• GENERAL NOTICES
  • Facilities available to Retired Members of Staff of the University
  • Audit and Scrutiny Committee: Annual Report 2007–8
  • The Holding of Outside Appointments and the Conduct of Outside Work: Guidance Note
• APPOINTMENTS
  • Drummond Professorship of Political Economy
  • Conferment of the Title of Visiting Professor
  • Recognition of Distinction
• COMPOSITION OF ELECTORAL BOARDS
  • His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Professorship in Contemporary Islamic Studies
  • Professorship of Evidence-based Social Intervention

• Links to some University institutions:
  • Ashmolean Museum
  • Christ Church Picture Gallery
  • Oxford University Museum of Natural History
  • Pitt Rivers Museum
  • Museum of the History of Science
  • Bate Collection of Musical Instruments
  • Bodleian Library
  • The University Club
  • Oxford University Society
  • Language Centre
  • Computing Services
  • University Church of St Mary the Virgin

GENERAL NOTICES

Facilities available to Retired Members of Staff of the University

Retired members of staff in receipt of a university pension (whether under or over seventy-five, and whether or not they are a member of a faculty or of Congregation) are able to obtain a retired staff card, which gives them access to a very wide range of facilities. Application for such a card can be made via a departmental or college administrator.

Provided they hold a valid card, the privileges offered include continued access to university libraries, access to OUCS and its e-mail services, discounts at the Oxford University shop, and at the Ashmolean and Bodleian gift shops, free entrance to the Botanic Garden, the ability to apply for membership of the University Club on Mansfield Road, and discounted membership of the university sports club at Iffley Road. Retired staff are also welcomed at the Language Centre.

Former members of Congregation resident in the United Kingdom can continue to receive copies of the University Gazette (as well as the University's staff newsletter Blueprint, and the Oxford Magazine), on application in writing to the Information Office, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD. In the case of those over the age of seventy-five such applications must be renewed at the beginning of each academic year.

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Audit and Scrutiny Committee

Annual Report 2007–8

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The Holding of Outside Appointments and the Conduct of Outside Work

Guidance Note

This Guidance Note should be read in conjunction with Council Regulations 5 of 2004.

(1) Procedures for applying for approval

(a) Applicants must complete an application form (form OA1, available on the University's Web site at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ps/s taff/codes/outsidecov.shtml). (b) Applicants whose salaries are funded from externally funded research grants or contracts, or who are Principal Investigators or Co-investigators on outside sponsored projects, must adhere to the terms and conditions stipulated by or agreed with the sponsor and, if necessary, seek written approval from the sponsor. ¹ Research Services is able to provide advice on the terms and conditions of externally-funded research grants and contracts held by the University (contact the relevant divisional team: see www.admin.ox.ac.uk/rso/contactus/).

(c) Applicants must arrange for the terms and conditions proposed to govern the outside commitment to be scrutinised by Research Services in advance of signature. A standard personal consultancy document has been drafted to serve as a useful starting point for discussions around the terms of a consultancy appointment. This is available from www.admin.ox.ac.uk/rso/oxonly/contracts/personalconsultancy.shtml.

(d) Research Services scrutinises the terms and conditions proposed to govern a commitment in order to consider their compatibility with the University's interests as employer. Research Services cannot advise the employee on the terms from the employee's standpoint; and the employee should take his or her own advice unless he or she makes use of Oxford University Consulting (see paragraph (2) below).

(e) Applicants must obtain the approval of their direct line manager where relevant.

(f) When Research Services has confirmed in writing that the terms proposed to govern the outside commitment meet the University's minimum requirements and the necessary approvals have been obtained from the relevant line manager or sponsor (as appropriate), applicants should submit the completed form to their head of department, ² who will be asked to sign to confirm that he/she is content to approve the outside commitment in the context of the applicant's university duties. Heads of department who themselves wish to accept outside commitments must submit their application forms to their head of division for approval. Heads of division should submit applications to the Vice-Chancellor.

(g) Applicants must ensure that they are familiar with the University's policy and procedure on conflict of interest

(www.admin.ox.ac.uk/rso/integrity/conflict_interest_policy.shtml). If they have any concerns about potential conflicts implicit in their proposed arrangements they should approach the secretary of the Conflict of Interest Committee (currently Mrs Barnwell, telephone: (2)70138, e-mail: frances.barnwell@admin.ox.ac.uk.

( h) If these procedures are followed and approval is granted for the outside appointment, the applicant will enjoy a measure of protection under the University's insurance arrangements (see www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/insurance/).

(2) Oxford University Consulting

The University's wholly-owned subsidiary company, Isis Innovation Ltd, has a division, Oxford University Consulting, to help members of the University to market their expertise to outside bodies, to negotiate commercial terms and payment on behalf of individuals, and to manage the administration associated with consultancy. OUC offers a professional service for academics and departments throughout the University, which will identify consultancy and related opportunities with local, national, and international companies and organisations. Details of this service may be obtained from www.isis-innovation.com/consulting/university/.

Members of the University choosing to use the services of OUC must still follow the internal procedures for University approval of their outside appointments as outlined in this Guidance Note; OUC will, however, assist the process on behalf of the individuals concerned.

(3) Consultancies within research grant applications and contracts

The holding of a consultancy may be included where appropriate within research grant applications and contracts. Where consultancies are included in this way and provision is made through the payroll to pay staff for such work, the Outside Grants (OG) form should itemise, among the costs of the project, the costs of the consultancy payment (including employers' on-costs). Indirect costs should also be calculated on the total cost of the project, including the fee for the consultancy. Research Services will be able to advise on the most appropriate form of agreement to cover consultancies attached to research grants or contracts. Time spent on such consultancies will count towards the thirty-day limit.

(4) Other services to industry and outside bodies

Not all work for outside bodies is governed by a contract with an external sponsor under the University's research grants and contracts procedures. Some is likely to be 'service' work, i.e. the provision of a service to an external organisation which is not of academic benefit but which makes use of spare capacity in a department in return for payment. Such arrangements should nevertheless be covered by an agreement approved by the head of department which is drawn up in consultation with the departmental administrator and (for tax reasons) with the Finance Division. If the service agreement proposed by the outside body includes terms and conditions relating to intellectual property or confidentiality of information, or does not incorporate the University's standard disclaimer of liability, the agreement should be forwarded to Research Services, which is required to ensure that appropriate disclaimers of liability have been issued in connection with the provision of services to industry and other outside bodies.

Where appropriate, as with consultancies within research grant applications and contracts, a payment may be made through the payroll to individuals for the additional work undertaken in performing the services. It is expected that the head of department will decide on an appropriate fee to be paid to the individual based on the time spent (which again will count towards the thirty-day per year limit). The instructions to the Finance Division to make such payments are processed through Research Services. In such cases, where an agreement has been made with the University in respect of the service, it is not expected that a further personal consultancy agreement with the academic concerned will be necessary.

(5) Financial arrangements

The University does not generally seek details of remuneration which applicants are to receive in return for outside commitments, but reserves the right to request to be provided with such details in certain circumstances e.g. in the light of any potential conflict of interest with the outside commitment. Applicants wishing exceptionally to make a case to spend a total of more than thirty days in any one year on outside commitments will be required to provide details of remuneration.

(6) Monitoring and reporting

(a) Heads of department are responsible, through their departmental administration, for keeping records of the number of days spent on outside commitments by all staff (regardless of staff group) in their departments.

(b) Departments will report their approvals of outside commitments, and the basic details of outside commitments, via OpenDoor by the end of September each year.

Footnotes

¹ The Wellcome Trust's grant conditions, for example, include stringent conditions relating to the holding of consultancies, which apply to individuals who are in receipt of Wellcome Trust research grants as well as to those whose salaries are paid from Wellcome Trust grants.
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² Throughout this document, the term 'head of department' should be taken to include chairman of faculty board.
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APPOINTMENTS

Drummond Professorship of Political Economy

VINCENT P. CRAWFORD, AB Princeton, PH.D Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, University of California, San Diego, has been appointed to the professorship with effect from 1 January 2010.

Professor Crawford will be a fellow of All Souls College.

Conferment of the Title of Visiting Professor

The Medical Sciences Board has conferred the title of Visiting Professor in Space Medicine on S. PATAZYNSKI, MD, currently Senior EVA Instructor Astronaut at NASA, for three years from 1 December 2008.

Recognition of Distinction

The Vice-Chancellor has conferred the following titles on behalf of the Recognition of Distinction Committee:

C.J. GARLAND, B.SC S'ton, PH.D Lond, University Lecturer and Fellow of Magdalen College: Professor of Vascular Pharmacology, with effect from 1 October 2008.

N.P. SMITH, BA PH.D Auckland, University Lecturer and Fellow of St John's College: Professor of Computational Biology, with effect from 1 December 2008.

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COMPOSITION OF ELECTORAL BOARDS

The composition of the electoral boards to the posts below, proceedings to fill which are currently in progress, is as follows:

His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Professorship in Contemporary Islamic Studies

                                  Appointed by

    The Principal of Linacre      Mr Vice-Chancellor [1]
    The Warden of St Antony's     ex officio
    Professor E. Herzig           Council
    Professor H. Al Karanshawy    Council
    Professor S. Shuttleworth     Humanities Board
    Dr E. Rogan                   Oriental Studies Faculty Board
    Professor R. Gleave           Oriental Studies Faculty Board
    Professor J. Johns            Oriental Studies Faculty Board
    Professor K. Nicolaidis       St Antony's College

Professorship of Evidence-based Social Intervention

                                  Appointed by

    The Principal of St Hugh's    Mr Vice-Chancellor [1]
    Professor A. Stein            Council
    Professor M.E. Lamb           Council
    Professor F. Gardner          Department of Social Policy and Social Work
    Professor P. Kemp             Department of Social Policy and Social Work
    Professor B. Maughan          Department of Social Policy and Social Work
    Professor R.J. Goodman        Social Sciences Board
    Professor A. Edwards          St Hilda's College
    Ms L. Nixon                   St Hilda's College

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