An update on promotion and pay schemes

We have received a mixture of feedback about our plans for promotion and pay awards, and whether we will extend the pause on these schemes to support collective efforts to manage our costs.

With higher education facing additional financial challenges, you can find out more about the steps the University is taking to return to surplus on our University finance pages.

After careful consideration, the University Executive Board have agreed the following schemes will remain on pause for a further six months, with a clear commitment to deliver the following new timetable:

  • The application window for the new Academic Promotions scheme (due to open in March 2025) will now open 1 September 2025. It will close 31 December 2025.
  • Professorial promotion (into bands 2 and 3) will run to the same timetable and the new Criteria approved by Senate in January 2025 will be available on the Academic Promotions webpages from early March 2025. An application form can be requested from this date.
  • The timetable for promotions activity is now set as follows:
    • 01 September 2025: Open to applications
    • 31 December 2025: Deadline for applications
    • January 2026: Departmental Assessments completed
    • February - March 2026: Professorial references requested
    • March 2026: Faculty Promotions Panels consider applications up to and including Reader
    • May 2026: Academic Promotions Committee consider Professor applications
    • 01 September 2026: Promotions effective date
  • To request an application form, please visit the Academic Promotions web pages
  • The next professorial pay review scheme will also open on 1 September 2025 running to the following timetable:
    • 01 September 2025: Open to applications
    • 31 December 2025: Deadline for applications
    • January - February 2026: Head of Department reports completed
    • March 2026: Deans and Remuneration Sub Group consider applications
    • 01 August 2026: New pay effective date
  • The current Rewarding Excellence scheme is in the final stages and is reaching its conclusion. It will therefore continue with outcomes confirmed in early March 2025.
  • As a reminder, the second part of the National Pay Award is due to be applied from 1 March 2025. Colleagues saw an uplift to their pay of £900 on all spine points, starting 1 August 2024. We will apply the rest of the increase from 1 March 2025.