Join our Faculty

Join Our Faculty

Join CSB's research environment as a Center Faculty member

CSB strives to grow and support a vibrant, collaborative community working at the cutting edge of synthetic biology research, education, and entrepreneurship. To facilitate growth, while maintaining our close knit connections, we have established two important faculty roles in the Center: core and affiliated faculty. Core faculty are the backbone of the center, representing leaders in the field that drive the center mission forward. Affiliate faculty are integrated into the center to expand the reach of activities to other important areas of Northwestern.

Admission of new CSB members

New and existing Northwestern faculty can join CSB as a faculty member. Current Northwestern faculty will normally be admitted as affiliates. New faculty members can join through a CSB-sponsored or non-CSB faculty search and can be admitted prior to arrival.

The process for consideration of new CSB members consists of:

1. The submission of materials by the prospective member including a cover letter explaining their interest in joining the CSB, their CV, and a research presentation to the CSB members emphasizing potential collaborations and interactions within the CSB community.
2. The collection of feedback from CSB core faculty members about the prospective member.
3. A vote by the CSB Co-Directors and Executive Council upon review of materials and feedback.

Faculty Distinctions

Core and Affiliate Faculty

Core faculty

CSB core faculty members are role models and leaders in the synthetic biology field, both internally at Northwestern and externally in the world-wide community. Core faculty are deeply involved in center activities and thus have many intangible benefits for themselves and their research groups. In addition to these, core faculty currently have the following direct benefits:

• Priority access to center grant proposal writing support.
• Assistance from CSB administrative staff for CSB-related work.
• Priority access to equipment at the CSB foundry.
• Support for award nominations.
• Recognition as a leader within NU CSB.
• Facilitated networking/fundraising with industry partners and philanthropists with the
  potential for direct research support.

In return, we expect core faculty to be highly engaged members that contribute to the CSB community through participation in most (or all) of the following activities:

• Attend at least half of CSB faculty meetings.
• Participate in synthetic biology-related activities within the NU community including:
  meeting with CSB seminar speakers, sending representatives to the CSB retreat every year and attending themselves at least once every two years, presenting at CSB workshops and community activities, having research group members participate in CSB community events such as the Research In Progress meetings.
• Form collaborations with other CSB faculty through writing collaborative center grants, and collaborative publishing.
• Acknowledge the CSB as an affiliation on publications.
• Engage in synthetic biology activities outside of NU by: attending or organizing synthetic
  biology meetings (ex: SEED, Synthetic Biology GRC, Central US SynBio meeting, etc.), becoming an active member of EBRC, publishing in synthetic biology journals and special issues.
• Performing other university or community service roles that benefit CBS including university administrative roles, and large synthetic biology organizational leadership.

We also ask that, at least once every 3 years, our core faculty members take on more substantial leadership and service roles to give back to the internal community, including but not limited to the following:

• Hosting a CSB seminar speaker.
• Hosting a CSB summer undergraduate or teacher research trainee (e.g., from the REU or RET programs).
• Serving in a CSB leadership role.
• Co-organizing the CSB retreat.

Core faculty are generally long-term members. Periodically, the Co-Directors will ask core faculty to identify their planned CSB contributions. A core faculty member who does not participate at the levels described above will be reminded of their obligations, and will transition to affiliate faculty if no changes in participation are made. Core faculty may choose to transition to an affiliate faculty role at any time, for example if their research interests or priorities change.

Upon separation from the university, core faculty will automatically transition to become external faculty for the duration of their adjunct appointment.

Affiliate faculty

Affiliate members are equally critical to our community, though the expected participation is reduced compared to core faculty to accommodate other priorities and interests. Affiliate faculty benefit from access to CSB activities including faculty meetings, collaborative CSB grant opportunities, and CSB events and retreats for themselves and trainees.

Affiliate faculty are expected to participate in one or more of the following activities annually:

• Attend CSB faculty meetings when available.
• Participate in synthetic biology-related activities within the NU community including:
  meeting with CSB seminar speakers, sending representatives to the CSB retreat every year and attending themselves at least once every two years, presenting at CSB workshops and community activities, and having research group members participate in CSB community events such as the Research In Progress meetings.
• Participate in CSB research collaborations with other CSB faculty.
• Engage in synthetic biology activities outside of NU by: attending or organizing synthetic biology meetings (ex: SEED, Synthetic Biology GRC, Central US SynBio meeting, etc.), becoming an active member of EBRC, publishing in synthetic biology journals and special issues and including CSB affiliation in those publications.

Affiliate faculty may transition to core faculty upon showing a sustained (~2 year) track record of contributions to the CSB community. After two years of not participating at the levels described above, affiliate members will be reminded of their obligations. If no action is taken, they will be removed from the CSB faculty.

Upon separation from the university, affiliate faculty will automatically transition to become external faculty for the duration of their adjunct appointment.