General Information
Overview
This guidance sets out the University’s procedure for the consideration of academic promotion in the three career pathways, as explained below.
Research and Teaching (R&T) pathway
Following approval of both the Report of the General Board on arrangements for the implementation of the Academic Career Pathways Scheme (Reporter, 2018-19, 6547, p.562) and the titles set out in the Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on the titles and structure of academic offices (Reporter, 2019-20, 6582, p.419), promotion is available to the following academic offices:
- Associate Professor (Grade 10);
- Professor (Grade 11);
- Clinical Professor; and
- Professor at Grade 12.
Note: Academics who have chosen to retain their existing titles of Lecturer (Grade 9), Senior Lecturer (Grade 10) and Reader (Grade 11) are eligible to apply for promotion under this scheme. If their application is successful, their title on promotion would be the title for which they have applied as set out above.
Teaching and Scholarship (T&S) pathway
Following approval of the Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on the introduction of an Academic Career Pathways (Teaching and Scholarship) scheme, the offices/posts available vary depending on whether the applicant is established or unestablished.
For established staff, promotion is available to the following academic offices:
- Associate Professor (Grade 10);
- Professor (Grade 11);
- Clinical Professor; and
- Professor at Grade 12.
For unestablished staff, promotion is available to the following unestablished posts:
- Associate Teaching Professor (Grade 10);
- Teaching Professor (Grade 11);
- Clinical Teaching Professor; and
- Teaching Professor at Grade 12.
Research (R) pathway
Following approval of the Report of the General Board on arrangements for the implementation of an Academic Career Pathways (Research) scheme, promotion is available to the following unestablished posts:
- Associate Research Professor (Grade 10);
- Research Professor (Grade 11);
- Clinical Research Professor; and
- Research Professor at Grade 12.
Progression through the pathways
In all pathways, there is no expectation of step-by-step progression through each level of the career pathway, meaning applicants can apply for promotion to an office/post more than one grade above their current role. It is important to note that applicants will only be considered for the office/post for which they have applied. Consideration will not be given for promotion to a lower graded office/post if the committees determine that an applicant has not met the assessment criteria for promotion to the office/post for which they have applied.
Pay progression within the current grade (for those in Grades 5-11)
The University operates an annual Contribution Reward Scheme (Academic and Research). The purpose of the scheme is to recognise and reward eligible employee’s achievements on the basis of their performance and contribution to the University. The scheme gives eligible employees the opportunity to progress through the spine points of their current grade via a contribution increment or receive a one-off single contribution payment in recognition of their work. See the Contribution Reward Scheme (Academic and Research) guidance for full details.
Important note: employees who apply for promotion under the ACP schemes cannot be nominated for an award under the Contribution Reward Scheme (Academic and Research) in the same academic year.
Progression for (Teaching/Research) Professors at Grade 12
The University operates a biennial Academic Career Pathways (Grade 12) scheme for (Teaching/Research) Professors at Grade 12, which offers the opportunity to apply for progression either within their current band or to a higher band (the higher bands available depend on the individual’s pathway). See the Academic Career Pathways (Grade 12) guidance for full details.
The impact of promotion on probation
R&T and T&S pathways: progression from Assistant (Teaching) Professor to Associate (Teaching) Professor (Grade 9) forms part of the University’s Probation process for academic staff (see the University’s Probation Policy and Academic Probation Procedure).
Research pathway: the probationary arrangements for those on the R pathway differ to those on the R&T and T&S pathways. The job title for those at Grade 9 on the R pathway does not change on passing probation.
Employees on any pathway can apply for promotion while still in their probationary period.
All appointments to University offices are subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation, as stipulated in Special Ordinance C (ix). However, the General Board has agreed to waive the period of probation for all employees who are promoted via the ACP schemes, as the competent authority and as referred to in Regulation 1(d) of the General Regulations for University Officers.
Assessment of applications
The case for promotion is assessed in relation to the criteria on the strength of all the evidence contained in the documentation covering the applicant’s career (see Assessment Criteria).
Funding
In all cases, institutions should ensure that sufficient funding is identified to support all applications for promotion and ongoing salary costs, and should note the following points:
- As per Special Ordinance C (ii), appointments to established University offices are to the retiring age. Applications for promotion therefore require proof of funding to cover the appointment to the retiring age, which should be confirmed in the Institutional Statement.
- Employees on Research contracts may be permitted to apply to the established offices of Professor (Grade 11), Clinical Professor or Professor at Grade 12 on the R&T pathway. However, to do so they must seek written confirmation from their Principal Investigator (PI) that funding is available to the retiring age. They must also obtain written support from their Head of Institution and approval from their Head of School. Approval must be provided to the HR Reward Team (acp@admin.cam.ac.uk) prior to the application deadline in order for the individual to be granted access to the ACP Application Portal to prepare their application.
- Applications for promotion to unestablished posts require proof of funding to cover the duration of the applicant’s existing appointment, which should be confirmed in the Institutional Statement.
Queries concerned with funding should be raised with the relevant School Finance Business Partner in the first instance.
Applicants on the R pathway must confirm with their PI that sufficient grant funding is available to cover the cost of the promotion for the duration of their appointment. Details of the funding arrangements must be provided in the application form. Applications that cannot demonstrate available funding will be withdrawn.
Employees with multiple posts
For employees who hold more than one T&S contract, their application will apply to all T&S contracts they hold. Where the grades are different, they will be promoted to the higher grades of all roles, in all institutions.
For employees who hold more than one R contract, they may only apply for promotion in the institutions where there is funding available to support promotion. If there is funding available in both institutions, they will only need to submit one application form covering both posts. If there is funding available to support the promotion in one institution only, they will only be able to apply for promotion in that institution.