Where it is necessary to recruit or deal with HR issues, the Research Ops Team will assist in the process.

Recruitment and changing Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)/contract duration

The SoSS Research Ops team has prepared a number of guides on the recruitment process, including how to appoint casual staff and how to change an existing employee’s FTE or duration of contract. These are available via the links below.

The recruitment process can take several months to complete.  Please allow a minimum period of 12 weeks plus any notice period for the recruitment process. Please read through The Recruitment Process for details on what happens, when it happens, and how the process can be made smoother.  If you would like to recruit a member of staff and require Research Ops team assistance, please complete the Recruitment Form and return it, by email, to soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk.

Please note, if there is an element of overseas working in a post (including fieldwork), please contact the Research Ops team as far in advance as possible to discuss this. The process for appointing to positions which require overseas working requires additional approvals, assessments, and tax/payroll provisions. We will need to liaise with different departments for this process so please allow plenty of time. 

Things to be aware of when recruiting:

• Staff cannot begin work until the official start date of the grant.
• The recruitment process cannot begin until an R code has been issued by the Research Finance team.
• Please be aware that grades are budgeted in the middle of the spine point, so you need to make sure that you re-cost the commitments to the salaries of appointed staff when you make decisions about what salary to offer.
• It is the University's policy that staff should be appointed on the lowest spine point of a grade unless you are salary matching.
• Contracts can end at any time, up to the end of the grant.
• It is helpful to decide on the interview panel at the earliest opportunity so that an interview date can be set early.
• A job description should be provided as soon as possible.
• An RA post should be advertised for 31 days if you propose to maximise the scope of the recruitment to include candidates who may require a visa.
• New appointees will need a line-manager (generally the PI) and a separate mentor.
• Risk assessments will be required where overseas working/fieldwork is necessary.
• Faculty approval is required where overseas working/fieldwork is necessary.

Things to be aware of when recruiting administrative staff:

• An administrative post will need to go via the Higher Education Role Analysis team (HERA) for grading before it is approved by the faculty
• An administrative post must be advertised for one week to redeployees, and can then be internal or open to all for however many weeks you choose (generally two weeks)

• The Recruitment Process
• Recruitment Form (PI to complete)
• Recruiting Casuals Process
• Changing FTE and Duration of Contact
• Changing FTE and Duration of Contract Form (PI to complete)

It is important that we are aware of whether you propose to spend money equally across the years of the grant, or whether there are particular purchases/appointments which will incur more significant expenditure at particular points.  We will need to keep the Research Finance team updated with this.

In the handover meeting we will discuss Task Codes, procurement and expense requirements, where and how to spend funds in compliance with UoM procedures, and where certain budgets sit.

We will also discuss Project Finance with you so that you can monitor the spend throughout the course of the project.

Further information about managing budgets in grants is available in our quick guide.

We will discuss with you what kind of communications support you require and what your communications strategy is.

We can advise on websites, social media, newsletters, blog posts, mailing lists, dissemination events, and GDPR requirements.

Impact events

If you are planning on holding any impact events (such as conferences, roundtables, webinars, seminars, exhibitions, etc.) please let us know as soon as possible so that we can discuss options, practicalities, and the likely costs at an early stage.  This will enable you to have an early concept of what you are working towards, and allow us to ensure that we have the capacity to assist with putting the event together.

If you are ready to start planning the event, please read the section on events below and provide us with the details requested so that we can start to book rooms, caterers etc.

Research dissemination

The School of Social Sciences' External Relations Team is working with departments and researchers to develop their external profile. If you would like to discuss marketing support for your project, please contact The School of Social Sciences' External Relations Team.

The University of Manchester Library has also developed guidance for your academic impact including aspects such as broadening your audiences, research metrics and public engagement.

We will discuss what steps need to be taken in relation to managing research contract staff including:

• Your initial meeting with research contract staff
• Probation periods
• Contract management including extension of contracts and varying terms
• Career Development
• Training and mentoring
• Line management responsibilities

Probation:

You should meet the new starters to set probationary targets (typically over the first nine months for Research Staff) as soon as possible and review them regularly.  As part of this, you should identify any training required. For assistance in setting probationary targets, please see our template form.

After completion of the probation period, you should complete a probation meeting in which you will assess the agreed objectives. If the probation objectives are fully met, you must let HR and the School know that the staff member has passed their probation

If some objectives remain unmet, you can extend the probationary period suitably.

If unmet objectives are a cause for concern, you should speak to the SoSS Research Ops team as soon as possible to discuss how to proceed.

Contract management:

Contracts may be extended if there are sufficient funds available.  Please contact us to discuss whether this is possible so that we can put the appropriate process in place.  Please note that there may be terms in the grant regarding the number of people and time you have available for certain staffing. Check these before you make staffing decisions – they are normally accepted if they are fully budgeted for within the grant.  Further information about extending / varying contracts may be found in this guide.

Parental leave: If one of your staff members takes a period of parental leave, the cost will typically be covered by the Faculty rather than the grant. There are several options here:

• you may replace the staff member during the period of leave;
• you may extend their contract when they return if they were not costed to the end of the grant;
• you may suspend the grant for the period of leave and apply for a proportional no-cost extension.

Sick leave: Unlike parental leave, this cost usually still comes from the grant. If a long period of leave is anticipated then you should speak to your Head of Department (HoD), Head of School (HoS), and HR partner about how to proceed. The above options are all available but there will be cost implications for the grant and potentially the School.

End of contract: You should receive letters with advice from HR at 6 months, 3 months and 1 month before the end of a staff members’ contract. There is a formal procedure to follow at each of these time-points that you must adhere to, and support is available from the SoSS Research Ops team.

See also:

Policy for Management and Progression of Research Contract Staff

Guidance notes - appointing casuals

Guidance notes - changing contract terms

Guidance notes - recruitment

Subcontracts

We will discuss with you any proposals for subcontracts with other organisations or universities. 

Subcontracts to universities require contracts which are managed by the Research Services (RS) team and the Contracts Office. The SoSS Research Ops team will raise any purchase orders (POs) on these. Subcontracts to large organisations follow a similar pattern.

Both of these require a new task setting up within the grant and therefore it is essential to set this up at the earliest opportunity.

Smaller subcontracts may be carried out using a Purchase Order which the Research Ops team can set up in favour of the company.

Please note that in some circumstances it may be necessary to following a tendering procedure.

Amendments to subcontracts

If a contract has been agreed but circumstances change, such as the scope of the grant or a change in funding, please let us know.

As a PI on a grant, you hold a number of responsibilities.

Line management:

As a PI you are the line manager for any RAs or RFs appointed to the grant. Please familiarise yourself with The University of Manchester's HR requirements as to line management.  

Your responsibilities include:

• Ensuring the RA/RF has a mentor
• Ensuring that training requirements are met
• Holding an annual performance and development review
• Monitoring probationary periods

The Research Staff Strategy Group of The University of Manchester has set out a Statement of Expectations in respect to the Career Development of Research Staff. The aim of the statement is to contribute to creating a supportive environment in which researchers are able to work and develop their careers by setting out the expectations and mutual responsibilities of research staff, PIs and the University. It is essential that both research staff and PIs are aware of their responsibilities and the opportunities for career support, training and development.

Funding requirements:

Your funder will have set out a number of requirements in the grant which you must comply with. Failure to comply with the funder's requirements may result in you becoming ineligible to apply for future funding, or funding tranches being retained by the funder until any issues are resolved.

Please ensure that you note thoroughly the funder's requirements as set out in the grant, their standard terms and conditions, and also any assurances you may make in the grant application. Obligations include:

• Ensuring that any events our outputs you have committed to are delivered (e.g. conferences, websites, workshops, networks).
• Reporting to the funder on outputs, outcomes and data in terms of written reports or submissions to ResearchFish and the funds spent on the project.
• Ensuring that all spends are fully compliant with the funder's rules (e.g. whether you are allowed to purchase certain items including IT equipment or software; whether you are obliged to appoint a particular survey company).

PIs have overall responsibility for ensuring expenditure on the grant is compliant. Ineligible expenditure can lead to audit failure, which carries significant reputational and financial risk and can impact on the ability to secure future awards. The University has prepared a guide to grant eligible costs.

Other requirements:

There are a number of other requirements which may be set out by the funder or The University of Manchester including:

• Managing the budget appropriately, ensuring that all spend is appropriate, permissible under the funder's/University's rules, and allocated correctly within the University's financial reporting system.
• Ensuring that ethics approval is obtained.
• Disclosing conflict of interest situations.
• Complying with GDPR requirements.

During the course of a grant, we can assist in resolving issues as they occur by advising on different courses of action in relation to: HR; finance and contracts; processes; liaising between PIs and systems/departments; the Pure system; and requirements for research output including report writing.

The SoSS Research Ops team support RCS staff in the provision of the Career Development Allowance.  

In 2018, the School of Social Sciences introduced new funding for the purposes of career development – in particular, the development of an independent research agenda and profile – for staff on fixed-term teaching-focused or research contracts.  

Most fixed-term contract research staff within the School of Social Sciences are awarded a training allowance (NB: Staff on British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships, Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships, and Simon and Hallsworth Fellowships are not eligible).

The purpose of the allowance is to enable RCS staff to develop their personal career and research agenda. This may include, for example:

• Attending or presenting papers at conferences and workshops.
• Attending training courses.
• Organising or attending research networking events aimed at future collaboration/grant applications.
• Books (subject to a maximum spend of £200 on books).

The Career Development Allowance (CDA) must not be spent on any activity related in any way to a project you are working on. It must be spent only on career development opportunities which are not related to a project. Additionally, the CDA must not be spent on laptops, PCs, tablets or other IT equipment.

Further details about the allowance, including the application form, are available on the School of Social Sciences' Career Development Allowance page.

The University has also put together a document explaining the REF 2021 status of Research Contract Staff.

In addition, the Research Staff Strategy Group of The University of Manchester has set out a Statement of Expectations in respect to the career development of Research Staff. The aim of the statement is to contribute to creating a supportive environment, in which researchers are able to work and develop their careers by setting out the expectations and mutual responsibilities of research staff, PIs, and the University.

The SoSS Research Ops team will assist with running events, from seminars and workshops to conferences (subject to capacity).  If you would like assistance in running a project related event, please liaise with the Research Ops team at the earliest possibility.

The support we are able to provide includes:

• Budgeting
• Room booking
• Setting up booking forms via Eventbrite or the e-Store
• Travel for visitors
• Catering bookings
• Producing conference e-handbooks
• Procurement
• Setting up casual appointments to provide practical support in advance (e.g. preparing conference packs)
• Setting up casual appointments to provide on-the-day support

In order to ensure that an event is able to run as smoothly as possible, we have produced a document with suggested timescales to assist.

For guidance on what is involved in preparing for and running certain events, please see the following:

• Conference
• Seminar series
• Training courses

If you would like assistance in running/setting up an event please complete and return the relevant form below to soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk.

• Seminar
• Masterclass
• Course/workshop
• Conference

Pre-Travel Authorisation (risk assessment approval for travel)

It is mandatory to have a valid risk assessment in place before all travel. The University identifies this as ‘Pre-Travel Authorisation (PTA)’. It is your responsibility to determine if your travel is low, moderate, high, or extreme risk before booking. Depending on the level of risk associated with the destination and activity, there are different processes and risk assessments that are required, as well as different signatories who review and authorise the respective assessments.

For extreme-risk countries, (destinations for which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel), you must complete a Template Specific Risk Assessment - high-risk travel form, obtain line manager approval, and submit it to soss.risk@manchester.ac.uk for approval from the faculty Dean via the Head of School. For trips to countries of extreme risk or to an area where the FCO has advised against travel, you must submit your specific risk assessment for pre-travel to the Faculty Dean via the Head of School at least EIGHT weeks prior to travelling.

For high-risk countries, a specific (full) risk assessment needs to be in place prior to travel. To obtain approval for this type of risk assessment you must complete a Template Specific Risk Assessment - high-risk travel form, obtain line manager approval, and submit it to soss.risk@manchester.ac.uk for Head of School approval. Approval will be granted by the Head of School within 10 working days of a request.  It is advised that you submit your full risk assessment as early as possible to prevent any delay or interruptions to your trip. Examples of high risk include: the country is listed on the University’s list of High Risk Countries, or the FCO advise against travel for several issues (e.g. political unrest, terrorism, criminal activity). Please check the HIGH RISK COUNTRIES LIST before any arrangements for travel take place.

For moderate-risk countries, an adapted risk assessment is required where circumstances are outside the scope of the generic risk assessment. The generic risk assessment can be adapted to include additional hazards or circumstances (e.g. an individual’s specific needs). You and your line manager/supervisor must work together to identify the risks involved with the trip before it takes place. You should then complete your risk assessment and submit to soss.risk@manchester.ac.uk for file only (line manager approval required). Examples of moderate risk: the traveller is intending to visit a country with a potentially changing political climate and the FCO has minimal warnings against travel to key areas, or the activity planned in a low-risk country is more than a simple visit i.e. potentially dangerous research activity.

For low-risk countries, a School generic risk assessment is needed and is authorised by your line manager. As well as these risk assessments, you also need to complete the online SoSS Pre-Travel Risk Assessment Declaration before you travel to declare that your travel falls under the generic risk assessments. Examples of low risk: this risk assessment is suitable for most conferences and academic business travel to overseas destinations where hazards are minimal.

Further information on UoM Travel.

Travel and accommodation

The SoSS RO team will provide support for travel and accommodation bookings for visitors to the University.

In order to book travel and accommodation for visitors please complete our travel booking form and email it to soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk with as much detail as possible, including:

• Full name of traveller (as per passport)
• Traveller's date of birth
• Passport number (for flights)
• Travel/accommodation requirements
• If flying, whether luggage is required
• Traveller's email address and telephone number

One the travel/accommodation has been booked it must be approved by the budget holder for the grant/award.  Please, therefore, obtain the budget holder's approval in advance of requesting the travel/accommodation.

Travel and accommodation should be booked as far as possible in advance in order to secure the best prices.  Bookings on short notice are generally out of policy and can cause difficulties in obtaining approvals to complete the booking.

Please note that we do not provide support for employees of the University undertaking travel or requiring accommodation; this should be done by the individual through Key Travel.

Procurement

The SoSS RO team can also provide assistance with procurement via the University of Manchester's finance system and marketplace.

Should you wish to purchase any goods or services, please liaise with the Research Ops team as to your requirements and any necessary finance requirements/restrictions.  Please note that the purchase of high-cost items/services may require additional authorisation and/or tendering.

The University's position is that any goods and/or services should be purchased through a supplier who is already on the University's procurement register.  If you propose to use a supplier who is not a registered supplier to the University, please allow plenty of time to set the supplier up on the finance system.  Please also bear in mind that a proposed supplier may be rejected by finance if an appropriate supplier already exists.

As your plans change during the course of the grant, you may wish to spend funds in a different manner, for example: recruiting additional researchers, changing the FTE of an existing researcher, or holding a conference. We can advise on the actual costs which will be incurred and whether it is possible to spend funds in that manner.  Please email soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk to request a meeting.

Further information about managing budgets in grants is available in our quick guide.

Where it is necessary to recruit, or deal with HR issues, the SoSS Research Ops team will assist in the process.

HR issues

If you require advice on an HR issue, including options to cover maternity/paternity leave, performance concerns, end of contract issues, or replacing staff who are leaving, please email soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk to arrange an appointment where we can look at the available options.

Probation

It is important that the University of Manchester's probation procedures are adhered to. The probation period for academic-related and research staff (Grades 6-8) is 9 calendar months; probation for support staff (Grades 1-5) is 3 calendar months. Line managers must review performance at regular intervals during the probationary period and offer additional support and training if it is needed.  

If there are difficulties, the probation period for academic-related, research, and support staff may be extended for a maximum of up to 2 months if the line manager believes performance can be improved in that timescale to meet acceptable standards.  If performance is judged to be unsatisfactory,  employment will be terminated with the appropriate notice. During the period of probation, the notice period may be varied by mutual agreement.  If you have any concerns that an employee is not performing to a satisfactory standard to pass their probation period, please contact us to discuss the options and what steps you must take.

Recruitment and changing FTE/contract duration

The SoSS Research Ops team has prepared a number of guides to the recruitment process, appointing casuals and changing existing employee's FTE and duration of contract. These are set out below.

The recruitment process can take several months to complete.  Please read through the recruitment timeline for details of what happens, when and how the process can be made smoother.  If you would like to recruit a member of staff and require assistance from the SoSS RO team, please complete the Recruitment Form and return it, by email, to soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk.

• The Recruitment Process
• Recruitment Form (PI to complete)
• Recruiting Casuals Process
• Changing FTE and Duration of Contact
• Changing FTE and Duration of Contract Form (PI to complete)

We will support the understanding of the costs incurred by the grant and how they relate to the original grant costing plan.  We will also support with reporting requirements, including balancing budgets and uploading any casual timesheets.

The majority of this process is carried out by Research Finance.

Circumstances such as delayed recruitment, parental leave, or an event requiring the the grant to refocus, may result in a short extension to the project being desirable. If you find that you require an extension of time or a financial extension, the SoSS Research Ops team, Research Support Services, and Research Finance will work together with you to find the best options and prepare an application.

Further information about grant extensions is available in our quick guide.

Please email us with as much information as possible at the earliest opportunity to discuss this.

The School of Social Sciences' External Relations Team is working with departments and researchers to develop their external profile.

If you would like to discuss marketing support for your project, please contact The School of Social Sciences' External Relations Team.

The University of Manchester Library has also developed guidance for your academic impact including aspects such as broadening your audiences, research metrics and public engagement.

We will assist you in establishing advisory committees and setting up meeting dates, as well as servicing committee meetings (agenda setting, minuting, travel bookings and room/catering bookings).

In normal circumstances we do not minute project meetings between project members, only official annual meetings, however, this is negotiable depending on other needs of the project.

Should any members of the Advisory Committee leave or be replaced, please notify us as soon as possible by email.

If you would like to arrange an Advisory Committee meeting, please complete this form and return it to the SoSS RO team by email as far as possible in advance of the event.

If you would like to make alterations to your project’s website, please complete this Web Content Alterations form and return it by email to soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk.

If we have not already been granted access to your website, we will need to request this from IT.  This can take a little time to organise and have approved.

The timescale for making alterations to the webpages depends on what changes must be made.  Simple text changes are relatively quick, but adding pages, changing images, inserting/changing menus can take longer and can also require the approval of the IT Services web team.

If you require a social media channel setting up (i.e. a new Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube account) please complete and return this New Social Media Account Request form to soss-research-operations@manchester.ac.uk.

Please note that whilst we can assist in setting the social media channel up, posts and content would need to be uploaded by members of your project as we do not provide ongoing management of social media channels.

• Website alterations request form
• New Social Media Channel request form

Two different procedures exist for fee/expense reclamation, depending on whether the claimant is a University of Manchester employee or non-employee.

Irrespectively, like all employers, the University is obliged by law to follow the rules imposed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). These include a requirement that all expenses payments are "wholly, necessarily and exclusively" for work purposes. Claims must be made within three months of the expense incursion/work completion. Original receipts must also be provided and claimants are advised to retain a copy for personal records as expense audits are the responsibility of the individual.

For more guidance, please see the Fees StaffNet page.

Expenses incurred whilst carrying out fieldwork must be claimed via the normal expenses claim process. This must be done within three months of the expenses being incurred.

Like all employers, the University is obliged by law to follow the rules imposed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). These include a requirement that all expenses payments are "wholly, necessarily and exclusively" for work purposes. Original receipts must also be provided. 

Non-employees of the University of Manchester must claim expenses via a PR7 Claim Form. The completed form must be signed by the budget holder and approved signatory.

In order to keep a record of expenses, please complete the Fieldwork Expenses spreadsheet as you are going along and retain all receipts.

Please also read further guidance on fieldwork expenses.

SoSS RO Support Tariff

If there is a particular toolkit or set of guidance you would like to see on this site, please let us know.