FAQs

‌Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for promotion?

The academic promotions policy covers promotion of academic staff to the grades of Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Professor in and Established Professor. 
Normally, a period of continuous employment of three years in an academic post at University of Galway is expected prior to applying for promotion under this scheme. Candidates for promotion will not have reached the normal retirement age (A candidate should refer to their contract of employment and relevant national legislation for details on their retirement age) prior to the effective date of promotion.

How do I apply?

Application in February 2024 will be via the HR portal. A User Guide for the online application system is available on this link. Please ensure you allow sufficient time to upload your application in advance of the round 9 deadline of 4:00pm (Irish Time) on 29th February 2024.

If you have, any technical issues with the HR Portal please contact ISS or HR via the following avenues:

hress@universityofgalway.ie

ISS Helpdesk

Email: servicedesk@universityofgalway.ie

Telephone: 5777

What application form should candidates use?

Application forms are available to download from the academic promotions website when the promotions round is advertised.  Please note that applications form are updated from round to round and therefore it is important to use the correct application form for the round that you are applying in.  No other application form will be accepted including amended versions of earlier application forms.

 

Are there briefing sessions on the academic promotions scheme offered to candidates?

Yes, there are candidate briefings sessions offered once the promotion round opens and before the application closing date.  For Round 9, there are 2 online (zoom) candidate briefing sessions scheduled for the 6th and 12th February 2024.  There is also a briefing session for the Deans of College and Heads of School scheduled for 8th February 2024.  For further details and relevant zoom links, please go to the 'Resources' section of this site.

What do I do if I realise I omitted a required document in my submitted application before the deadline?

For the February 2024 round of promotions if you realise you omitted a required document in advance of the application deadline please perform the following two steps:

1. Send an email to recruit@universityofgalway.ie copying (hress@universityofgalway.ie and academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie) requesting that your application is un-submitted. You should then update your application with the required document and resubmit the application. Please ensure you complete this task in advance of the 4:00p.m. (Irish Time) 29th February 2024 deadline.
2. Send an email to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie advising of your error. This email must include the omitted document. Please ensure you complete this task in advance of the 4:00p.m. (Irish Time) 29th February 2024 deadline.

What are the deadlines for application for 2024?

All times are Irish Time.

4:00p.m. on the 29th February 2024 
4:00p.m. on the 30th August 2024

What are the key dates for the February 2024 round of promotions?

For applicants: Applicants must submit their completed application via the HR Portal by 4:00p.m. (Irish Time) on 29th February 2024. This must include the completed application form, any supporting material and external assessors nomination form (Under no circumstances should the applicant contact their externally nominated assessors). This information should also be emailed to your Head of School.

If desired, you should send a response to the Head of School form within 7 days of the Head of School deadline. The deadline for the applicant to submit a response for the February 2023 round is 4:00p.m.  21st March 2024. The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie and copied to the Head of School.

For Head of School: The Head of School must submit the Head of School form by 4:00p.m. 14th March 2024. The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie and copied to the candidate.

The Head of School must submit the Assessors Nomination Form within 45 calendar days of the application closing date.  For the February 2024 round of promotions, the deadline for the Head of School is 4:00p.m. 14th April 2024. The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie. Under no circumstances should this be shared with the candidate.

How will the application be scored?

The Academic Promotions Committee (APC) will assess candidates against the criteria of the scheme.  The application will be marked against the criteria and deemed to have meet the criteria or not in the judgement of the APC

What supporting material can I include with my application?

Applicants must submit the following documents with their application:  
1.  Teaching portfolio and appendices
2.  Student feedback  
3.  Applicant's 3 strongest/most important publications
4.  Applicant's list of next 20 strongest/most important publications
5.  Full IRIS Profile
6.  External assessor nomination form
7.  Head of School form   

These should be submitted in separate documents.  Please refer to the checklist document.  

You cannot include a CV, cover letter etc. The Academic Promotions Committee will not consider these. 

 

What are the page limits for the teaching portfolio?

There is a 23-page limit for the Teaching Portfolio. The Teaching Portfolio may not exceed 8 pages plus a maximum of 15 other pages in Appendices, to make a total of 23 pages.  Any information beyond these limits will not be considered. Required font is Times New Roman Size 12 point.

What form of student feedback should I submit?

Student feedback is submitted on a separate document.  The feedback should be a maximum of 2 pages on a maximum of two modules.

Applicants should submit the results of an appropriate student feedback process, as conducted for such purposes at School level. This should be agreed with your Head of School. The applicant should submit the most recent such reports together with the application.

Applicants who are unable to undergo the student feedback process, by virtue of being on sabbatical, maternity, adoptive, parental, sick leave, disability-related sick leave or unpaid leave when the process is being conducted, are invited to include the outcomes of earlier feedback processes.

Applicants who are unable to undergo the independent student feedback process should notify academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie in advance of submitting their application.

The Deputy President and Registrar issued an email on Student Feedback (11th November 2022) addressing the requirements for student feedback in the academic promotions scheme.  

Can I modify the application form?

No. You should not modify the application form to include additional tables etc. The application should be completed as per the current format.

What publications should I include in my application?

Details of the publications that can be included are outlined in the application form. You are invited to submit details of all your formal publications. ‘Formal publication’ in this context means ‘peer-reviewed publication by a recognised publisher’. It excludes publications where there was no peer review, publication on the web alone, except as provided for in the document at ‘Article in a journal’, and presentation at a conference when there was no peer review or formal Proceedings published. If a publication is pending but not published at the time of application then it should not be included in the list of publications.

From Round 9 applicants are required to submit the following: 

• 3 strongest/most important publications (a commentary of 300 words maximum per publication required, indicating the originality, significance and rigour of the publication and, in the case of multi-authored publications, the role of the applicant) 
  
• a list of their next 20 strongest/most important publications (no commentary required other than to outline your role for multi-authored papers).

What can I include under the Creative Work in the publications list?

The following can be included under the Creative Work in the publications list: Published plays performed publicly; Poetry published in a collection by a recognised publisher; Novels or shorts stories published by a recognised publisher; Musical compositions performed publicly; Published video games or films.

How are PhD completions defined?

PhD completions are defined in section 6.10 of the University Guidelines for Research Degree Programmes.

What should I include for "Total University of Galway Share" and "Your Share" for research grants?

When listing research grants you should indicate the name of the funding agency, the start date and duration of the award, the total monetary value, the total University of Galway share and your share, if different. State whether or not the initial grant application was subject to peer review and what role you played in obtaining this research funding i.e. are you the Principal Investigator?

For the University of Galway Share it should be the proportion of money that University of Galway received from the grant e.g. if the Total Monetary value of grant was €2M but the University of Galway proportion of this was €50,000 then €50,000 should be listed under University of Galway Share.

For the Your Share it should be the proportion of money that you received from the grant e.g. if the Total Monetary value of grant was €2M and the University of Galway proportion of this was €50,000 but the value to you proportion of this was €10,000 then €10,000 should be listed under Your Share.

Research grants should relate to external funding.

What should I include for "Role you played" for research grants?

It should be clearly be stated the exact role you played in securing the research grant. Please note this box is expandable so you can include as much information that is required to explain your role in securing the research grant.

Should external funding for PhDs be included in Research Funding?

External funding for PhDs should be included as research income where the applicant is the primary supervisor. Hardiman scholarships can also be included under this criterion but are viewed as internal research income.

What do I need to send to my Head of School?

You should engage with your Head of School in advance of submitting an application for promotion. When submitting your application for promotion you should email it to your Head of School. This should include the completed application form, any supporting material and external assessors nomination form (under no circumstances should the applicant contact their externally nominated assessors).

If desired, you should send a response to the Head of School form within 7 days of the Head of School deadline. The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie and copied to the Head of School. The deadline for the applicant to submit a response for the February 2024 round is 4:00p.m. 21st March 2024.

When should my Head of School submit the Head of School form?

The Head of School must submit the Head of School form within 14 calendar days of the application closing date. For the February 2024 round of promotions, the deadline for the Head of School is 4:00p.m. 14th March 2024.  The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie and copied to the candidate. 
If desired, the applicant should send a response to the Head of School form within 7 days. The deadline for the applicant to submit a response for the February 2024 round is 4:00p.m. 21st March 2024.  The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie and copied to the Head of School.

When should my Head of School submit the external assessors form?

The Head of School must submit the Assessors Nomination Form within 45 calendar days of the application closing date. For the February 2024 round of promotions, the deadline for the Head of School is 4:00p.m. 14th April 2024. The form should be sent to academicpromotions@universityofgalway.ie. Please refer to 12.1 of the scheme policy - Competency of the External Assessor and in addition note that nominated External Assessors cannot have been an external examiner for taught courses or on any PhD supervised by a promotion candidate in the last 5 years from date of application.  Under no circumstances should the Head of School nominated list of External Assessors be shared with the candidate.  

When should I submit the list of external assessors?

The list of external assessors should be submitted as part of your application.  Under no circumstances should the applicant contact their externally nominated assessors.  The deadline for this for the applicant for the February 2024 round is 4:00p.m. 29th February 2024. This list of external assessors should also be sent to your Head of School as part of your application. The deadline for the Head of School to submit their external assessor nomination form is 4:00p.m. 14th April 2024.

Can I have collaborated or worked with a nominated external assessor?

No. Please note that these are not referees but assessors. As such, they should not be anyone with whom you have collaborated or worked together. External Assessor cannot have been an external examiner for taught courses or on any PhD supervised by a promotion candidate in the last 5 years from date of application.  Candidates should under no circumstances contact anyone that has been listed as a possible external assessor in relation to their application.

Can I contact the external assessors about my application?

No, candidates, Heads of School and Deans of College should under no circumstances contact anyone that has been listed as a possible external assessor in relation to a candidate's application.  Prior to submitting an assessment, external assessors are requested to complete a Conflict-of-Interest declaration.

At what level should external assessors be?

External Assessors should be:

• In the case of application for promotion to Established Professor, at the level of Full Professor (Established)
• In the case of application for promotion to Professor in, at the level of Full Professor (Established or Personal).
• In the case of application for promotion to Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, at least at the level of Professor in/Personal Professor, as used in this Univerity, or its equivalent elsewhere.
• All external assessors should have experience at a level that will allow them to comment knowledgably on the standard required for academic promotions.

Should external assessors be Irish or international?

The external assessor should be a leading academic with an international profile. They should be a mix of Irish and international or all international, cognisant of the norms within the candidate’s academic discipline.

What is the requisite number of external assessments required for promotion?

Where the APC or EPPC determines that a candidate has demonstrated a prima facie case,it will agree a ranked list of External Assessors from the candidate’s list and, separately, from the Head of School/Executive Dean’s list and select external assessors.  For promotion to:

 

Can a retiree be a referee?

A retiree can be a referee if the candidates feels the chosen referee is best placed to provide a reference for their application.

Who are members of the Academic Promotions Committee (APC)?

Click for current (APC) members.

 

Who are members of the Established Professor Promotions Committee (EPPC)?

Click for the EPPC members.

Can I contact members of the Promotions Committees about my application?

Candidates should under no circumstances contact any member of the either Promotions Committees in relation to their application.

Can I apply for Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Professor in and Established Professor?

No. You can only submit one application.

Is there a cap on the number of places?

No. There is no cap on the number of places available.

Will the number of promotions be limited due to financial considerations?

No. Financial considerations play no part in any individual assessment.

What are the Core criteria for Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor promotion?

Click here for the full Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor Criteria document. The following are the three Core criteria:

• (Core) Substantial record of research/scholarship, appropriate to contract and discipline
• (Core) Substantial record of teaching, supervising and mentoring students
• (Core) Substantial contribution to organisational, leadership of management aspects (internally) and/or intellectual, cultural, social or economic life (externally)
• Additional Criteria (Any 5 from 10):

External research leadership

Recruitment and supervision to completion of doctoral students and/or supervision of postdoctoral researchers

Research funding

Impact of research beyond academia

International standing in the discipline

Maintaining theoretical currency in teaching

Innovation in teaching

National standing in teaching

Impact in teaching and learning

Pedagogic funding 

What are the Core criteria for Professor in promotion?

Click here for the full Professor in Criteria document. The following are the two Core criteria:

• (Core) Outstanding and sustained evidence of high quality organisational, leadership or management skills which have contributed to the Academic Unit, the College and the University.
• (Core) Outstanding and sustained contribution to intellectual, cultural, social or economic life externally to the University, at regional, national or international level, including external engagement activities for and on behalf of the University that are beyond the confines of academic engagement, i.e. other than purely with other third level institutions. This should be clearly linked to your role in the University.
• Additional Criteria Professor in – Research/Scholarship:

Additional Criteria (all must be met under this track):

(Core) A sustained, outstanding record of research outputs recognised for originality, significance and rigour.

Outstanding external research leadership, service on national/international bodies, refereeing roles, etc.

Outstanding and sustained recruitment and supervision to completion of doctoral students and/or supervision of postdoctoral researchers. You should also outline your wider contribution to postgraduate and postdoctoral culture within the university.

An outstanding and consistent track record of securing research funding as principal applicant.

Evidence of outstanding impact of research.

Internationally excellent standing in the discipline as evidenced by involvement in learned societies, funding agencies, journals, invitations to give keynote addresses, etc. External Examining of research theses.

(Core) Substantial contribution to teaching, supervision and mentoring of students at most or all levels in the School. 

• Additional Criteria Professor in – Teaching & Learning:

Additional Criteria (all must be met under this track):

(Core) Outstanding contribution to teaching, supervision and mentoring of students at most or all levels in the School.

An outstanding record of maintaining theoretical currency in teaching.

Regular and substantial incorporation of high-quality innovation into teaching which has been evaluated and found to be successful.

National/International standing in the area of teaching and learning.

Successful and ongoing dissemination and uptake by others of curriculum developments and innovation.

Outstanding record as principal applicant of securing external funding for pedagogic research or for innovation and development of teaching and learning.

(Core) An substantial record of research outputs recognised for originality, significance and rigour, leading to national or international standing and recognition. 

• Additional Criteria Professor in - Leadership:

Additional Criteria (all must be met under this track):

(Core) Outstanding leadership at University level. Significant evidence of the transformative nature of the leadership.

(Core) Proven outstanding leadership at regional, national and/or international level.

(Core) Substantial contribution to teaching, supervision and mentoring of students at most or all levels in the School.

(Core) A substantial record of research outputs recognised for originality, significance and rigour, leading to national or international standing and recognition.

Any three of the criteria under the "Professor in" Research Scholarship or Teaching and Learning tracks not already in this list.

What are the Core criteria for Established Professor promotion?

Click here for the full Established Professor Criteria document. The following are the two Core criteria:

• (Core) Exceptional and sustained evidence of high quality organisational, leadership or management skills which have contributed to the Academic Unit, the College and the University.
• (Core) Exceptional and sustained contribution to intellectual, cultural, social or economic life externally to the University, at regional, national or international level, including external engagement activities for and on behalf of the University that are beyond the confines of academic engagement, i.e. other than purely with other third level institutions. This should be clearly linked to your role in the University.
• Additional Criteria Established Professor – Research/Scholarship:

Additional Criteria (all must be met under this track):

(Core) A sustained, exceptional record of research outputs recognised for originality, significance and rigour.

Exceptional external research leadership, service on national/international bodies, refereeing roles, etc.

Exceptional and sustained recruitment and supervision to completion of doctoral students and/or supervision of postdoctoral researchers. You should also outline your wider contribution to postgraduate and postdoctoral culture within the university.

An exceptional and consistent track record of securing research funding as principal applicant.

Evidence of exceptional impact of research beyond academia.

Internationally excellent standing in the discipline as evidenced by involvement in leadership roles in learned societies, funding agencies, editing prestigious journals, invitations to give keynote addresses, etc. External Examining of research theses.

(Core) Outstanding contribution to teaching, supervision and mentoring of students at most or all levels in the School. 

• Additional Criteria Established Professor – Teaching & Learning:

Additional Criteria (all must be met under this track):

(Core) Exceptional contribution to teaching, supervision and mentoring of students at most or all levels in the School.

An exceptional record of maintaining theoretical currency in teaching.

Regular and consistent incorporation of high-quality innovation into teaching which has been evaluated and found to be successful.

National/International standing in the area of teaching and learning.

Exceptional, successful and sustained dissemination and uptake by others of curriculum developments and innovation.

Exceptional record as principal applicant of securing external funding for pedagogic research or for innovation and development of teaching and learning.

(Core) Outstanding record of research outputs recognised for originality, significance and rigour, leading to national or international standing and recognition. 

• Additional Criteria Personal Professor - Leadership:

Additional Criteria (all must be met under this track):

(Core) Exceptional leadership at University level. Signifcant evidence of the transformative nature of the leadership.

(Core) Proven exceptional leadership at national and/or international level.

(Core) Outstanding contribution to teaching, supervision and mentoring of students at most or all levels in the School.

(Core) Outstanding record of research outputs recognised for originality, significance and rigour, leading to national or international standing and recognition.

Any three of the criteria under the Personal Professor Research Scholarship or Teaching and Learning tracks not already in this list. 

Will protected leave impact on my application?

No. Where documented leave has been indicated in an application, the Academic Promotions Committee will assess output relative to opportunity, i.e. academic output will be counted on a pro-rata basis for a staff member who has taken such leave. Please see the following document for assessment of applications where leave has been stated.

What happens when the APC and EPPC make their decision on my application?

Following assessment and the establishment by the Promotions Committee of a prima facie case, external assessors will be chosen by the Committee from lists provided by the applicant and Head of School. Promotion will only follow if external assessors clearly agree with the recommendation of the Committee.

Will I receive feedback if I am unsuccessful?

Yes. All unsuccessful candidates will receive detailed feedback on the reasons why they were unsuccessful.

Can I appeal if I am unsuccessful?

Yes. All unsuccessful candidates may appeal to the (APAC). An appeal shall only be considered by the APAC after the candidate has attended for oral feedback. Appeals must be lodged with the University no later than thirty days following the meeting at which oral feedback is provided to academicpromotionsappeals@universityofgalway.ie 

If I am unsuccessful when can I apply again?

If you are unsuccessful with your application the following are the time limits before you can reapply:

Promotion outcome	Time limit to reapplying
Fail on a single non-core criterion but not promoted	Cannot apply again for any level for 1 year
Fail on any core criterion	Cannot apply again for any level for 2 years
Fail on more than one non-core criterion	Cannot apply again for any level for 2 years

If I am re-applying, what additional material do I submit?

Where a candidate has previously applied unsuccessfully for promotion, a statement detailing how the feedback on the critieria on which they previously failed has been addressed will normally be provided.  This statement is an attachment to the application and should be max 1 page per criterion.

Can I include in the Postdoctoral Research Students/Postdoctoral Research table under the Date of Award Expected column PhD students who have not yet completed?

PhD or Research masters students who have not yet completed should be included in the separate tables provided; Current Postgraduate Research Students and Current Postdoctoral Researchers Supervised.  They do not count towards the required number of completions but they are evidence of ongoing activity in this area.  Please do not include undergraduate or postgraduate taught master's students.

Only for applicants whose current Head of School has held the position for 6 months or less:  if the applicant indicates they are sending the Head of School form to their previous Head of School or their current Head of School, does that same Head of School also receive the applicant's external assessor nominated form and submit the Head of School nominated external assessor form?

Yes the same Head of School completes both the Head of School form and the Head of School nominated external assessor form.

Can URLs or images be included in my application?

Hyperlinks may not be included. Images that contain a substantial amount of text similarly may not be included. Applications which contravene this requirement may, at the discretion of the APC, be returned to the applicant and not considered in this round.

 

Do I have to have my Performance for Growth review completed prior to submitting an application?

Candidates will be requested in the application form to confirm the status of their Performance for Growth review, i.e. that the review is up to date.  Heads of School will also be asked to confirm the status of the candidate's review in the Head of School form.  Candidates will not be requested to provide information from their Performance for Growth review form, as this is confidential to the reviewer and reviewee.