The new Academic Career Progression Framework
Please note for academic promotions:
- The current academic staff committee system for promotions, using existing criteria, will remain in place for the June and November 2026 rounds.
- The new Faculty/School process for promotions up to and including Senior Lecturer and translations to Reader will be operational using the new criteria for the January round.
- Following proposals from the Faculties/School, the new boards for promotion up to and including Senior Lecturer will meet in January and early July rather than November and May, to better fit with workload in the academic year.
- There will be no Faculty/School process in November, providing a clear break from old to new criteria and process.
- From May 2027, Professorial promotions will be considered by Academic Staff Committee once per year by a new process using the new criteria.
| Promotion round | Information | Deadline for applications |
|---|---|---|
| November ASC round | All promotion routes being considered using the previous criteria and application form | 10 September 2026 |
| January Faculty round | Up to and including Senior Lecturer using the new criteria and new application form, (new form is not yet available) | Likely mid November |
| May/June ASC round | Applications to Professor using the new criteria and new applications form, (new form is not yet available) | Likely end of February |
We recommend you bookmark the new Academic Career Progression Framework SharePoint site where you can find the approved new framework and promotion pathways, to begin familiarising yourself with the forthcoming changes. It will include information on timelines and processes as soon as they are available and in plenty of time to prepare applications for next year, supported by detailed guidance and training.
We are confident that our new approach to progression will enhance many colleagues’ experience and success in an academic career at the University and look forward to bringing it into reality. For any queries, please contact acp-reform@bath.ac.uk
Overview (of the existing progression framework)
The various routes for academic promotion open to staff can be found in the Career Progression in the Education & Research job family framework document.
Three main categories are used when assessing applications for promotion:
Teaching
Research and Scholarship
Management and Leadership
The evidence required for each category depends on the promotion route you are applying for.
Promotion routes
Select a promotion route for further guidance and to apply:
When you should submit your application to HR and when it will be considered by Academic Staff Committee can be found on our deadlines for academic promotion page.
Guidance for Heads of Department
Read the guidance for Heads of Department on academic promotions.
Principles of research assessment and management
The University has developed a set of principles outlining our approach to research assessment and management, including the responsible use of quantitative indicators. The assessment of academic promotion cases by Academic Staff Committee and its related Sub Groups will be made in accordance with these principles.
HEA Fellowship
Academic Staff Committee recognise that HEA Fellowship is a formal, internationally-benchmarked professional award that requires the applicant to present evidence of their contribution to teaching and supporting learning in higher education. The particular status of Fellowship achieved (Associate Fellow (AFHEA), Fellow (FHEA), Senior Fellow (SFHEA) or Principal Fellow (PFHEA)) indicates the breadth and depth of this contribution as specified in the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
The University of Bath’s promotion criteria have been mapped to the PSF such that being an HEA Fellowship holder may be used as direct evidence for some of the teaching elements. Use the HEA Fellowship Mapping document to understand which criteria your Fellowship can provide sufficient direct evidence against.
Recent academic promotions
Find out about recent academic promotions.
Useful resources
This guide, related pages and the CPER document should be your first point of reference to understand more about the process, procedures and criteria for promotion. However, you might also find it helpful to refer to our academic promotion: useful information page to help answer questions you may have on individual topics.