Purdue University and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Joint Appointment (JA) Processes

October 4, 2023

Purdue University and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have an institutional agreement that allows faculty from Purdue University and scientists from Argonne access to collaborative research and allows for academic appointments for ANL staff and scientific staff appointments for Purdue University faculty.

As part of the agreement, laboratory staff can pursue joint funding opportunities and work with faculty and students. Purdue faculty enjoy similar, reciprocal privileges.

Purdue faculty who request a joint appointment with ANL must have an ANL researcher to host the appointment.

Here is the process for Purdue faculty requesting a joint appointment at ANL:

1. Purdue faculty notifies department head and dean of their intention to apply for a JA to ANL and seeks their informal approval to proceed.
2. Purdue faculty contacts ANL staff in area aligned with expertise with help (if needed) from ANL’s JA Program Office. Purdue faculty obtains agreement from ANL staff to host the JA.
3. Purdue faculty submits ANL’s joint appointment pre-application, joint appointment acknowledgement, and CV to ANL’s JA Program Office.
4. ANL provides the “ANL-JA” form to Purdue applicant and Purdue’s Office of Research. which serves as the agreement for the JA. The form is completed based upon the Argonne application document and requires coordination with both Purdue Departmental and ANL finance managers if JA is funded.  The agreement requires formal approval via signature from the college dean or their designee.  University agrees to charge ANL no more than the offsite rate for overhead.
5. ANL provides approved appointment letter to Purdue applicant with copies to the college and Purdue’s Office of Research.
6. Purdue applicant will return signed appointment letter to ANL to be finalized.  The term of JA appointments will be two years with the option to renew through the same process, at the end of the term.

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) staff who request a joint appointment with Purdue University must have an academic unit supporting the appointment.

Here is the process for Argonne Scientists requesting a joint appointment at Purdue:

1. ANL staff contacts Purdue faculty member in the academic unit aligned with their expertise. Purdue faculty alerts their department head and dean of the interest from ANL.
2. ANL staff submits ANL’s joint appointment pre-application to ANL’s JA Program Office for approval.
3.  ANL provides the “ANL-JA” form to academic department head and Office of Research, which serves as the agreement for the JA.  The form is completed based upon the Argonne application document and requires coordination with both Purdue Departmental and ANL finance managers if JA is funded.  ANL will charge salary + ~30% fringe + 28% overhead.
4. Purdue academic department head decides whether or not to recommend ANL staff for a visiting researcher appointment.
5. Purdue academic department head forwards its recommendation to respective dean for approval to appoint the ANL staff.
6. Purdue Office of Research generates appointment letter and routes for approval to the academic dean or their designee.
7. Purdue Office of Research provides ANL’s JA Program Officer with a copy of the offer letter to obtain appointees signature and ANL approvals.
8. ANL JA Program Officer returns full executed offer letter to Purdue Office of Research and final confirmation is provided to academic department and appointee.

For questions or further information, contact:

Marcey Hoover, PhD
Director, Partner Relations, Federal Laboratories
E-mail: mlhoover@purdue.edu
Phone: (505) 917-4492