The Impact of Centers and Institutes on Faculty Life: Findings from a Study of Life Sciences Faculty at Research-Intensive Universities' Medical Schools

This article reports on the impact of organized research centers on professional effort, productivity, and perceptions of work satisfaction for life sciences faculty members at research intensive universities' medical schools in the U.S. Results indicate that senior center-affiliated faculty members taught less but worked more total hours than peers not affiliated with centers. Senior affiliated faculty members were more productive than their non-affiliated peers and were more likely to be principal investigators on externally funded grants. Center-affiliated faculty members were more likely to be dissatisfied with their mix of activities and workload but more likely to be satisfied with job security and autonomy. Implications beyond this context are suggested.