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Revised Professorial Banding Criteria as of Feb 2022
UCL has four professorial bands running 1 through 4. All colleagues promoted through the Academic Careers Framework will normally be appointed to Band 1. Colleagues appointed to UCL from elsewhere will be appointed to Bands 1 – 4 depending on their current academic profile. In all cases, colleagues will have the opportunity to progress through the bands as their contribution and achievements grow.
Representative criteria for Band 1 professors are contained within the Academic Careers Framework (Grade 10). Those set out minimum expectations at professorial level, including threshold research and education requirements. Additional expectations at Bands 2 to 4 are summarised in the criteria below.
BAND 2
- Research
- An outstanding international research profile, for example:
- Evidence of leading successful collaborations with other research teams/institutions
- Sustained success in obtaining research grants/projects and an appropriate number of post-doctoral fellows and research students supervised to completion
2. Evidence of active involvement in the development and achievement of the research strategy within the Faculty.
3. Evidence that research work is held in significant esteem, for example:
- Award of prestigious fellowships of multidisciplinary learned societies
- Significant honours for the discipline, such as highly prestigious lectures, prizes or other such indicators of esteem
- Education
1. An outstanding institutional/national/international education profile, for example:
- Evidence of ongoing leadership of review (or development) of curricula or teaching/assessment methodologies at national or international level
- Evidence of leading successful collaborations with other education leaders / institutions
2. Evidence of active involvement in the development and achievement of the education strategy within the Faculty
3. Evidence that educational work is held in significant esteem, for example:
- Award of prestigious fellowships of multidisciplinary learned societies
- Significant honours for the discipline, such as highly prestigious lectures, prizes or other such indicators of esteem
- Enterprise and External Engagement
1. Evidence of significant and sustained contributions to peer review bodies/committees, professional organisations, learned societies, government committees, Research Councils etc.
2. Evidence of substantial engagement with national or international partners in the public dissemination of information to the benefit of the community, or the population at large or to the commercial sector.
3. Evidence of substantial engagement with national or international partners in commercial/business sectors to develop research collaborations, consultancy and/or intellectual property.
- Furthering equality, diversity and inclusion
- Significant furthering of UCL’s fundraising and development campaign
- Negotiating successful complex partnerships and relationships
- Institutional Citizenship
1. A successful and effective contribution to the achievement of UCL’s strategic goals.
2. Leadership of divisions, institutes and departments with significant impact.
3. Exceptional individual leadership beyond the core areas of research and teaching, including
4. Widening participation. Implementing the International Strategy and representing UCL on key matters of importance overseas
BAND 3
In addition to the Band 2 criteria the professor must demonstrate that there is an elevated, distinguished and sustained level of achievement against three of the four criteria across Research (1-2) and Education (1-2), plus at least one of the criteria from Enterprise and External Engagement (1-2) or Institutional Citizenship (1-2). The criteria will be applied in a manner appropriate to the discipline.
- Research
1. An increased, sustained and outstanding international research profile, including leading major collaborative projects, evidenced by research outputs that are consistently regarded as world leading in the discipline.
2. An increased, sustained and leading contribution to the research activity of the Faculty, including major national and/or international research strategy contributions, and personal achievements for example through awards/prizes or election to major learned bodies appropriate to the discipline.
- Education
1. An increased sustained and outstanding contribution to education leadership across the institution or nationally e.g. championing the successful translation of new and innovative research into educational practice.
2. Evidence of leading successful collaborations of national/international significance with other education leaders / institutions.
- Enterprise and External Engagement
1. Significant and ongoing engagement with national or international partners in the public dissemination of information to the benefit of the community, or the population at large or to the commercial sector, which brings benefit to UCL.
2. Leading role in achieving significant impact through the application of one’s research to the benefit of society and/or the environment, facilitated for example, through the setting up of spin-out companies or licensing of technologies, creation of social enterprises, establishment of significant employment (outside of the university) or large-scale consultancy activity.
- Institutinal Citizenship
1. Evidence of additional, significant and sustained academic leadership with a proven ability to lead, develop and motivate colleagues to achieve UCL’s strategic goals e.g. championing of equality, diversity and inclusion in the faculty to ensure successful charter mark applications.
2. Sustained excellent performance in complex senior academic leadership positions where a professor has made a significant demonstrable difference to their academic unit or thematic area.
BAND 4
Professors must demonstrate that in addition to meeting the Band 3 criteria that they meet the research criteria detailed below and demonstrate significant achievement in one of the other three domains. The criteria will be applied in a manner appropriate to the discipline.
- Research
1. World leading research which is acknowledged globally as paradigm shifting.
- Education
1. Evidence of a transformative contribution to the leadership, development and delivery of educational practice, which is acknowledged globally as such.
- Enterprise and External Engagement
1. Acting as lead advisor to national governmental or related agency or international bodies, for example the EU, the UN, UNESCO, WHO.
2. Advancing and broadening public understanding of the discipline in significant and highly public ways for example by advisory or consultancy work outside academia.
3. Evidence that research has been significantly, successfully and sustainably commercialised or has been the basis of a successful social enterprise company.
- Institutional Citizenship
1. Evidence of a significant active role in the strategic development and leadership of the Faculty.
2. Evidence of significant and influential leadership of institution-wide activity furthering UCL’s strategic aims.
Note: It is expected that only the most distinguished professors within a discipline globally, will meet these Band 4 criteria.