Honorary Appointments
About our Honorary Appointments
The University of Melbourne is an internationally recognised teaching and research institution with an outstanding reputation.
Honorary appointments are awarded to recognise individuals who make significant ongoing contributions through world-class, values-based teaching, research, research training, engagement, enterprise, leadership and service.
Honorary appointees are highly valued members of the Department of Psychiatry. The relationship with our Honorary Staff Member is one of mutual benefit.
Our Department benefits from the expertise and influence of the Honorary Staff Member, who in turn benefits from the opportunities, resources and reputation of the Department, the Melbourne Medical School and The University of Melbourne.
Types of Honorary Appointments
There are four types of Honorary Appointments within the Department of Psychiatry:
- Academic Honorary Appointment
- Clinical Honorary Appointment
- Enterprise Honorary Appointment
- Conjoint Honorary Appointment^
You can apply for any type of Honorary Appointment if you fit the criteria. Please contact psychiatry-admin@unimelb.edu.au if you have any queries.
Academic Honorary Appointments
An Academic (standard) Honorary Appointment is awarded to persons with a predominantly research and/or teaching background. Those with Academic Honorary Appointments will normally have similar/equivalent teaching, research, knowledge transfer and leadership experience and roles as their paid equivalents from the University.
The purpose of an Academic Honorary Appointment is to provide recognition for the major contribution that has been or will be made to the University of Melbourne in terms of teaching in University courses, student supervision, research contribution and advancement of their discipline.
There are five levels of Academic Honorary Appointment:
- Honorary Fellow / Lecturer (Level B)
- Honorary Senior Fellow / Senior Lecturer (Level C)
- Honorary Principal Fellow / Associate Professor (Level D)
- Honorary Professorial Fellow / Professor (Level E)*+
- Honorary Professor Emerita/Emeritus (Level E)+
*Note: Level E appointees must familiarise themselves with the University's Expectations of a Professor.
+Note: If the appointee is a full professor of a Group of Eight, Universitas 21, Asia Pacific Rim Universities, China 9 group institutions, or at an institution ranked, in the last three year the ARWU top 100 institutions, or a full Professor with existing esteemed academic recognition as specified in MPF1299, then Referee Reports are not required.
Clinical Honorary Appointments
The purpose of an Honorary Clinical Fellow Appointment is to provide recognition for the major contribution that has been or will be made to the University of Melbourne by clinicians, particularly in terms of teaching in University courses and in scholarship and advancement of their clinical discipline.
There are five levels of Clinical Honorary Appointment:
- Honorary Clinical Associate Fellow (Level A)
- Honorary Clinical Fellow (Level B)
- Honorary Clinical Senior Fellow (Level C)
- Honorary Clinical Associate Professor (Level D)
- Honorary Clinical Professor (Level E)*+
*Note: Level E appointees must familiarise themselves with the University's Expectations of a Professor.
+Note: If the appointee is a full professor of a Group of Eight, Universitas 21, Asia Pacific Rim Universities, China 9 group institutions, or at an institution ranked, in the last three year the ARWU top 100 institutions, or a full Professor with existing esteemed academic recognition as specified in MPF1299, then Referee Reports are not required.
Difference between Clinical and Academic Honorary Appointments
Clinical Honorary Appointments are only offered with the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
Honorary appointments are assessed on the strength of the applicant's contributions in two of the 3 domains of:
- teaching and learning
- research and research training
- leadership, service and engagement.
In general, Clinical Honorary Appointments:
- are most commonly awarded on the basis of the domains of "teaching and learning", and "leadership, service and engagement"
- may not have as strong a research track record as the equivalent Academic Honorary Appointments
- could include a reference from a senior clinician at the level of Head of Hospital Department or professional equivalent
- are not automatically portable and will cease if the clinician leaves their clinical position, unless application is made based on a new clinical appointment or role.
Enterprise Honorary Appointments
The purpose of an Honorary Enterprise Appointment is for an individual who is an expert in an appropriate field from professional practice and contributing to teaching and/or research, or fostering partnerships between the university and industry or the wider community.
There are five levels of Enterprise Honorary Appointment:
- Honorary Enterprise Associate Fellow (Level A)
- Honorary Enterprise Fellow (Level B)
- Honorary Enterprise Senior Fellow (Level C)
- Honorary Enterprise Associate Professor (Level D)
- Honorary Enterprise Professor (Level E)*+
*Note: Level E appointees must familiarise themselves with the University's Expectations of a Professor.
+Note: If the appointee is a full professor of a Group of Eight, Universitas 21, Asia Pacific Rim Universities, China 9 group institutions, or at an institution ranked, in the last three year the ARWU top 100 institutions, or a full Professor with existing esteemed academic recognition as specified in MPF1299, then Referee Reports are not required.
Conjoint Honorary Appointments^
The purpose of an Honorary Conjoint Appointment is for an individual who contributes to teaching and/or research at the university as part of their employment with another organisation which has formal affiliation with the university. Formal affiliation means an affiliation between the university and the other organisation which has been approved by university council and established by a contractual arrangement.
There are five levels of Conjoint Honorary Appointment:
- Honorary Conjoint Associate Fellow (Level A)
- Honorary Conjoint Fellow (Level B)
- Honorary Conjoint Senior Fellow (Level C)
- Honorary Conjoint Associate Professor (Level D)
- Honorary Conjoint Professor (Level E)*+
^The Honorary Conjoint Appointments are awarded under special circumstances, please contact psychiatry-admin@unimelb.edu.au if you feel that you fulfil this category.
*Note: Level E appointees must familiarise themselves with the University's Expectations of a Professor.
+Note: If the appointee is a full professor of a Group of Eight, Universitas 21, Asia Pacific Rim Universities, China 9 group institutions, or at an institution ranked, in the last three year the ARWU top 100 institutions, or a full Professor with existing esteemed academic recognition as specified in MPF1299, then Referee Reports are not required.
Guidelines on criteria, expected contributions and achievements for each level of appointment
Please refer to the following documents to help determine the type and level of Honorary Appointment that align with you:
- For Academic Honorary Appointments, the Academic Career Benchmarks and Indicators document explains the indicators for each level.
- For Clinical Honorary Appointment, the MMS Honorary Clinical Appointment Guidelines provides requirements for appointment at each level.
- For Enterprise Honorary Appointment, please email psychiatry-admin@unimelb.edu.au.
- For Conjoint Honorary Appointment, please email psychiatry-admin@unimelb.edu.au in the first instance and further discussions will occur.
Site Contact Information
Please contact psychiatry-admin@unimelb.edu.au if you require any further information or to submit your application.
Honorary Benefits and Obligations
To find out more about the benefits, expectations and obligations of an Honorary, please refer to the Benefits and Obligations webpage.