Criteria guidelines for Fellowship (Academics)

Guidelines on the election of Fellows for candidates with an academic background.

These notes are provided to assist applicants with academic backgrounds most likely working in
Higher Education Institutions (HEI's - universities, research institutes, or similar organisations). It may
be noted that applicants may be from any level in the academic hierarchy, it being necessary only to
fulfil the IET Expectation for Fellows.

The IET Expectation for Fellows is as follows:

Fellowship of the Institution of Engineering & Technology may be awarded to individuals who have
sustained high levels of achievement, for example through leadership, influence, senior responsibility,
innovation, and professional service, at the forefront of engineering, technology or cognate disciplines
for a period of five years or more. Fellows work within the codes of conduct and ethical obligations of
the profession and are strongly encouraged to engage with the many voluntary activities of the
Institution.

The key attributes of successful applicants will be therefore that they can give evidence of sustained
high levels of achievement [] for a period of five years or more.

Nine criteria (or measures) are used by Fellow Assessors to judge applications and applicants are
encouraged to select the two criteria that reflect their greatest strengths in this regard. These notes
concentrate on the interpretation of the criteria in an academic context.

Academic endeavour generally involves a mix of three main constituents: Teaching, Research, and
Administration. However, in these notes it will be more helpful to consider Teaching, Scholarship, and
Administration and Management, shorthand terms used here for a variety of activities that will now be
delineated.

1. Teaching
Teaching is a fundamental requirement for most academics. New staff are usually required to
complete a training course in teaching (often qualification-bearing), and most HEIs will have
monitoring and assessment procedures and support facilities in place to assure the quality of teaching.
Whilst there is always the possibility of recognising the sustained achievement of the truly outstanding
charismatic lecturer (for which criterion 9 Influence & Contribution would be appropriate), being a
good presenter, or giving a good set of notes is generally not considered as satisfying the IET Fellow
Expectation.

However, there are those who make substantial contributions to the development of pedagogy for
example in formulating new approaches to teaching and assessment, in creating new course
structures and utilising new technologies. Such practitioners of what is effectively pedagogic research
will thus be able to offer evidence under criterion 1 (Creativity) or criterion 3 (Innovation) and will
perhaps be able to cite awards such as National Teaching Fellowships or higher membership of the
Higher Education Academy in their application.

2. Scholarship
The term 'scholarship' is used here to indicate an applicants engagement with their subject, generally
considered as enhancing the teaching profile of an academic unit, and in many cases bearing
evidence of high achievement. The most obvious examples of scholarship are as follows:

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 Research:
Original research is typically evidenced by published output in learned journals and at
conferences (particularly at international level), invitations to be keynote speakers, conference
organising, committee chairs, and journal editors. Applicants may also reflect the status of their
activity through the grants and funding they attract; the development of academic research
groups with doctoral students, research assistants and post-doctoral fellows; external research
degree examining; collaborative arrangements with other institutions; by securing patents and
IPR; and with industrial involvement. Again, criterion 1 (Creativity) or criterion 3 (Innovation) are
appropriate here.

Consultancy:
Many academics engage in consultancy activity - often as individuals, and also sometimes
orchestrated through an academic departments industrial liaison unit or through a Knowledge
Transfer Partnership (KTP). Clearly, the sustained levels of high achievement in the Expectation
would preclude consultancy work of a routine nature; however, for extensive specialised expert
work at an appropriate level, criterion 4 (Insight & Experience) will be relevant.

Enterprise:
Often resulting from the exploitation of successful research, or the development of high-level
consultancy expertise, academics frequently set up spin-off companies either through their
institution or as separate entities. Criterion 3 (Innovation) or criterion 2 (Enterprise) could be
relevant in such cases, and KTP activity might be appropriately referenced there.

Authorship:
A record of successful research will often have associated with it the publication of research texts
alongside papers in the learned journals and at conferences, and thus this aspect of authorship is
effectively covered by the remarks above. However, there are academics that make substantial
contributions to their subject by the publication of teaching texts suitable for undergraduate or
postgraduate students. Again, sustained levels of high achievement would indicate that this
would not be a one-off pursuit, and success would be indicated by high volume sales over an
extended period, with revisions and new editions. Such contributions could be offered under
criterion 9 (Influence & Contribution).

3. Administration and Management

Academics often refer to all activities which are not strictly academic pursuits as
administration. However, it is important to differentiate and recognise the distinction between
administration as the routine execution of established procedures (examples being timetabling,
admissions, etc.), and management with its connotations of strategic planning, supervision, resource
allocation, and so forth.

Administration, as described here, is not considered an area that would enable recognition of high
achievement (although, the development of new administrative approaches of profound importance
might be considered to be a contributor to success in management). Management, on the other hand,
could be recognised through criterion 5 (Leadership) or criterion 7 (Responsibility) in appropriate
cases. Examples might be the Dean or Head of a large Faculty, School or Department of Engineering
or Research Institute where there are significant numbers of staff, levels of resource, management
challenges and budget responsibility devolved from the institution centre.

The criteria mentioned above, together with others in the list below, provide considerable scope for
academic applicants to give evidence of their standing and in particular to provide the evidence of
sustained high levels of achievement [...] for a period of five years or more mentioned previously. In
preparing the application, it is therefore necessary to use fully the opportunity to provide evidence

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through the 300 word (minimum) to 500 word (maximum) narratives required; note that simple
reference to an enclosed Curriculum Vitae will not be acceptable.

Supporters
You will need to provide two supporters who are able to confirm you meet all the criteria for
Fellowship.

Each of your supporters are required to complete a supporter form (included in the Fellow application
pack) indicating in the space provided the category or categories from the full list of criteria that they
consider demonstrates your suitability for Fellowship of the IET. Should your supporters consider you
do not meet any of the criteria above but have another reason to justify the award of Fellowship of the
IET, they should provide full details.

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