Divisional Panel

Jump to: Divisional Panel A Divisional Panel B Divisional Panel C Divisional Panel D

Remit

• To evaluate the nominations submitted by Fellows and create a shortlist of the strongest Candidates.

Operational Process

Meeting Frequency:

• August
  • Two reviewers for each candidate to have scrutinised their allocated cases in detail and agreed on one reviewer to make the case for each candidate.
  • The Panel’s members will agree a score for each of the three criteria for excellence (Outstanding achievement, (in the Candidate’s field and in wider community and society), Professional recognition, and Proposed contribution to the RSE), and then shortlist the top 25% of Candidates to go for references and hence to the October meeting for further review
• October
  • The Divisional Panel members will reconsider, in the light of the references, the individual criteria scores and the overall ranking of each shortlisted Candidate.
  • The Panel will then agree a final ranked shortlist. The scores for each Candidate for each of the criteria, a short note justifying their decision, and their ranking, will be passed to the Fellowship Committee.

Activities outwith meetings:

• July
  • The Convenor, with the help of the panel, assigns each candidate nomination to two reviewers from the Panel
  • Reviewers jointly review the nominations they are allocated, agreeing a score for each of the criteria for excellence and preparing a one-paragraph summary of their joint score.
• August
  • For each shortlisted nomination, five Referees will be identified by the Reviewers, two of which must be returned for a candidate to progress.
  • If a reference has still not been received 10 calendar days before the end of the given period, the Fellowship Team will notify the Reviewers and ask them to contact the referees. The reserve referee will also be contacted by the Fellowship Team and asked to supply a reference.

Committee quorum: At least 10 members including the Convenor must be present.

Reports to: Fellowship Committee

Membership

• Convenor: The Convenor’s role is not to lead on the selection but to insist on rigour and fairness, and to ensure opinions are expressed and that the rules are followed. The Divisional Panel Convenors therefore do not have a vote on shortlisting. The Convenor must be from a different division to the panel they are convening.
• Composition: One Convenor, two members from other disciplines, (the externals) and 12 experts in the field chosen from the Fellowship to have expertise spanning the remit of each Divisional Panel. The Convenor and two independents will have held a senior position that involved interviewing, assessment, senior staff management and participating on promotions boards Consideration should be given to increasing the membership above 15 to prevent excessive workload.
  Co-opted Panel members: Other Fellows may be co-opted to address ‘specialist’ nominations where the expertise of core Panel members needs to be augmented. In exceptional circumstances it is permissible to co-opt an external expert where no suitable Fellow exists.
• Appointment: Expressions of interest in being a Convenor or Member of a Divisional Panel are requested from the Fellowship.
  • Suggestions for Panel Convenors/Members also being sought from the Diversity and Skills Panel.
  • Expressions of Interest, and suggestions from the Diversity and Skills Panel:
    • for Convenor being considered by the Fellowship Secretary and the General Secretary and recommendations made to Council on who should be appointed
    • for Members being considered by the Fellowship Secretary, General Secretary and relevant Divisional Panel Convenor and recommendations made to Council on who should be appointed.
    • Co-opted panel members –
• Length of service: committee members will serve a term of three years and Convenors for a term of four years. Co-opted members will remain on the Panel for up to two years, whilst the nomination they are assisting with is considered.