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Academic Promotions:
Each year, all staff who have been at the top of their pay scale for 12 months are automatically considered for promotion to the next career grade. Promotions to senior lecturer, associate professor and professor are initiated by an annual call from UCL. All academics are invited to apply. Line managers (Heads of Section or Head of Department) support staff throughout the promotion process.
Professors in the department meet to discuss all cases for promotion and Heads of Section then provide detailed feedback. If it is felt that improvement is necessary, staff are supported, e.g. by offering a sabbatical to improve research or new teaching/enabling responsibilities to improve an overall portfolio. Following negative feedback about the promotions process highlighted by Chemistry staff in the 2015/16 UCL staff survey and conversations with Professor Paul Walton from York (Gold Athena SWAN), we organised a departmental seminar on promotion in 2016 at which recently promoted colleagues presented their research, teaching and enabling profiles. 20 members of staff attended the seminar (25% F, 75% M) from all levels (44% lecturer, 38% associate professor, 18% professor). 100% of attendees found the workshop valuable. Professor Helen Fielding (then Chair of the EDI Committee) discussed the success of the promotions seminar at the Faculty EDI Committee and, as a result, the Faculty took on responsibility for organising promotions workshops in 2017 and 2018 to support all members of the Faculty. Although we have relatively few women academics, the high proportion of women who have been promoted from lecturer to professor at UCL is indicative that the departmental support for promotion of women is effective. In fact, all our colleagues who have applied for promotion in the last 3 years have been successful the first time.
Academic Career Framework:
To help plan and support career development and recognise achievements, the UCL Academic Careers Framework is designed to be used in a number of ways by staff and managers.
Researchers:
All Researchers who have been at the top of Grade 7 for 12 months are automatically considered for promotion to grade 8 by comparing their profile with the UCL profile for a senior researcher.
Professional Services Staff (PSS):
Unlike academic staff at UCL, who are considered for promotion to a higher grade on the basis of their personal impact and achievements in the discipline, PSS are appointed to work at a specific grade. PSS jobs are graded based on the duties and responsibilities required. For a PSS job to be re-graded there must be a significant change in the duties/responsibilities that are required of the job. At appraisal, all PSS are encouraged to review their job description including any additional roles or responsibilities they have taken on or relinquished during the past year and discussions are held around these to help staff be considered for regrading.
Secondments:
Secondments are open to all UCL employees and can support your career development; you can view the current opportunities below:
