Research leave – guidelines for awarding leaves

1. General
The purpose of the Research Leave is to provide permanent employees in teaching and research positions exempt from teaching and administrative tasks in order to be able to concentrate on further development of research activities (including artistic creative activities).

Research Leave is an offer that employees in teaching and research positions can apply for and be awarded according to specific guidelines, not a right employee accrues automatically after a certain number of years. It is a precondition that the employee has had normal teaching and administrative duties.

All permanent employees in a minimum 50% position can apply for 1 year of Research Leave after a minimum of 6 years of service, or ½ year after a minimum of 3 years of service.

2. Application
All applicants must complete the application form for Research Leave. The applicant shall provide a description of the activites in the application, (ex. Develop research applications and establish research projects). We ask the applicant to specify goals and outline the work plan for the the activities applied for.  Four main criteria shall be fulfilled and documented in the application.

• The application should consist of activities with expected results that can be presented or documented. Applications for Research Leave should include a project that the researcher or employee will not be able to carry out in their regular working day.

• The application's professional quality and realism must be elaborated and explained

• The application must document relevance to AHO

• A written recommendation or approval from the head of Institute must be attached when the application is submitted to FU. Here it must be stated that the Institute supports the application and that the application is connected to the Institute's strategic goals for research and education.

Furthermore, previous work efforts and previous research results should be discussed, as well as academic networks and any connection to major research projects.

3. Rights and duties during the Reserach Leave
The employee receives full pay during the Research Leave, and is exempt from the teaching obligation, attendance obligation and administrative duties unless something else has been agreed upon by granting a Research Leave. The person who is given the Research Leave is obliged to concentrate his / her efforts on the activities that forms the basis for the application for Research Leave. It is not allowed to undertake other kinds of work or other things that may hinder the planned research tasks without the consent of AHO.
The department is responsible for arranging temporary temps for its employees.

4. Reporting
The Institute are responsible to monitor the research leave. Anyone who has had a Research Leave, shall within one month after the termination of the term, submit a concise report to the Institute, and copy  FU about goal achievement etc. in the period. The report is public and will be made available to other employees at AHO. This is done to inform about what has been achieved, but to be used as inspiration for later applications for Research Leave.

5. Award criteria
When awarding a Reserach Leave, emphasis is placed on the following:
 
Assessment criteria

• The application must contain a concrete activites  where the objective is concrete results that can be described, documented or presented.

• The application's professional quality and realism

• The application must be relevant to AHO 

Additional criteria to be taken into account in the assessment of the applications

• Competence building at AHO

• Gender equality, including women's opportunity to qualify for promotion

• Special workload and effort for AHO

• Service time and previous Research Leaves and result of this

6. Service time
When calculating the service time for Research Leave, the number of semesters / years in ordinary service is based on the previous term. For permanent employees with reduced working hours, the time is converted to the entire earning year.
 
When calculating the service time, time in a temporary scientific position with teaching duties, which is followed by direct appointment in a permanent position same place, shall count on the same basis as service time as a permanent employee.

Leave without pay is not included in the service time, nor buy-out from all or some part of the permanent position. Sickness and pregnancy, welfare permits etc. in accordance with the wage regulations' common provisions are included in the service time period.

Reserach Leave with full pay is normally limited to one year's duration.

7. Procedure for application and case processing
Applications for Research Leave are processed once a year with a fixed application deadline on February 1. Applications submitted after this date or applications who do not attach all relevant documents will not be considered.

The earliest starting point for Reserach Leave is the fall semester in the same year.

It must be clarified in advance who covers any costs associated with the application before it is passed on to FU. This can be the cost of travel, infrastructure, equipment etc.

The Research Committee makes a prioritized recommendation to the Rector who makes the decision in the case.

AHO has established a guiding upper limit of 2 full-time Research Leaves per year.