Academic Career and Reward Framework update
The Academic Career and Reward Framework (ACRF) programme has the potential to make a meaningful and positive difference to the working lives of academic, teaching, and research staff at Oxford. Over the past two years, the programme has benefited from engagement with divisions, departments, colleges, and professional services staff and we would like to thank all the colleagues who have contributed their time, expertise, and insight to the framework’s development.
Before the ACRF enters its next stage of work, Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, has agreed with the current programme sponsor Professor Freya Johnston, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) to pause ACRF activity and governance while the appointment of the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (People & Culture) is under way. The new PVC will be leading the programme on behalf of the University, and we wish to ensure that there is greater collective ownership and consultation with the Associate Professor Tutorial Fellow community.
The University remains fully committed to the ambitions of the ACRF and to progressing this important work. It is expected that activity will resume once the new PVC (People & Culture) is in post, and further updates will be shared in due course.
Programme overview and timeline to date
Guided by a Steering Group with representation across the collegiate University, the ACRF programme is developing a new career and reward framework for academic teaching and research staff at the University of Oxford. ACRF Workstream Leads have coordinated an extensive programme of engagement including over 70 meetings, during which more than 400 staff across the collegiate university have informed the framework's development.
| November 2025 - February 2026 |
Pre-consultation preparation. |
| August - November 2025 |
Framework readiness phase: continued information gathering, September Steering group, new ACRF sponsor and Programme Manager, ongoing conversations with HR and policy leads in divisions and departments, ongoing framework refinement. |
| January - August 2025 |
Framework development continues with divisional and college representatives, on details relating to criteria and implementation. The ACRF Steering Group meets in February, March and April to provide guidance.
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| May 2025 |
Plans for consultation on the framework will be shared with divisional boards. |
| June - July 2025 |
Approval for formal consultation on the framework will be sought at Steering Group on 4 June. Governance then continues with the framework being presented to Research and Innovation Committee on 12 June, Education Committee on 19 June, Planning and Resource Allocation Committee on 1 July and People Committee on 3 July.
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| October to December 2025 |
Preparatory work for a formal consultation during Michaelmas term 2025 and Hilary term 2026 takes place.
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Four workstreams
Programme activity was initially divided into four main workstreams which have been 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. Information on each can be found on the workstream webpages (see 'Contents' above).
Pay & Conditions review
The ACRF programme was established prior to Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey commissioning a Pay & Conditions review for all staff in January 2023. However, relevant insight and analysis on academic pay that emerged from it informed the work of the ACRF Steering Group during the 2023/24 academic year and several key measures resulting from the review are being taken forward by the ACRF programme; these include recommended action on academic pay and career pathways, academic reward and recognition, and academic workload.
