International and National
Developments in Research
Careers
Presentation by: Dr. Conor O’Carroll
UCC Researcher Conference 23-04-12
Research Careers
OR
Careers for Researchers?
Research Career Structure
European Framework for Research Careers
2011
R1 First Stage Researcher (up to the point of PhD)
R2 Recognised Researcher (PhD holders or equivalent
who are not yet fully independent)
R3 Established Researcher (researchers who have
developed a level of independence)
R4 Leading Researcher (researchers leading their
research area or field)
National / International
•Policy
•Funding
National Policy
Strategy for Science Technology & Innovation (2006)
Advisory Science Council (ACSTI) Research Careers
(2008)
Higher Education Research Group (HERG) Research
Careers (2010)
Hunt Report – Higher Education Strategy (2011)
Report on Research Prioritisation (2012)
Irish Research Council (IRC) 2012?
Higher Education Strategy for 2030
The researcher’s role should be afforded a wider focus, better mobility
and increased career opportunities.
•A clear career path should be established for researchers that develops
their talents and rewards them appropriately.
•In addition to all research-active staff normally participating fully in
undergraduate teaching, researchers should, where possible, be afforded
opportunities to participate in teaching such as laboratory supervision and
tutorials.
•Greater mobility of staff should be facilitated between higher education on
the one hand and enterprise and the public service on the other,
Higher Education Research Group (HERG)
HERG Recommendations
HEIs and funding agencies should adopt the following career
title structure
HERG Recommendations
All researchers should prepare a career/researchdevelopment plan at the start of a contract.
Principal Investigators should have a formal role in the
mentoring and management of researchers
A systematic and continuous professional development
and appraisal system
HERG Recommendations
Researchers at all levels should be encouraged to engage
in continuous professional development.
HEIs and funding agencies should provide opportunities
for researchers to acquire generic/transferable skills.
allow contract researchers that have made a significant
contribution to a funding application to be named on the
application as a significant contributor.
experience and skills developed should be formally
recognised and taken into account in performance
appraisal systems.
HERG Recommendations
Mobility experience should be encouraged, facilitated and
fully valued
A transparent, open and competitive-based recruitment
process
Research funding bodies should review their programmes
to ensure consistency with the proposed researcher title
structure.
should develop a salary structure for contract researchers
employed in HEIs, which can be adopted on a national
basis.
National Funding
National Funding for Career Development -
direct
Science Foundation Ireland
senior postdoc (PIYRA, SIRG)
Irish Research Council (IRCHSS + IRCSET)
PhD + Early Postdoc
Senior Researcher (HSS)
Health Research Board (HRB)
Clinician Scientist
University Funding
Funding mechanism
Academic Positions (long-term funded from Core
Grant based on undergraduate student numbers)
Research Positions (short-term funded by
research income from national and international
agencies, industry etc)
Status
Researchers are employees (FTWA2003)
Research Activity 2006-2010
University Research Activity 2006-2010
2006
Source
2007
2008
2009
2010
€ million € million € million € million € million
Direct Research Funding
Government Departments
238
279
333
386
348
Private Sector / Industry
30
41
49
50
42
EU
32
31
30
36
36
Indirect Research Support
Staff Costs
81
90
97
114
106
University Research Overhead Costs
55
57
68
71
64
Research Administration Costs
20
23
23
24
23
455
521
600
681
619
TOTAL
Research Activity 2006-2010
800
700
600
500
Government Departments
Private Sector / Industry
EU
400
Staff Costs
University Research Overhead Costs
Research Administration Costs
300
TOTAL
200
100
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
European Policy and Funding
European Research Area
Treaty of Lisbon
Framework Programmes
Innovation Union (2010)
Relevant Innovation Union Commitments
#1 - training of a sufficient number of researchers to
meet national R&D targets and promotion of
attractive employment conditions in public research
institutions;
#30 - ensuring that leading academics, researchers and
innovators reside and work in Europe and attracting
a sufficient number of highly skilled third country
nationals to stay in Europe.
Relevant Innovation Union Commitments
#4 - removing obstacles to mobility and crossborder co-operation through a common
approach including on the following topics:
– quality of doctoral training,
– attractive employment conditions and gender
balance in research careers,
– mobility across countries and sectors,
– open recruitment in public research institutions,
– comparable research career structures
– creation of European supplementary pension funds;
European Policy and Funding
The Principles of Innovative Doctoral Training
(2011)
The European Framework for Research Careers
(EFRC) 2010
R1 - research training (PhD)
R2 - research training to independence (postdoc)
R3 - research independence to leadership (senior postdoc)
R4 – research leadership (professor)
• European Framework for Research
Careers
• Guiding Principles
– Research Excellence
– Core competencies linked to research
– Overarching framework for all sectors
– Transferability of the competencies and skills
– Not linked to any job title or career track
SGHRM Working Group - “Skills”
1. What are the national /regional strategies/initiatives
for these levels (R1 to R4)? IRELAND
•
•
•
•
R1 - High level of activity
R2 - R1 + grant writing, networking etc
R3 - Linked to independence
R4 - Limited (Leadership, Deans, VP’s)
SGHRM Working Group - “Skills”
“Charter & Code”
•40 principles
•Charter: framework for
career management for
researchers
•Code: promotes open
and transparent
recruitment and appraisal
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/index
Human Resources Strategy for Researchers
• “Next-step” - encourage
mainstreaming of C&C in
research entities’ policies
• 5-Step Procedure
• Results in Commission
acknowledgment (permission
to use HR Excellence logo)
• Irish HEIs taking part to-date
are UCD, RCSI, UCC, UL, DCU
and WIT
– Working towards permission to
use the logo
European Funding – direct
FP7 to Horizon 2020
Marie (Slowdoska) Curie (R2+R3+R4)
€4bn to €6.5bn
European Research Council (ERC) = R3+R4
€7bn to €14bn
National Trends
PhD Numbers 2004-2010
8000
7000
6000
5000
PhD Graduates
4000
PHD Student #'s
3000
2000
1000
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Academic & Research Staff
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
Academic Staff
Research Staff
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2002
2008
2010
Top 20 Countries in All Fields
2011*
In 2008 Ireland
appeared in the ‘Top
Countries in All Fields’
list for the first time.
Currently at 20th place
in the world, we have
moved up from 36th in
the world in 2003
•in terms of citations per paper)
Sources:
http://www.sciencewatch.com/dr/cou/2011/11decALL/ http://sciencewatch.com/dr/cou/2008/08decALL/
http://www.in-cites.com/countries/ireland.html
The Growth of Ireland’s Research Impact
In the early 1980’s the impact of Irish research was on a par
with Greece, Poland and Portugal. From 2000 onwards
Ireland’s research impact grew, exceeding the world, EU-15
and (by 2008) the OECD averages.
Source: Thomson Reuters InCites, accessed March 15th 2012
Where we came from. Where we are now.
Source: Thomson Reuters InCites, accessed March 15th 2012
Research Careers
OR
Careers for Researchers?