A project is underway to create an Academic Career and Reward Framework for University academic and research staff.
The objective of the project is to recommend a set of proposals to improve the career paths, workload, and reward and recognition of academics. The project has the following aims:
- A set of clear career paths for academics and research staff;
- Recognition of teaching and research, and the ability to adjust the balance through career;
- Clarity on pay benchmarks and pay mechanisms;
- Pathways which readily align with the research career progression;
- Relief of workload stress for Associate Professors. Promote and encourage departments to engage and use workload models; and
- Improved satisfaction with pay and benefits.
The project has been divided into four workstreams:
- Academic Pathways Framework
- Academic Workload
- Academic Reward and Recognition
- Academic Contracts and Policy
The project is underway, with the first three streams (Academic Pathways, Academic Workload and Academic Reward and Recognition) in the data gathering and benchmarking stage, which is scheduled for completion at the end of Hilary Term 2024. Recommendations will then be formulated and modelled and proposals taken to Committees in Trinity Term 2024 and then forward to formal consultation.
Vice-Chancellor's Pay and Conditions Report
The Academic Career and Reward Framework project is separate to the Vice-Chancellor's Pay and Conditions Report. However, the data gathering and benchmarking work overlaps and some of this is being undertaken as part of the Pay and Conditions Report. Analysis and insights gathered will be shared between the Steering Committees for both projects and recommendations coming out of the Pay and Conditions Report will be reviewed by the Academic Career and Reward Framework Steering Group to inform the development of proposals.