1

Your guide to departmental information to help you ease into your new position

Contents

Introduction to the Department Page 2

Health & Safety Headlines Page 3

Information Security Induction for New Staff Page 4

General Information (A-Z) Page 6

Financial Directives Page 17

Financial Management Page 19

AWEC Page 20

Sir David Read Controlled Environment Facility (Central Annexe) Page 21

Appendix 1 University Resources Page 22

Appendix 2 Key Contacts Page 23

APS

Induction

Essentials

2

Introduction

Welcome to the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences

We are one of the largest university departments in the UK devoted to the study of whole organism

biology, ranking among the top five biological science departments for research in the 2014 Research

Excellence Framework (REF). Recent quality assessments also confirmed our excellence in teaching

(24/24 in the last Teaching Quality Exercise).

In the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, we're committed to supporting equality and promoting

diversity. In May 2013, we became the first department in the University to achieve an Athena SWAN

silver award, in recognition of the steps we've taken to create an inclusive environment for staff and

students.

The teaching activities in the Department are overseen by the Teaching Committee. Graduate research

is coordinated through the Graduate Committee, and there are three interactive research groups:

Ecology and Environment, Evolution and Behaviour and Plant and Microbial Biology.

Overall policy and strategy is developed by the Departmental Executive Committee, chaired by the Head

of Department. The majority of staff meetings and departmental seminars are held within the core

hours of 9.30 am to 2.30 pm. Departmental news is presented on Wednesdays with tea and coffee

available from 10:30 am in the Common Room (D219).

Links to University Resources can be found in Appendix 1.

This booklet has been designed to give all new staff key information about the department. Further,

detailed, information is available on the APS induction pages and on the university website.

If there is anything not covered in this booklet that you would like further information on, please do just

ask a colleague or your line manager - they will be more than happy to help.

Departmental Health & Safety Induction Headlines.

What you MUST do NOW.

1. Fire Safety training – This is compulsory and must be renewed every 12 months.

Available on-line:

Or via memory stick from Allison Blake for Visitors.

2. Out of Hours Working training – Compulsory if you envisage coming on to the premises out of

hours. You cannot access the building out of hours without completing this training successfully.

Must be renewed every 3 years. Once completed arrange with the office to have your UCard

activated for out of hours access. Normal working hours are 8am to 6pm Monday – Friday,

except Bank Holidays and University Closure Days. All other times are regarded as out of hours

(even if you are here already and working late). https://hs.shef.ac.uk/subject_areas/out-of-

hours

3

3. Read the University Health & Safety Code of Practice – and any other policies relevant to your

work. Accessible via this link: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hs/policies

4. All other mandatory training which includes training on:

Protecting Information (Information Security)

Protecting Personal Data (Information Security)

Fraud and Bribery

Supporting our Students.

Links to the above mandatory training can be found here –

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/staff/mandatory-training

Laboratory/Facility Induction Training

You must also attend Laboratory or Facility Induction Training provided by the Lead Technician for that

specific area before you start any practical work.

Faculty of Science

Information Security Induction For New Staff

This document is intended to brief new staff in the Faculty of Science on the importance of information

security and outlines the steps they should take in order to comply with the Faculty policy.

Information Security It is the responsibility of every member of the University to keep our information secure. Information Security aims to protect information by minimising risk, protecting against damage or theft while ensuring that the information is still accessible and available for the business needs of the University. As a new member of the Faculty you are required to undertake some important training to gain a better understanding of Information Security and its importance in both your role and for the University and to develop a clear understanding of the steps you need to take to ensure you are working with information in the best possible way.

4

Online Training This course is designed specifically around University requirements and will give you a good overview of the different areas of Information security and how it applies to your role. The course is mandatory and consists of three sections: Protecting information, Protecting Personal Information, Protecting Research Data. Each section should take around 15-20 minutes to complete. Once completed the training is valid for two years. Information Security Training Suggested Additional Reading The University provides general advice and information on information security and safe computing on the following pages: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cics/security - for advice on safe computing https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cics/infosec - To view the University’s information security policies. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cics/codeofpractice - To view the University’s IT code of practice Reporting an Information Security Incident To report an information security incident please contact the CiCS Helpdesk on 0114 222 1111. If the incident occurs outside of normal working hours then please contact University Security on 0114 222 4085. Some examples of incidents are:

o compromised accounts - such as stolen passwords o loss of information - such as lost or stolen laptops o breach of policy - such as the Information Security policy, IT Code of Practice or Data

Protection policy. Also Available The University and Faculty offer optional activities available to support you. These include: Data Protection Seminars - led by the University Data Protection officer Anne Cutler (a.cutler@sheffield.ac.uk). Details circulated by email. Encryption of personal devices by your local IT team or Matt Doxey (Faculty IT Officer). Support and Guidance For any IT queries please contact your local IT team or Matt Doxey (Faculty IT Officer) by email. Document Control: Owner: Matt Doxey (FoS IT Officer) Revision: 1.2 Date issued: 21/03/2017 Document Location: Faculty Organisation/Procedures/IT/Information Security

5

General Information (A-Z)

Absences from the Department

All staff are required to use MyJob (through SAP, login via MUSE) to record absences, including holidays.

Academic staff (Lecturers and above) should also enter dates when they will be away from the

Department in the absence diary in the main office, together with contact details. See also the section

on sickness.

Accident Reporting

Please report all accidents, no matter how minor. Please use the online form from the Health and Safety

website.

Bank Account

If you need to open a UK bank account to have your salary paid into, please contact Shi-Yuen Li for more

information on how to do so once you have arrived.

Building fabric/maintenance/repairs

If you notice a need for repairs in APS, please contact Allison Blake (20044; A.Blake@sheffield.ac.uk).

Car hire

Anyone wishing to hire a car for use on University business should contact Transport Services on-line at

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/transportservices who will make the necessary arrangements.

Car parking

Car parking at the University is limited, therefore colleagues are requested to submit applications for

parking permits on-line at https://parkingpermits.shef.ac.uk/live-pec-user/

Permits are valid from January – December.

Parking for visitors is available in Q Park Car Parks on campus on Durham Road and Solly Street.

You can pre-book parking online and a number of special rates are available for evening and weekend

events. If you are an event organiser please email efmhelpdesk@sheffield.ac.uk for further information.

Caring responsibilities

The University and department recognises that some staff have caring responsibilities. The University

also appreciates that carers’ needs are different from the needs of employees with mainstream

childcare responsibilities, and that the circumstances and milestones of caring may also be different. As

such, we will provide support to these staff to combine work with care. More information is available

at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/flexible/caring

Catering

Anyone requiring catering for meetings, seminars, Vivas etc., should contact the main office.

6

CIES student (academic staff)

Academic staff members will need to access student information through CIES student. You need to

apply for authorisation to access this database.

CiLT - Certificate in Learning and Teaching (academic staff)

New academic appointments without sufficient teaching experience/qualifications will need to

complete a Certificate in Learning and Teaching (part time over two years) as part of their probation

requirement. For further information see the relevant Learning and Teaching Services website.

Child care

On Tuesday 13 March 2018 the Government agreed to extend the deadline for the closure of the Childcare Voucher scheme to new joiners for a further 6 months.

Following this new development we advise staff who are eligible to receive childcare vouchers to continue apply to join the scheme as normal.

The Childcare Voucher Scheme will now close on 4th October 2018.

Due to the timing of the University's Childcare Voucher payments this will mean that to meet to deadline, new joiners will need to have applied to join the scheme before the 24th August 2018. This will enable staff to receive their Childcare Vouchers on 10th September and have the vouchers deducted from their pay at the end of September 2018 before the scheme closure deadline of 4th October 2018.

If you are a new member of staff joining the University of Sheffield after 24 August 2018 and would like to enquire about Childcare Vouchers please email thedeal@sheffield.ac.uk before the 12 September 2018.

The University will continue to monitor the situation for new developments and will advise of any further agreed changes closer to the revised deadline.

For further information, please visit our website:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal/taxfreechildcare

Committees

Teaching – Dr Fiona Hunter (f.m.hunter@sheffield.ac.uk)

Research - Professor Andrew Fleming (a.fleming@sheffield.ac.uk)

Postgraduate – Dr Dylan Childs (d.childs@sheffield.ac.uk)

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Athena SWAN) – Professor Colin Osborne (c.p.osborne@sheffield.ac.uk)

Student-Staff – Professor Phil Warren (p.warren@sheffield.ac.uk)

7

Common Room (D219)

This is available for general use and can be booked in the diary at the APS office on D-floor. Tea and

coffee are available for purchase from 10.30 – 11 am and 15.30 – 16.00 pm Monday – Friday. The

midweek news briefing is on Wednesdays at 10.45 am with an enticement of biscuits for attendance.

Please note the Common Room is often used for seminars and meetings and so may not always be

available for refreshments.

Computer/Email account

You will be given a computer account and an email address when you register with CiCS (see UCard and

keys entries). Please ensure you give your e-mail address to the office.

Conflicts of interest

Any member of staff who during the course of their work on behalf of the University, becomes involved

in a situation where there is or might reasonably be deemed by others to be, a conflict of interest, shall

report the matter immediately to the Head of Department. Members of staff are required to follow all

the University’s policies, procedures and guidelines relating to conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest

could include influence over high value projects, tenders, contracts, recruitment of students,

relationships to companies, gifts, hospitality, donations, perceived bribery etc. where they may be

deemed to possibly influence University activities or business. Any gifts received by staff in whatever

form (including from students) should be declared to the Departmental Manager for logging as soon as

received. Further information can found here:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance/staff-information/howfinanceworks/fraud_and_whistle_blowing

and here

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/contracts/conflictsofinterest

Drinking water

In most of the building, such as the Edwardian wing, tap water is unsuitable for human consumption,

please check the potability of the tap water with someone before drinking it! Bottled drinking water is

available from the dispenser in the common room (D219). Dispensers are also available in the admin

suite, B81, C-floor near the teaching labs, and D-floor in the stairwell of the Edwardian wing.

Email distribution lists

You will be added to the departmental mailing list and academic/postdoctoral mailing lists as relevant. If

this does not happen, contact Linda Dulley (l.dulley@sheffield.ac.uk).

Academic staff should contact Claire Mangham (c.mangham@sheffield.ac.uk) to sign up to an email

distribution list to be notified about funding opportunities in the Faculty of Science.

Emergency telephone numbers

In an emergency dial 4444 from any University main campus telephone. The University Control Room

can be contacted on 24085.

8

Equality and Diversity

In the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, we're committed to supporting equality and

promoting diversity. In May 2013, we became the first department in the University to be given an

Athena SWAN silver award, in recognition of the steps we've taken to create an inclusive environment

for staff and students. The University of Sheffield as a whole had its Athena SWAN bronze award

renewed at the same time. For more information on the departmental Athena SWAN activities please

look at the APS Equality and Diversity webpage. The University Equality and Equality and Diversity

websites also contain relevant information.

Finance

The main finance hub for science is found in E100 (Addison Building). The finance team deal with

enquiries regarding expenses/reimbursement, URMS costings and SAP purchasing, research grants,

project accounts and Core finances. Paper forms for many of these are located in the main

departmental office on D floor. Key contacts: Lisa Knight

(l.knight@sheffield.ac.uk), Helen Davies (h.g.davies@sheffield.ac.uk) and Research Services

(https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/rs/contacts/index)

Please refer to Financial Directives for more information on financial procedures.

First Aid

If you require a First Aid assistance please dial 20002 in the first instance.

First Aid boxes are situated on the corridors in the Edwardian building, and in rooms marked with the

First Aid symbol in the Alfred Denny. There is also a First Aid box on the wall opposite D218 in the Alfred

Denny building. Please let Nichola White (nichola.white@sheffield.ac.uk) or Lynsey Gregory

(l.gregory@sheffield.ac.uk) know if you use anything from any of the boxes to allow for restocking.

Current first aiders are:

Shi-Yuen Li (24773) Administration Suite on D Floor

Nichola White (20042/20058) Labs C45 & E205

Maggi Killion (20045) AWEC & D216 (Wednesdays)

Will Hentley (24372) Lab D223

Rachel Tucker (20115) Lab B71

Flexi-time system (support staff)

The department operates a flexi-time system for all staff up to and including grade 6. Further

information on the scheme is available from Allison Blake (20044; a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk).

Flexible working (all staff)

The University and department recognises the positive impact of flexible working arrangements

to: improve business efficiency and productivity; improve the balance between life and work;

9

create a positive and inclusive environment and to create a happy and healthy workforce. More

information is provided at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/flexible

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 requires the University to adopt a Publication Scheme and

gives any individual the right to request any information whether or not it is covered in the Publication

Scheme. Requests:

● A formal request must be in writing, which includes email or fax, and not by telephone.

● The enquirer must state their name and address, and describe the information they seek.

● The University must confirm or deny it holds the information within 20 working days of receipt

of the request.

● The University must send the information (or tell the enquirer where they can find it) within the

20 working days.

Should any member of staff receive a formal request for information please let Sue Carter (the

Departmental FOI contact) know so that the enquiry can be logged. If the enquiry is from a member of

the press or media, refer it immediately to the Public Relations Office.

Gifts and Hospitality

Please read the Policy on Gifts and Hospitality to and from external parties. if you do receive a gift, you

will need to complete the Register of Gifts and Hospitality form, which you can get from the

Departmental Manager, Mr John Beresford.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.129648!/file/SIA_24_Policy_on_Gifts_and_Hospitality.pdf

Google mail, calendar and drive

All staff emails, calendars and cloud computing are hosted by Google, via MUSE. All staff are allocated

10 TB of space on Google drive. Staff should use Google calendar and make their calendar accessible to

the administrative staff. Some facilities and equipment are bookable only through Google calendar -

contact relevant lab managers. Seminar schedules are also accessible through Google calendar; for

example sign up to the departmental seminars calendar through the APS seminars page.

Hotel accommodation

Anyone requiring hotel accommodation for visitors should contact the departmental office via email

(animal.plant@sheffield.ac.uk).

Human Resources

You can find more information on what our human resources department offers from the link

below: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/induction/managers/plan

Induction

Upon arrival in your new position, your line manager will give you a tour of the department and an

induction checklist. The checklist should be completed within the first couple of weeks of your position

with the help of your line manager in the first instance.

10

In addition to induction within APS, the university runs various induction and orientation events

targeted at various sub-groups of staff (e.g. an induction course for researchers starting in the Faculty of

Science). A list of courses available and place on these events can be booked through the

Learning Management System, which is accessible once you have logged into the university website.

Insurance

Travel insurance is mandatory in respect of members of staff travelling overseas on university business

and should be arranged through the UoS Insurance Office. There is a self-service on-line form to

complete at:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance/staff-information/help/insurance

A Travel Insurance Certificate can then be downloaded automatically. This should be taken with you as

proof of cover. Cover can be extended to accompanying family members and in respect of short leisure

breaks made in conjunction with the business trip.

The university also has university and equipment insurance policies, and hire car insurance.

Please contact Allison Blake (a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk ext. 20044) with any queries regarding, or to book

any, insurance.

I.T Systems

You can find more information on what our I.T department offers from the link below:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/induction/managers/plan

Key staff contacts

See Appendix 2

Keys

Keys for offices are available from Allison Blake D216. For access to and throughout the Alfred Denny

building and laboratories out of hours your UCard will require authorisation following completion of Out

of Hours Training. Please see Allison Blake.

For access to the Addison building, the plant growth facilities (Central Annexe) and/or AWEC you will

need your UCard activating, please email aps-ucard@sheffield.ac.uk, giving your full name as it appears

on the card, your UCard number, whether you are staff, student or visitor and expiry date of card (if

there is one). You will also need to say whether or not you need 24/7 access, or 8am – 6pm, and which

part(s) of the department you need to access. Alternatively contact Allison Blake.

Learning and Teaching Services (LeTS)

For more information on the Toolkit for Learning and Teaching, please see this web link:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/toolkit

11

Leaned Society Fund for PhD Students and Staff

The Learned Society Fund is available for PhD students who give papers in high profile research events

and conferences in UK and abroad that are linked to the progress of their PhD topic.

This Fund can cover your expenses for conference fees, travel, and accommodation up to a current

maximum of £250 on a first-come first-served basis. Claims to the Learned Societies Fund are limited to

one in any academic year (1 October to 30 September). They are available only for registered

postgraduate students who are not able to obtain support for attending learned society meetings from

their sponsors.

Please go see John Beresford (Departmental Manager) if you wish to apply for this funding.

Library

For more information on the University Library, please see the web link below:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/services/univstaff

Mail

Outgoing post should be placed in the appropriate tray (internal/external) in the departmental office no

later than 3.30pm. Personal post must be stamped or paid for. Personal post and parcels can also be

sent from the main help desk in the Student Union.

All post will be sent 2nd class.

Incoming mail will be placed in pigeonholes in the Administration suite on D floor each morning.

All parcels to be posted either within the UK or abroad, must be sent by the main office.

Maps

A map of the University campus and Sheffield City Centre is available at

www.sheffield.ac.uk/visitors/mapsandtravel

Maternity

The University is fully committed to helping working parents balance the needs of work and family life,

and appreciates the importance of providing greater choice for parents in how they arrange parental

care during the first year of a child's life.

Human resources provides a maternity leave toolkit with all information relevant to maternity leave and

planning.

The University’s policy and procedure document gives full details with everything you need to know

about maternity leave and returning to work.

A new system of Shared Parental Leave and Pay will be available to parents of babies due/or children

matched/placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015. In advance of implementation, if you have any

queries in relation to this new legislation, please contact your HR Team Contact.

Meeting rooms

12

The Finlay Library on E floor is available for meetings or tutorials.

The Common Room on D floor can also be used for departmental seminars and meetings.

The common room (D219) and Finlay library can be booked at the main APS office through the booking

diaries.

There is also a D-Floor room (D211) which is available for meetings. It can be booked at the main APS

office through the booking diaries.

Other university wide rooms can be booked through the university webpages or Google calendar.

e.g. BMS meeting rooms

Other bookable rooms

Mentoring

The University and Department offer extensive opportunities for mentoring and being a mentee.

A general overview of mentoring schemes can be found at the following link:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developorg/mentoring/mentoringarounduni

Support staff can find mentoring information at:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/growprogramme

Researchers and male lecturers can get mentoring information here:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/ecr/mentoring/index

Female academics (all levels) are provided with separate mentoring options:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere/coachmentor/impactfutures/impact

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere/coachmentor/impactfutures/futures

Out of Hours

Anyone requiring to work out of hours will need to have their UCard activated, so will need to contact

the aps-ucard@sheffield.ac.uk (please see “Keys” above).

Out of hours training and fire training (through hs.shef.ac.uk) must be completed and passed before

working out of hours. You must remember to sign in and out of the building, in the book kept at the

porter’s lodge, and secure the area before leaving. Please ensure doors are closed behind you and that

you don’t allow anyone to follow you into any of the buildings without prior authorisation.

PAT testing

All electrical items must be PAT tested before use in the University. Contact Steve Fletcher

(s.fletcher@sheffield.ac.uk or ext. 24713) to arrange testing.

13

Pensions

Information on the USS and USCS pension schemes is available on the Finance web pages (see Appendix

1).

Pigeon holes

Academic staff will be allocated a pigeon hole on arrival in the department. These are situated in the

admin suite on D floor. Post for your group may be placed there unless there is a specific hole for that

group.

Personnel Procedures

Information is available from the HR web pages (see Appendix 1)

Postdoc Society (early career researchers)

The APS Postdoc Society (apspostdocsoc@sheffield.ac.uk) was founded in 2011 with the following aims:

● facilitating social interactions between postdocs by organizing social events

● facilitating training and career development for postdocs

● give postdocs a stronger voice within APS and the University of Sheffield.

All postdocs and early career researchers currently working in APS are automatically members of the

society. Active members of the society form a committee that organizes and informs about upcoming

events. To be informed about what is going on:

● Make sure you are on the APS postdoc mailing list by signing up at the following link:

https://lists.shef.ac.uk/sympa/subscribe/aps-postdoc-society

Printing

All staff and student printing is carried out using the CiCS My Sustainable Print service. To access the

printers you will need to download the driver from the My Sustainable Print website. Multifunctional

printers are located on each floor of the Alfred Denny Building.

Andy Krupa is APS Printing Champion (a.krupa@sheffield.ac.uk), however any printing problems or

machine malfunctions should be reported (with the machine number) to the CICS helpline extn 21111.

Risk assessments

You MUST do risk assessments BEFORE commencing lab or field work. Please see staff list for

relevant contact(s).

Safety

The Departmental Safety Committee is chaired by the Departmental Safety Officer (see staff list). The

Departmental safety booklet covers items specifically relating to the Department and includes relevant

contact names. The University safety booklet covers the wider aspects of University policy and is

available from the Health and Safety web site.

14

Salary pay date

Your salary will be paid into your account on the last working day of the month, except in December,

when it is paid before the Christmas shut-down.

Key payroll dates

SAP – see Financial Directives

Security

The responsibility for the security of personal property is with the owner. Always keep personal

property/valuables locked away and out of sight. If you are the last person out of a room, please ensure

all windows are securely closed and lock the door.

Do not leave keys/cards lying about. Report any theft immediately. Do not mark keys in any way that

might identify them as University keys.

Set alarms on areas where alarms are provided.

Ensure you are not followed into any buildings by anyone you don’t recognise when working out of

hours.

Should an incident occur which causes you alarm, telephone the Control Room, 24085, or 4444 if it is an

emergency.

Seminars

There are a number of seminar series organised within the department. The seminar lists are available

from the departmental website and seminar organisers in the department are:

Departmental seminar series: Dr Alison Wright (A.E.Wright@sheffield.ac.uk)

Ecology and evolution seminar series: Dr Nicola Nadeau (n.nadeau@sheffield.ac.uk)

Robert Hill (Plant Science) seminar series: Dr Lisa Smith (lisa.m.smith@sheffield.ac.uk)

Science Communication: Dr Nicola Hemmings (n.hemmings@sheffield.ac.uk)

The department operates a policy of encouraging seminar organizers to attain a 1:1 gender ratio for

seminar speakers.

Sickness

The University operates a sickness absence management policy. (Full details are available on the HR web

pages)

Where a member of staff is absent due to ill health, they should contact the department (their

supervisor/main office) on the first day of absence, before their usual start time. The member of staff

will need to indicate the broad nature of the illness and likely return date, and if the illness or injury is

due to an accident at work.

If the period of ill health lasts for more than 7 days (including one weekend), then staff must obtain a

note from their doctor.

15

Springboard

Springboard is a very popular personal and professional development programme for women involved

in scholarly research across the University.

SRDS (Staff Review and Development Scheme)

SRDS interviews are held annually. This scheme provides all staff with the opportunity to reflect and

consider what they have done over the past year, to received feedback on their contribution over the

past year and set objectives for the coming year, identifying any training and development required to

support these objectives. SRDS can also be used to discuss career development and aspirations.

A variety of support materials are available to help prepare for SRDS, either as a reviewer or as a

reviewer. The main portal for accessing this information is through Human Resources SRDS information

(www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/srds).

Staff meetings

Departmental staff meetings are held regularly (approximately 3 times per academic year – September,

January and May). All staff are encouraged to attend and will be informed via email of time/date of the

next meeting.

Staff Training and Development

The department fully supports training and development for all staff. Development needs are reviewed

annually and effected through a variety of approaches, including ‘away day’, workshops, University run

programmes and conferences etc. You can sign up for training workshops at the university through the

Learning Management System.

Researchers can focus their career development through the Think Ahead programme, while support

staff can access the Grow programme. Further training and development information is available

through RIS.

Staff webpages (Academic staff)

Each member of academic staff has their own webpage and is listed under one of the three research

groupings. Contact the office email address (animal.plant@sheffield.ac.uk) to set this up. It may also be

useful to have an external lab website (e.g. on Wordpress) that you can edit and link to from your APS

page.

Stores

There is a Faculty store, which is located in B59 (B1 floor).

Some items are kept in the store, but must be requisitioned through MyCatalogue before collection.

Items ordered through external suppliers are delivered to Stores who will inform you of their arrival.

If you receive any ordered item directly through the post, please let Stores know so the item can be

‘goods receipted’ on SAP. If the item is electrical, please ensure it is PAT tested before use (see PAT

testing). The stores opening times are 8.30 – 4.00pm

General small items of stationary can be obtained from the D Floor Printer Room (D208).

16

Support for staff

A variety of support structures for all members of staff are available across the university and

department.

General support information is available through HR:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support

Support for research activities is coordinated by Research Services (RS):

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/rs

Career development support for early career researchers is available through ThinkAhead:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/ecr/training

New academic staff on probation will be assigned an academic mentor for their probationary period.

Staff who are (or are soon to be) parents can access support through this link: Parents Network

Female academics can access additional support through Women@TUoS NET, which runs various

activities and events catering to the needs of female academics.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender staff are supported through the LGBT Staff Network.

Telephones

Any queries or problems with your telephone, or if you need a telephone in your office, please contact

Stephen Fletcher (s.fletcher@sheffield.ac.uk) who is the Departmental Telephone Liaison Officer (TLO).

UCard

A University Staff Card (UCard) will be issued to you from CICS (Corporate Information and

Computing Services). The UCard allows you to access University Computing and Library Facilities, and

swipe-access to the Department outside of normal working hours. It also allows you access to some labs

and offices. To access certain other parts of the building, you must have your swipe card authorised by

Allison Blake (a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk).

Women@TUoS NETwork

The University supports the Women@TUoS NETwork, a network for advocacy, inspiration and progress

related to gender equality in the University and in academia. A variety of events are sponsored including

talks, information sessions, networking opportunities, etc. You have to add your name to an email list to

get announcements about forthcoming events. To add your name, please visit the following webpage

(https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/womens-network/about-us) and click on the appropriate Google Form

link.

17

FINANCIAL DIRECTIVES

The University Financial Directives are available on Finance Department web pages. You must comply

with these at all times.

Atypical workers

The atypical workers bank is used for non-contracted staff on temporary work. Please contact the

Departmental Manager for further information before asking anyone to do any temporary work.

Consumables

All requests for consumables and equipment must be made via the SAP purchasing system. To access

the system you must do the USpace training sessions and be assigned a user profile (application forms

available via procurement web pages). Post-graduate students are not allowed access to the

purchasing system. Senior technical staff in laboratories are usually responsible for requisitions for the

lab group.

Small value items can be purchased directly and the money claimed back. You will need an itemised till

receipt, credit/debit card receipts are not acceptable. Items up to £25 can be claimed from petty cash,

see Allison Blake, items up to £200 can be claimed on a staff expenses claim form, but this should not be

used as a way of ‘getting round SAP’.

Travel and accommodation booking can be made by departmental credit card. Contact Linda Dulley in

the Admin Office or Allison Blake to use a credit card. Where a supplier is not set up on SAP or where

the order value is very small, purchases can often made by more cost effectively and quickly by credit

card.

Equipment

For equipment purchases between £5,000 and £50,000 (ex. VAT) you must get 3 quotes, or provide

justification for use of a specific supplier. Any purchases over £50,001 must go through Procurement to

comply with EU legislation. Contracted and/or approved suppliers must be used where there is one –

see the Procurement Department webpages for lists of contracted and approved suppliers.

Expenses claim forms

To claim expenses, this must be completed online, please see the below link on instructions on how to

use the system.

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance/staff-information/mymoney/myexpenses/claim

All claims must be supported by original receipts (photocopies and credit/debit card slips are not

acceptable). For travel purchases made online you will need a print-out of the receipt/ticket/boarding

pass. For travel tickets ordered online the confirmation of booking is adequate as a receipt. All travel

claims must be accompanied by a Travel and Hospitality form, available from the rack at the main

office, on which you will need to provide full details of the nature and purpose of each trip, including

dates, destinations and names of all people included on any of the receipts.

Where expenses are incurred in foreign currencies the amounts should be shown in the currency in

question, but reimbursement will be in pounds sterling at the spot rate in the Financial Times at the

time the expenses were incurred, unless proof of conversion is provided by the claimant.

18

NB no expenditure is allowed for travel insurance on ANY Research Council Grants.

Staff wishing to use their own car on University business should get prior authority from their manager

or Head of Funding Unit. You are not allowed to claim for petrol when using your own car. Anyone

claiming mileage must bring in their licence (paper and photocard if appropriate) and proof that they

have relevant insurance cover for business use. Failure to do so will result in any mileage claim being

rejected.

Mileage expenses incurred whilst on University business will be reimbursed at the rate of 40p per mile

for the first 4,000 business miles in each tax year.

Mileage forms must be completed and attached to the claim form.

For all expenses claims it is advisable to keep copies of forms and receipts.

Foreign currency/travellers cheques for overseas travel

Cash advances and foreign currency may be obtained from the cash office for local travel and

subsistence only, either as cash (small amounts) or paid into your bank account, prior to overseas travel.

Forms are available from D216 (contact Allison Blake, a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk), please give at least 5

working days’ notice. All requests for cash advances must be fully justified on the form.

Petty cash

This is available for small items to the value of £25, from D216 (contact Allison Blake,

a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk), itemised receipts must be obtained.

Purchasing cards

There are ‘departmental’ purchasing cards for use on travel and subsistence expenses incurred on

University business. The normal ordering process should be used wherever possible. For more

information contact Allison Blake, a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk

Staff can also apply for their own University Purchasing cards for use on University business only.

Graduate students are not allowed purchasing cards.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Please contact the following regarding financial issues:

Research Grant Costings:

Faculty Finance Managers as below.

Research Service Costings Team (URMS): Jenny Newsome (J.Newsome@sheffield.ac.uk, 21431)

19

Account Administration:

Rachel Hammond, FoS Finance Hub Manager

Lisa Knight, Assistant Faculty Finance Manager – (l.knight@sheffield.ac.uk, 20078). Core Budget, RCUK

grants, EU Research Grants & costings. Conference and project accounts.

Helen Davies, Senior Finance Administrator – (h.g.davies@sheffield.ac.uk, 24374). URMS Costings,

Charity grants.

Emma Fairclough, Assistant Faculty Finance Manager – (e.fairclough@sheffield.ac.uk, 24691). EU Grants.

Procure to pay

Orders/invoice queries, credit card transaction processing. Expenses (online) claims system.

P2pscience@sheffield.ac.uk

Karen Vyce, 22317

Cathy Tantram, 29643

Departmental Finance Contact

Petty cash, credit card orders, cash advances

Allison Blake (a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk, 20044)

20

AWEC (Arthur Willis Environment Centre)

1. You will need keys to access the site, these can be obtained from

Allison Blake (a.blake@sheffield.ac.uk). The gates must be kept locked at all times, this is for

your safety.

2. To access the main building you will need to activate your UCard, contact Allison. The swiping in

point is to the left of the main entrance doors. After swiping, these doors open outwards

automatically, so don’t stand too near!

3. You will also need to get an alarm code from Allison Blake. The alarm code entry box is to the

left of the doors as you enter the building. You also need to swipe to exit the building, the swipe

point is to the right of the main door as you approach.

4. There is a doorbell to the left of the main doors, if for any reason you do not have your swipe

card, but please try to use this as little as possible.

5. You must have completed a relevant risk assessment, and had this approved by your supervisor

where appropriate, BEFORE commencing work at AWEC.

6. Any electrical equipment must have a current PAT sticker on it. If this is out of date or missing

DO NOT use the equipment until you have spoken with Steve Fletcher

(s.fletcher@sheffield.ac.uk).

7. Please ensure you keep your area clean and tidy.

8. Bins are available for different types of waste, please contact Maggi Killion

(m.killion@sheffield.ac.uk) for details if you are unsure which bin to use.

9. Fire alarms are tested at 0830 on Monday morning. (Except on Bank Hols) The designated

assembly point in case of fire is the opposite side of the drive away from the building.

10. If there are any problems on site please contact Dale Bavastock or Maggi Killion, or if neither of

these is on site, Allison.

11. In an emergency, please ring the emergency control on 4444, or for security issues 24085.

12. You must not bring bicycles into the main building, bicycles can be kept in the outdoor cycle

shed (see Maggi Killion for access).

Key contacts:

AWEC Site Manager - Maggi Killion: m.killion@sheffield.ac.uk Ext 20045

Horticulture - Dale Bavastock: d.bavastock@sheffield.ac.uk

A detailed booklet for users of AWEC is available from the site manager.

21

Sir David Read Controlled Environment Facility (central annexe)

1. Your UCard must be activated to access the building. The swipe point of the building is to the

left of the main doors.

2. To access certain parts of the building, you must have your swipe card authorised. Contact

Allison Blake in the first instance.

3. All portable electrical equipment used in the facility must have a current PAT sticker. Do not use

any equipment that does not have a current PAT sticker on it until you have spoken with Greg

Nicholson or Steve Fletcher.

4. Please keep the area clean and tidy.

5. Different types of bins are available for different types of waste. Waste stream posters are

displayed on the notice boards in the labs. Please contact Greg Nicholson if you are unsure

which bin to use.

6. Fire alarms are tested at 0910 every Monday (except bank holidays). The designated assembly

points are the Arts Tower Car Park and the Print Room Car Park.

7. If there are any problems with the facility please contact Greg Nicholson in the first instance.

If Greg Nicholson is unavailable, contact Timo Blake.

8. In an emergency, phone the emergency control room on 4444 from any university telephone.

For security issues, phone 24085.

Contacts

Greg Nicholson g.j.nicholson@sheffield.ac.uk Ext 24720

Timo Blake timo.blake@sheffield.ac.uk Ext 25075

A detailed booklet for users of the site is available from Greg Nicholson/Timo Bake.

22

APPENDIX 1: SOME UNIVERSITY RESOURCES

For new staff induction

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/induction

About the University

www.sheffield.ac.uk/about/history

About the Department

www.sheffield.ac.uk/aps/about/history

University structure

www.sheffield.ac.uk/govern

Decision-making structure (Committees)

www.sheffield.ac.uk/govern/committees

Financial directives

www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance/regulations

Human resources (extensive information on many aspects of employment and support)

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance

A-Z of Staffing Policies and Procedures

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/az

Salaries and Superannuation

www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance/staff-information/mymoney/mypension/index.html

Library

www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/

Health and Safety

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hs

Transport

www.sheffield.ac.uk/efm/property_business_services/transport

UCard and email accounts etc

www.sheffield.ac.uk/cics/staff

23

APPENDIX 2: KEY CONTACTS

POSITION NAME EMAIL TELEPHONE

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT Professor Rob

Freckleton

r.freckleton@sheffield.ac.uk 20017

DEPARTMENTAL MANAGER Mr John Beresford j.k.beresford@sheffield.ac.uk 24373

OFFICE TEAM LEADER Miss Jennie Stevens jennie.stevens@sheffield.ac.uk 24376

DEPARTMENT SAFETY

OFFICER/AWEC

Mrs Maggi Killion m.killion@sheffield.ac.uk 20045/20142

CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

FACILITIES

Mr Timo Blake Timo.blake@sheffield.ac.uk 25075

POSTGRADUATE STUDENT

ADMINISTRATOR

Angela Doncaster a.doncaster@sheffield.ac.uk 20067

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

ADMINISTRATOR

Louise McCrickard L.mccrickard@sheffield.ac.uk 20047

DEPARTMENT HR

ADMINISTRATOR & PA TO

HOD

Shi-Yuen Li Shi-yuen.li@sheffield.ac.uk 24773

POSTGRADUATE TAUGHT

COURSES (MRES)

Chloe Davies c.e.davies@sheffield.ac.uk 24774

P3 AND EXAMS ASSISTANT Jacqueline Beasley j.beasley@sheffield.ac.uk 24729

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Linda Dulley l.dulley@sheffield.ac.uk 20056

A full list of support staff can be found at:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/aps/staff-and-students/support-staff

A full list (and personal webpages) of academic staff can be found at:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/aps/staff-and-students/acadstaff

A full list (and personal webpages) of postdoctoral & research staff can be found at:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/aps/staff-and-students/associatemembers