Q. Can I submit my proposal in a PDF attachment rather than working with the Word document format provided?

A. It makes it easier for us if you use the Word format, but it is more important that you are able to convey what you need to without dealing with IT challenges.  So please feel free to attach your proposal as a PDF if necessary.  However, please endeavour to make sure that the font is legible, and not compressed.  We would rather have more pages that are easy to read than fewer pages for the sake of keeping it to a set page count.

Q. May I include figures and do they count towards my word count?

A. Yes, you may include figures. Normally these will not count towards your word count, although do please consider legibility issues. Reasonable captions will also not count towards the word count – but please don’t include huge paragraphs or key points only in your captions.

Q.  Should my proposal focus on a single project or a broad research strategy?

A.  It should focus on a broad research strategy, outlining the broad objectives, intention, trajectory and impact of your research.  This is not a grant proposal, with specific deliverables, but a statement of purpose for five years. We recognise that good research will take you in unintended directions, but you should start with a vision.  Demonstrate to us that the research is novel, exciting, feasible, relevant to what you have learned about the University’s research direction in this area from our website and your discussions with Birmingham academics and others, and that you are the person to take this research programme forward.

Q. Should my proposal be addressed only to specialists in my field?

A. We will ensure that every proposal is read by at least one person in your discipline (please note that they may not be in your area), but it may also be assessed by people in allied disciplines, particularly if you are applying into an interdisciplinary priority area.  We won’t expect an engineer to comment on an English proposal, but we might have a chemist commenting on a physics proposal, a computer scientists commenting on a mathematics proposal, or a historian commenting on a political science proposal. Therefore, speak to your discipline but include enough information that these types of informed outsiders can understand your purpose.

Q. What do you mean by “impact”?

A. Impact will mean academic impact, but it may also mean technical impact, business impact, environmental impact, policy impact, cultural impact, media impact…. etc., etc., depending on your field and your work. The Research Excellence Framework has a particular definition of “impact”, but if you aren’t familiar with it or feel that your work doesn’t speak directly to it, please feel free to be broader.  To put this response in context, “impact” is one of our University’s values, and we encourage all Birmingham academics to consider whether they can make a broader impact for the greater good of society locally, nationally and internationally. 

Q. What should go in my technical appendix?

A. A technical appendix is not required, and we would expect it to be used only in exceptional circumstances.  All core information should be in your proposal.  However, this section is there to enable you to include something that may just not fit in the core proposal but which could substantively support your proposal. Don’t feel that you need to use it just because it is there! 

Q. How detailed should my budget be?

A. Outline the resources you need and why you need them, rather than just listing items. You don’t need to be specific about how much things will cost, but if you anticipate that your needs for things like consumables will be significantly outside the normal cost envelope for someone in your field, please indicate that.  Please also indicate any elements of your research which would add significantly to the costs of supporting your work, e.g., animal-based research.  As we assess “reasonableness” for start-up packages, we will be considering disciplinary norms. 

Q. I will be applying for grant income, but I don’t bring any with me.  How long should I assume a start-up package will take me before I am able to attract grant income?

A. This will vary by discipline, field and individual (e.g., stage of career) but we would normally expect you to have grant income to cover any ongoing research costs within approximately 2 years at the most. 

Q. Do I need to outline my plans for getting grant income, etc.?

A. If you know these, please feel free to include them. We do recognise that some candidates may be coming from outside the UK or the EU, and may not be familiar with the most common sources of funding open to them here.

Q. There are a number of people who might make good mentors. Can I suggest more than one person? Could I propose a mentor from outside my home department?

A. Yes, that is not a problem at this stage. Once we have made appointments, we will revisit this issue in discussion with the Fellow, the proposed mentor(s) and the home department and work out the appropriate solution for each Fellow.

Q. What if I can’t get a response from the person I would like to mentor me?

A. This field is optional because we recognise there may be factors that hinder candidates finalising their mentor suggestions in the short time allowed.

Q. If I am short-listed, I will not be able to attend an interview during the week of 15 October because of prior travel commitments / visa issues / etc. How could this be handled?

A. This is obviously not an ideal circumstance, but we recognise that in a few cases it may be unavoidable. If we reach this point, we will discuss your case with you individually and may be able to arrange a telephone or video interview.  However, please bear in mind that we would reserve the right to request a meeting in person before confirming any appointment.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris viverra dolor ligula. Nam dapibus erat eu metus semper eleifend. Praesent hendrerit ornare felis quis condimentum. Vivamus gravida, nunc at bibendum porta, dui lacus sagittis ipsum, at vehicula turpis risus sit amet tellus. Vestibulum euismod fermentum neque, tempus posuere lacus ultrices at.

Q: The criteria state that candidates must have a publications record "such that they will able to submit 3-4 publications of a 3* (international quality) or 4* (world-leading) level to the 2014 UK Research Excellence Framework (REF)". I am from outside the UK and I would like more clarification on what this means.

A:  Although the UK has a particular method of measuring excellence in academic research, this is guided by generally accepted norms within the disciplines being studied and we will be appointing candidates who produce research of the highest calibre.  If your research fits this description, you should feel confident that it will translate into the methodology adopted by the Research Excellence Framework.

The Research Excellence Framework (previously the Research Assessment Exercise) is a feature of UK higher education. Periodically there is a national assessment of HE’s research outputs, and this assessment determines a portion of the government's research funding for each institution. Normally, each research-active academic is expected to put forward 4 publications for assessment, although there are derogations, for instance, for very early-career academics and disciplines where fewer, more substantial publications are the disciplinary norm. 

Each publication is rated on a scale of "unclassified" to 4*. These are qualitative ratings and are based on the significance and influence of the publication, rather than the journal in which the publication appears (although this clearly can affect the reach and thus the influence of the publication). The general definitions for these ratings and more information about the REF can be found at www.ref.ac.uk.

We recognise that the ratings are qualitative, and therefore no one can say with absolute certainty that a particular publication would be ranked 3* of 4*. When assessing an application, the panel will consider the candidate's publications record carefully using their expertise and experience of RAE and REF assessment practices. 

If you are seeking to self-assess, we would recommend that you look at the REF website at www.ref.ac.uk for more guidance, as these do vary slightly by discipline. Follow the links to "assessment criteria". Disciplines are categorized into panels and sub-panels.  

It is not possible for us to do an individual assessment of a candidate’s work outside of the selection process, although priority area leads might give you some informal feedback based on an inspection of your CV. We encourage you to be honest with yourself about whether your publications record matches the standards we are seeking.  If following an honest self-assessment and a discussion with the priority area lead(s) or other academic contact(s) you think you could meet the requirements and you are interested in the Birmingham Fellowships, we encourage you to apply. 

Q: When you ask for "3-4 publications of a 3* (international quality) or 4* (world-leading) level", do you mean that candidates should already have these publications or that they will be expected to generate them during the Fellowship period?

A: We expect candidates to present with a strong publications record as defined above, as this will demonstrate the strong research trajectory we are seeking in Birmingham Fellows. Peer-reviewed publications which have been accepted for publication but not yet published will be accepted for consideration.

Q. This would be my first academic position.  Do I really need four publications?

A. Not necessarily.  Candidates who have recently been appointed to an academic post, or for whom this would be their first academic position, are welcome to apply with fewer publications. They are considered Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and are encouraged to discuss their circumstances with the priority area leads. We expect to appoint people who can demonstrate an outstanding trajectory.

Q: Will there be future rounds of the Birmingham Fellows after 2012?

A: We will make a decision about whether to have future rounds of Birmingham Fellows after the 2012 round.

Q: Previously you said the application process for Birmingham Fellows was rolling. Now you have deadlines. Can you explain?

A: The application process is rolling for "fast-track" candidates, who bring significant external funding with them. For all others, we have to have deadlines in order to compare candidates to each other and be sure that we are being fair. If you believe you should be considered as a fast-track candidate, please contact us at birminghamfellows@contacts.bham.ac.uk to discuss.

Q: Is there any benefit to applying early for applicants without external funding?

A: No, all applications without external funding will be considered after the deadline. We encourage you to consider your application rather than submitting something rushed.

Q: Is there flexibility on the word count limitations?

A: No.  Due to the volume of applications expected, we have tried to keep these to a minimal length for the preliminary stage of selection. Otherwise the selection panels will have an impossible task. Therefore, at this preliminary stage longer documents will not be considered.

Q: Does the word-count for the research summary include references?

A: With the research summary, we are aiming to have at most one page of text for the selection panel.  As a result, if the references are in-line Harvard-style references, they will be included in the word count.  A brief (half-page maximum) bibliography appended to the end would not be included in the word count as it is for clarification only and not part of the text.

Q: My field is not one of your priority areas. Can I still apply?

A: Yes, we will consider applications from exceptional candidates in any field we have here at Birmingham. However, for candidates outside the priority areas, we would request that you have done some research about our areas of expertise on our website and through contact with relevant academic leads, and that you be able to define how your specialism would complement and enhance excellence at Birmingham.

Q: My field is not one of your priority areas. I would like to ascertain if I would be a fit at Birmingham. How can I be in touch with the right people?

A: We would encourage you to be in contact with us at birminghamfellows@contacts.bham.ac.uk, and we will help you to make enquiries about where best your subject expertise might sit. Obviously, if you have academic contacts at Birmingham, you may be directly in touch with them but please bear in mind that not all academics at Birmingham will be fully briefed on the details of Birmingham Fellows recruitment process.

Q: Is it required to be in touch with academic contacts at Birmingham - either within the priority areas or outside them - before I apply?

A: It is not required at this stage, but it is strongly recommended. 

If you are in a priority area, your first contact should be with the named contact for that area. If you are not in a priority area, we can help you to identify the right person to contact as noted above, or you could identify people off the website. We would advise that you choose people of a relatively senior rank (professors, readers or senior lecturers) for your initial contact.

Making these contacts will enable you to get an understanding of how what you do might fit (or not) with what we do at Birmingham, and therefore it will help you assess whether Birmingham might be the right place for you to develop your academic career. This in turn may provide you with information to make your application a stronger and better fit for Birmingham. 

Q: Long-listed applicants will be asked to submit a full research proposal with a very tight turnaround time. What will be the format and requirements of that proposal?

A: Long-listed applicants will receive a pro forma which they will need to return by 17 September 2012. They will be asked to provide the following information:

• Explanation of the choice of Priority Area or School
• Proposal Research Programme - this section should address the following:
• Main objectives of the proposed research
• Summary description of the proposed research
• Academic importance of the proposed research
• Impact of the proposed research
• Start-up / equipment / fieldwork requirements or other costs (travel, consumables, etc.) Applicants should note that after a reasonable start-up period, it would be expected that Birmingham Fellows would generate research income to cover substantial research costs they anticipate incurring.  Additionally, the University of Birmingham requires reasonable equipment sharing within the institution and with other institutions within the Midland regions with which the University has equipment sharing arrangements.
• Any ethical considerations arising from the research (use of human subjects / personal information, use of animals, genetically modified organisms, etc.).
• References and a technical appendix can be included if necessary. 

Q: I will not defend my PhD until the end of 2012. Can I apply for the Birmingham Fellowships in this round?

A: No, we expect candidates applying in this round to have defended their PhD by the submission deadline.

Q: I have had my PhD for more than 7 years.  Can I apply?

A: In the previous round, we stated that normally candidates would not be considered for a Birmingham Fellowship unless they had received their PhD within the past 7 years ago. However, it became clear that disciplinary discrepancies were so great that we have decided not to include this criterion for the 2012 round. 

Q: I am not familiar with higher education in the UK, and I find some of the terminology confusing. What should I know?

A: We would recommend reading a recent article entitled "Conducting the International Job Search" from the US publication The Chronicle of Higher Education. It provides useful tips on on how to conduct an international academic job search, with specific reference to the UK.

Q: I am a national from outside the European Economic Area and do not have permission to work in the UK. If I am successful, what would be the process for obtaining permission to work? 

A: EEA nationals except those from Bulgaria and Romania have rights to work in the UK. Swiss nationals also have rights to work in the UK.

If you are a national from Bulgaria or Romania or from outside the EEA, unless you are exempt and can evidence this with relevant documentation, you will need a work permit / certificate of sponsorship to enable you to work in the UK.

Your offer of employment is made on the condition that the University is granted permission by the relevant UK authorities to employ you and that you are granted entry clearance / leave to remain in the UK. We will apply for a work permit / certificate of sponsorship once you have accepted the offer of employment. You are responsible for applying for your appropriate entry clearance / leave to remain in the UK, if appropriate. The University will assist you with this if required. Once a work permit / certificate of sponsorship has been obtained we will contact you regarding what you need to do next.

You may not take up the employment until both the work permit / certificate of sponsorship and the entry clearance / leave to remain, if appropriate, have been approved. If you do any work before this you are working illegally and this may affect your application / continued employment.

Your employment will be conditional upon your continued eligibility to live and work in the UK. If future applications for authorisation to work and/or live in the UK are not approved then your employment will terminate on the expiry date of your current documents of authorisation.

Q: The application seems different from standards in my country. Must I complete the application form? Should I include a covering letter?

A: The application form and two requested attachments (resume CV and research summary) will capture all the information we need at this stage. We ask that you do not submit a covering letter, as it will not be shared with the selection panel. If there is any information you would normally flag in a covering letter that you feel we should know at this stage, please include it in the application form or your resume CV. 

We do not ask for a standard CV format from applicants, and we can work with most internationally-recognised CV formats. We would ask that you use a reasonably sized-font to ease the task for our selection panels. CVs should provide information about your publication record.

Q: What do you mean when you say "external funding"?

A: We mean funding that will cover the substantive cost of your employment for a substantial period of time (normally multiple years) at whatever institution employs you. In practice, this will most frequently mean a funded fellowship, such as those from research councils, the Royal Society, or other funding bodies. 

Q: Why are you fast-tracking applicants with external funding?

A: There are several reasons for this.  The primary reason is that such applicants usually need to be able to declare to their funders quite quickly at which institution they will use their fellowship.  Therefore, the normal deadline would be too late for them. Second, by virtue of their bringing significant funding, the costs of employing them at Birmingham would be reduced significantly for a number of years. In return, we would like to give them a response as soon as possible.

Q: Are you fast-tracking everyone with external funding?

A: No. We are considering each request for fast-tracking based on its own circumstances, based on the justification for fast-tracking given in the question above. We have some excellent candidates for whom there is no objective need for a quick decision and therefore we are asking them to submit to the main deadline. This is not a reflection on our assessment of the merits of the individual application, but on our understanding of the circumstances surrounding it.  Each individual's circumstances are different, and we would encourage you to be in touch with us at birminghamfellows@contacts.bham.ac.uk if you have questions.

Q: Will you consider fast-track candidates outside the priority areas?

A: Yes.  Fast-track candidates are welcome in any area, priority or not. However, we will consider these applications against our own academic strengths and give you an honest opinion as to whether we believe coming to Birmingham will enhance your academic career.

Q: It says that applicants with external funding may be fast-tracked. What application process should such applicants use?

A: We request that applicants with external funding be in touch with us at birminghamfellows@contacts.bham.ac.uk and also with academic leads in their area of expertise first in order to determine whether Birmingham can provide the right academic community for them to flourish and whether their circumstances require fast-tracking. 

If you cannot identify who are the right academic leads, let us know on birminghamfellows@contacts.bham.ac.uk with a brief description of your field and we will find out for you. We will be honest with you at this stage, as if we cannot provide the right academic home for you it is in no one's interest to continue the process further.

If the match does seem to exist and there is an objective need for fast-tracking, then we ask that you complete the application form for Birmingham Fellows, but that you attach a full CV (not a resume) and the relevant documentation describing the research programme your funding is covering. This can be in whatever format your funder has required. We will then consider this application immediately upon receipt.

In some circumstances, applicants with some external funding (partially completed fellowship, etc.) but who do not meet the other fast-tracking criteria may be "fast-tracked to long-list".  This means that we will automatically place these applicants on our long-list.  In this instance, we still require the applicant to complete the web-based application form for the deadline (this captures important information for our records) but the applicant does not need to submit a summary research proposal or a resume CV for the deadline.  They will, however, need to complete the full research proposal and submit a full CV for the long-list deadline.

Q: I am part-way through a fellowship at another institution. Can I apply to the Birmingham Fellowships, moving my fellowship funds, and be considered under the fast-track option?

A: We regret that in most cases we will not be able to consider transfer fellowships as fast-track. This is because neither of the factors that have caused us to fast-track applicants with external funding apply to your case.  However, we strongly encourage you to apply under the standard procedure.  If you feel there are extenuating circumstances in your case which mean you should be fast-tracked, please feel free to be in touch and we will consider it. You may qualify for "fast-track to longlist" (see below).

Q: I have been in touch via the main Birmingham Fellows email address and been told that I qualify for "fast-track to longlist".  What does this mean and what do I need to do?

A: We have created this approach to fast-track to accommodate those cases where there is not an objective need to fast-track straight to interview, but where an applicant brings some external income gained through a competitive process. Being "fast-tracked to longlist" means that we will automatically place these applicants on our long-list.  These applicants will need to complete the web-based application form for 27 August, along with a CV, but they do not need to submit a summary research proposal at this stage. They will, however, need to complete the full research proposal for the 17 September deadline. The outline for the full research proposal is included above under "Application process and deadlines".

Q: Are Birmingham Fellow posts fixed-term or permanent?

A: The Birmingham Fellow contract is a normal permanent academic contract, usually at Lecturer (Grade 8) level, subject to a multi-year probation period, as standard with many UK academic contracts.

Our intention with the Birmingham Fellows is to hire the next generation of Birmingham academics, not to bring on post-docs for a few years only. The Fellowship term is five years, during which time the Fellow will have protected time for research and a graduated teaching load, but the intention is to support Fellows to become permanent, substantive members of academic staff in their respective departments at the end of the five-year period, normally at Senior Lecturer or Reader level.

There will be clear milestones to achieve before the end of the probation period.  After probation, Fellows will continue to work, as do all University of Birmingham staff, under the University's Performance Development Review process, which lays out clear targets, and provides development support to help staff achieve these targets. 

Fellows who meet the criteria for promotion from Lecturer before the end of the five-year period are encouraged to put in for promotion when they are ready. Early promotion would not affect their Fellowship status.

The intention is that Birmingham Fellows will become substantive members of staff in their respective departments at the end of the five-year term unless there are clear reasons not to do so. The reasons for not transferring an individual would revolve around performance, and would be handled in accordance with the University's normal guidelines.

Q: Can you explain more about the teaching requirements for Birmingham Fellows?

A: Birmingham Fellows are research-focused roles, but a Fellow will be expected to contribute to PhD supervision and to develop a growing teaching portfolio over the course of their Fellowship term. Normally, we would expect to see a progression towards a full teaching portfolio by year 5. The exact amounts will vary depending on the Fellow and the department / school, but a sample progression might be 10% of a normal teaching portfolio in year 1 up to 100% in year 5. Teaching will often start with PhD supervision and move on to lecturing in future years.

Fellows will not be able to opt out of the teaching requirements, although the requirements of external fellowships will be taken into account where relevant when designing a Fellow's teaching portfolio.

Fellows will be able and encouraged to avail themselves of the many development opportunities the University offers on teaching and learning, and completion of the University's certification programme around teaching is required by the end of the Fellowship period.

By removing any expectation to contribute substantially to academic management and administration, we hope to ensure that throughout the term Fellows will have enough space to establish and develop their rising research trajectory.

Q: I cannot find the salary range for Birmingham Fellows on your website. Can you advise?

A: This information can be found within the Further Particulars. Normally, the salary range is £37,382 to £50,186 (Grade 8 or Lecturer Grade on the University of Birmingham's non-clinical academic and related scales). In exceptional cases appointments may be made at a higher grade. 

We would encourage those with Clinical careers or those whose subjects may have different salary norms to contact the priority area leads in the first instance.

The University of Birmingham subscribes to nationally-negotiated bargaining process to determine its academic and related pay scales. Staff on a salary below the threshold in their grade (see scales - link above) will receive an automatic increment on an annual basis, which will move them up one point on the salary scale. Additional increments can be awarded on the basis of exceptional performance. Above this threshold, increments are awarded solely on the basis of exceptional performance.  

Q: What level of start-up funding will you provide Birmingham Fellows?

A: Start-up and development funds will vary depending on research needs, research area, and facilities already at Birmingham, so it is impossible for us to indicate a general amount. In most cases, equipment and facilities will be negotiated at a school level following appointment. Reasonable equipment sharing is expected of all Birmingham academics.

Q: Will I receive research funding (e.g., for consumables, field costs, etc.) throughout the lifetime of my Birmingham Fellowship?

A: No. We will provide reasonable start-up funding for the Fellow's discipline, research programme, and existing funding (some Fellows may already have grants to cover these expenses).  Start-up packages will be negotiated individually with each Fellow after appointment. However, after a reasonable start-up period (notionally considered two years, although there may be reasons for this to be shorter or longer) we would expect Fellows to begin attracting external research income in the form of grants, etc., to cover these expenses, as would be the case for any member of academic staff. 

Q: What start date would you require for Birmingham Fellows?

A: We are very flexible around starting dates. Successful Fellows could take up their posts immediately following appointment, or there could be a delay as they complete their obligations elsewhere. This will be a matter for individual negotiation with successful Fellows.

Q: What is the relationships between Birmingham Fellows and their schools/departments?

A: Upon appointment, Birmingham Fellows immediately become members of their respective schools and (when relevant) departments, and they will be expected to engage with this disciplinary community closely. However, they differ from most other departmental members in several key ways:

• They have been hired outside the normal recruitment rounds, so there is not necessarily an immediate pre-defined teaching load or administrative role for them, as would be expected for other recruited lecturers. In other words, the post has not emerged from the normal planning processes, but has been created because of the excellence of the Fellow;
• Funding for their posts is provided from the Birmingham Fellows budget for the five years of their Fellowship, rather than from the school or department;
• They have a reduced teaching load compared to other members of the school/department, which will be built up over time (see above), and they are not expected to take on significant administrative roles during their Fellowship period;
• They will be part of the Birmingham Fellows cohort in addition to being a member of their school/department. There will be various Birmingham Fellow activities, and the cohort is also expected to become a cross-University network.

Q: What were the results of the 2011 Birmingham Fellows round?

A: We received almost 1,400 applications for Birmingham Fellows 2011, of which we long-listed almost 20% and short-listed 5% for interview. To date 34 individuals have accepted Birmingham Fellowships. For more information about the Birmingham Fellows who have already started, please visit the Birmingham Fellows 2011 page.