Hire Faculty in Clusters to Cultivate Interdisciplinary Research
Cluster hiring is an effective strategy for institutions to enhance research competitiveness, increase research funding, and obtain high-quality faculty members. When done correctly, cluster hiring can balance departmental hiring needs with larger institutional research strategy. However, successful cluster hiring can often be resource-intensive, involve multiple stakeholders, and require ongoing support. To increase the effectiveness of cluster hiring, senior university leaders must conduct thorough planning and clearly communicate across seven stages of the cluster hiring process.
Evaluate if cluster hiring is right for you
Senior leaders should determine if their institution has the right resources and stakeholder support for cluster hiring initiatives. Hiring multiple faculty members at once requires greater financial and staffing resources. Senior leaders need to gain support for cluster hires since these require involvement from multiple departments.
Additionally, an institution needs to clearly define topics of multidisciplinary research in order to prioritize them for cluster hiring. We recommend pursuing cluster hiring only after assessing whether it aligns with your institution’s goals.
This resource requires EAB partnership access to view.
Access the roadmap
Learn how you can get access to this resource as well as hands-on support from our experts through Strategic Advisory Services.
Learn More