The George Lynn Cross Research Professorship is the highest research and creative activity honor given by the University to a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership over a period of years in his or her field of learning or creative activity.
In the year of designation as a George Lynn Cross Research Professor, the person receiving the professorship will receive a one-time award of $7,000 and a permanent salary increase of 7% on the University base salary or $7,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
The term of a George Lynn Cross Research Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
Nominations are due from the Dean to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships by November 1, 2024, via the online submission form.
A clear expectation for a research-intensive university is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge and forms of creative activity. The creation of new knowledge derives from scholarly activities that drive innovation, with such activities supported by funding mechanisms appropriate to the discipline. A nominee must have contributed significantly to the mission of the University of Oklahoma in research and creative activity, and must have been recognized nationally and internationally by peers for distinguished contributions to knowledge or distinguished creative work. Evidence of the creation of new knowledge is established through impactful outcomes disseminated in different peer-reviewed formats that may include publication of research manuscripts and books, performances and exhibits, and the effective mentorship and graduation of students. Recognition of scholarly activities may also include work in clinical trials and health services, quality improvement, and population health research. The impact of the nominee's research and creative/scholarly activities on the field of study must be substantiated by documentation appropriate to the discipline and by letters of support from informed leaders in the nominee's field of study. For the Health Sciences Center, attention will be given to the ways in which a nominee may have an impact through team science and interdisciplinary/interprofessional scholarship.
A nominee must have fulfilled obligations and performed well in the other areas of the university's function (i.e., teaching, service/outreach) as well.
Eligibility
Nominees from the Norman campus must be tenured full-time faculty members. Nominees from the Health Sciences Center campus may include both consecutive term and tenured/tenure eligible faculty. Nominees will normally hold the rank of full professor but associate professors may be considered. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance in the area of the specific award. Recipients are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship. Recipients are eligible for a David Ross Boyd Professorship, David L. Boren Professorship, and Regents’ Professorship.
Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the professorship by September 15 and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department's/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. Only one nomination per academic unit or other nominating group of faculty is allowed. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets, including supporting documentation.
Nominations will be forwarded to the respective dean of the college for review and endorsement. The nomination packages and names of potential external letter writers shall be forwarded to the respective campus Vice President for Research, who, in consultation with the respective dean, will develop a final list of potential evaluators who will be contacted for their support letters addressed to the deans.
Supporting Documentation
Recommendations are to be accompanied by specific indications that the person being recommended meets the criteria for selection.
Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
An optional letter from the Dean and respective Vice Presidents for Research (Norman campus or OUHSC), if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the mission of the respective College(s) and the university. This will be the only internal letter accepted. The Dean and Vice President for Research’s letter will not count towards the 25-page limit. Materials are due to the respective Vice President for Research by November 1.
All materials listed above should be submitted from the Dean's office by November 1 via the online submission form.
Evaluation
The Vice President for Research will present to the appropriate Research Council all nominations with the supporting documentation. In addition, the Vice President for Research will present to the Research Council the external evaluations and his/her own evaluation.
The Research Council shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council may seek additional data about the nominees from supplemental sources, as appropriate. The Council shall forward to the Senior Vice President and Provosts its recommendation(s) for the Professorship for their review. Research Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees.
Selection
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nominees and forward their recommendations along with all substantiating materials, by February 1 to the President, who will make the recommendations to the Board of Regents.
The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors ceremony and for the Health Sciences Center at the Spring General Faculty Meeting.
In the year of designation as a George Lynn Cross Research Professor, the person receiving the professorship will receive a one-time award of $7,000 and a permanent salary increase of 7% on the University base salary or $7,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
The term of a George Lynn Cross Research Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
This award is administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. For questions about this award, please contact Rose Filley (rmfilley@ou.edu).
The Regents Professorship was established on November 12, 1943 on action by the University Regents. The first four appointments were effective January 1, 1944. Upon his retirement from the University in 1968, the Regents re-named this professorship for George Lynn Cross.
