Developing an academic career

Understanding the context of academia as a labour market is a key part of making strong applications for funding and for academic positions.   There are lots of questions to answer as with any sector – what organisations might I work for?  Where are they and what are their priorities?  What pressures are they under and how does this affect jobs? 

‘Academia’ is a ‘catch-all’ word often used to describe the work of employees and students in Higher Education Institutions who are engaged in research and/or teaching. In the UK alone, there are around 240,000 staff working on academic contracts in universities (22/23 HESA Staff data). There are over 165 higher education institutions in the UK with a wide range of focus and between teaching and research.   

The UK has seen particular changes in the way the sector is funded - from central government grants to cover teaching costs to student paid fees. Universities increasingly rely on tuition fees and other revenue-generating activities to for the income they need to operate.  This in turn puts institutions in a challenging and competitive business model to capture income from student fees. 

Key funders in the UK and elsewhere are engaging in conversations about whether the working and research environment, referred to as ‘research culture’ can be improved.  

Researching the differences between countries and regions will enable you to understand the different pressures of the context - the institutions and their strengths, the balance of teaching and research, how funding works, and how research and teaching are evaluated. 

Learn more: 

• Watch our introduction to the UK Academic Sector video (10 minutes) 
• Watch a video on how research and teaching in the UK academic sector are scrutinised through the Research Excellence Framework or the (REF) and Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and the impact these drivers have on the system as a whole and on hiring decisions. (10 minutes)
• Explore the last REF assessment results to enhance your knowledge of departments where you might be applying and to gain an understanding of their strengths.   
• Watch a video on how the UK academic sector is funded (10 minutes) 

Keep an eye on developments in academia.   

Follow Wonkhe for analysis and debate on UK higher education policy.  

Read the Times Higher Education supplement (The University of Cambridge provides all current staff and students with full online access to Times Higher Education (THE).  

Watch our video on Shifts in the UK academic job market 

Academic positions are all very different. Often, a permanently employed academic is involved in research, teaching and department/group administration and leadership.  Some academics may be solely involved in leading research projects, or they may have an entire workload dedicated to teaching. The balance of these areas varies according to institution and role.   

Research only pathway – with a focus on research at its core, these positions move from junior positions through to greater research independence, management of research projects, securing funding, and mentorship of junior scholars. 

Research and teaching pathway - Leading up to a permanent position, you would typically move through fixed-term roles which can be research, teaching or a combination of both. 

Teaching only pathway – in these positions, the focus in on approaches and best practice to teaching and learning in the subject area or institution and include leading on curriculum development, teaching practice and pedagogical research. 

A key question for many thinking of the range of pathways is which of these positions are permanent.  Often it is in the research and teaching pathway that positions will be offered on a permanent basis.  This is less likely in research only positions which rely often on external funding.  Teaching only positions likewise often are fixed term although some universities will have permanent teaching and scholarship positions. 

Please note, the Clinical Academic Training and Careers Hub (CATCH) provides career pathway information and guidance for clinicians considering (or already undertaking) a clinical academic route. 

 
Read our section below on Planning your academic career for advice and practical tools for planning this next step. 

Visit our pages on Academic Applications and Interviews for specific support if you’re actively applying for jobs or funding. 

In typical academic lectureship hiring, the focus will be on your research track record, but you will also be judged on your potential for teaching, attracting funding, developing a strong academic reputation and network, initiating research collaborations, and contributing to academic service.  

Work through our guide on Planning an Academic Career  (Raven login required)  (3-5 minutes on each section). This will allow you to reflect on: 

• Plan your research strategy:  in academia, you will ultimately need to show you have an in-depth knowledge of your own specialism and an ability to contribute to knowledge and understanding in your field through original research.  
• Build your academic network: As your work continues to develop, networking ensures your academic profile is known more broadly.  Attend conferences if possible and speak to other academics. This can lead to collaborations and help to develop your other activities (research, teaching and impact).  
• Get some teaching experience to show your aptitude and enthusiasm for it: the majority of long-term academic jobs are lectureships, where teaching is an integral part of the job.  
• Plan your publication strategy: work to understand what the best plan of action would be for you in your discipline and where to best invest your time.
• Develop your academic Service and outreach profile: you will also be evaluated on showing your ability to engage in service to your institution and the academic community more broadly (organising seminars/workshop; getting involved in committees or admissions interviewing; peer reviewing for journals).  Take part in public engagement and outreach activities.
• Plan for your own funding – looking forward to a lectureship application, you will most likely be asked about your funding plans and will need to demonstrate your ability to secure funding.  If you’ve already been able to gain even small amounts of funding, this will showcase your ability to do this (see below for further resources on gaining funding)
• If you are interdisciplinary, plan how to position yourself disciplinarily in terms of both publishing and teaching.  

Use our guide on Activities in Cambridge to Boost your Career (Raven login required) to help you identify things you can get involved in to develop skills and your profile in specific areas (e.g. how to find teaching opportunities) 

Start using the Academic Career Development workbook as a way to track your academic activities and to consider where you need to focus your efforts.  This uses the four key modules of a Narrative CV to help you reflect on your contribution to research, development of others and contribution to the wider research community .   

Use this workbook in an ongoing way to: 

• record your activities and experiences
• define the relevance and impact of your academic work
• plan and set goals for your academic career 

A few more things to do: 

• Sign up for academic job alerts at jobs.ac.uk to start tracking what is being asked for in job applications.  Try to understand as much about the process before you are ready to apply.
• Watch this panel discussion showcasing new lecturers from a range of disciplines discussing how they navigated the process toward securing a lectureship in the UK
• Looking internationally? Watch this panel discussion with examples of researchers who have been through the process of academic recruitment in other countries including France, Canada, China and Switzerland.
• Watch our conversations with newly hired lecturers, senior academics and HR professionals for more insights on what you need to do to navigate the academic job market.
• Visit our pages on Academic Applications and Interviews for specific support if you’re actively applying for jobs or funding.  

In most academic career pathways, getting independent funding is important because it sustains your research, and it also provides evidence that you can attract funding - essential when applying for a faculty position.  Don't wait for someone to tell you when you should apply for funding or put it off until you feel ready. Go for it as soon as you have a good idea.   

• As an introduction to fellowships, watch this video exploring topics from what a fellowship is what to do if you don't get one (4 minutes).
• Read through further funding and fellowships resources for STEM postdocs and AHSS postdocs
• Listen regularly to the Early Career Fellowship podcast series where you will learn (10-30 minutes):

1. Whether a fellowship is right for you
2. Whether to move host institutions
3. How to understand the host PI
4. How successful applicants managed the application process

• Find out about schemes and plan which would suit you best.  Look ahead at opportunities by searching the Research Professional database - an online research funding tool available while you are at Cambridge and a great place to search for funding opportunities.
• Watch this video on the features and functionalities of Research Professional (40 minutes)
• Visit our pages on Academic Applications and Interviews for specific support if you’re actively applying for funding.
• If you are considering a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), you can learn more here about Junior research fellowships and how to apply for them.