It is common practice to name on a grant application an individual who is crucial to the proposed project. If the application is successful the individual is appointed without the use of a competitive selection process.

Making the appointment

You will need permission from your Head of Department, and confirmation of funding from your management accountant and/or RGO contact.

Direct appointment form

Good practice

Naming a researcher avoids the open recruitment processes which the University normally requires to attract a range of applicants and ensure we meet our commitment to support equal opportunities.

A named researcher should have (at least one criteria should be met):

• rare and highly specialised skills essential to the success of the project
• extensive knowledge developed as part of a research group
• written or co-written the grant without being eligible to be a Co-Investigator

Consider whether your reasons for naming a researcher are sufficiently strong or if a recruitment process would be fairer and give you access to better candidates.

Departments should monitor their own use of named researchers. Such monitoring will help to maintain and demonstrate good practice in the use of named researchers and will support Athena SWAN applications.

More information is available in our guidance on the use of named researchers.