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Schemes for University Lecturers
Frequently Asked Questions
In cases of uncertainty, and in the absence of an existing contract, the Terms and Conditions of the Award are to take precedence over the following answers which are meant only as a guide.
1. What are the aims of the
Industrial Secondment Scheme?
Secondments provide industrial experience through
the 'application' of technology rather than purely
research-based work. Secondments are expected to
result in significant improvements to teaching
activities.
2. What does the award
provide for?
The award contributes to the cost of a replacement
lecturer who will cover the teaching activities of
the secondee whilst they are away from the
university. The replacement lecturer should be a
junior academic at the lower end of the academic pay
scale, and by covering the Secondee’s teaching
duties they will gain additional teaching
experience.
3. Who may apply?
All employees of UK Higher Education Institutions
teaching any aspect of engineering are eligible to
apply. The scheme is particularly beneficial to
engineering academics with minimal or no experience
of industry or to those whose last experience of
industry was some time ago or in another field to
that which they currently teach. Applicants will
need to convince the Academy that the secondment
will have a significant impact on their teaching at
undergraduate or postgraduate levels.
4. Which areas of
engineering are eligible?
All engineering disciplines are eligible.
5. I am not a Chartered
Engineer. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes, you are. You do not need to be a Chartered
Engineer to apply but being chartered is highly
beneficial in industry so you should explain your
reasons for not being a Chartered Engineer in your
Application. If not already a Chartered Engineer, it
is expected that you will be aspiring towards or
achieving chartered status within the secondment
period.
6. I have a degree in
Physics rather than engineering but I teach
engineering modules in the School of Engineering in
a UK university. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes, you are. As long as you teach Engineering
modules you are eligible to apply. The Academy take
a broad view of what Engineering encompasses and
this includes ICT.
7. In the past I worked in
an area of engineering different to the one I teach
in at the moment. I have no industrial experience in
my new area of engineering. Am I eligible to apply
for an industrial secondment?
Yes, you are.
8. Will you help me find a
Host Institution so that I can apply?
Applicants are expected to identify and approach
their own industry host and the Academy will not
assist in this process.
9. I went on secondment in
the past. Am I eligible to apply?
The scheme is open to applicants with no or minimum
industrial experience and to those whose industrial
experience was some time ago. Your past industrial
secondment counts as past industrial experience and
the answer to your question depends on how long ago
it was, what area of engineering it was in, and
whether industry practice has changed significantly
since that time.
10. What is the assessment
process?
All applications are assessed by a Selection Panel
within 4 to 5 weeks from the closing date. Selected
candidates will then be called for an interview. If
you are invited for interview a decision is normally
conveyed within 24 hours of the interview. The award
holder is notified of the outcome of the application
in writing by the scheme manager.
11. What happens after an
offer has been made?
At the time of the award notification all parties
are required to sign an Agreement detailing the
terms and conditions of the award. The University
must also inform the Academy when a suitable
replacement academic has been identified.
12. When can the secondment
commence?
All secondments must start before 31st December
2012. Secondments that will start after this date
should be submitted in a subsequent round.
13. What is the duration of
the secondment?
Secondments held on a full-time basis may be for any
period of time between three and six months.
Secondments can be held part time at a minimum of
50% full time equivalent, in which case the
secondment period can be extended pro rata up to a
maximum length of 12 months.
14. Can I extend my
secondment?
The Academy’s written approval must be sought for
any extension to the duration of the secondment,
irrespective of whether or not additional funding is
sought.
15. Can I apply for a
6-month full-time secondment and spend 3 months in
the Host organisation this summer and another 3
months next summer?
Yes, as long as the secondment adheres to the aims
and objectives of the scheme, a modular approach is
accepted. The intention to go on a secondment on a
modular basis should be declared and justified at
application stage.
16. I wish to apply for a
part-time secondment. Can I continue to teach for
part of the week or do I have to stop teaching
altogether?
Secondments may be held at a minimum of 50% part
time. As long as you give a full commitment to the
aims and objectives of your secondment for the
required time, you may continue to teach during the
rest of the week. Your intention to hold the
secondment part-time must be declared to the Academy
at application stage, and the reasons for this
justified. If the replacement academic is to cover
duties other than your teaching, this should be
explained in the application.
17. Can I have a secondment
for longer than six months on a full-time basis?
Yes, if this has the agreement of the applicant’s
Head of Department and the Host organization. The
Academy could only provide funding for six months,
however, and alternative sources of funding will
need to be secured for the remaining period before
the secondment commences.
18. Is the Host
organisation expected to contribute to the
secondee’s costs?
Contributions towards costs from the host
organisation, while not a compulsory part of the
scheme, are nevertheless welcome both as a
contribution to funds and as indicators of
commitment and goodwill. These may be in the form of
a payment towards the applicant’s travel,
accommodation and subsistence, or in the form of a
cash contribution towards the salary of the
applicant.
19. Can I go to a
non-industrial Host organisation?
Applications for secondments to non-industrial Host
organisations are accepted providing the experience
gained will impact directly on the courses the
applicant teaches. For example, secondments have
been approved to a hospital where mechanical
engineering techniques were applied to the treatment
of spinal injury patients, and to a local authority
for work in the area of environmental engineering.
Secondments to universities are not accepted.
20. Can I go on secondment
to more than one Host organisation?
Yes, if it can be demonstrated that this will
provide added value to the secondment.
21. I have just started my
secondment and have discovered that the costs of
accommodation at the location of my host company are
a lot greater than I expected. Would it be possible
for the Academy to cover those?
Unfortunately, no. The Academy does not get involved
in post-award negotiations related to the award
values and any travel and other expenses should have
been accurately presented to the Academy at the time
of your application.
22. How will The Academy
monitor my secondment?
Recipients of the award are responsible for ensuring
that the knowledge and skills acquired through the
secondment are appropriately disseminated and
applied once the secondment has ended. A Final
Report on the secondment is to be submitted to the
Academy within one month of the completion of the
secondment. A brief Follow-Up Report must also be
submitted to the Academy one year after the
completion of the secondment. The Host Organisation
will also be required to submit a report on the
secondment’s success and the Industrial Secondment
Scheme as a whole.
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