Become a Fellow

Work experience

How much experience you need and how to document it

Main requirements

You'll need to:

• Have made significant contributions to ergonomics & human factors for at least 10 years.
• Be able to demonstrate senior professional responsibility (SPR) for at least 5 years.
• Have carried out at least 10 significant ergonomics/ human factors activities or projects.

How to show this in your application

You'll need to complete a log book detailing your activities or projects - this is a key part of your application.

The entries in the log book must demonstrate your ergonomics and human factors expertise and your professional development. Each log book record should link to the requirements of the Professional Competency Checklist in terms of knowledge and skills for each of our 5 Core Competencies. You'll need to provide:

• A summary of the activity.
• The Core Competency that you're demonstrating.
• Details about when you carried out the work.
• Documented evidence for at least 4 of the activities.
• Discussion of the components of the human factors/ergonomics involved. For example, provide a list of reports that you have produced, the names of particular methods, tools and techniques that you used. Include reference to conference proceedings or journal articles relating to your log book entry. 
• An indication of your degree of responsibility, level of authority and description of your role in the project.
• Reflection on the successful and less successful features of each project.

See a fully-worked example of a log book that will give you guidance on the level of detail needed to satisfy the assessors that your knowledge and skills meets the criteria required. The example gives you a few different ways you could relate your experience to the requirements of the Professional Competency Checklist. 

Download our log book example

The importance of SPR

Please note that SPR is a differentiator between Fellowship and Registered Membership so is one of the chief requirements of your application. Your SPR should cover a range of skills and abilities that are an integral part of professional and good quality human factors practice, for example:

• Project management, team or capability group leadership within an ergonomics and human factors context.
• Significant financial or management responsibility within an ergonomics and human factors context.
• In an academic environment, demonstration of your leading role in delivering, managing and developing approved ergonomics and human factors courses.
• Taking the lead in research programmes, supported by resulting evidence of publications and presentations.
• The active promotion, development and growth of ergonomics and human factors within an organisation, to ensure it is an integral part of processes, products and activities.
• The planning of ergonomics and human factors contributions to programmes and the control of their progress and outcome, by the integration of professional and appropriate inputs to multidisciplinary programmes.
• Being sufficiently familiar with the technical language and jargon used by those with different professional backgrounds and training disciplines within an organisation, to improve dialogues, understanding and the acceptance of ergonomics and human factors.
• The development and mentoring of the ergonomics and human factors team working with or for you.
• The ability to interpret and sometimes adapt ergonomics and human factors standards and specifications.

You should ensure your SPR is clear throughout your application.

Evidence

What form your evidence can take and what you need to demonstrate

Main requirement

If you are not already a Registered Member of the CIEHF, your application must show evidence of your professional experience.

How to show this in your application

You must provide a minimum of 4 pieces of evidence that cover different competencies in your log book. More details are given in the instructions that accompany the log book.

Competence

What competence you need and how to link it to your work

The new Professional Competency Checklist

A new checklist of Professional Competencies has been developed by CIEHF as a guide to expected competencies for qualification as an ergonomist and human factors specialist.

The checklist forms part of the application for Fellowship to help demonstrate breadth and depth of claimed competencies.

If you are planning to upgrade to Fellowship, it might help you to complete the checklist as soon as you can. This will allow you to see any areas where you might need to fill any gaps.

Use the checklist as a framework to identify your experience and highlight any pieces of supporting evidence you're providing with your application.

Find out more

Questions you might have

I've already started an application using the previous method without the log book requirement, do I have to start again?

No, there is a transition period until 1 September 2026 during which time you can continue to complete your application. If you need help with this, please contact us.

CPD

What CPD is and how it's linked to Chartered status

Main requirement

You will need to provide (or have recently provided) an up-to-date Continuous Professional Development (CPD) record as part of your application.

How to show this in your application

All successful applicants for Fellowship will also gain Chartered status (or maintain it if you are already Chartered). Maintenance of Chartered status is dependent on suitable CPD activities being recorded each year. You will be able to use the post-nominal C.ErgHF FCIEHF and you will receive a certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Once I’ve got my Chartered status, will I need to renew it or do I keep it forever?

Provided you maintain up to date acceptable CPD submissions each year and pay your membership subscriptions when they become due, then you will keep your status. If you let your CPD submissions lapse, then you may lose it.

Referees

Who can be a referee and what they need to do

Main requirement

You will need 3 referees, of whom at least 1 is a Fellow of the CIEHF, and at least 1 works outside your organisation.

How to show this in your application

If you're not from the UK, your referees can be of an equivalent standing in your own ergonomics/human factors society or related professional body.

Your referees must know you well enough to form a robust opinion of your professional work and status. Their reports are an important part of your application and must show strong support for it.

Assessment

How your application will be assessed and how long it will take

How your application will be assessed

Two suitably qualified members of our team of membership assessors will assess your application. They might ask you to submit additional information if they feel there are any areas that need clarification.

In order for your application to have the best chance of success, make sure it contains enough information for the assessors to answer positively all the following questions:

• Have you completed the necessary minimum time for professional experience (10 years) and senior professional responsibility (5 years)?
• Have you demonstrated sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge?
• Do your log book and reports contain sufficient work to enable the assessment to be done?
• Have you demonstrated sufficient experience?
• Have you demonstrated sufficient professional development?
• Have you demonstrated a systems approach to your work?
• Are your referee reports adequate and supportive?

They will also take into account:

• Your detailed job history.
• The details of your work and responsibilities over the last 10 years.
• Any awards and recognition you have received.
• Your CPD record, if you're not already Chartered.
• Your list of academic publications, published reports and books (if you have one).
• Any service to the profession of ergonomics and human factors and significant contributions to practice.

During the assessment of your application, all assessors follow specific written guidance and complete a feedback form to ensure they work consistently and we maintain a clear record of your application.

Download the assessor guidance
Download the assessor feedback form

Questions you might have

I already started an application before the introduction of the new PCC, do I have to start again?

No, there is a transition period until 1 September 2026 so you can continue with your current application. The assessors will look at:

• Your detailed job history.
• The details of your work and responsibilities over the last 10 years.
• Any awards and recognition you have received.
• Your CPD record, if you're not already Chartered.
• Your list of academic publications, published reports and books (if you have one).
• Any service to the profession of ergonomics and human factors and significant contributions to practice.

You will need to support your claim for eligibility with a 250 word summary, bringing your application together into a sound argument. This should not just be a list of the contents of your application but a coherent commentary that paints a picture of your professional development and achievements.

You should read these documents too before you apply to understand what the assessors are looking for, how they do their assessment, and to give yourself the best chance of success.

Download the assessor guidance
Download the assessor checklist

How long will the assessment process take?

That depends on several things such as the quality and completeness of your application, and the speed with which we receive your referees reports. The assessors are all volunteers so must find time to assess your application, though they will endeavour to do this as quickly as possible. If all goes well, we hope to have your application processed within 6 weeks.

If my application is successful, what happens then?

Congratulate yourself! If your application is accepted, we will let you know straight away and you will be sent confirmation of the decision. You will also get a certificate and will be able to use the post-nominal CErg.HF FCIEHF, as recognition of your professional status.

What if my application is rejected?

You will be given guidance as to the areas in which it was felt that your application was lacking, so that you get a chance to improve your application. We will help you all we can with this.