The Research Sabbatical Leave Scheme enables high-quality future research and research-related contributions through a period of release from teaching and other administrative duties.

Before you start the application process

Before you start your application, you must discuss your intention to submit with your Head of Department or Division well in advance of the deadline. Please consult your Head of Department to determine your departmental submission deadline.

The final deadline for your Dean to submit sabbatical applications is 11 December 2026.

Making an application

To apply for a research sabbatical, you must complete the research sabbatical application form.

Once you have completed the application, please send it to your Head of Department or Division who will review the application.

Applications that are supported by the Head of Department will then be sent to the Dean for comment before being submitted to the Sabbatical Committee. The Sabbatical Committee will meet within a month of the closing date and their decisions will be ratified by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research).

Things to consider when applying

This scheme represents an investment by the University and the Department, and applicants should be able to demonstrate how the proposed outcomes of the research activities benefit the University, Faculty or School, and Department. This should be discussed with the Head of Department or Division prior to submission.

If you are applying in affiliation with an institute, make sure you set out a strategic case for why the sabbatical will advance the pursuit of research and be strategically aligned to your Department, Faculty or School, and the Institution. There will not be any additional priority of weighting given to institute aligned sabbaticals over other sabbaticals.

Please confirm that taking this sabbatical does not result in a breach of funding rules for existing research grants on which you are a named investigator, and that if you intend to make research grant applications before the end of the sabbatical, the sabbatical does not compromise your eligibility.

Travelling during a sabbatical

If you are proposing to travel during the leave period, you will be expected to indicate if these visits have been agreed by the organisations that are intended to be visited. Where travel has been planned, please also ensure you have confirmed funding arrangements, for example, from your K account, external funding sources, or through discussing with your Head of Department about what your options may be.

How applications are assessed

You can see a more detailed summary of the assessment criteria for the Research Sabbatical Leave Scheme and our responsible research assessment statement.

Stage 1: Academic Assessment

This is conducted by the Head of Department and the Dean.

Stage 1: Assessment

• Quality and potential
• Feasibility and delivery
• Strategic contribution

Stage 1: Outcome

• Written assessment against each criterion (Head of Department)
• Scores for each criterion (Head of Department)
• Department ranking if applicable (Head of Department)
• Overall comments in relation to the assessment criteria (Head of Department and Dean)
• Calibration and tensioning across the Faculty/School (Dean)
• Ranked applications within Faculty/ School (Dean)

Stage 2: Institutional Moderation and Prioritisation

This is conducted by Sabbatical Committee.

The Sabbatical Committee’s role is to:

• ensure consistency in the application of the assessment criteria
• consider the relative strength of the applications across the institution
• recommend a balanced portfolio of sabbatical awards that maximises institutional benefit and supports the strategic research endeavours of the University

The panel will not revisit disciplinary judgements, unless there is clear evidence of inconsistency or insufficient justification.

Stage 2: Assessment

• Consistency of assessment
• Relative strength of the applications across the institution in relation to the assessment criteria
• Tensioning awards across the University and strategic needs

Stage 2: Outcome

Recommended list of sabbaticals to be supported.

After you apply

You will be informed of the outcome of your application by the end of February 2027.

If successful, you will be expected to submit a post-research sabbatical report within six months of the end of your sabbatical.

Data retention

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion related data on applications and on approved sabbaticals will be collected at the decision-making stage and used for reporting purposes
• Application forms will be kept on record for six years, after which they will be destroyed
• Post-research sabbatical report forms will be kept for ten years after the sabbatical has taken place

If you have any concerns about how your data is stored, please email vco-sabbatical@bath.ac.uk