Honorary Status

Honorary Status is awarded in recognition of an individual’s contribution to teaching, research and service in the University.

Holders of any honorary title may concurrently enter into a separate employment contract with the University for which they will be paid remuneration for the work carried out under that contract but otherwise have no entitlement to any additional remuneration.

Honorary status can be awarded for a period of no less than 3 months and no longer than 3 years. Such posts may be renewed for up to a further 3 year period.

Honorary members of staff must declare any potential conflicts of interest to their Head of School as they arise throughout the duration of their honorary appointment.

Individuals holding Honorary Status will have access to the following University facilities:

• Use of the Library and electronic collections of books and journals
• Access to IT facilities (please note this includes a University email account)
• Free Health and Fitness & Aquatics Off-Peak membership and significant savings on peak memberships at Aberdeen Sports Village
• ID badge to access the University's buildings
• The right to use the University as an academic address for specified academic purposes only
• Titleholders may apply for research grants/funding through the official University channels but can not normally be the Primary Investigator. Titleholders must be part of an existing group within the University rather than an individual grant holder (although exceptions may be considered). For further information about applying for grants/funding, please engage with Research and Innovation at an early stage.
• Titleholders may be part of a supervision team for a PhD student provided that they are not the main supervisor or Chair of the team
• Access to chargeable car parking facilities (excluding Foresterhill Campus with effect from 1 September 2017)
• Eligible to book weddings in the University Chapel

*Subject to change

How to Apply

Applications for Honorary Status for an individual should be initiated by a member of University staff (known as the Proposer).  The Proposer should discuss any application and the level of honorary appointment with their Head of School/Section prior to discussion with the nominee.  The Proposer should complete the proposal form in partnership with the nominee and send, along with a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (for Academic roles, a proposal must also include a list of recent publications as well as a CV) to the Head of School/Section for approval. Once this is granted, the paperwork will be forwarded on to Honorary Appointments who will make the necessary arrangements to issue a letter to the nominee, confirming their appointment.

Honorary Readership or Honorary Professorship Appointments

If the request is for an appointment at Honorary Readership or Professorship level, in addition to the paperwork outlined above, 3 independent references must also be submitted as part of the application. These should be obtained by the Head of School/Section and should not be submitted by the Proposer or nominee. Once the application has been approved by the Head of School/Section, the full set of papers will be sent to the Senior Vice-Principal for final approval, prior to processing by HR Services, who will issue a letter confirming their appointment.

The award of Emeritus Status is automatic for all academic staff following retirement, in good standing and will be communicated by Human Resources on behalf of Court. The appointment will normally have no end date and will therefore last for life. Exceptionally the University will award Emeritus Status to academic related staff. If academic related staff wish to receive Emeritus Status they are required to submit an application, as it is not automatically granted.

Emeritus staff will receive the following privileges:

• Use of the Library and electronic collections of books and journals
• Access to IT facilities (please note this includes a University email account)
• Free Health and Fitness & Aquatics Off-Peak membership and significant savings on peak memberships at Aberdeen Sports Village
• ID badge to access the University's buildings
• The right to use the University as an academic address for specified academic purposes only
• Titleholders may apply for research grants/funding through the official University channels but can not normally be the Primary Investigator. Titleholders must be part of an existing group within the University rather than an individual grant holder (although exceptions may be considered). For further information about applying for grants/funding, please engage with Research and Innovation at an early stage.
• Titleholders may be part of a supervision team for a PhD student provided that they are not the main supervisor or Chair of the team
• Access to chargeable car parking facilities (excluding Foresterhill Campus with effect from 1 September 2017)
• Eligible to book weddings in the University Chapel

*Subject to change

Due to the changing nature of activities which are undertaken within the University, there has been an increase in (i) the number of spin-out companies being established and (ii) the volume of collaborative work with external organisations which is being undertaken on campus. It is therefore, acknowledged that there will be an increasing number of individuals who are based on campus who require access to buildings and/or facilities, but are not expected to make any regular contribution to the life and work of the University.

Holders of any honorary title may concurrently enter into a separate employment contract with the University for which they will be paid remuneration for the work carried out under that contract but otherwise have no entitlement to any additional remuneration.

Honorary appointments will end on the expiry date or after a maximum period of 3 years. Such posts may be renewed for up to a further 3 year period.

Individuals holding Honorary Partner Status will receive the following privileges:

• ID card
• Access to relevant University buildings
• Access to chargeable car parking facilities (excluding Foresterhill Campus with effect from 1 September 2017)

How to Apply

Applications for Honorary Partner Status for an individual should be initiated by a member of University staff (known as the Proposer). The Proposer should discuss any application and the level of honorary appointment with their Head of School/Section prior to discussion with the nominee. The Proposer should complete the proposal form in partnership with the nominee and submit to the Head of School/Section for approval. Once this is granted, the paperwork will be forwarded on to Honorary Appointments who will make the necessary arrangements to issue a letter to the nominee, confirming their appointment.

When the University is notified by NHS Partners that they have appointed a member of staff as a Registrar or above (e.g. Consultant), the University of Aberdeen automatically awards the individual with Honorary Associate Status. This is done in recognition of the working Partnership that takes place between the University and NHS and is formally stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding in place between the two organisations.

Individuals holding Honorary Associate status will be provided with:

• Use of the Library and electronic collections of books and journals
• Access to IT facilities (please note this includes a University email account)
• Free Health and Fitness & Aquatics Off-Peak membership and significant savings on peak memberships at Aberdeen Sports Village
• ID badge to access the University's buildings
• The right to use the University as an academic address for specified academic purposes only
• Titleholders may apply for research grants/funding through the official University channels but can not normally be the Primary Investigator. Titleholders must be part of an existing group within the University rather than an individual grant holder (although exceptions may be considered). For further information about applying for grants/funding, please engage with Research and Innovation at an early stage
• Titleholders may be part of a supervision team for a PhD student provided that they are not the main supervisor or Chair of the team
• Access to chargebale car parking facilities (excluding Foresterhill Campus with effect from 1 September 2017)

* Subject to change

Should the individual wish to have their Honorary appointment upgraded to reflect an Academic title such as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer etc., a formal application will require to be submitted, a copy of which be included in the letter the indivdiual receives confirming their Honorary Associate status.