculty member to join BMS. Faculty who establish a supported research program and meet the other standard criteria for BMS membership can apply for membership at any time.

2) Please create robust search committees and conduct robust searches. A four-person committee with two BMS members barely meets the minimum requirements for both UCSF and BMS. Including more BMS members (including one or more from outside your department) and engaging members of the BMS executive committee during interviews makes it much much easier for the exec committee to make an informed decision when it considers the successful candidate’s application for membership.

3) Relate to #2, above: Seek BMS sanction as early as possible. Please do not request BMS sanction if you have already made an offer to a specific candidate. Ideally, sanction should be sought before a preferred candidate has been identified.

4) The sanction form does not ask for sensitive information about expected startup packages. However, the understanding is that the department will make a substantial investment in the successful candidate. Especially for new assistant professors, this helps to make the new lab a viable place for graduate students to pursue their PhD.

Criteria & Review Policy for Continued Membership

We recognize that UCSF faculty members participate in multiple programs and that there is increasing pressure on all of your time. Belonging to this program will require some of your time, but we feel that the time spent is greatly offset by the stimulating interactions with students and faculty in the program.

BMS membership is reviewed every three years and renewal is contingent upon demonstration of a substantial commitment to the BMS program through one or more of the following activities: teaching; regular attendance at retreats, journal clubs, recruiting events, and other program activities; service on qualifying exam and thesis committees. Of these, teaching is by far the most important and most urgent need. The success of our core courses depends on a large number of faculty participating in course organization, lecturing, and discussion group and workshop leadership. In addition, we consistently need additional faculty to organize and teach spring BMS Mini-courses. As a general guideline, we expect BMS faculty members to contribute at least 10-20 hours per year contact time in graduate program activities, exclusive of the hours spent mentoring students who are rotating or doing thesis work in an individual lab.

Most recent review – 2023

Next scheduled review -2026