Academic Promotion

UQ is committed to ensuring a robust career and performance development approach exists for academic staff, which provides a foundation for the achievement of academic excellence.

The principles of the academic promotions processes are underpinned by the Confirmation and Promotions (Academic Staff) Policy and the Promotion of Academic Staff Procedure.

The process assesses that academic staff have demonstrated they meet the expectations of academic excellence for the relevant academic level and category as detailed in the relevant Criteria for Academic Performance Policy.

Apply for Promotion

Apply for promotion in Workday

To initiate a promotion application form, use the button above and select 'By Type' in the review template drop-down menu to find the 'Promotion Application' form section. Select the relevant form and hit 'Submit'. If the application form is not visible, please contact cap@uq.edu.au.

Applications for promotion to Level C, D and E will only be available to launch in Workday from 1 April until 30 June.

Promotion Information Sessions 2025

Application quality and applicant confidence can be improved by attendance at these sessions, therefore all academic staff interested in applying for promotion this year or in coming years are strongly encouraged to attend. Recordings will be available on this website shortly following the in-person sessions.

Applying for Academic Promotion up to Level D

This session hosted by Professor Lydia Kavanagh, President, Academic Board will be held on Monday 24 February 2025 from 11am to 1pm and offered in person and online. You can enrol in the session via Workday here.

Applying for Promotion to Professor

This session hosted by Professor Mark Blows, Provost and Vice-President will be held on Tuesday 25 February 2025 from 11am to 1pm and offered in person and online. You can enrol in the session via Workday here.

Key Dates and Timelines

Promotions to Level B

You can apply for promotion to Level B at any time throughout the year using the promotion process in Workday.

You will be advised of the outcome as soon as reasonably practicable. Promotions take effect on the first of the month after the promotion decision.

Promotions to Level C - E

Key Dates for Applicants (Level C - E)

Diagram of promotion timeline with key dates as outlined below.

Applications open: 1 April
Promotion applications completed and submitted in Workday: 31 May
All Head/Director/Executive Dean Reports completed and applications close: 30 June
Promotions take effect: 1 January the year following the promotion decision.

Academic Promotion Resources

Academic Promotion Information Session Recordings

Join Professor Craig Franklin, former President of Academic Board for important information about the 2024 promotion application process for promotions up to Level D.

In this video Professor Aidan Byrne, former Provost is joined by Professor Sara Dolnicar to discuss the promotion process to Level E.

Draft Promotion Application Forms

These documents have been developed to assist applicants in drafting their promotion application in instances where they would like to seek feedback from third parties prior to entering it into Workday. It includes all the information contained in the ‘self-evaluation’ section of Workday promotion application form. Please note, 2025 draft promotion application forms for Level C - E will be updated in due course.

User Guides & FAQs

The Individual Activity Profile (IAP)

Your Individual Activity Profile (IAPs) forms part of your promotion application and is a visual representation of the key indicators of your academic activity, across teaching, research and service/engagement. You are the custodian of your own IAP and are responsible for ensuring the data is accurate before submitting your promotion application.

The majority of IAP data is drawn from existing corporate systems and is placed together in one easily accessible location. However, some data which isn't stored on UQ systems (e.g., Non-HDR supervision, In-press publications, submitted grants, service roles) must be manually updated within the IAP by staff. Please see the IAP data sources and summary table and the Individual Activity Profile (IAP) enhancements explained video for more information and guidance on manual data entry into the IAP.

The IAP webpage also contains other helpful resources and guidance for getting the most out of your IAP.

Take me to my IAP

Academic Promotion Process

This short video demonstrates the in system steps for applying for a promotion in Workday.

Please see below an overview of the steps involved in the promotion process.

1. Pre-application Actions

Before applying for a promotion, you should:

Have discussed your promotion readiness with your supervisor as part of your Annual Performance and Development (APD) process.
Check the promotion eligibility criteria as outlined in the procedure.
Update your Individual Activity Profile (IAP) prior to submitting your promotion application. Relevant committee members will be provided with access to your IAP as part of their review (for promotion applications to Level C - E).

Additional metrics may be useful to help demonstrate your academic contribution as part of your promotion application. This information can complement the data available via your IAP. Please see the following library page for further information.

Submitting an Application Next