Contextual Factors

You are encouraged to record any Contextual Factors that have affected your performance since your last promotion/appointment.  Contextual factors may include, but are not limited to part-time working, ill health, disability, caring responsibilities, periods of prolonged leave such as maternity, parental or bereavement, and any difficulties you faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which continue to impact your current or future work. 

These details should be provided in the separate Contextual Factors section, which has a limit of 500 words.  You should focus on the impact the factors have had on you and your performance since your last promotion/appointment and should not include explicit details of the factors themselves, which may be highly sensitive. Please note that the information you provide will be shared with your Head of Institution when they are preparing the Institutional Statement, and with all the committees involved in the assessment of your application.  This information will not be shared with referees or those providing additional statements for your application, including College teaching statements, veterinary statements or clinical statements.

If you choose to provide Contextual Factors which include health-related matters, the Faculty Committee assessing your application may refer you to Occupational Health with your permission, to obtain specialist medical advice about the impact of these matters on your duties.  It is important to note that providing Contextual Factors will not have a detrimental effect on any application for promotion, nor will an Occupational Health referral.