Academic Promotion Unpacked: A Detailed Guide

1. Introduction

Academic promotion is widely understood as a process based on demonstrated excellence in research, teaching, and service. While these remain the formal pillars, the lived experience of many academics reveals a more nuanced picture. Institutions vary in how consistently these criteria are applied, and contextual factors such as internal politics, strategic alignment, and interpersonal dynamics often play a role — sometimes implicitly, sometimes overtly.

This guide provides a structured and reflective overview of the academic promotion process, highlighting both the formal expectations and the informal realities that shape outcomes. It is designed to support academics at all stages in navigating promotion with greater clarity, awareness, and confidence.

2. What Promotion Means

2.1. Typical Academic Ranks (UK)

  • Lecturer

  • Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor

  • Reader (in some institutions)

  • Professor

2.2. Why It Matters

  • Increased salary and job security

  • Formal recognition of your academic standing

  • Greater influence in departmental or university strategy

  • Enhanced credibility with funders, collaborators, and students

3. Criteria for Promotion

Most institutions assess three broad domains:

3.1. Research

  • Publications (quality, quantity, impact)

  • Grant income (as PI or Co-I)

  • Research leadership (centres, projects, mentoring)

  • External impact (REF contributions, policy influence, citations)

Critical Note: Institutions claim to value quality over quantity, yet metrics like journal impact factor and grant total often dominate deliberations. Racially minoritised researchers, particularly Black academics, face structural disadvantage in both publishing and funding success.

3.2. Teaching and Supervision

  • Module leadership, curriculum development

  • Student feedback and evaluation scores

  • Innovative pedagogy or assessment methods

  • Supervision of UG, MSc, PhD students

  • Contribution to teaching strategy or reforms

Critical Note: Teaching is regularly proclaimed as "valued equally" but rarely carries equal weight. Black and minority ethnic (BME) academics are overrepresented in teaching-focused roles and underrepresented at professorial level.

3.3. Citizenship / Service / Leadership

  • Internal roles (exam boards, Athena SWAN, committees)

  • External roles (journal editor, conference organiser, reviewer)

  • Mentoring colleagues

  • Contributions to EDI, outreach, and societal engagement

Critical Note: According to UCU’s 2016 BME staff survey, 82% of Black and minority ethnic staff reported cultural insensitivity, and 78% reported exclusion from decision-making. These forms of marginalisation are rarely acknowledged in promotion panels.

4. Hidden Inequities in Promotion

  • Barriers to Progression: 90% of Black staff in higher education reported facing barriers to promotion (UCU, 2016).

  • Poor Communication: Nearly half of BME staff did not feel informed about the promotion process.

  • Lack of Managerial Support: 59% of respondents said their senior colleagues did not support their career progression.

  • Disproportionate Bullying and Harassment: Over 70% of BME respondents reported harassment from managers; 69% from colleagues.

5. Structural Bias in Research Funding

Research funding is a key pathway to promotion, yet systemic inequities prevail:

  • Disparities in Success Rates: Black and Bangladeshi PIs have the lowest award rates. In some schemes, Black PIs had a 0% award rate.

  • Funding Value Gaps: UKRI and Wellcome data show that median award values for Black PIs are significantly lower than for white PIs.

  • Gatekeeping and Informal Networks: Access to information is often controlled by informal circles, excluding marginalised researchers.

The report Equity and Inclusivity in Research Funding (2023) confirms that funding systems systematically disadvantage racially minoritised researchers and rely on structures that privilege dominant groups.

6. Preparing for Promotion

6.1. Document Your Achievements

  • Maintain a promotion-ready CV and narrative

  • Highlight impact, leadership, and equity work

6.2. Understand the System

  • Know your institutional criteria and how decisions are made

  • Track informal barriers and conversations

6.3. Build Strategic Support

  • Find mentors and allies — inside and outside your department

  • Challenge vague feedback and document all discussions

6.4. Push Back When Necessary

  • Ask for written feedback

  • Consider external routes, including job offers and sector moves

7. Final Words

Promotion in academia is not a neutral process. Despite rhetoric of excellence, structural racism and bias continue to shape who is seen, supported, and promoted. Black academics remain significantly underrepresented at professorial level. Equity statements do not guarantee equitable outcomes. If you're from a minoritised background, expect to face a system not built for you.

Still, your work matters. Your perspective is valid. Keep records, seek allies, and don’t allow gatekeeping to define your worth.

Your career is not a favour you’re granted — it’s a space you’ve earned.