Director - Border Biomedical Research Center (BBRC)

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Carnegie R1, Opportunity, and Community-Engaged university at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico border region that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education, and economy of the community we serve. UTEP enrolls more than 26,000 students, 84% of whom are Hispanic and half of whom are the first in their families to attend college. UTEP offers 169 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, El Paso is set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert in one of the largest binational communities in the world. A family-oriented community that is one of the safest large cities in the U.S., the cost of living in El Paso is very reasonable with an average home value of $224,000 in 2025, and Texas has no state income tax. In 2026, U.S. News and World report named El Paso the best big city to live in the nation. The region's rich culture includes a vibrant street art and mural scene, art galleries, a new children's museum and science center, the state's longest-running symphony orchestra, and a full schedule of seasonal events and festivals. Sports fans will enjoy Division I college athletics, Triple-A baseball affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas, and professional soccer team El Paso Locomotive FC, and outdoor enthusiasts will be drawn to year-round hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing in nearby state and national parks.

Learn more about faculty life at UTEP and what it's like to live and work in El Paso: Life & Work in El Paso

Job Description:

UTEP's College of Science comprises five academic departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics. Research and education within the College extend from fundamental scientific discovery to applied work addressing challenges in human health, energy, materials, the environment, and data-intensive science.

Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to participate directly in research and to collaborate across traditional disciplinary boundaries. As an R1 institution, the College provides a setting in which faculty members pursue nationally and internationally significant scholarship while preparing students for careers in research, healthcare, education, industry, government, and public service. The College also advances UTEP's broader mission through scientific outreach, community engagement, and partnerships within and beyond the border region.

Position Overview

UTEP invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of the Border Biomedical Research Center (BBRC). The successful candidate will be appointed as a tenured Full Professor and will join the leadership team of UTEP's National Institutes of Health (NIH) U54 award, funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) through the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program. The BBRC is a hub for interdisciplinary biomedical research focused on Hispanic health disparities and priorities.

The BBRC supports biomedical research across basic, behavioral, translational, implementation, and community-engaged domains; develops students and early-stage investigators; collaborates with community stakeholders and local health systems; and builds regional and national partnerships to address health disparities, disease mechanisms, and develop community-based interventions. The BBRC's accomplishments contributed to UTEP's attainment of the R1 Carnegie designation in 2019 and its reaffirmation in 2022.

The BBRC seeks a visionary and nationally recognized biomedical scientist with a sustained record of NIH funding and funding from other agencies, demonstrated leadership of complex multidisciplinary research programs or centers, and a strong commitment to the missions of Minority-Serving and and/or Hispanic-Serving Institutions. The successful candidate will be appointed as a tenured Full Professor in a College of Science department consistent with their academic and research background and will report administratively to the Dean of the College of Science.

Key Responsibilities

Center Leadership, Growth, and Sustainability

• Provide strategic and scientific leadership for the BBRC, fostering a collaborative environment that advances basic biomedical, behavioral, population, clinical, translational and implementation research addressing health disparities and the health priorities of the US-Mexico border region. Provide strategic oversight of the BBRC's specialized research core facilities, ensuring that their capabilities and services effectively support investigators and advance the Center's scientific mission.
• Cultivate cross-college and interdisciplinary partnerships, multi-institutional collaborations, and strengthen partnerships with healthcare systems and community organizations with a focus on advancing the BBRC's research mission and regional impact.
• Execute a strategy for the BBRC's long-term financial and operational sustainability and growth through competitive grant renewals, new- center-level funding opportunities, diversified revenue sources, and institutional investment. Align the BBRC's research portfolio and cores capabilities with UTEP's institutional priorities, emerging scientific opportunities, and national priorities in health disparities and biomedical research.

Investigator Mentoring and Development

• Mentor early-career faculty, research project leaders, and postdoctoral fellows in developing independent research programs and securing competitive peer-reviewed external funding, including NIH R01 or equivalent awards.
• Collaborate with the appropriate colleges and departments to identify and/or recruit faculty aligned with the BBRC's strategic mission.

Resource Management and Administration

• Provide responsible stewardship of the BBRC's financial resources and oversee the strategic allocation of extramural funding, core-facility revenue, and institutional support in partnership with the College of Science and the UTEP Central Administration.
• Engage the BBRC's external advisory committee and lead its internal steering committee, using a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess Center performance, productivity and research impact.
• Lead the BBRC's governance structure, ensuring effective decision-making, accountability, compliance, and transparent communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements:

• Education: M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree.
• Academic Rank: Hold the rank of Full Professor with tenure or possess credentials appropriate for appointment at that rank in a department within the UTEP College of Science (e.g., Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematical Sciences).
• Research and Funding Track Record: Must have a distinguished record of independent, peer-reviewed NIH funding such as R01, U54, P20, or comparable research awards, and a strong record of influential biomedical scholarship.
• Programmatic Expertise: Demonstrated leadership experience in managing or directing NIH-funded centers and programs, with a comprehensive understanding of the research and capacity-building needs of Minority-Serving research universities.
• Leadership and Administrative Experience: Proven record of effective leadership in a research center, institute, academic department, or comparable unit; including oversight of complex budgets, personnel, operations, and large-scale project management.
• Commitment to Mentoring: Demonstrated commitment to mentoring students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty in the biomedical sciences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional experience with educational/training awards is desired.

Additional Information:

In keeping with its access, excellence, and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee's or prospective employee's right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. Inquiries-including the filing of a Formal Complaint or reporting an incident-about the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, who can be reached by phone at (915) 747-8358, by email at titleix@utep.edu, or by mail at 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, Kelly Hall, Room 312.

For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at eoaa@utep.edu.

To the extent that this position involves research, work, or access to critical infrastructure as referenced in Executive Order GA-48, being hired for and continuing to be employed in this position requires the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure.

Application Instructions:

Interested candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest integrating and detailing their: Research experience and a comprehensive history of current and past NIH funding; administrative philosophy, including a specific narrative on the role and importance of biomedical research centers within academic institutions; and their vision and approach to health disparities research. Include the names and contact information of four professional references who are familiar with the candidate's scientific achievements, leadership track record and administrative capabilities. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.