Policy and Criteria for SoGE Visitors and Associates
Introduction
The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) welcomes applications from individuals who have genuine reasons to be associated with the school for purposes of research (including impact, engagement and strategy) and teaching, where mutual benefits will accrue from such an association. This policy covers formal associations in one of the following categories.
Honorary Research Associate or Honorary Research Fellow (HRA or HRF)
For researchers from a non-UK academic institution or a non-academic institution (in the UK or overseas) to support collaborations on specific research projects or activities that would be difficult to achieve without access to resources in Oxford.
Short Term Visitor (STV)
For researchers from a non-UK academic institution or a non-academic institution (in the UK or overseas) to facilitate short visits to Oxford to aid collaborations with individuals who have allied research interests.
Honorary Fellow (HF)
For individuals from non-academic institutions (e.g. NGOs, business, government) in a field with strong links to SoGE research who will make a significant contribution to the School in a non-research or non-teaching capacity.
Student Visitor (SV)
For students who are not direct students in the School, nor covered by the University procedures for awarding visiting student status, to support collaborations on a specific topic under the guidance of a named academic with a with a demonstrable link to the chosen area of study.
Teaching Associate or Teaching Fellow (TA or TF)
For individuals confirmed to teach on a SoGE based course in the upcoming academic year, but do not have a formal contract of employment with the department, to provide access to the building, systems (as required) and mailing lists.
Former Staff and DPhil students
For former SoGE DPhil students and staff to provide continued access to School and University online facilities for a fixed period to ensure the effective generation of research outputs.
There is a separate procedure for the award of the title of Visiting Professor, which is operated by the Social Sciences Division, and “Recognised Student Status”, which is operated by central University administration.
An award is governed by five main principles:
- The status is awarded for a fixed time period.
- The status is dependent upon a demonstrable association with a named academic staff member resulting in a material benefit to the core activity of the School.
- The status must be formally considered and approved by the Director of Research, the Head of School, and/or Head of Administration and Finance, as appropriate. No person shall be entitled to claim affiliated status without having successfully completed this approval process. There should be no assumption or culture of expectation of the award of a status or its renewal.
- Applicants are expected to acknowledge an affiliation with the School in the authorship of any papers written during the period of the association.
- The award of a status may entitle the holder to access to University and/or School services, subject to the following charges (to be met by the applicant or the nominator):
- a compulsory standard administration charge of £50 to cover processing costs;
- a bench-fee of £5,000 per annum (pro-rata) if access to hot desking is required;
- fees to cover additional access to Small Research Facilities or other IT facilities, or visa/work permit fees.
Application process
Applications should be made as far in advance as possible: at least 3 months prior to the association starting to allow for basic administrative processing. Visitors who are planning a physical visit to the department should allow at least 6 months, particularly where a visa is needed to travel to the UK and ATAS clearance is required. Visa applications and ATAS clearance can delay the start of the visit by at least 3-5 months. All visitors to the School of Geography and the Environment should assume ATAS is required unless applying from an exempt country or otherwise confirmed by SoGE. Where the UK government’s Trusted Research agenda applies (i.e. applications from countries with which the UK has an arms or trade embargo), visitors submit their application at least 9 months in advance as processing times may be increased by a further 3-5 months.
All applications must be nominated by a member of the School. Applications nominated from Research Centres - the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE) and Transport Studies Unit (TSU) - must also be approved by the relevant Centre Director.
Desk requirements should be clearly stated and agreed to by the Centre Director or Office Manager, as appropriate.
Application form completed by the applicant
The form will ask to confirm specific aims for the association and intended benefits to SoGE. The form will also ask for basic details of the applicant, proposed dates of the association, specific requests and justification for access to facilities, including hot desking (where allowable) and details of the source of funding.
Applicants must liaise with the School's HR team to ensure that they meet the UK Border Agency's visa and work permit requirements before making an application. Please see the UK Border Agency website for more information.
The applicant must carefully read the Terms and Conditions of the association and sign to confirm they will comply.
Application form completed by the nominator
The nominator must be a member of academic or research staff on grade 8 or above. The nominator will be asked to confirm the benefits of the association, justify any requests for access to facilities, and confirm funding sources (if internal to SoGE).
The nominator must carefully read the Terms and Conditions of the association and sign to confirm they will comply.
Application form approved by the Research Centre Director
This is mandatory for all applications nominated by ECI, SSEE, or TSU. Requests for desk space should be approved
Application form sent to Head of School’s PA for processing
Applications made on behalf of Geography can be sent directly to the HoS PA by the nominator; applications from research centres (ECI, SSEE, TSU) will be sent to the HoS PA on behalf of the Research Centre Director.
Head of School’s PA: alexandra.norrish@ouce.ox.ac.uk
Approval Process
Submitted applications will be reviewed by the following individuals:
Facilities & Services Manager
Where a desk space and/or access to other building facilities has been requested. Conditions and/or additional fees may be applied.
Head of IT
Where IT equipment, access to the HPC, or other IT facilities has been requested. Conditions and/or additional fees may be applied.
Director of Research
Applications for Honorary Research Associate/Fellow status will first be reviewed by the Director of Research
Head of School or Head of Administration and Finance
Final approval will be granted by
- Head of School: Honorary Research Associate and Student Visitors;
- Head Of Administration and Finance: Short Term visitors, Teaching associates and Fellows, Former staff and DPhil students.
- Exec group: Honorary Fellows (this group consists of the Head of School, Research Centre Directors, Director of Research, and Directors of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies).
Approved applications will be sent to HR to process. HR will contact the applicant to confirm:
- Approval of the application
- Total fees payable (unless fees are being covered by SoGE funds)
- Access to facilities (where requested) and any conditions that have been applied.
- Any visa and/or ATAS requirements needed for the association and details of the process that should be taken. Visas must not be applied for without guidance from the SoGE HR team. Visa invitation letters must only be issued by a member of the SoGE HR team. Attempts to enter the SoGE building on an incorrect visa could result in delayed or cancelled association with the School.
Application Forms and Further Specifics
Further specifics including application form for each status are outlined below.
- Application form: Honorary Research Associate or Fellow Application Form [MS Word : 121 KB]
- Duration: Up to a maximum of 3 years
- Reporting: Required within 1 month of the original association end date, to be completed by HRA/HRF and nominator
- Renewal: Possible a maximum of two times, where justified, with each renewal lasting up to 3 years in duration. Renewal is contingent on the end of association report being submitted. A new application must also be completed to confirm the benefits of the renewed association. Once an association has ended, it cannot be reapplied for within 1 year.
- Facilities and Resources available:
- @ouce email account and addition to relevant mailing lists;
- University card;
- Desk space (fees apply);
- HR support for visa applications;
- Basic IT-helpdesk support;
- IT equipment (upon request, additional fees may apply);
- HPC connection up to 100 hours/month CPU (upon request);
- Lab or other facilities access (upon request, additional fees may apply);
- SoGE website profile (upon request).
- Fees: Compulsory £50 administration fee; £5,000 per annum pro rata bench fee where access to a hot desk is required for more than 20 days; additional fees may apply where access to Small Research Facilities or specialist IT services is requested.
- Further Details: HRA/HRFs may physically spend time in Oxford or have a remote association only. Honorary Research Associate is the default title; Honorary Research Fellow may be awarded to those with full Professor title. College-based Junior Research Fellows who make a significant contribution to SoGE research and may be awarded HRA status.
- Application form: Short Term Visitor Application Form [MS Word : 120 KB]
- Duration: Up to a maximum of 1 year. Requests for more than a year should consider the Honorary Research Associate process.
- Renewal: Not expected for this category.
- Facilities and Resources available:
- @ouce email account and addition to relevant mailing lists (for duration > 1 month);
- University card (for duration > 1 month);
- Desk space (fees apply);
- HR support for visa applications;
- Basic IT-helpdesk support;
- Lab access (upon request, additional fees may apply).
- Fees: Compulsory £50 administration fee; £5,000 per annum pro rata bench fee where access to a hot desk is required for more than 20 days; additional fees may apply where access to Small Research Facilities or specialist IT services is requested.
- Application form: Honorary Fellow Application Form [MS Word : 120 KB]
- Duration: Up to a maximum of 3 years
- Reporting: Required within 1 month of the original association end date, to be completed by HF and nominator.
- Renewal: Possible a maximum of two times, where justified, with each renewal lasting up to 3 years in duration. Renewal is contingent on the end of association report being submitted. A new application must also be completed to confirm the benefits of the renewed association. Once an association has ended, it cannot be reapplied for within 1 year.
- Facilities and Resources available:
- @ouce email account and addition to relevant mailing lists;
- University card;
- Desk space (fees apply);
- HR support for visa applications;
- Basic IT-helpdesk support;
- SoGE website profile (upon request).
- Fees: Compulsory £50 administration fee; £5,000 per annum pro rata bench fee where access to a hot desk is required for more than 20 days.
- Further Details: The title “Honorary Fellow” is universal and it is possible to include specific terms in the awarded title such as business, policy, or impact, if required (e.g. Honorary Business Fellow, Honorary Fellow of Policy etc).
- Application form: Student Visitor Application Form [MS Word : 120 KB]
- Duration: Up to a maximum of 1 year
- Reporting: Required within 1 month of the original association end date, to be completed by student visitor and nominator
- Renewal: Not normally expected for this category.
- Facilities and Resources available:
- @ouce email account and addition to relevant mailing lists;
- University card;
- Desk space (fees apply);
- HR support for visa applications;
- Basic IT-helpdesk support;
- HPC connection up to 100 hours/month CPU (upon request);
- Lab or other facilities access (upon request, additional fees may apply).
- Fees: Compulsory £50 administration fee; £5,000 per annum pro rata bench fee where access to a hot desk is required for more than 20 days; additional fees may apply where access to Small Research Facilities or specialist IT services is requested.
- Application form: Teaching Associate or Fellow Application Form [MS Word : 111 KB]
- Duration: Up to a maximum of 3 years, if there is credible justification for this, however the normal expectation is 1 – 2 years.
- Renewal: Available upon confirmation that the relevant course/module will continue to be taught by the individual. A request for renewal should submitted using the application form.
- Facilities and Resources available:
- @ouce email account and addition to relevant mailing lists;
- University card;
- HR support for visa applications;
- Basic IT-helpdesk support;
- SoGE website profile (upon request).
- Fees: N/A
- Further specifics: Teaching Associate is the default title; Teaching Fellow to be awarded to those with more senior status, if requested.
- Application form: Former Staff and DPhils Continued Access Application Form [MS Word : 111 KB]
- Duration: Up to a maximum of 1 year, starting from employment contract end date or the date of DPhil viva.
- Renewal: Not generally expected but may be approved where there is a credible case.
- Facilities and Resources available:
- @ouce email account and addition to relevant mailing lists;
- University card;
- Basic IT-helpdesk support;
- HPC connection, allowance equivalent to average usage during DPhil/contract;
- Fees: N/A
FAQs
The following facilities and resources are available to each of the different associate categories:
| Resource | Honorary Research Associate/ Fellow | Short Term Visitor
| Honorary Fellow | Student Visitors | Teaching Associate/ Fellow | Former Staff and Students |
| @ouce email account | Yes | Duration > 1 month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| University card | Yes | Duration > 1 month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desk space | Yes, bench fees apply | Yes, bench fees apply | Yes, bench fees apply | Yes, bench fees apply | No | No |
| HR support | Visa application only | Visa application only | Visa application only | Visa application only | N/A | N/A |
| IT helpdesk support | Basic provision | No | Basic provision | Basic provision | Basic provision | Basic provision |
| Laptop and other IT equipment | Upon request | No | No | No | No | No |
| WiFi connection | Yes | OWL only | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| HPC | Upon request* | No | No | Upon request* | No | Upon request* |
| Lab access | Upon request | Upon request | No | Upon request | N/A | No |
| Maillist | As per new maillist policy | N/A | As per new maillist policy | As per new maillist policy | As per new maillist policy | N/A |
| Web profile | Upon request | No | Upon request | No | Upon request | No |
Administrative and bench fees should be paid where required, as indicated above. Admin fees should be paid immediately after confirmation has been given to the associate. Bench fees should be paid before arriving to work in the department.
Where the associate is going to spend less than 20 days in the department cumulatively over the course of the association, bench fees are not applicable. However, it is the responsibility of the nominator to update the HoS EA if the duration of the stay is subsequently extended. The School has a duty of care to its staff and students to know who may be in the building at any one time, therefore it is the responsibility of the nominator to update on visit dates at the earliest possible opportunity. Fees may then become chargeable.
The applicant’s source of funding should be stated in the application form. The School has provision to reduce or waive bench fees in exceptional cases, and this will be assessed based on information provided in the application form. The decision to reduce or waive fees sits with the Head of School.
The bench fees cover:
- Use of a hot desk in the department and access to the booking platform to reserve a desk;
- Support from Professional Services Staff teams including IT helpdesk, HR, facilities, finance and communications;
- Access to book meeting rooms and pods for online meetings in the building;
- Online Microsoft package;
- Access to events and seminars being hosted in the department.
Visitors travelling to Oxford from outside the UK may require a visa. Visitors should also assume that ATAS is required unless arriving from an exempt country or otherwise confirmed by SoGE. The SoGE HR team will advise whether a visa and/or ATAS is required to facilitate the visit. Visas must not be applied for without explicit guidance from the SoGE HR team. Only a member of the SoGE HR team is authorised to issue visa invitation letters. Attempts to enter the SoGE building on an incorrect visa could result in delayed or cancelled association with the School. Further information on ATAS can be found on the University webpages: ATAS for Staff and ATAS for Students.
Applications should be submitted as far in advance as possible and according to the following minimum timelines:
a minimum of 3 months prior to the desired association start date for all applications. This is to allow enough time for the approval process and basic administration.
a minimum of 6 months prior to the desired association start date for all applications where the visitor is intending to spend part or all of their association the UK, and may need a visa and ATAS clearance. Visa applications and ATAS clearance can take 3-5 months to process.
a minimum of 9 months prior to the desired association start date is required for all applications where the visitor is applying from a country with which the UK currently has a trade or arms embargo. An export licence may be required for the visit which can take a further 3-5 months to process.
SoGE staff members who nominate or support an associate application have responsibility for:
- The associate’s induction including: ensuring University card is issued, arrange desk space, booking a building induction, introduction to research groups, arranging access to facilities as required;
- Ensuring the purpose of the association is met and the relationship remains mutually beneficial;
- All paperwork associated with the relationship including end of association report;
- The associate’s conduct and behaviour for the duration of the relationship.
GDPR Collection Notice
Information provided about yourself ('personal data') in the above application forms will only be used for the purpose of processing your application. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will seek your consent to use it for that new purpose. We are processing your data only because you have given us your consent to do so by submitting your application. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us. In this event, we will stop the processing as soon as we can. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before your withdrawal of consent. Access to your data within the University will be provided to those who need to view it as part of their work in carrying out the purposes described above. We will only retain your data for as long as we need it to meet our purposes, including any relating to legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Your data will be held securely in accordance with the University's policies and procedures. Further information is available on the University's website.
We (the University of Oxford) are the 'data controller' for this information, which means we are responsible for looking after it in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and associated data protection legislation. If you wish to raise any queries or concerns about our use of your data with respect to the purposes described above, please contact the Head of School’s PA, Alexandra Norrish, in the first instance.
