Membership Eligibility
Membership in The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine (the Heart and Vascular Center) is open to active Baylor College of Medicine faculty and staff. The membership categories and specific criteria listed below have been created to better organize and facilitate the focus of the Center’s mission.
Review and Renewal of Applications
All new applicants with a research focus, should apply to join an established or developing research program of the Heart Center. Applicants may choose to participate as a secondary member in an additional program. Members whose activities do not clearly align with any existing program may apply as an Affiliate member.
All new applications with a research interest will be reviewed by the program leaders of that program acting on behalf of the membership committee and will make a recommendation for membership. The Joint Integration Committee constitutes the full membership committee of the Heart Center. New non-aligned membership applications will be reviewed administratively with programmatic leadership input when necessary.
All membership recommendations will be reviewed administratively and will be sent to the Heart Center director for final approval. The director has the final authority on approval, disapproval or termination of membership.
Research members and clinical members are required to submit an updated curriculum vitae or NIH formatted biosketch each year.
All Heart Center members regardless of category will be reviewed at least every three years to determine the appropriate category of membership. Members must meet all the criteria listed for new applicants in their current membership category or their membership status is subject to reassignment. All recommended changes will be forward to the Heart Center director for final approval.
Applications may be submitted online:
Membership Categories
Clinical Members
Clinical members of the Center are faculty or staff of Baylor College of Medicine in a cardiovascular specialty who meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Practice is located in Fannin Tower, the McNair clinics, and/or Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center
• Primary clinical activity is focused on the care of patients with cardiovascular disease.
• Involvement in clinical care pathway/protocol or quality initiative development and execution
Research Members
Research members of the Center are faculty or staff at Baylor College of Medicine, are actively involved in research programs either directly or indirectly related to heart and vascular disease, and who meet one or more of the criteria below:
• Research activities are conducted on the Baylor College of Medicine campus
• PIs or co-PIs of a peer-reviewed* cardiovascular grant for basic, translational, clinical or population science research
• Investigators with a broadly applicable cardiovascular research portfolio that benefits multiple programs that include cardiovascular disease
• Co-investigators leading a project in a Program Project or similar multi-project grant
• Hold a leadership position in a cooperative group participating in planning nation-wide studies
• Play a critical role in the translational research of a program
• New independent, tenure-track faculty on seed package, but not yet externally funded
• Clinicians whose research activities include participation in investigator-initiated or sponsored research programs
• Investigators in health data and implementation science
Associate Members
Faculty or staff who do not meet the above criteria but are actively engaged in cardiovascular research, patient care, education, or outreach are designated as associate members. These members have access to Heart Center shared resources. Associate members can become research or clinical members if they meet the criteria in the future.
Affiliate Members
Individuals or practices with clinical, research, or educational efforts that align with the Center’s mission but do not qualify based upon the criteria above may apply for membership. These applicants will be required to demonstrate excellence consistent with the high standards of quality and integrity as required of members.
*Definition of Peer-Reviewed Research
To be considered a “peer-reviewed” project or study, the responsible reviewing/funding agency or organization should meet the general NIH requirements, including the following three criteria:
1. A peer-review system that uses primarily external reviewers and is free of conflict of interest
2. A ranking or rating system in the review process based on the scientific merit of the proposed research
3. A funding system based primarily on the peer-review ranking or rating of the research application
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