Promotion to Associate Professor 2026

Introduction

The University is committed to rewarding, retaining and attracting staff of outstanding quality who perform in ways that contribute to its reputation, nationally and internationally. High performing academic staff are the cornerstone of the University and a range of strategies are available to recognise, reward and retain such staff appropriately. Promotion, through an effective and rigorous process, is one of these strategies and one of great importance.

Purpose

The University is a very diverse institution and its effective functioning and reputation depend on wide and varied contributions from staff. The Assistant Professor grade is the normal academic career grade within the University. The overall purpose of this policy for promotion to the next grade, that of Associate Professor, is to enable the University to develop and retain the best talent within the organisation and to provide excellent academic staff with career advancement opportunities.

Eligibility to Apply for Promotion.

Academic staff members at Assistant Professor grade / scale who are required as part of their role to contribute across all three domains at a high level, may apply for promotion to Associate Professor grade. 

Applicants

• shall have completed their probationary period (normally one year) at Assistant Professor grade

• shall be employed on a

• permanent full-time contract, at Assistant Professor grade, OR

• fixed-term full-time contract, at Assistant Professor grade, that extends at least to the end of the calendar year in which the application is being made 

• and shall have already completed a PhD/Professional Doctorate.

In the case of a staff member on a fixed-term full-time contract, at Assistant Professor grade, a promotion approval shall not be interpreted as any undertaking by the University that an extension of contract was intended or approved.

In the very exceptional case of an applicant without a Ph.D./ Professional Doctorate, detailed justification for the absence of this qualification must form part of the application along with providing a plan for the completion of this qualification.

Principles

The Associate Professor promotion process is a University-wide, merit-based, competitive process.

Within DCU, core academic activity is classified into 3 broad domains:

• Teaching and Learning

• Research and Scholarship, and

• Service and Contribution to University and Society

Applicants should consult the DCU Academic Development and Promotion Framework document in full.  This outlines the expectations and standards expected for academic grades for each of the three domains and their respective dimensions. It should be read as a broad guideline rather than as an exhaustive list of academic activities.

To be deemed suitable for promotion to Associate Professor, a staff member shall be required to demonstrate that, in these three domains, they have had sustained high achievement at Assistant Professor level and has the valid expectation of future excellence.

The University recognises that members of staff do not have identical opportunities to engage in the full range of academic activities. Thus academic profiles at the same level of appointment may inevitably be constructed in different ways. However, the University expects all staff to contribute to its three domains of core activity.

Applicants shall be required to provide evidence of their capacity and potential to perform at the Associate Professor level and the case for promotion shall be based on achievement and quality beyond that expected for the satisfactory performance of an Assistant Professor’s duties. 

While applicants are required to provide information concerning their whole career, it is essential that they provide a clear account of their progress and achievements in the recent past (e.g. in the previous 4 – 6 years, or since their last appointment or promotion), and evidence of an upward trajectory in performance that would warrant promotion to the next level, i.e. continuing progress commensurate with the promotion being sought.

Basis of Ranking and Gender Equality

The university-wide ranking produced by the Academic Promotions Committee (APC) is determined strictly by the assessment of individual merit and competitive standing against the established criteria for Substantial Performance.

In line with the 2026 Associate Professor call parameters, gender is not utilised as a tie-breaking factor or a secondary assessment criterion in the final ranking process. The APC will recommend candidates for promotion based solely on their position within the agreed university-wide ranking, up to the number of promotions indicated in the calling notice.

Strategic Focus 

DCU Strategic Plan 2023 - 2028:

It is important that DCU’s stated mission and values are fully articulated through its policies for internal promotion so that staff (a) understand the significance of the institutional mission and values, and (b) receive appropriate recognition for working continuously to ensure that our stated mission and values are realized. 

In order to ensure that there is coherence between our stated mission and values and our internal promotion policies, the University’s Academic Promotions Committee (APC), on behalf of the University, is articulating in this document the type of focus and behaviours that DCU wishes to encourage in its senior academic staff and thus the type of focus and behaviours it wishes to reward, enhance and develop through internal promotion to Associate Professor.               

A focus on the following seven characteristic dimensions − which reflect individual achievement, innovation and leadership − is deemed to be crucial for both the Teaching and Learning and Research and Scholarship domains:

• Quality and Productivity

• Innovation and Creativity

• Knowledge Transfer and Dissemination

• National and International Recognition

• Leadership and Responsibility

• Capacity Development and Mentorship

• Social or Economic Impact or Enterprise Awareness

The domain of Service and Contribution to University and Society is deemed to be appropriately addressed by a focus on the following three characteristic dimensions:

• Leadership and Responsibility

• Capacity Development and Mentorship

• Social or Economic Impact or Enterprise Awareness

Preparing an Application

Applicants shall use the appropriate on-line application form Promotion to the Grade of Associate Professor 2026: Application Form and the guidelines in Section IV of this document are provided to assist in its completion. Applications shall be submitted on or before the stipulated deadline of 4pm Monday 30 March 2026. Late applications shall not, under any circumstances, be accepted for consideration.

Nominating and Contacting an External Referee

Applicants are required to submit, with their applications, the names and contact details of one external referee – who should be an eminent academic or professional expert in the applicant's field. 

Members of an applicant’s Faculty Review Panel or of the APC may not be an external referee for any applicant who is to be considered by that panel or committee, unless there are exceptional circumstances approved by the Deputy President, as Chair of APC. 

The DCU People Department will write to the referee to request a reference.  It is however the applicants’ responsibility to confirm the willingness and availability of their external referee to supply a reference by the stipulated deadline. Applicants should inform the external referee of the strict deadlines for receipt of references in advance of submitting their application.  Late references shall not normally be pursued by DCU People.

Taking Advice 

Applicants are encouraged to take advice when applying for promotion. First time applicants are strongly encouraged to take advice from their Executive Dean or their Nominee.  Heads of School have a supportive role to play in advising staff on how they can best advance to the grade of Associate Professor. This may include mentoring both throughout the period leading up to an application for promotion as well as during the making of the application itself. Applicants may, in some cases, prefer to be mentored and advised by a senior colleague, who has been successful in a previous competition, other than the Head of School, and this is acceptable. The Head of School shall be informed of such an arrangement. 

The Deputy President, as Chair of the APC and in conjunction with the DCU People Department, shall provide advice on procedural issues, including the requirements in relation to the preparation and completion of applications at an Application Information Session following the formal announcement of a promotion call.

Please note that the applicant’s Head of School shall be asked by the Vice President for People, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion to provide a reference. The request shall be made of the current Head of School if they have been in post for a minimum of six months. If the current Head of School has been in post for a period of less than six months, applicants may opt to nominate the previous Head of School.

Consideration of the Applications

Applications are first considered by the Faculty Review Panel (FRP) from the applicant’s faculty producing a ranked shortlist which is then progressed for consideration by the Academic Promotions Committee (APC).

(a) The Faculty Review Panel (FRP) 

This shall comprise:

• the Dean of Faculty (who shall be the Chair of FRP)

• the Deputy Dean of Faculty, where relevant

• the Head of School for each school in the Faculty

• one member of academic staff (Associate Professor grade or above) from each school (elected by the academic staff members from that school who are on permanent full-time contracts or fixed-term full-time contracts of 3 or more years duration)

• a Dean from another faculty in the University (nominated by the APC), and

• one external member (normally a professor from another university), nominated by the Dean of Faculty.

Both genders shall be represented on the FRPs.

The FRP shall use the Criteria and Guidelines detailed in Sections III and IV below, the external reference and the reference from the Head of School to assist in the assessment of the applications from within that Faculty. These guidelines are designed for use by the FRPs for assessment and comparative purposes.

The functions of the FRP shall be to consider and evaluate all applications from within that Faculty and to assign moderated scores to all those applicants (in accordance with the criteria in Section III below). On the basis of these scores, the FRP will submit a ranked shortlist of up to a maximum of five ranked applicants (1-5) from within the Faculty. The Chair of the FRP shall submit the shortlist with names and scores, in rank order to the Chair of the APC.  The Chair of the APC will only share the ranking of applicants with the APC members.

(b) The Academic Promotions Committee (APC) 

The Terms of Reference for the Academic Promotions Committee provides further details regarding the committee's governance and is available for further review. 

As part of the ‘Promotion to Associate Professor’ procedures, the APC sits to consider the applications for promotion and the recommendations for promotion from the FRPs.  When sitting for the Associate Professor promotion process, the functions of the APC shall be to: 

• Adjudicate on the fairness of the FRP processes.

• Evaluate the applications of candidates deemed eligible by the FRP’s, limited to a maximum of five ranked applicants per Faculty (25 total university-wide)

• Identify the highest-ranking applicants overall to produce an agreed university-wide ranking.

• Ensure a consistent standard of excellence across the university by incorporating the shared views of committee members.

• Maintain the ranking order provided by the FRPs under normal circumstances while finalising the university-wide list.

Subject to applicants meeting the required performance attainment levels, the APC will aspire to recommend at least one candidate per Faculty.  However, in the event that no candidate from a particular Faculty meets the criteria for Substantial Performance, no appointment will be made for that Faculty. All other appointments will be drawn from any Faculty based strictly on the university-wide ranking. The APC will recommend the highest-ranked applicants in writing to the President in accordance with the number of promotions indicated in the calling notice.

The APC reserves the right to seek further clarification on any matter relating to the FRP submissions, prior to forwarding its recommendations to the President.

Notification of Outcome

The University is committed to ensuring all applicants are advised in writing of the outcome of their application at the earliest opportunity.  Applicants not selected for shortlisting and applicants selected for shortlisting at the Faculty Review Panel will be advised in writing as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the shortlisting stage; subsequently shortlisted applicants shall be advised in writing of the final outcome of their application as soon as possible after the President has approved the recommendations of the Academic Promotions Committee (APC).

Feedback on Outcome

Applicants are encouraged to contact their Executive Dean to discuss the outcome of their application for feedback. The Dean will provide feedback on various aspects of the application, including areas of strength and areas needing improvement, to assist the applicant in demonstrating the required upward trajectory for future promotion rounds. 

Applicants not selected at the FRP shortlisting stage will be notified as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the Faculty Review Panel (FRP) stage. In these instances, the Dean will provide feedback on the applicant's performance relative to the Substantial Performance criteria and their competitive standing within the Faculty. For all other applicants, feedback will be available following the final conclusion of the university-wide process.

Equal Opportunities

In line with the University's equal opportunities policy, the panels/committees shall be concerned to ensure that only relevant considerations are taken into account in reaching decisions. Care shall be taken to ensure that equal opportunity factors are taken into account when each area of activity is considered. 

In this context, when an applicant's record is being reviewed, consideration shall be given to any special circumstances that may have resulted in a lack of opportunity for an applicant to perform to their full potential in any area of activity. For example, time away from work, because of family responsibilities or because of chronic illness, could have delayed career development.

Where an applicant has taken maternity leave, sick leave or other leave for family reasons, the FRPs and the APC shall endeavour to consider these periods on a pro rata basis in order best to reflect the candidate's contributions over actual years worked. The overall approach shall take into consideration quality of work rather than just quantity. 

Appeals Procedure 

Any applicant shall be entitled to make an appeal, but only in respect of an alleged irregularity in procedure. An appeal must be made within 10 working days of the applicant being notified of the outcome of their application.  The applicant must clearly specify the exact procedural step that was allegedly breached; any appeals that are not based on such alleged breach such as a challenge to academic judgement or the scores/rankings assigned will not be considered an appeal under this policy. The procedure for lodging an appeal in respect of an alleged irregularity in procedure is determined by the stage at which the application outcome was concluded:

• Applicant concluded at the Faculty Review Panel (FRP)

  This procedure applies to applicants who did not progress to their Faculty’s ranked shortlist and were, consequently, deemed ineligible for consideration for promotion. 

  The appeal must be made in writing to the President. In the first instance the President shall require the relevant Executive Dean in conjunction with the Senior DCU People Manager or their nominee to discuss the matter with the applicant.

• Applicant concluded at the Academic Promotions Committee Review (APC) 

  This procedure applies to applicants who were shortlisted at the FRP and were deemed eligible for consideration for promotion by the Academic Promotions Committee. 

  The appeal must be made in writing to the President.In the first instance the President shall require the relevant Executive Dean and the Vice President for People, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion or their nominees to discuss the matter with the applicant.

If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the President shall nominate a senior academic of the University external to the process to investigate the appeal and to make a determination as to whether any material irregularity (i.e., which could reasonably have influenced the outcome under appeal) took place.

In the event that no material irregularity is found, then the President shall disallow the appeal. In the event that the determination is that there had been a material irregularity, the President shall refer the application to the FRP or APC for reconsideration.

Applicants shall be assessed and scored across the three domains of core academic activity within the University:

Domain 1     Teaching and Learning

Domain 2     Research and Scholarship

Domain 3     Service and Contribution: to University and Society

Domains 1 and 2 (scored out of 100)

In line with the DCU strategic plan and the values we espouse, performance and attainment in these domains shall be assessed across the following 7 dimensions:

• Quality and Productivity

• Innovation and Creativity

• Knowledge Transfer and Dissemination

• National and International Recognition

• Leadership and Responsibility 

• Capacity Development, and Mentorship 

• Social or Economic Impact or Enterprise Awareness

Domain 3 (scored out of 50)

Performance and attainment in the Service and Contribution to University and Society domain shall be assessed across the final three dimensions:

• Leadership and Responsibility

• Capacity Development and Mentorship

• Social or Economic Impact or Enterprise Awareness

Scores consistent with the indicative levels of performance as shown below shall be assigned to each applicant. 

• Categories of achievement (Satisfactory / Substantial / Outstanding and Exceptional) are as elaborated in the DCU Academic Development and Promotions Framework. 

• Given the career stage of applicants, most scores (even for strong candidates) will fall into the range 30-69 / 15-34 for a given domain. However, the scale extends to 100/50 to allow for cases of performance far above current grade, and above the grade being applied for.

An applicant’s total score shall be the sum of the three domain scores. The total scores shall therefore be positioned on a scale running from 25 to 250.

Eligibility for Consideration for Promotion

To be deemed eligible for consideration for promotion to Associate Professor an applicant must achieve a score consistent with the criteria for Substantial Performance as defined in Section III: Criteria.  Additionally, they must achieve a competitive score that merits their inclusion on the Faculty Review Panel’s (FRP) ranked shortlist. 

As this shortlist is strictly limited to a maximum of five applicants per Faculty, eligibility is determined by an applicant's competitive standing within their Faculty cohort in addition to their individual assessment against the academic domains.  Only those on the ranked shortlisted will progress to be considered by the Academic Promotions Committee (APC). 

*Please note, past scores of an applicant will not dictate future scores, i.e. each competition is scored based on the current application submitted for review.

An applicant who has been deemed not to be eligible for consideration for promotion in the 2025 Associate Professor Call – not having achieved the minimum standard (as defined above) – shall be required to wait for 2 years prior to submitting a further application.

This section contains information for applicants applying for promotion to the grade of Associate Professor. It provides a guide on how to report activities, their quality, the degree of internal and external recognition, and specific issues and requirements relating to each. The guidelines are designed to assist staff in preparing applications for promotion. Applicants are advised to ensure that the information they provide in the application form when making their case for promotion is accurate and specific.

Applicants are advised to refer frequently to the Framework for Assessment of Applications in Section III above. The articulation of one’s profile and contribution to the 3 domains in the context of the relevant dimensions (and their descriptors) should greatly assist in the building of a clear and robust application for promotion. It should be noted that the Leadership and Responsibility dimension is particularly important for the University and performance along this dimension must be visible in any credible application for promotion to Associate Professor.

Documenting a Case

Applicants making a case for promotion should document the work they have undertaken, their progress and their achievements within each domain with particular reference to the relevant dimensions. In this context, applicants should aim to demonstrate that they have a worthy record of achievement, sustained over time. The level of achievement shall be assessed in relation to the expectations of performance at the Associate Professor level. As referred to earlier, applicants are advised to ensure that the information they provide in the application form when making their case for promotion is accurate and specific.

It is strongly advised that applicants should structure their submissions in such a way that assessors (i.e. members of FRP or APC as appropriate) can evaluate an applicant’s case for each domain, using the Framework, mentioned earlier and elaborated upon below.

• The work undertaken (the quality of content or input) and the outcomes of that work (productivity, or results or output).

• The innovation and creativity involved.

• How this work has led to and / or facilitated knowledge transfer and dissemination.

• How the work is evaluated or recognised by peers, or the broader community (recognition).

• The role which the applicant has taken from the perspective of leadership and responsibility.

• Capacity development and mentorship within the University, with students or the broader community. (Direct contribution to building a skill base, knowledge framework, consortium, group, team, programme of effort, collaborative network (internal or external to the University). Effectively, demonstrate an enduring contribution and impact to the University, community and /or the profession).

• An analysis of the contribution of the activity in terms of social or economic impact or enterprise awareness.

As referred to earlier, applicants are strongly advised to consult the DCU Academic Development and Promotion Framework document in full.

It is recognised that the mix of achievements may vary across different disciplinary areas. The examples that follow are broadly indicative and applicants may, of course, include achievements not detailed here. 

ACHIEVEMENT SHOULD BE LISTED AS EVIDENCE UNDER ONE DOMAIN ONLY. DO NOT REPEAT EVIDENCE IN YOUR APPLICATION. 

Domain 1 – Teaching and Learning (total possible score: 100)

Effective teaching can be evidenced by:

• Scholarly activities that have influenced and enhanced teaching and learning 

• Development of curricula and resources that reflect a command of the field

• Approaches to assessment and feedback that foster independent learning

• Respect and support for the development of students as individuals

•  

Domain 2 – Research and Scholarship (total possible score: 100)         

The research and scholarly contribution should represent a body of work, showing sustained development over time, and regarded by peers as original in concept and application. For promotion to Associate Professor an applicant will be expected to demonstrate a high level of achievement in the advancement of the discipline.

Domain 3 – Service and Contribution to University and Society (total possible score: 50)

The University expects each member of academic staff to have acknowledged expertise and to provide that expertise, through various forms of service, to the school, faculty, University, to the discipline, in a profession and / or through community engagement.

associate-professor-policy-2026.pdf

indicative-timeline-for-promotion-to-associate-professor-2026_0.pdf

The Introduction & Guidance document provides key information for applicants including what's changed and how to guide.  It should be read in advance of accessing the on-line link for the application form. 

It is recommended to prepare bullet points sections in a Word document and then copy and paste to the on-line application form at a later date.  A Word template for bullet point sections is provided for your convenience. 

If you wish to prepare the tables and bullet point sections on a Word document.  A Word template for tables and bullet point sections is provided for your convenience. 

The template for on-line Application Form is provided for your reference only.  It is recommended to print the application form when preparing for completing your application.  No applications will be accepted on the template.  All applications are via the on-line application form only.  

Applications must be submitted via the new On-Line Application Form. 

In lieu of the submission of hard copy books, applicants can include links to the publisher's catalogue/website.

Please note that all of the above information must be submitted and received by the specified application deadline. 

Deadline:

Applications must be submitted by 4pm on Monday 30 March 2026.  Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Support 

If you have any queries, please contact apc.dcupeople@dcu.ie

The link to the on-line application form is provided below.  It is advisable to review the Introduction & Guidance Document in advance of accessing the application form.

A welcome page will display instructions, please take time to review the instructions carefully before proceeding.    

https://dcusurveys.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7NHbI5CFZSQ6RzU

The DCU People Department will contact external referees, as per the indicative timeline.

External referees are not provided with an electronic copy of an application by the DCU People Department; however, the applicant may choose to share their application directly with their external referee. It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure that their external referee is available to provide a reference by the stipulated deadline. Late external references shall not normally be pursued by DCU People. 

An account has been set up for each Faculty, with a separate username (listed below) for each Faculty account, should an applicant wish to share their Loop Page with members of the DCU Faculty Review Panel and Academic Promotions Committee.

In order to do so, please follow these steps:-

1. On your Loop page, select Participants from the page top menu.

2. Select the Enrol Users button.

3. Enter the name or email address of the relevant faculty account below in the Select users search box in the drop-down menu and when it appears, select it. 

4. Choose the role of Non-editing teacher to assign to this role.

5. Select the Enrol selected users and cohorts button.

The page will then be available to view for members of the Faculty Review Panel and Academic Promotions Committee.

Please only use the username for the account that applies to your relevant Faculty:

If you need assistance with enrolling one of these accounts to your Loop page, please log a ticket at DCU Help help.dcu.ie

The Information Session took place via Zoom on Monday 23 February 2026 @ 11am.  The Information Session Presentation is provided here. 

The recording of the Information Session is available here 

If you were unable to attend the session the recording of the session will be posted over the coming days and the presentation slides are provided above.   

Applicants should reference the https://www.dcu.ie/strategy

Applicants should consult the DCU Academic Development and Promotion Framework document 

In relation to the outcome of the application, there is an appeals procedure outlined within the Promotion to Associate Professor Policy, Procedures, Criteria & Guidelines 2026. 

This states, any applicant shall be entitled to make an appeal, but only in respect of an alleged irregularity in procedure. An appeal must be made within 10 working days of the applicant being notified of the outcome of their application.  The applicant must clearly specify the exact procedural step that was allegedly breached; any appeals that are not based on such alleged breach such as a challenge to academic judgement or the scores/rankings assigned will not be considered an appeal under this policy. The procedure for lodging an appeal in respect of an alleged irregularity in procedure is determined by the stage at which the application outcome was concluded:

Applicant concluded at the Faculty Review Panel (FRP)

This procedure applies to applicants who did not progress to their Faculty’s ranked shortlist and were, consequently, deemed ineligible for consideration for promotion.  

The appeal must be made in writing to the President, in the first instance the President shall require the relevant Executive Dean in conjunction with the Senior DCU People Manager or their nominee to discuss the matter with the applicant.

Applicant concluded at the Academic Promotions Committee Review (APC) 

This procedure applies to applicants who were shortlisted at the FRP and were deemed eligible for consideration for promotion by the Academic Promotions Committee. 

The appeal must be made in writing to The President, in the first instance the President shall require the relevant Executive Dean and the Vice President for People, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion or their nominees to discuss the matter with the applicant.

If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the President shall nominate a senior academic of the University external to the process to investigate the appeal and to make a determination as to whether any material irregularity (i.e., which could reasonably have influenced the outcome under appeal) took place.

In the event that no material irregularity is found, then the President shall disallow the appeal. In the event that the determination is that there had been a material irregularity, the President shall refer the application to the FRP or APC for reconsideration.

Please refer to the Promotion to Associate Professor: Policy, Procedures, Criteria and Guidelines 2026 for more information.

If you have any queries please contact apc.dcupeople@dcu.ie