International and National Developments in Research

CareersPresentation by: Dr. Conor O’Carroll

UCC Researcher Conference 23-04-12

Research Careers

OR

Careers for Researchers?

Research Career StructureEuropean 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 PolicyStrategy 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/research-development 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 Irelandsenior postdoc (PIYRA, SIRG)

Irish Research Council (IRCHSS + IRCSET)PhD + Early PostdocSenior 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)

StatusResearchers are employees (FTWA2003)

Research Activity 2006-2010University Research Activity 2006-2010

  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Source € million € million € million € million € million

Direct Research FundingGovernment Departments 238 279 333 386 348

Private Sector / Industry 30 41 49 50 42

EU 32 31 30 36 36

Indirect Research SupportStaff Costs 81 90 97 114 106

University Research Overhead Costs 55 57 68 71 64

Research Administration Costs 20 23 23 24 23

TOTAL 455 521 600 681 619

Research Activity 2006-2010

European Policy and Funding

European Research AreaTreaty of LisbonFramework ProgrammesInnovation 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 cross-border 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) 2010R1 - 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

Academic & Research Staff

Top 20 Countries in All Fields 2011*

•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

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

The Growth of Ireland’s Research ImpactIn 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?