回复：but how could you explain this

我的理解是这个只能由你们学校出面负责解释。比如说找一个正式的文件，里面带有对research faculty 职位的说明。很多学校的PRS HANDBOOK一般都有这样的字样：the four categories of research faculty, research investigator, assis. research sicentist, associate research scientist ans research scicentist are considered parrallel to the four categories of tenure-tracked instructional faculty....their duty are...the criteria for these positions are....

如果这个都不行，那恐怕没戏了。

还有，你的职称是research scientist? 这个职称是很高的，相当于full professor。