An update on pay and recognition schemes

Following the announcement in February 2025 about pausing of our promotions and pay schemes, the University Executive Board confirmed that the next round of the Rewarding Excellence scheme is also on pause until the end of the 2025/26 academic year.

Alongside this, they have clarified the decision to pause all reward and recognition schemes, and this therefore includes departmental Making the Difference schemes. Any schemes currently in process may be completed.

This pause will be reconsidered towards the end of the 2025/26 academic year, so that we are in line with our timetable for our academic and professorial promotions scheme.

These difficult decisions have been carefully considered, having heard a range of views on our promotion and pay plans, including questions about pausing reward schemes whilst we manage our finances. Details about the University's approach to returning to a financial surplus are available on our University finance webpages.

As a reminder, our new academic and professorial promotions scheme is scheduled to launch in September 2025, with promotions obtained during this round effective from 1 September 2026. You can see the full timeline of promotion activity on the Academic Promotions website.