supportive environment with low teaching loads, quality faculty
and students, and frequent visits from renowned scientists. These
features attract more-exceptional academics, who garner more
funding, supporting the institution’s growth and reputation. When
a researcher is hired by a highly ranked department, there is a clear
expectation that the new hire will perform well or will not get ten-
ure. Having colleagues who are standouts in their respective fields
can be intimidating, but they can provide critical advice, encour-
agement, and support whereby a rising tide lifts all boats.
A critical and sometimes overlooked issue for prospective fac-
ulty is their choice of research focus. Does a faculty candidate swim
in the mainstream of their respective discipline or not? Does she
select a topic that is challenging or go with a safe bet? Does he
work on an easy problem or rather on a problem that is riskier and
demands real exploration? I have found that the key difference
between faculty at top universities and those at other institutions
is not necessarily smarts or intellect, but the courage to work on
consequential problems.
To lift a department’s ranking, the faculty need to work on
research problems that matter to society. And to embark upon an
important line of research, one needs confidence in one’s abili-
ties and to be ready to pivot when things aren’t going as planned.
Maybe then, when interviewing a faculty candidate, hiring com-
mittees should use Kahneman’s approach and assess traits that
concern self-esteem, resilience, and the ability to accept failure.
A psychologist could help formulate a few factual questions and a
framework for scoring the responses.
Analyzing these types of data may help identify the best candi-
date during the faculty interview process: someone with substan-
tial academic, social, and financial support plus a decent helping
of confidence. With the Biden administration and bipartisan US
Congress’s efforts, substantial research funds are becoming avail-
able in the US and will address the financial piece of this puzzle.
Additional focus on the selection of important research problems
will be needed to improve the quality of the research enterprise,
bolster the standing of individual institutions, and allow the US to
continue competing internationally in various fields. JGeorges Belfort is an Endowed Institute Professor and professor
of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute in New York. You can reach out to him at [email protected].facebook.com/TheScientistMagazineDid you know that more than
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Considering the most effective criteria for
selecting new faculty is important, with long-
term implications.