Guidelines for Occasional Classroom Teaching for Career Development Purposes for Research Fellows/Post-Docs
The purpose of this programme is to develop robust guidelines to aid those Research Fellows/Post-Docs who wish to avail of occasional classroom teaching for career development purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
| When is the best time to decide that I want to teach during my post-doc / research fellow employment? |
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| Ideally, before the start of your employment, so that teaching, and its renumeration, can be built into your employment contract before you start the position. Your PI will be asked in the staff nomination form, before your contract is issued, whether you intend to teach or not. |
Who needs to agree to me teaching under this programme? |
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| Your PI, the Head of School / Department, and, crucially, the funding body. |
I am on a 100% (1 FTE) research contract; will I be paid for teaching additional to my contractual salary? |
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| Only if your funding body allows / endorses remuneration for teaching additional to their salary costs; this needs to be built into your total salary. |
Who will pay for my teaching? |
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| Normally, your School / Department covers the cost of teaching. If teaching is a contractual obligation of your scholarship, your teaching is included in the salary provided by the funding body. |
Is my teaching to be paid from the casual payroll? |
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| No. Teaching, and its adequate renumeration, is to be built into your salary set out in your employment contract. |
Are there limits as to what type of teaching I can do under this programme? |
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| Yes, there are. This is occasional classroom teaching for career development purposes that should not impact on research activity and outputs specified in the grant. It is not to be used as a substitute for core teaching activity. |
Are there limits to how much teaching I can do under this programme? |
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| Normally, occasional teaching under this programme should be capped at two academic years, maximum of 20% of the Schools teaching allocation model for contact hours per annum; accumulation of which over two years can be distributed flexibly. |
Do I need teaching training before I start teaching? |
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| The Centre for Academic Practice, Trinity Teaching & Learnin has a range of professional development opportunities. Many postdocs hold certificates in second or third level teaching, and these are usually considered adequate preparation. |
Will I be mentored in my teaching? |
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| Normally, your PI is your mentor for all aspects of your employment contract, and this extends to your academic career development, including teaching. Peer-observation, by your mentor and / or other post-docs / research fellows that engage in teaching, is considered good practice. |
What if I’m not interested in teaching, do I have to do it? |
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| There is no obligation for any post-doc/ research fellow to engage in classroom teaching, unless it is a requirement of your scholarship as outlined in the funding application. |
What if I decide to do some teaching after my employment contract starts? |
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| While it is advisable to have this discussion with your PI prior to you commencing in employment, you should talk to your PI in the first instance to see if it can be accommodated. If so, then a new employment contract may issue. |
Who do I contact if I want to teach but am not given the opportunity, or if I feel exploited / overburdened in my teaching commitments? |
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| Issues related to teaching under this programme should be solved in conversation with your PI; if no solution is found, it is advisable to reach out to the Head of School / Department. If mediation with the school is needed, contact the Dean of Research office: pa.deanresearch@tcd.ie. |
Who do I contact if I have any queries or concerns about this programme? |
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Please contact the Dean of Research office: pa.deanresearch@tcd.ie. |