Clinical, Adjunct, Research (CAR) Promotions

Source: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/about/faculty-and-staff/clinical-adjunct-research-car-promotions Parent: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/

Faculty may apply for promotion between January 5 and March 15, 2026. All applications are reviewed once annually at the CSM CAR Promotions Committee meeting in the spring.

Who is this for?

This application process is for all non-Geographic Full-Time (non-GFT) faculty, including:

Clinical Fee-for-Service (FFS)
Academic Medicine and Health Services Program (AMHSP) — Major Clinical
Clinical Alternative Relationship Plans (ARP)
Adjunct and Research faculty

Why should you apply?

Updated CAR Promotions Process

Watch this video to learn more about the updated CAR Promotions process.

Detailed CAR Promotion Criteria Document

Promotion Application Checklist

REVIEW THIS CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU FILL IN AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION!

1. Confirm your current rank and date of appointment

If you are unsure, please contact your department administrator.

2. Update your CV

Any format is acceptable, but the preferred format is the Cumming School of Medicine CV Template, which clearly outlines where to document your activities.

UCalgary CSM CV Template

3. Watch the overview video on the updated criteria (suggested)

View the 23-minute video summarizing the new criteria and how to decide what belongs in each pillar.

Watch the video

4. Decide on your pillars of academic activity

Choose your primary pillar of academic activity (Administrative/Service, Research/Scholarship, or Education/Teaching) and, if appropriate, a secondary pillar.

5. Draft your cover letter (max 3,000 characters)

This is the summary document your department head will use when considering the level of promotion to recommend. In it, you should:

Current Appointment\ Clearly state your current CAR rank\ Example: “I am currently a CAR Assistant Professor"
Time Since Last Promotion/Initial appointment\ Clearly state the year of your last promotion or your initial appointment to your current CAR rank.
Primary and Secondary Pillars of Academic Activity\ Identify your primary and (if applicable) secondary pillars of academic activity: Administrative/Service, Research/Scholarship, Education/Teaching
Summary of Contributions and Alignment with Promotion Criteria\ Provide a brief summary of your most significant and impactful contributions, highlighting how these align with the criteria for the rank you are seeking. Use bullet points or short paragraphs, and indicate the academic area(s) associated with each contribution. (Include link to updated criteria here.) For research/scholarship, include relevant metrics of impact; for education/teaching, describe your scope and influence as an educator; and for administrative/service, outline your leadership reach and impact.
Advancing UCalgary/CSM\ Provide a brief summary of how your work advances the University of Calgary/CSM. This can include contributions that strengthen the functioning and growth of the university, its departments, and the broader academic community. For work conducted externally, demonstrate how it aligns with the university’s missions of teaching, research, and service, and how it enhances the university’s reputation and impact at the local, national, or international level.

Find examples of sample cover letters under Sample Application Profiles, near the bottom of this page.\ \ Note: This cover letter will be used by your department head to concisely summarize your contributions and to present your file to the CAR Promotions Committee during the review process. Be clear, specific, and highlight your most relevant accomplishments.

*Your cover letter should not exceed 3,000 characters.\ \ You can choose to use Microsoft Copilot Chat to help you craft your cover letter. For instructions on how to do so, please review this PDF.

(If you have difficulty with copying and pasting the prompt included in the PDF above, you can download this Word DOCX version instead.)

6. Review the CAR Promotions Submission Form Preview

If you would like a preview of the questions you will find on the CAR Promotions Submission Form, please review the PDF below.

CAR Promotions Submission Form Preview

7. Check department-specific expectations and internal deadlines

Confirm any earlier internal deadline your department may use ahead of the central portal deadline.\ Review any department-specific guidance on what they expect to see for your rank and pillar(s).

8. Seek feedback on readiness

Share your draft CV and cover letter with your Department Promotions Committee (if applicable), or with your department head, mentor, or a trusted colleague for feedback on:

Any gaps and decide whether this is the right cycle to apply or whether you need to strengthen certain areas.
Whether your narrative aligns with the criteria for the level of promotion you are seeking

Pillars of Academic Activity

Administrative/Service

The Administrative/Service pillar of academic activity (B.2) recognizes contributions that support the governance, operations, leadership, and advancement of the Cumming School of Medicine, the University of Calgary, and its affiliated institutions. This includes service that meaningfully advances the academic missions of teaching, research, and community impact.

B.2.1 — Internal Service

Committee participation, departmental leadership roles, curriculum planning, and governance activities within the Cumming School of Medicine and University of Calgary.

B.2.2 — Health System Service

Alberta Health Services engagement, quality improvement initiatives, clinical program development, policy work, and board participation that advances healthcare delivery.

B.2.3 — Community & Societal Engagement

Advocacy work, public health outreach, educational programming, equity initiatives, and activities that serve broader populations and address health disparities.

Research/Scholarship

The Research/Scholarship pillar of academic activity (B.3) embraces an inclusive, modern definition of scholarly activity aligned with the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). This framework recognizes that scholarship extends beyond traditional bench research to include quality improvement, policy development, educational research, innovation, and implementation science.

B.3.1 — Research Leadership

Principal investigator roles, research team direction, grant coordination, and mentorship of research trainees and junior investigators.

B.3.2 — Publications & Presentations

Peer-reviewed manuscripts, books, book chapters, conference presentations, and other dissemination activities that advance knowledge.

B.3.3 — Funding & Resources

Securing competitive grants, managing research budgets, and obtaining resources to support scholarly work.

B.3.4 — Commercialization & Innovation

Patents, technology transfer, product development, and translation of research into practical applications.

B.3.5 — Creative Professional Activities (KT)

Creative professional activities that bridge research to practice, including knowledge translation through educational materials, clinical tools, and community-engaged scholarship.

Education/Teaching

The Education/Teaching pillar of academic activity (B.4) recognizes faculty contributions that advance learning across the continuum of health sciences and medicine. Teaching may occur through diverse modalities and learner levels, acknowledging that excellent teaching happens in a wide range of settings and is evaluated in relation to its context, scope, and impact.

B.4.1 — Scholarship in Education

Educational research, curriculum design innovations, and scholarly contributions to teaching methodologies.

B.4.2 — Quantity & Quality of Teaching

Direct teaching hours, learner evaluations, peer observations, and breadth of educational activities.

B.4.3 — Educational Leadership

Program director roles, course coordination, clerkship leadership, and educational committee work.

B.4.4 — Program Development

Creating new curricula, implementing innovative teaching methods, and building educational infrastructure.

B.4.5 — Mentorship & Coaching

Supervising trainees, career advising, research mentorship, and supporting professional development.

B.4.6 — Assessment & Evaluation

Designing evaluation tools, contributing to competency assessments, and improving feedback systems.

Promotion Criteria

The table below provides a high-level summary of the promotion criteria across academic ranks. It is intended as a guide to illustrate expectations and areas of emphasis; applicants should refer to the detailed CAR Promotions document for complete descriptions, examples, and requirements.

CAR Assistant Professor	CAR Associate Professor	CAR Professor
Contributions in at least 1 of 3 pillars of academic activity: Administrative/Service, Research/Scholarship or Education/Teaching.	Documented contributions beyond the typical practice of their discipline in at least two of the three pillars of academic activity: Administrative/Service (B.2.1–B.2.3): Primary pillar: Minimum 2 of 3 areas of activity Secondary pillar: 1 of 3 areas of activity Internal to the University of Calgary (B.2.1) is required in all cases Research/Scholarship (B.3.1–B.3.5): Primary pillar: Minimum 2 of 5 areas of activity Secondary pillar: 1 of 5 areas of activity Education/Teaching (B.4.1–B.4.6): Primary pillar: Minimum 3 of 6 areas of activity Secondary pillar: 2 of 6 areas of activity	Documented contributions beyond the typical practice of their discipline in at least two of the three pillars of academic activity: Administrative/Service (B.2.1–B.2.3): Primary pillar: Minimum 3 of 3 areas of activity Secondary pillar: 2 of 3 areas of activity Internal to the University of Calgary (B.2.1) is required in all cases Research/Scholarship (B.3.1–B.3.5): Primary pillar: Minimum 3 of 5 areas of activity Secondary pillar: 2 of 5 areas of activity Education/Teaching (B.4.1–B.4.6): Primary pillar: Minimum 4 of 6 areas of activity Secondary pillar: 3 of 6 areas of activity
These contributions must be achieved since the faculty member’s initial appointment.	These contributions must be achieved since the faculty member’s last promotion.	These contributions reflect cumulative activity over a faculty member’s career.
Demonstrable contribution to activities of the CSM/UCalgary.	Demonstrable contribution to activities of the CSM/UCalgary.	Demonstrable contribution to activities of the CSM/UCalgary.
		Faculty should be able to show that their work has meaningfully influenced systems, policy, or practice and has had major impact within their discipline.

Sample Application Profiles

Explore sample CVs and cover letters that reflect different areas of academic focus and promotion levels. These examples illustrate how faculty at different ranks (e.g., Assistant and Associate Professor) may present their achievements across primary pillars of academic activity such as Administrative/Service, Research/Scholarship, or Education/Teaching. They are intended to help you visualize how to frame your own work based on your career focus —not to serve as templates, checklists, or exact requirements.

Cover Letter

Sample Cover Letters:

CV

Sample CVs:

Applications are now closed.

Need help?

1:1 Support

If you are looking for extra help with your promotion application and would like to book one-on-one sessions with the OFD team, please schedule a meeting using the following booking links:

Fareen Zaver (for guidance on mapping activities to the appropriate promotion pillars and requirements)

Kenna Kelly-Turner (for start-to-finish promotion support, specializing in GFT/non-clinical faculty)

Danielle Kiss (for CV review and assistance)

Email OFD

Not sure where to turn or which option to choose? Email the Office of Faculty Development (OFD) for support.