Post on 12-Jan-2016
description
Researchers in Europe without Barriers, Aprilth 2009
Postdoctoral Research Careers Project
LERU
League of European Research Universities
20 European research intensive universities Mission is to further the cause of research
intensive universities, formulating policy recommendations, interact with stakeholders and share best practices
Not all leading research intensives are members Produce papers on major issues: EIT, European
Research Area,… Founded in 2002
A Role for LERU
The attractiveness of our research career paths is critical to our success as leading research universities
LERU institutions are active :
- contributing to the public debate (nationally & EU)
- developing new types of research position (tenure-track etc)
- providing support for post-doctoral researchers (career advice, soft skills training)
BUT - local initiatives are often uncoordinated with developments in partner institutions
- structural restrictions and over-regulation impede our room for manoeuvre
A COORDINATED RESPONSE – A LERU STRATEGY FOR RESEARCH CAREERS
Early Research Careers
Recognition that our institutions rely and can nuture a steady stream of new researchers.
They refresh our institutions with new ideas and energy.
They are a channel for our ideas as they move to other institutions or businesses.
We as institutions do not always provide realistic expectations, transparency or the best career development.
We don’t have a good handle on career flow.
LERU’s Study of Research Careers Project organised by LERU Working
Group on Research Careers Builds on LERU surveys in 2005-6 Purpose: to better understand Research
Career Frameworks in our institutions Clarifying terminology Exploring main issues Identifying best practices Networking stakeholders
Post-doctoral Career Project
Project running since March 2008 Site visits to thirteen LERU institutions In-depth interviews with over 150 stakeholders:
Academic leadersSenior administratorsResearch group leaders and department
headsHuman resources personnel and careers
advisorsPost-doctoral researchers (in all fields, particularly the life
sciences)
LERU Case Studies
Focus Areas: structuring of research positions
(contract type, funding sources, employment arrangements)
career progression and ‘flow-through’ (length of contract, key bottlenecks, exit points)
hiring and promotion procedures career development activities
Research Career Framework
Sharing and communicating common values and principles
Providing transparency in career
structures Informing funding strategy with a
consideration of impact on careers
Sharing career development activities
Forming a network for policy and
practice
Overarching Consideration: Diversity
Diversity in practice, motivation, legal framework, terminology…
…which meant results from the 2005 survey were difficult to interpret.
No aspiration for consistency (except terminology) but aspiration to understand diversity both for our benefit in formulating policy, and for the benefit of those in research careers.
Common Values and Principles
Responsibility to early career researchers It is not failure to leave the institution The experience of being in the institution
should be an enhancement to future career
Statements should not replicate Charter but rather compliment it.
Transparency in career structures
Give clear guidance and expectation within an institution (duty to the researcher)
Help those who might consider moving between institutions (enhance mobility)
Understand differences between our institutions (aid policy formulation, share practice, contribute to funding discussions)
If flow rates are known can measure other aspects (e.g. career development)
Mapping Career Paths
Overview of academic employment structures
Developing comparable “Career Maps”
Consideration of Funding Impact
Funding initiatives designed to support early career researchers should be informed by actual practice.
The initiatives must be concerned with the long term benefit to researchers.
Understanding problem of portability of social benefit.
Sharing best practice in career development
There is a great deal of good practice in our institutions, but these are largely recent initiatives
No formal way of sharing it and learning Funding career development for
researchers should be part of the full economic cost of research
Research Career Network
Research career workshop held in March 2009 in Leuven
40 participants, senior academics, human resource directors, career development professionals, young researchers
Feedback on many of the ideas and some new ones emerging
Valuable community, recognition of the key value of early career researchers
Hope to build network from this.
Near Future
Reporting to LERU Rectors in May If recommendations approved, internal
actions – e.g. mapping exercise, setting and resource network – take place immediately
Position paper later in the year