Study leave and leave of absence

• Study Leave is leave from normal teaching, research supervision and other duties within the University of a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor or Professor in order that their time may be devoted exclusively to fulltime research including the preparation of manuscript for publication. For staff in the Education and Research job family. 
• Leave of Absence is leave for visits or secondments to other institutions or organisations at home or abroad for any purpose which it considers suitable and on such terms and conditions as are appropriate.
• A Secondment is the temporary loan of an employee from one organisation, or one part of an organisation, to another, for a specific purpose and for a specific period of time. Secondments are a business critical contractual arrangement with the aim of bringing benefits to the University. Specific guidance for managers on secondments is available.

• Study leave is granted on full pay, although members of staff are encouraged to apply for funding for all or part of the period of leave (with the funding coming to the University so that the individual continues to be paid by the University). Faculty's may agree to support an application on condition that part funding is secured. The period of study leave will reckon for pension and continuous employment.
• Leave of absence is usually unpaid, but members of staff will be advised of their right to continue pension contributions for the period of leave. Where they exercise this right, the University will meet the employer contributions in full. The period of leave of absence will reckon for continuous employment but it will not be counted automatically as service for incremental purposes or for the accumulation of annual leave.
• Normally an applicant must have completed a substantial period of service in the University, usually five years for one or two terms, seven years for one year’s leave.
• The applicant should submit a written request for study leave or leave of absence to their Director of Service specifying the requested start/end date and the purpose of the leave (including specified outcomes), following the procedure notified by Human Resources. The Director of Service will discuss the proposal with the Faculty's Deputy Vice Chancellor with a view to agreeing whether the request should or should not be supported.
• The applicant must give their Director of Service sufficient notice of their wish to apply for study leave to enable the Director to discuss the proposal with senior management and to consider how the work of the applicant will be covered whilst they are on study leave.
• In the event of an application not receiving support, the applicant will be informed of the decision by Human Resources and advised of the procedure for making an appeal. The Deputy Vice Chancellor will consider the initial appeal but if the matter remains unresolved there will be a right of further appeal through the appropriate Grievance Procedure.
• Staff must submit a satisfactory report of their period of leave within one month of the completion of the period of leave. This must detail how the leave has fulfilled the aims specified in the application, what output has been produced or will be produced resulting from work during the study leave, including (forthcoming) publications and what future endeavours may result from the study leave activities. Failure to provide a satisfactory report will result in follow-up action from the Director of Service, which could include the use of the disciplinary procedures.

Leave may be allowed on an exchange basis between a member of staff of the University and of another institution or organisation. Requests for such leave should be submitted as applications for leave of absence. It is normally a condition of leave being granted for this purpose that the exchange shall be financed from the salaries of the two persons concerned by mutual agreement.