Glossary of Oxford University acronyms

AAD

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ac-div/index.shtml

ADEX

AHRC

ARACU

www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/services/disability/aracu

BBSRC

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils.

BDLSS

Bodleian Digital Library Systems and Services. Provides integrated support and systems for a wide range of IT-related services and activities across the library sector.

www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bdlss

BESC

Building and Estates Sub-committee. A subcommittee of the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee, which is responsible for the management and maintenance of University-owned or leased land and property occupied by University bodies.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes/regulations/520-122d.shtml

BIS

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. A government department, created in June 2009 by merging the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

www.bis.gov.uk

CABDyN

Complex Agent-based Dynamic Networks. The CABDyN Complexity Centre is an interdisciplinary research group, which brings together a group of researchers ranging from the physical, biological and computational sciences to the social, economic and political sciences.

www.cabdyn.ox.ac.uk/complexity_home.asp

CBF

Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility. Located at the Churchill Hospital, the facility produces biological investigational medicinal products for early-phase clinical trials.

www.cbf.ox.ac.uk

CCMP

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Located on the Old Road Campus, the centre specialises in strengthening common approaches in the transfer of genetics and molecular biology to medical problems.

www.ccmp.ox.ac.uk

CCVTM

Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine. Located at the Churchill Hospital, the centre provides a dedicated facility for vaccine trials. It also houses the Centre for Tropical Medicine, which aids coordination of programmes based permanently overseas.

www.ccvtm.ox.ac.uk

CEMS

Centre for Early Modern Studies. Based in the English Faculty, the centre serves as a central forum for research and graduate study in early modern studies across the Humanities Division.

www.cems.ox.ac.uk

CEU

Cancer Epidemiology Unit. Located in the Richard Doll Building on the Old Road Campus, the unit specialises in large epidemiological studies on the relationship between common exposures (such as diet and HRT) to cancer and other conditions of public health importance.

www.ceu.ox.ac.uk

CICTC

Colleges' ICT Committee. A committee of the Conference of Colleges, which reports to the Estates Bursars' Committee.

COMPAS

Centre on Migration, Policy and Society. Based within the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography and funded by the ESRC, the centre conducts research in order to develop theory and knowledge, inform policy-making and public debate, and engage users of research within the field of migration.

www.compas.ox.ac.uk

CPD

Continuing Professional Development. Part of the Department for Continuing Education, the division provides professional development for individuals and organisations in industry, commerce and the professions.

http://cpd.conted.ox.ac.uk

CSG

Capital Steering Group. The Group reviews business cases for capital projects on behalf of PRAC.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/pras/committees/workinggroups/capital

CTSU

Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit. Located in the Richard Doll Building on the Old Road Campus, the unit's work chiefly involves studies of the causes and treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke.

www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk

CUF

Common University Fund. A CUF lectureship is a joint college and University post combining teaching and research duties. CUF lecturers receive a combined salary from the University and their college. As tutors who are CUFs carry greater college obligations than tutors who are University Lecturers, they receive a greater proportion of their salary from their college.

CUREC

Central University Research Ethics Committee. A committee of Council, which oversees ethical review of research involving human participants and personal data.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/curec

DARS

Development and Alumni Relations System. A database providing a common source of data relating to donors, alumni and friends of the collegiate University.

DGS

Director of Graduate Studies. Member of a department’s academic staff responsible for overseeing all aspects of graduate students’ applications and study; separate from their academic supervisor.

DPAG

Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics. Part of the Medical Sciences Division, it is the largest preclinical department in the division, undertaking a broad research programme, undergraduate teaching of medical and physiology students and graduate training.

www.dpag.ox.ac.uk

DTU

Diabetes Trials Unit. Located in OCDEM at the Churchill Hospital, the unit facilitates large multi-centre clinical trials for diabetes research.

www.dtu.ox.ac.uk

EAS

English for Academic Studies. English courses for non-native speakers of English. The courses, which are run by the Language Centre, cover academic writing and communication skills.

www.lang.ox.ac.uk/courses/english.html

ECI

Environmental Change Institute. An interdisciplinary unit within the Social Sciences Division that undertakes research, teaching and outreach on the environment.

www.eci.ox.ac.uk

EdC

Education Committee. One of the five main committees of Council, with overall responsibility for the definition and ongoing review of the educational philosophy, policy and standards of the collegiate University in respect of teaching, learning and assessment. Formerly known as Educational Policy and Standards Committee.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/epsc

EDU

Equality and Diversity Unit. Part of UAS, the unit is responsible for delivering the key objectives of the equality schemes for race, disability and gender and for working to promote equality across all the equality strands, which also include sexual orientation, religion and belief, and age. It offers support and advice to disabled students and staff; provides a childcare service to staff and students; and runs the harassment advisors' network and a recruitment monitoring operation.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop

ELQ

Equivalent or lower qualification. An ELQ student is a UK or EU student reading for an equivalent or lower-level qualification to one they already hold.

www.ox.ac.uk/feesandfunding/fees/information/elq

EPSRC

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils.

ERG

European Research Group: European democracies. A series of research projects within the Department of Politics and International Relations looking at comparative analysis of the evolution of European democratic systems.

ESRC

Economic and Social Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils.

ETHOX Centre

Oxford Institute for Ethics and Communication in Health Care Practice. A multidisciplinary bioethics research centre located within the Department of Public Health.

www.ethox.org.uk

FEC

Full economic costs. Methodology for calculating the total costs to an institution of undertaking a research project or activity in a sustainable manner.

FHS

Final Honour School. The final examination leading to an honours undergraduate degree.

FMRIB

Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain. Based within the Department of Clinical Neurology and sited at the JR, the interdisciplinary centre specialises in human neuroimaging.

FOI

Freedom of Information. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a right of access to information held by public authorities and sets out exemptions to that right of access.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/foi

GAO

Graduate Admissions Office. Part of the central University dealing with applications for postgraduate study.

GPC

General Purposes Committee. One of the five major committees of Council. Its remit includes advising Council on policy in respect of University-wide issues or activities which transcend the remit of the other main committees of Council or other specialist committees. It also has responsibility for strategic issues relating to risk management.

HEFCE

Higher Education Funding Council for England. Government body which allocates funding to higher education institutions.

HESA

Higher Education Statistics Agency.

HFS

Hierarchical file server. A centrally funded service, based in IT Services, which provides back-up and long-term archiving services for staff and postgraduates.

www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/hfs

HRIS

Human Resources Information Systems programme. An ongoing programme to replace the OPENdoor HR system with a modern, integrated and fully supported HR system.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/corehr

IBME

Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Located at the Old Road Campus, the institute provides research facilities and equipment for medical, biological and physical scientists and engineers.

www.ibme.ox.ac.uk

ICTF

ICT Forum. A forum for IT support staff from across the collegiate University. All members of IT support staff are automatically members. The forum meets on a termly basis.

www.ict.ox.ac.uk/oxford/groups/ict_forum

IMSU

Information Management Services Unit. Provides IT services and support to the Medical Sciences Division.

www.imsu.ox.ac.uk

ITLP

IT Learning Programme. A unit within IT Services which provides IT training courses and other related services to help staff and students improve their IT skills.

ITSS

IT Support Staff Services. A unit within IT Services which provides services and support to IT professionals in departments and colleges.

JCC

Joint Consultative Committee. A joint committee for discussion of matters of mutual interest between staff members and students representing their peers. They run at divisional, faculty and course level, as well as in colleges (where they are often known as 'liaison committees').

JCUSS

Joint Committee for University Support Staff. A committee which meets on a termly basis to discuss matters relating to the terms and conditions of employment of University-graded support staff. It consists of equal numbers of members appointed by the University and by Unite and UNISON together.

JISC

Joint Information Systems Committee. A joint committee, funded by UK higher education funding bodies, to provide leadership in the innovative use of information and communications technology to support education and research.

www.jisc.ac.uk

JR

John Radcliffe Hospital.

JRAM

Joint Resource Allocation Method. Method for allocating some elements of teaching- and research-related income across the collegiate University.

KTP

Knowledge Transfer Partnership. The University's Knowledge Transfer Partnership office initiates and supports partnerships between academics, companies and graduates seeking to make an impact in the business environment. It is part of the Begbroke Directorate, which is the administrative centre of Begbroke Science Park.

LASR

Languages for Study and Research. A programme of about 50 courses at different levels in ten languages intended primarily for staff and students who require foreign language skills for their study or research.

LICR

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Located in the Old Road Campus Research Building, the institute aims to develop strategies to suppress tumour growth and metastasis.

MPLS

Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division. One of the four academic divisions of the University.

MRC

Medical Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils.

MSD

Medical Sciences Division. One of the four academic divisions of the University.

NDA

Nuffield Division of Anaesthetics. Comprising closely associated University and NHS departments, the department provides the framework for teaching, research and anaesthetic services to the JR and Churchill Hospitals, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and the Horton Hospital in Banbury.

NDM

Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine. A large multidisciplinary department within the Medical Sciences Division that links biological science with medical application. It hosts one of the largest groupings of biomedical researchers in the university sector, and is also responsible for a significant part of the teaching of clinical medical students with the Oxford Medical School.

NERC

Natural Environment Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils.

NHSPS

National Health Service Pension Scheme. A national occupational pension scheme for NHS employees, which is backed by the Exchequer. University staff who participate in this scheme are those who are employed in a clinical role and who were active members of the NHSPS immediately before their employment by the University.

NPEU

National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit. A multidisciplinary research team, based at the Old Road Campus, who specialise in improving the care provided to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.

www.npeu.ox.ac.uk

NSMS

Networked Systems Management Service. A team of IT professionals, based in IT Services, who offer IT consultancy and a range of chargeable IT services for departments, colleges and associated institutions.

OCCAM

Oxford Centre for Collaborative Applied Mathematics. A research centre for mathematical scientists which seeks to solve real-world problems by harnessing high-level mathematical skills in modelling, analysis and computation.

www.maths.ox.ac.uk/groups/occam

OCDEM

Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. Located at the Churchill Hospital, the centre combines clinical care, research and education in diabetes, endocrine and metabolic diseases. It aims to enhance understanding of these diseases and to accelerate the search for new treatments and cures.

www.ocdem.com

OCIAM

Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. A research centre within the Mathematical Institute, which pursues collaborative research with industry and basic research in applied mathematics.

www2.maths.ox.ac.uk/ociam

ODIT

Office of the Director of IT. Provides coordination for information communication technology across the collegiate University and drives new initiatives.

www.ict.ox.ac.uk/odit

OED

Oxford English Dictionary. Published by OUP, the OED is the premier dictionary of the English language. It is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium.

www.oed.com

OeRC

Oxford e-Research Centre. Part of MPLS, the centre works with research units across the University to enable the use and development of innovative computational and information technology in multidisciplinary collaborations.

www.oerc.ox.ac.uk

OHS

Occupational Health Service. Provides advice on issues where work affects health or health affects work. It also provides a counselling service for staff, a travel clinic and pre-employment health assessments.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/uohs

OIA

Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. A multidisciplinary research institute within the Social Sciences Division. It is jointly positioned between the Department of Sociology and the Oxford Martin School.

www.ageing.ox.ac.uk

OII

Oxford Internet Institute. A research and policy institute in the Social Sciences Division, which undertakes multidisciplinary research into the societal implications of the internet.

www.oii.ox.ac.uk

OLI

Oxford Learning Institute. Part of AAD, the Institute runs professional and vocational training courses for staff in areas ranging from teaching practice to time management, and it contributes to policy development.

www.learning.ox.ac.uk

OPENdoor

The University's current human resource management system. It is due to be replaced following the HR Information Systems review; cf HRIS.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/opendoor

OPIC

Oxford Particle Imaging Centre. Located on the Old Road Campus, the facility allows scientists to study large macromolecular complexes, such as human and animal viruses, in their native cellular environment using a range of structural and biophysical techniques.

www.opic.ox.ac.uk

OPPF

Oxford Protein Production Facility. Located on the Old Road Campus, the facility aims to promote and facilitate high-throughput structural biology for the UK academic community. It is the first stage in a structural proteomics programme for the UK.

www.oppf.ox.ac.uk

ORA

Oxford University Research Archive. A digital archive of research publications and other scholarly outputs produced by members of the collegiate University.

http://ora.ouls.ox.ac.uk

OSC

Oxford Supercomputing Centre. A high-performance computing service available to all researchers at the University. The service includes access to a range of powerful clusters and shared memory machines, together with a large storage facility and training and application support.

www.oerc.ox.ac.uk/resources/osc

OSEM

Oxford Spin-out Equity Management. A unit within the University which reports to the Director of Finance, OSEM manages the University's shareholdings in its spin-out companies and seeks ways of maximising the value of its equity stakes.

www.osem.ox.ac.uk

OSPS

Oxford Staff Pension Scheme. The University's scheme for staff on scales of pay other than academic and academic-related. The scheme is open to similar employees of colleges and other institutions that participate in the scheme.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/pensions/osps

OSS

Oracle Student System. A database holding information relating to the administration of prospective and current students.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/bsp/studsys-support-centre

OUEM

Oxford University Endowment Management Limited. A subsidiary company of the University which manages the investment of the University’s central endowment plus the endowments of those colleges which choose to participate in the fund.

www.ouem.co.uk

OUMC

Oxford University Museums and Collections. A collective term for the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Museum of the History of Science, the University Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments. OUMC has a joint Education Committee focusing on outreach activity for schools and families.

www.museums.ox.ac.uk

OUP

Oxford University Press.

www.oup.com

OXAM

Oxford Exam Papers. Online Database of formal examination papers set by the University since 1999–2000.

http://oxam.ox.ac.uk

OxCERT

Oxford University Computer Emergency Response Team. Part of IT Services, it ensures the security of the University's backbone network.

www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/security

OxCORT

Oxford Colleges Online Reports for Tutorials system. A web application for the collection and processing of tutorial reports for undergraduate teaching.

www.oxcort.ox.ac.uk

OXLIP+

Oxford Libraries Information Platform. A gateway providing access to the libraries' collection of databases and electronic reference works.

PAD

Public Affairs Directorate. Part of the portfolio of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Development and External Affairs, Public Affairs is responsible for media and public relations, University publications (including the Gazette and Blueprint), the top-level pages of the University website, internal communications advice and projects, government and parliamentary relations and the coordination of major University events.

www.ox.ac.uk/public_affairs/index.html

PI

Principal Investigator. The lead academic on a research project, laboratory study or clinical trial.

PRAC

Planning and Resource Allocation Committee. One of the five main University committees that report directly to Council. It advises Council on planning, budgets and forecasts, resource allocation and other financial arrangements, and monitors performance against plans and budgets.

PRAS

Planning and Resource Allocation Section. Part of AAD, which provides strategic policy support to the Vice-Chancellor, PVCs and Senior Officers and for servicing a number of committees (including PRAC) and developing and maintaining the University's planning cycle.

PVC

Pro-Vice-Chancellor. There are five PVCs who have specific responsibility for Development and External Affairs; Education; Research, Academic Services and University Collections; Personnel and Equality; and Planning and Resources. There are a further eight PVCs without portfolio.

QA

Quality Assurance. Higher education institutions in the UK must operate within a quality assurance framework to ensure their education provision meets appropriate academic standards and quality. Responsibility for the University’s quality assurance framework rests with the Education Committee in tandem with the divisions and colleges.

QAA

Quality Assurance Agency. Body that assesses the quality of teaching in Higher Education and makes recommendations to funding bodies such as HEFCE.

QE

Quality enhancement. An element of institutional quality management that is designed to secure steady, reliable and demonstrable improvements in the quality of learning opportunities.

REF

Research Excellence Framework. Replaces the Research Assesment Exercise as the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

www.ref.ac.uk

ROQ

Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. A major new development site for the University, occupying land between Woodstock Road and Walton Street.

SGC

Structural Genomics Consortium. Located in the Old Road Campus Research Building, the SGC aims to produce three-dimensional structures of proteins of medical relevence and place them in the public domain.

www.sgc.ox.ac.uk

SKOPE

Centre for Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance. Located in the Department of Education, the multidisciplinary research centre examines the links between the acquisition and use of skills and knowledge, product market strategies and performance.

www.skope.ox.ac.uk

SIS

Student Information Systems. Administrative department responsible for all matters concerning student records.

SLC

Student Loans Company. Administers student financial support to eligible students in higher education in the United Kingdom.

www.slc.co.uk

SOLO

Search Oxford Libraries Online. Online search tool for Oxford libraries' collections of books and electronic resources.

http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

SORP

Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice. Accounting guidelines for all further and higher education institutions in the UK.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/information/accountingpolicy

SSO

Single sign-on. A system which allows users to log into a University web-based service and then access any associated service without having to re-enter a username and password.

STEM subjects

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. A group of higher education subjects, which have been identified by HEFCE as strategically important and vulnerable.

STFC

Science and Technology Facilities Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils.

STRUBI

Division of Structural Biology. Located on the Old Road Campus, the unit applies the techniques of structural biology to the study of biomedically important processes.

www.strubi.ox.ac.uk

TALL

Technology-assisted Lifelong Learning. Research and development team in e-learning based at the Department for Continuing Education.

www.tall.ox.ac.uk

TRAC

Transparent approach to costing. A methodology used by higher education institutions in the UK to cost teaching, research and other core activities.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/trac

UAS

University Administration and Services. Collective term for the central administrative departments of the University (previously known as Central Administration).

www.admin.ox.ac.uk

UCU

University and College Union. Recognised by the University as the appropriate trade union for purposes of consultation and representation in respect of staff employed in University academic and academic-related posts.

www.ucu.org.uk

USS

Universities Superannuation Scheme. Pension scheme for staff on academic and academic-related grades. USS is a national scheme open to all such employees of UK universities.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/pensions/uss

UUK

Universities UK. The UK’s major representative body for the higher education sector.

VLE

Virtual learning environment. Weblearn is the University's centrally hosted virtual learning environment, and is supported by IT Services.

VRE

Virtual research environment. Provides a framework of digital resources to help researchers manage the range of tasks involved in carrying out research.

www.vre.ox.ac.uk

WebAuth

A system which provides single sign-on for web-based services. Users have to enter their username and password only once per session to access any WebAuth-based service.

https://webauth.ox.ac.uk

WebLearn

The University's centrally hosted virtual learning environment, which is supported by IT Services.

http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site

WildCRU

Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. Founded in 1986, WildCRU was the first university-based conservation research unit in Europe. It now has more than 50 researchers and is based at Tubney House, just outside Oxford.

www.wildcru.org

WIMM

MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. Fosters research in molecular and cell biology with direct application to the study of important human diseases ranging from cancer to AIDS.

www.imm.ox.ac.uk

WTCHG

Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. Located on the Old Road Campus, the centre explores all aspects of the genetic susceptibility to disease.

www.well.ox.ac.uk