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