Professor Jamie Toney
What was your personal experience of the Academic Promotions Process?
The academic promotion process is straightforward, because it has clear criteria that are easily found on the University of Glasgow website and the criteria for promotion align well with an individual Research and Teaching staff member’s own career goals and trajectory. I personally enjoy my roles within the university that give me the opportunity to shape the School, College and University strategy around research, collaboration and what UoG wants to be known for, so recognition of these activities in the promotion process is welcome.
What advice would you offer to future applicants?
Make use of your annual Performance Development and Review (P&DR) process to develop your career trajectory. If you are not having fruitful and beneficial conversations during P&DR with your reviewer seek out a mentor who can provide career advice and/or be a sounding board for your future vision and what steps will help you to achieve that.
In terms of your preparation and timescales, what top tips can you offer?
It is good to look at the promotion criteria for the role that you eventually want to fill early on. For example, if you are a post-doc looking at what is required and desired to reach a Grade 7 or Grade 8 Research and Teaching position is important even at the start of your post-doc position. At that particular transition, although research is really important, including publications and some level of grant income, if you are focussing solely on research you are doing yourself a disservice, because you need to gain experience in teaching and being a collegiate member of staff. These experiences are usually essential criteria for permanent academic posts.
What advice would you offer those just embarking on their academic careers?
Find what you enjoy doing and do it well. Don’t be discouraged by rejected grant proposals. Often the academics who we hold in high regard as successful role models have multiple unsuccessful grant proposals behind the big ones that they become known for. Your attitude and willingness to interact with and become part of the local environment and culture is important and positive impressions can open new opportunities.
How will your promotion affect the work you're doing?
I was trusted with a number of significant roles within the School, College and University prior to my promotion to Professor. I feel that the promotion to Professor gives me legitimacy and shows recognition of my leadership so that I can own the decisions that I make and implement them with more confidence. In some ways in the wider academic community it helps battle the imposter syndrome, in that I have a clear indicator that my work is valued not only within the University, but also within the international academic peer community.
What are your development plans going forward?
While there are promotion opportunities beyond becoming Professor, I am currently focusing on further developing my own leadership skills so that I can implement positive changes within the academic environment and hopefully be a strong mentor and supervisor for the members of my growing research group. Providing them and other early career staff around me with networking links and positive advice are equally as important to me as building our collective research culture and continuing on with my own individual research plans. As a scientist researching environmental and climate change, I feel an urgency to make real change in the world and hope to adapt and reshape my own research priorities to find creative solutions that move us in the right direction scientifically and societally.
