Sabbatical Leave

Sabbatical

Academic staff at Lecturer grade or above with 3 or more years' service have the right to request sabbatical leave on full pay and with pension contributions to engage in study or research on matters relevant to their duties. Applications are subject to approval by the Deanery/School/College. Additionally, all clinical academic staff require approval from their Clinical Director and Clinical Lecturers (Honorary StRs) also need to seek approval from their Training Programme Director and the Postgraduate Dean. 

Please refer to the Special Leave Policy available here for guidance on periods of unpaid leave. 

Application Process

A member of academic staff wishing to request sabbatical leave should submit an application in writing to the relevant Dean (or in the case of staff employed in College functions to the Head of College). Applications should generally be submitted a minimum of 12 months in advance of the proposed commencement of the sabbatical. Applications may be submitted at any time of year. The following information must be included:

1. Overall purpose of the proposed sabbatical including details of research to be undertaken/publications to be produced
2. Proposed dates and duration
3. Details of arrangements to be put in place to provide cover for the member of staff’s day to day duties during the period of the proposed sabbatical (e.g. teaching, clinical work)
4. Details of where the proposed sabbatical will be undertaken, including geographical location and, if applicable, details of the host organisation where the member of staff will be based during the course of the sabbatical
5. Details of any additional funds (in addition to salary) required to support the proposed sabbatical e.g. travel or accommodation costs
6. Details of any funding from third parties that will be available to support the proposed sabbatical (including salary costs if applicable)
7. An explanation of how the work to be undertaken during the proposed sabbatical aligns to the Deanery/College’s academic objectives and how it fits in to the Deanery/College’s academic plans
8. An evaluation of the benefits (scientific/strategic/financial) that are expected to accrue to the Deanery/College as a result of the proposed sabbatical being undertaken

Approval Process

The Dean (or Head of College, in the case of staff employed in College functions) will consider applications in consultation with relevant Heads of Division/Heads of Centre where appropriate. Although all aspects of the application will be taken into consideration the key factors in determining whether or not an application is approved will be as outlined at 7 and 8 above. Approval for periods of sabbatical leave in excess of 6 months requires additional authorisation from the Head of College.

Notification of Outcome

The Dean (or Head of College, in the case of staff employed in College functions) will notify the member of staff in writing of the outcome of their application, normally this will be within 6 weeks of the application being submitted.

If the application is approved, the letter will confirm the agreed duration and dates for that sabbatical and give details of the remuneration to be paid to the applicant. This will include details of any allowances or other payments received over and above basic salary and whether or not these will continue to be paid during the sabbatical period.