Also see related article on CIRES hiring and federal employee participation here.   Key Principle  Federal employees may support project alignment and candidate exposure to the environment, but must not be involved in personnel decision-making  What Federal Employees Can Do  Collaborate on developing the position description (define technical needs,...

Considering a promotion to Research Scientist I (RSI)? This promotion type does not go through the formal career track review process. Instead, it is a process initiated by the CIRES supervisor when they can demonstrate that the employee meets the criteria laid out in the RS1 definition. RS1 employees are considered regular employees and ongoing mem...

  Manager Exit Interview Guide   Best Practices for Constructive Employee Departure Conversations Core Guidance: Listen more than you talk, seek understanding rather than justification, and focus on organizational learning rather than changing the employee's mind. Purpose Gather insights that may improve the employee experience. Support a smooth tra...

    As of August 2025, CU Boulder requires that funding lapses or reductions resulting in an employee's FTE adjustment, layoff, or furlough be pre-approved by campus and CIRES leadership. Further, the campus requires that employees receive formal notification of any impacts to their employment status no later than 30 days in advance of the personnel...

The Career Track is CIRES' internal employee promotion program. For details on the career track program and related criteria, please log into InsideCIRES via the following link: https://insidecires.colorado.edu/hr/tracks/RS.html   If you have any questions, please reach out to CIRES HR cireshr@colorado.edu        ...

Compensation Increase Timeline at CIRES / CU Boulder Since 2021, CIRES and CU have taken several actions to increase employee compensation. We recognize the cost of living, combined with inflation and the overall job market, makes it imperative we strive to retain our talented faculty and staff. This ongoing work aligns with our CIRES Compensation P...

  Early Promotion Requests Exceptional candidates with demonstrated performance and merit can be considered for accelerated advancement through the career track. Exceptional cases may be considered but are not commonplace and typically happen if the years in a position are close to the time criteria and the nominee and the letters of support provide...

Purpose Returning to work after welcoming a child can be both exciting and challenging. Supervisors play an important role in helping employees successfully transition back to work while maintaining productivity, engagement, and a positive employee experience. This guide outlines recommended practices for supervisors and employees before, during, an...

At CIRES, we are committed to conducting innovative research that advances our understanding of the global, regional, and local environments and the human relationship with those environments, for the benefit of society.  Our total rewards philosophy acknowledges the enormity of both our mission and the challenges to reaching it. CIRES is an interna...