Hello all

I'm looking for some definitions on what different job titles in academia actually entail. I'm less interested in hierarchy (I've more or less sussed that out) and more interested in what a given title entails in terms of role. So for example - research assistant (I know what one of those is - I've been one)... vs. research associate vs. postdoc vs. lecturer vs. teaching fellow. I've got a rough idea (obviously you teach if you're a teaching fellow or lecturer), but want something more concrete. For example - in some of those roles you'd be acquiring funding from grants yourself for your own ideas, whereas in others you'd be working on someone else's project, presumably with varying degrees of input/control.

I've had a google but nothing good comes up. Anyone know a useful link?

Also do these titles vary across countries?

Oh this is pretty helpful...

Would like something a bit more detailed though!

Hi, yes the titles vary across countries. The US uses totally different titles for example e.g. anyone who teaches is a professor (assistant prof., associate prof.), whereas in the UK these are the lecturer/senior lecturer roles.

The titles can also vary within the UK. Also role responsibilities and staff benefits and pay will vary across institutions e.g. I note in the link you posted it said post doc fellows are staff, well so are all those positions under it in my institution.

I don't know of any specific links, I've just seen this stuff on individual university websites when looking for information when applying for jobs. Basically, you need to check each one when applying as a research associate in one isn't a research associate in another and the pay and grade can vary. And then of course regardless of what a job advert or university guidelines say, the PI can just make up their own rules when you start the job - there may be no official working hours, but they try to stipulate them, or you find out that no one follows the HR guidelines anyway etc.

OK, thanks ToL, I can see that there isn't going to be an easy one fits all for this!