Professor Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Applying for a Professor job in the UK? Here is what you are likely to be asked. These questions come from our Professor question bank of 16 questions, written for UK employers at head/director level.

Eight Professor interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. What is your vision for research in this department over the next five to ten years, and how would you prepare for REF 2029?

Why they ask: Professorial appointments hinge on strategic research leadership and REF awareness.

2. How have you secured research funding, and how would you grow the department's external income?

Why they ask: Income generation is central to the professorial role and to institutional sustainability.

3. A member of staff in your department is accused of research misconduct by a postdoctoral researcher. What would you do?

Why they ask: Professors have a duty to uphold integrity and process, while treating people fairly.

4. How would you contribute to teaching quality and the student experience as a professor, given the regulatory environment?

Why they ask: Professors are expected to lead teaching as well as research, particularly under OfS regulation.

5. How do you approach research impact and knowledge exchange, and how would you support colleagues to develop impact?

Why they ask: Impact is a central component of REF and of the university's civic mission.

6. A highly productive and well-funded colleague is making junior staff and PhD students unhappy through their behaviour. How do you handle it?

Why they ask: Research culture is a major priority and leaders must tackle poor behaviour regardless of status.

7. Tell me about a time you led a large or complex research programme and what you learned from it.

Why they ask: They want evidence of leadership beyond individual scholarship.

8. What do you see as the role of a professor in a modern UK university, and why are you seeking this position?

Why they ask: They want to hear how you see academic leadership beyond personal scholarship.

A sample answer to question 1

What is your vision for research in this department over the next five to ten years, and how would you prepare for REF 2029?

My vision is to build a department known for a small number of distinctive, high-quality research themes rather than spreading thinly. I would start by mapping strengths, identifying where we have critical mass and external recognition, and where collaboration across disciplines would create something new. For REF 2029, the assessment weights contribution to knowledge and understanding most heavily, then engagement and impact, and the People, Culture and Environment element, which is new in emphasis, so I would invest in all three. That means supporting colleagues to produce rigorous outputs, with internal peer review but without gaming, building impact case studies early with a clear plan for evidence, and strengthening our research culture, including mentoring, workload fairness and career development for early career researchers. I would also set realistic milestones, review them annually and make sure decisions are transparent, so that colleagues understand how they contribute. Sustainability matters more than a last-minute scramble.

Common mistake to avoid: Quoting REF 2021 weights; focusing only on your own work

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 16 questions are on the Professor interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.