Award of Titles and Professorial Merit Pay

A range of academic titles can be conferred by the Division or the University. These include the title of (Full) Professor, the title of Associate Professor, and the titles of Visiting Lecturer or Visiting Professor. Professorial Merit Payments can be made to University staff who have the title of Full Professor.

The procedures and criteria for eligibility vary- some are available to non-employees, for example, whilst others are available to staff in particular grades. Note that the award of the title of (Full) Professor or of the title of Associate Professor for example does not change an individual's underlying role, duties or paygrade. Titles include:

Visiting professors and visiting lecturers

associate professor title

For individuals making a significant and sustained contribution to achievement of the University's goals, and who are comparable in distinction to those holding the substantive post of Associate Professor.

Associate Professor Title can be awarded to eligible individuals in university grades 9 and 10 or to clinicians in an honorary consultant role. Nominations are considered periodically by the divisional board, and nomination is made via the Head of Department. Occasional exceptional requests to award Associate Professor title to eligible candidates upon appointment or in cases of retention may also be considered. The MPLS Procedure Document sets out the process for conferral of Associate Professor title by the Division and the criteria (which include research, teaching and citizenship aspects):

Please contact Polly Bunce if you need any more information.

Professor Title

(Full) Professor title is awarded via the annual Recognition of Distinction exercise. All those employed by the University in academic or senior research roles are eligible to apply, as are other University employees who are making a significant and sustained academic contribution to the University. Criteria in research, teaching and citizenship apply, and research distinction must be at least equal to that expected of those appointed to full professorships at other leading international research universities.

The 2022-23 exercise is in progress and applications have now closed.

Further background about the process and how to apply is available on the HR Support Recognition of Distinction page.

Outcomes from each annual round are normally finalized during the Long Vacation.

Please contact Polly Bunce if you need any further information about the University's Recognition of Distinction process for conferral of Professorial title.

The MPLS Recognition of Distinction Committee for 2022-23 is to be finalized.

The MPLS Recognition of Distinction Committee for 2021-22 was:

Sam Howison (Chairman), Professor of Applied Mathematics and Head of MPLS

Hazel Assender, Professor of Materials and Head of Department of Materials

James Badro, Directeur de Recherche CNRS, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

Daniela Bortoletto, Professor of Particle Physics and Head of Subdepartment of Particle Physics

Mark Brouard, Professor of Chemistry and Head of Department of Chemistry

Constantin Coussios FREng, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science

Arnaud Doucet, Professor of Statistics, Department of Statistics

Mark Fricker, Professor of Plant Sciences and Joint Head of the Department of Biology

Mike Giles, Professor of Scientific Computing

Róisín Owens, Professor of Bioelectronics, University of Cambridge

Rosalind Rickaby Professor of Geology, Department of Earth Sciences

Peter Topping, Professor of Mathematics, University of Warwick

Niki Trigoni, Professor of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science

PROFESSORIAL MERIT PAYMENTS

Periodically, the University holds exercises to determine the pay awards that should be made to its senior academic staff in addition to their basic salaries, on the basis of their academic distinction. These are known as Professorial Merit Payments (under previous procedures these payments have been known as Professorial Distinction Awards). Criteria in leadership and Citizenship, Teaching and Research apply, and it is expected that applicants will have exceeded the criteria for conferral of the title of Full Professor, their work and achievements having progressed since that time.

All University employees (in any type of non-clinical role) who hold the title of Full Professor, or whose post is a Statutory Professorship or Statutory Readership, are eligible to apply.

More information about the process and criteria for professorial merit payments.

Please contact the Academic and Strategic HR team leader if you need any further information about the University's Professorial Merit Pay processes.

FURTHER INFORMATION

This page contains information on the award of titles. Read information about processes for appointing academic staff and appointing heads of department and about processes for academic staff in post. If you have a query about academic staffing that is not answered by the documents on these pages, please contact the Academic HR Team.