Lectureship application teaching reference?

Question

I am applying for a lectureship in Engineering at a research intensive Russell Group university. The position involves both research and teaching, roughly 40% research, 40% teaching, 20% admin.

I need to provide three references. I have references which are very familiar with my research work but know very little about my teaching experience. I also have a reference who is the opposite (knows my teaching experience but not research).

I could provide 3 research references, or 2 research and 1 teaching reference.

Should my references focus solely on research, or is there value in including a teaching only reference?

Answer 1

For Russell Group? Research is king - this is not a teaching post, it's a research position (UK Russell Group lecturer is broadly equivalent to an assistant prof at a US R1 - the job titles are different).

Your CV should mention teaching experience, certainly, but your reference letters should be talking about your research skills, and your likelihood of securing funding. What are your REF 4* papers, what funding do you have – those are what matters.

(Source: I'm an SL at a Russell Group Uni, recently on interview panel for lecturer posts)

Answer 2

Although the time-split may suggest the teaching and research are equally important, in practice, as you know, your research is what will wow the appointing committee.

What you need to do on the teaching front is provide evidence that you'll do it effectively (good student feedback, good vibes from those running courses that articulate with yours, minimal problems generated for department) and also efficiently (that is, not likely to bite into the 40% research time - preferably contrariwise). A reference is good, but a reference alone probably won't deal with all this, but you can prepare your pitch to get these messages over; and if you have to give a class or whatever as part of the interview process, do it in such a way that conveys the right message. It's become pretty standard for people to have to hand a teaching portfolio or the like, and if quizzed seriously on this front, be able to offer a sight of it.

As to the admin, I think that again it helps if you've run a conference or helped organise a course or whatever, and it's known that you can do these tasks without taking your eye off the research ball.