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

Please contact egp@qub.ac.uk for a link to the online form – it is used for both new and renewal applications.

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 standard nomination form (SMDBS only) or online form. The School will either include an 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. 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. 
5. Heads of Schools arrange for the School Management Board 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.
6. The Secretary of the Honorary Titles Committee requests three external references for each 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.
7. 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.
8. The Honorary Titles Committee considers and approves Honorary Professor and Honorary Professor of Practice recommendations from Schools.
9. 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 Protocol for Handling Honorary Titles Nominations outlines current practice for handling Honorary Title Nominations.

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. 

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

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.

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.