Schemes for Engineers in Research and Development

RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowships: Terms and Conditions

The Royal Academy of Engineering (The Academy) award Research Fellowships to individuals of proven ability to carry out independent research in key areas of engineering.

The Academy agrees to contribute to the costs of a Fellowship subject to a formal agreement which shall be based upon the following conditions:

1. The period of tenure shall be 60 months, normally over five (5) years, or full time equivalent, or for such period as the Post Holder remains in post, commencing on a date to be agreed with the Academy.

2. During the period of tenure the Post Holder shall be known as The Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow and all publications shall carry this title.

3. The post is provided in respect of a given individual, and is not transferable to another individual. In the event that the Post Holder leaves the appointment before the end of the five (5) year period, the Academy reserves the right to terminate the award. Alternatively, and only under exceptional circumstances, requests to move the place of tenure to another Host Institution within the UK may be considered, but only after prior consultation with the current and proposed Host Institutions. The costs submitted in the original application will apply to the proposed Host Institution. The Academy’s decision regarding such a transfer of The Fellowship shall be final.

4. The Post Holder will be an employee of the Host Institution and shall be subject to the normal terms and conditions for research and analogous staff.

5. Post Holders are expected to devote their time to research and should not accept or hold any other appointment, paid or otherwise, except with the prior knowledge and approval of the Academy. Notwithstanding the above, permission will normally be given to Post Holders to undertake limited amounts of teaching and other non-research duties, providing that these duties do not exceed an average of four (4) hours per week over the course of any one (1) year.

6. Payments will be made in respect of, but not exceeding, the figures contained within the ‘Resources Requested’ table submitted in the Stage Two Application, to the Host Institution against invoices submitted quarterly in arrears.

7. Any equipment purchased with the funding from the Academy shall remain the property of the Academy. Should the Post Holder move the place of tenure of their appointment or move within the period of the Fellowship, the Academy reserves the right to require that such equipment be transferred with the Post Holder.

8. The Post Holder is encouraged to seek additional funding from third parties and shall follow the Host Institution’s normal procedures for applying for and accepting such funding. Patent and intellectual property rights in such cases may be apportioned in accordance with the Host Institution’s normal funding arrangements.

9. The Academy will appoint a Mentor to provide informal advice and guidance to the Post Holder. The Mentor will be a Fellow of The Academy and shall liaise with the Post Holder as often as is deemed appropriate. The Mentor will be independent of the Host Institution and shall advise the Academy on the Post Holder’s progress.

10. The Post Holder will be encouraged to initiate industrial links during the Fellowship and the Mentor may assist with this activity where possible.

11. The Post Holder will keep the results of their research confidential in accordance with any confidentiality and publication policy and guidelines of the Host Institution, particularly where the Host Institution may wish to protect the results of the research work prior to the publication of the results.

12. Any publication of the results shall carry an acknowledgement of the financial support received from the Academy.

13. Prior to any proposed publication the Post Holder will disclose the nature of the research and its results to the ‘knowledge transfer office’ of the Host Institution in order that any intellectual property arising from the work might be protected in a timely and efficient fashion.

14. The Post Holder shall submit a written progress report to The Academy every twelve (12) months, and this should address the performance measures as set out by The Academy.

15. In addition to the annual report, the Post Holder shall submit to the Academy, when requested, details of any additional sources of funding in connection with the programme of research, whether from industry, the Research Councils, or other sources.

16. If access to a Facility is essential to the Post Holder’s research programme, and hence the Fellowship, both access to and external funding for the cost of the Facility must be secured within one (1) year of the start date. Failure to secure the necessary access to the Facility may, at the Academy’s discretion, result in the termination of the award.

17. The Academy reserves the right to terminate The Fellowship on the grounds of the Post Holder’s failure to comply with the Terms and Conditions or if, in the opinion of the Academy, the Post Holder becomes unfit or unable to pursue the research for which they were appointed. Similarly, should the annual assessment reveal that performance has fallen below a standard that is acceptable to the Academy, it reserves the right to terminate the award.

18. In the event of termination of The Fellowship, the Academy shall pay the Host Institution their share of the costs, as submitted in the original application, that were properly incurred up until the date of termination, provided that such amounts do not exceed the amount which would have become payable in that year.

19. The Post Holder may be permitted to interrupt the award not more than twice during the period of The Research Fellowship to spend time on activities unsupported but directly related to The Research Fellowship. The agreement of the Academy must be sought in advance. Interruptions in the first or last year will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. The length of any periods of suspension must not exceed two (2) years in total.

20. The payment of all monies to the Host Institution in respect of the Fellowship shall be conditional in all respects upon the acceptance of these conditions by both the Host Institution and by the Post Holder.

21. The Fellow is entitled to take maternity, paternity or adoptive leave in accordance with The University's terms and conditions, and the Academy will extend the duration of the Fellowship to take account of the leave taken.

22. The Academy is a signatory to both The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and The Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research. The Academy may refer to the principles of both concordats when assessing performance.

 

 

Updated September 2012

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