Project overview and timeline
Guided by a Steering Group with representation across the collegiate University, this project is developing a new Academic Career and Reward Framework for academic teaching and research staff at the University of Oxford. At the end of Michaelmas term 2024, the ACRF Steering group approved the project's timeline for 2025.
Next steps
Hilary term 2025:
- conclusion of deep dive discussions on key areas of the emerging framework
- launch of the ACRF visual identity
- continued development of the proposed framework in preparation for consultation in Trinity term, to inform implementation later in 2025.
Goals
The ACRF project has the following aims:
- improved satisfaction with academic pay and benefits
- production of clear career paths for academics and research staff
- career pathways that readily align with research career progression
- recognition of teaching and research, and opportunities for staff to adjust the balance of the two during their career
- clarity on pay benchmarks and pay mechanisms
- relief of workload stress for Associate Professors (promoting and encouraging departments to engage and use workload models).
Four workstreams
Project work was initially divided into four main workstreams led by representatives from Human Resources, Research Services and the Academic Administration Division. The workstreams are currently being brought together to create a proposed framework for consultation in 2025 and are: the academic pathways framework, academic workload, reward and recognition, and academic contracts and policy. Progress updates for each workstream up to the end of Michaelmas term 2024 can be found on the workstream webpages (see 'Contents' above).
Developments in 2024
Following initial sector benchmarking work carried out in the summer of 2023, the project team engaged with stakeholders across the collegiate University on development of the proposed framework.
Michaelmas term 2024:
- deep-dive discussions on key areas of the emerging framework
- engagement with professional services colleagues whose work intersects with academic roles
- modelling of final draft recommendations, drawing on analysis of all the data gathered
- committee and Divisional engagement in November and December
- project timeline for 2025 approved by ACRF Steering Group.
Trinity term 2024:
- analysis of staff focus group insight from Hilary term
- examination of potential approaches to reward and recognition in the emerging framework and policy implications
- update to the leadership team in the Department for Continuing Education.
Hilary term 2024:
- engagement with the Conference of Colleges Steering Committee
- six cross-divisional staff focus groups involving staff with teaching and/or research responsibilities in a range of roles from across the University
- data gathering and benchmarking analysis completed for the Academic Pathways Framework and Academic Workload workstreams.
Pay & Conditions review
The Academic Career & Reward Framework project was established prior to the Vice-Chancellor commissioning a broader Pay & Conditions review for all staff in January 2023. Relevant insight and analysis on academic pay and reward from the Pay & Conditions review was shared with the ACRF Steering Group during the 2023/24 academic year, to inform its work and several key measures resulting from the review are being taken forward by the Academic Career & Reward Framework project; these include recommended action on academic pay and career pathways, academic reward and recognition, and academic workload.
