Guidance for Prospective Visiting Academics/Honorary Researchers

Guidance for Prospective
Visiting Academics/Honorary Researchers
The School operates a Visiting Academics Scheme and an Honorary Researchers
Scheme.
Visiting Academics Scheme
Within this Scheme there are two categories of appointment - Visiting Scholar and
Visiting Research Fellow - the difference between the two being the length of their
stay and the facilities provided.
Visiting Scholars are not normally expected to stay for more than a month. They have
access to Oxford Brookes Library and are supported by the School if they wish to
apply to join the Bodleian Library. They also have access to email and the internet but
are not provided with a desk, computer or telephone. Visiting Scholars are not required
to pay a bench fee.
Visiting Research Fellows stay for more than a month, most typically for a term,
semester or a year. They are provided with access to library facilities (as above) and, in
addition, given a desk and computer (with email and internet facilities). They are also
entitled to use the resources offered by the School’s administrative staff and the
University Research Centre. Visiting Research Fellows are required to pay a bench fee
of £2,000 per annum, on a pro rata basis.
Honorary Researchers Scheme
Within this Scheme there are also two categories of appointment, Honorary Research
Associate and Honorary Research Fellow. The scheme is intended for individuals not
based in academic institutions in the UK or elsewhere who wish to engage in research
with members of the School or to continue research they began when they were
themselves members of the School. Individuals working within the public sector (e.g.
Social Services, Health Authorities, police, charities) or within the private sector may
be nominated by a current member of staff for the title Honorary Research Associate.
In exceptional circumstances, senior colleagues who are retiring, or have retired, from
the School may be nominated for the title Honorary Research Fellow. All
nominations have to be supported by the Department.
The title is awarded for a period of three years which can be renewed. The position
lapses when the individual ceases to be actively involved in the School.
Honorary Research Associates and Fellows will be offered email and internet access
and a Library card for Oxford Brookes University. It will not normally be possible to
offer other facilities.

The School’s expectations of Visiting Academics/Honorary Researchers
The expectations are that Visiting Academics/Honorary Researchers will:
maintain an active relationship with the School and its activities, such as
participation in seminars, lectures and conferences and present a report of
research in progress in an appropriate forum.
acknowledge their association with the School in any publications or
presentation that they produce arising from their research during their
period of appointment.
provide the School with an off-print of any published research undertaken
while a
affiliated to the School.
where possible, collaborate with members of the School in developing
ongoing and future research projects.
Appointment procedure
Prospective Visiting Academics and Honorary Researchers should contact the relevant
Department to determine if it is willing to support their appointment by the School’s
Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee. Nominations will need to include:
1) The candidate’s full curriculum vitae, including full postal (home) address.
Please note this must be home address (not work address) for purposes of
issuing an affiliate card.
2) A covering letter from the member of staff making the nomination
outlining the case for the visiting or honorary appointment. The nomination
should be considered first by the relevant Department. The covering letter must
therefore highlight that the nomination has received full departmental
support, with details of how individual(s) within the Department will benefit
from the election of the person as a Visiting Academic or Honorary Researcher.
3) Proposed title: e.g. Honorary Research Associate or Honorary Research
Fellow (following the guidance above).
4) Clarification of whether the honorary researcher will require a physical
workspace at Oxford Brookes University or whether the attachment will be a
“virtual” affiliation.
Once approved by the School a formal letter of invitation will be sent to the Visiting
Academic/Honorary Researcher’s home address.
Visiting Research Students
Research students who visit the School for a Semester to undertake research but are
not being supervised by a member of staff, are required to pay the same bench fee as
Visiting Research Fellows. As students, they have access to library facilities, email and
the internet and use of a desk and computer through the system of ‘hot desking’.

Associate Research Students
Research students who visit the School for a Semester to undertake research and
require supervision by a member of staff, must enrol as research students for the
period they are at Oxford Brookes and pay the appropriate fee. Like all research
students within the School they have access to library facilities (as above), email and
the internet and use of a desk and computer through the system of ‘hot desking’.
Acceptance of Visiting Research Students/Associate Research Students
An application from a Visiting/Associate Research Student must be supported by a
member of staff and by the appropriate department. Prospective Visiting/Associate
Research Students should contact the relevant Department in the first instance.
Visiting/Associate Research Students will need to submit a research degree
application. The relevant application documents can be downloaded from the following
link: http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/research-degrees/application/