Transcript Support for probationary staff

LTC Away Day
Support for probationary staff
Chris Pearce
School of Engineering, Convenor of Research
Periodic Subject Review:
Success of Mentoring System
School of Engineering recruited 23 probationary staff since 2010:
• 12 lecturers, 10 research fellows (6 are tenure track), 1 UT – 40% from
outside UK
• Aim is to develop this large cohort into academic leaders of the future
PSR reported unanimous support from the probationary staff for:
• the allocation process [of work] ;
• the link to the probationary process;
• the formal appraisal meetings;
General support provided to them by their mentors.
The mentoring system allows for effective management of the workload of
probationary staff who all agreed that they were assigned tasks appropriate
to their skill set.
Probationary staff
and Mentoring
• All probationary staff are assigned an experienced academic mentor
(usually line managers)
• Workload is carefully managed to permit the rapid establishment of
research activities:
Teaching in Year 1 is restricted to 10 credits (20 hour lecture course), increasing
to 20 credits in Year 2. Administration in Year 1 is minimal.
• Annual research grant-writing workshop:
Illustrate good practice, practical advice, funding opportunities, key support
mechanisms, feedback on draft proposals and facilitating mock panels (with
ECRs chairing and speaking to the proposals of their peers)
• Annual new staff induction event:
Social interaction, introduction to key people in School, School plans and
objectives, research environment, L&T environment
This year we ran a parallel event for last year’s new starts
Further support for
probationary staff
• Start-up package to help them establish their independent research
activities:
• A targeted infrastructure/equipment fund (£365k since 2011)
• Offered at least one PhD studentship (UK or possibly EU)
• Flexible budget of £8k (£5k year 1 and £3k year 2) to support travel,
networking and maintaining and developing international
collaborations.
• Promotion of opportunities: College and Scottish Crucible, RSE Young
Academy, Royal Society equipment grants, travel grants, etc.
More to be done:
• Balance between research and teaching
• Improve culture of collegiality
• Developing broader contribution of staff