Those considered for Honorary Titles should meet an agreed Academic Profiles in terms of their academic/professional standing.

The steps of the process are as follows: 

1. Heads of Schools approach potential nominees to discuss the possibility of an Honorary Title.
2. Candidates provide the School with access to a summary CV (three to five pages). Where a publicly accessible CV is available, the URL to this should be provided to the School. The CV should include the names of two external referees who have agreed to be consulted about the nomination. A CV Template is available.
3. The School completes the online form. Please contact egp@qub.ac.uk for a link to the online form – it is used for both new and renewal applications. The School will either include a URL to the candidate’s CV on the form or provide a copy of the CV.  The School also includes the name of a third external referee who has agreed to be consulted about the nomination.
4. For all Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice nominations, if the nominator is external to Queen’s University Belfast, a completed and signed Due Diligence Check form is required. This form must be completed by the School in conjunction with an Honorary Title nominee.
   1. Note that the Due Diligence questions are part of the nominations online form for nominators internal to Queen's.
5. Referee details are not required for nominations of the title of Honorary Lecturer (both new and renewal) unless requested by the Faculty at a later date. Referee details are not required at the time of nomination for new Honorary Senior Lecturers but may be requested by Faculty as part of the approval process. Referee details are not required for the renewal of Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice Titles or for former Queen’s staff being nominated for a new Honorary Title.
6. Heads of Schools coordinate with the relevant School management group to consider all nominations against the approved Academic Profiles, and forward all Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice nomination forms to Academic Affairs and forward all Honorary Lecturer and Honorary Senior Lecturer nomination forms to their Faculty.
7. The Secretary of the Honorary Titles Committee requests three external references for each new nomination for Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice.  The Faculty reserves the right to request references for nominations for Honorary Senior Lecturers. The School will be contacted if further referee details are required.
8. Once Honorary Lecturer and Honorary Senior Lecturer approval is granted by Faculty, Schools add the Honorary Title holder to the QUB Additional Persons database, and issues a confirmation letter, a document outlining rights and responsibilities, and an identification card.
9. The Honorary Titles Committee considers and approves Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice recommendations from Schools.
10. Once Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice approval is granted, Academic Affairs adds the Honorary Title holder to the QUB Additional Persons database, and issues a confirmation letter, a document outlining rights and responsibilities, and an identification card.

The Honorary Titles Committee meets three times per academic year (normally October, February and May), and is serviced by Academic Affairs. Faculty approval will also normally take place three times per year.

The University’s Privacy Notice in respect of Honorary Titles can be accessed here. 

Further Guidance on protecting personal data in completing nomination forms and providing CVs is available.

An Honorary Title will initially be awarded for up to three years.  Titles can be renewed for a further five years at a time if a significant initial and ongoing contribution to the University is documented. 

Employment Status

The award of an Honorary Title does not create an employment relationship between the title holder and the University. 

Remuneration

Honorary Titles holders should not be given remuneration for their contribution to the University. 

The University, however, recognises that within the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences and in the School of Pharmacy title holders may be further engaged for a separate purpose by the School, to undertake activities that are over and above the contribution specified for the conferral of their Honorary Title.  

The Schools should indicate, at the point of nomination, if such paid activity is likely to occur during the period of the title.  Payment should never be made for the same contribution as that of the Honorary Title.

Intellectual Property

Ownership rights may vary depending on external employers’ rights, existing agreements and other factors – please contact the Intellectual Property team to establish the specific intellectual property position.  

Entitlements

Honorary Titles holders are entitled to full library access; are eligible to register for a University email address and to use Queen’s Online; and may apply for membership of the Physical Education Centre.  Honorary Titles holders are covered by the Employers’ Liability insurance policies when working on University premises.

Obligations

Honorary Titles holders are normally obliged to contribute to teaching and/or research on behalf of the University, or to make a palpable and defined contribution through their professional standing.

Honorary Titles holders are issued with Terms and Conditions and are required to comply with the standard Queen’s policies and procedures when on University premises and/or carrying out work in their capacity as an Honorary Title holder.

Procedure for Ending an Honorary Title by Agreement Before the End of Its Duration

Approval to end a current Honorary Title by agreement with the Title holder before the end of its duration should be sought from the Head of School. The Secretary to the Honorary Titles Committee should also be informed at egp@qub.ac.uk to enable the Additional Persons record to be updated and to notify International Staff where there are visa implications. Please also contact egp@qub.a.cuk if you are ending an Honorary Title arrangement by agreement with the Title holder if you require any further advice and guidance.

Procedure for Rescinding an Honorary Title

The need to rescind an Honorary Title happens very rarely, but it may be required where there is a conflict of interest or other matter that may bring the University into disrepute. Approval for the rescinding of a current Honorary Title before the end of its specified duration is undertaken by the Honorary Titles Committee following final endorsement of the withdrawal of the Honorary Title by Faculty after initial consideration by the Head of School/Institute/Directorate. Please contact egp@qub.a.cuk if you need to withdraw an Honorary Title for further advice and guidance. 

The Visiting Student title enables current registered students from another institution to spend a period of time at the University to conduct research as part of their own studies, or as a research placement/internship. Candidates must have an assigned supervisor within Queen’s.

The School of Biological Sciences welcomes applications from current registered students at other Universities and institutions, across all levels of study. The Visiting Student title is not applicable to Doctoral Training Partnership students from other institutions.

The title can be conferred initially for a maximum period of one year and can be renewed on an annual basis, up to the end of your registration at your home institution. Renewals are subject to the agreement of the School and students must re-apply to extend their titles.

A prospective student visitor expresses interest in a visit to the School of Biological Sciences by contacting a potential supervisor. View a full list of our academic staff. 

The student then completes the Visiting Student Application Form and sends it to SBSIGFSVRT@qub.ac.uk at least four weeks before the start of the visiting studentship. You must also provide a copy of your transcript or other proof of your current registration status at your home institution, and a copy of your passport and other relevant documentation with your application.

International applications are required at least six weeks before the start of the visiting studentship.

International students may need to allow additional processing time for visa requirements. An additional consideration for students who are non-European Economic Area nationals, and who wish to apply for a Visiting Student title for any duration in certain subject areas, is the requirement to apply for clearance under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). ATAS clearance must be obtained before application to immigration for visas. Check if you need an ATAS certificate.

• Upon accepting your Visiting Student title, you are signing up to the Terms and Conditions for Holders of Honorary Status.
• Visiting Students will not be a registered student at Queen’s University Belfast and will receive no credit or qualification from the University.
• You will not be remunerated by Queen’s University Belfast.
• A bench fee may be charged.

The School of Biological Sciences also hosts Visiting Scholars from around the world. This facilitates academics, researchers and practitioners visiting from other HEIs who wish to conduct research with Queen’s staff.

Candidates must hold a doctorate, or another relevant higher degree and are required to be working in collaboration with, or under supervision of a member of University academic staff.

A Visiting Scholar title will normally be conferred initially up to a maximum period of three years, and for a cumulative maximum period of six years.

Collaborations beyond this period should be considered under the Honorary Titles procedures. 

The initial duration requested may be for longer than three years in cases where a funded project is scheduled to run for an extended period.

All applicants who wish to be considered for a Visiting Scholar position must be nominated by a member of academic staff in the School. The nominating staff member must complete the Visiting Scholar Nomination Form or Visiting Spin Out Member Nomination Form (if candidate is currently employed by a spin out company), and ensure that a completed Due Diligence Check Form is submitted. These documents are required for recommendation by the Head of School and onward approval by Academic Affairs.

Completed forms should be returned to SBSIGFSVRT@qub.ac.uk. The nomination form must be submitted at least four weeks in advance of the commencement date of the title for UK/Irish nominees. The nomination form must be submitted at least six weeks in advance of the commencement date of the title for international nominees.

An additional consideration for scholars who are non-European Economic Area nationals, and who wish to apply for a Visiting Scholar title for any duration in certain subject areas, is the requirement to apply for clearance under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). ATAS clearance must be obtained before application to immigration for visas.  QUB nominating Academic must establish if an ATAS certificate is required when submitting Visiting Scholar Nomination Form.

• Visiting Title Holders are issued with a set of Terms and Conditions which must be agreed to prior to confirmation of the Title. 
• The award of a visiting title does not create an employment relationship between the title holder and the University. 
• Remuneration is not normally paid to those holding Visiting Titles.