Trinity Research Staff Association Cumann na d Taighdeoirí

Trinity Research Staff Association Cumann na d. Taighdeoirí Coláiste na Tríonóide TRSA Alison Donnelly, UCC, 6 December 2006

Postdoc training and careers in the knowledge economy

Presentation outline • Brief introduction to TRSA • Issues of most concern to contract researchers in TCD • Reality of research careers in a knowledge economy • Transferable skills • What are the solutions?

TRSA history • Established June 2005 • Represent & promote interests of Contract Researcher (CRs) • First association of its kind in Ireland

Achievements • First time CR elected to the governing Board & management committees of Trinity – Research committee, Wi. SER committee Statutes Review Working Party, Titles committee

Achievements • Ran workshops and attended conferences – to increase awareness – IUQB – University of London – IRCSET – workshops & NCRA • Surveyed CRs to determine their terms and conditions of employment • Position paper – UCD particularly interested

Contract Researchers in Trinity: A Frontline Perspective • Completed questionnaires from 162 (50%) • 93% “satisfied or very satisfied” with the research they were conducting. • 81% “dissatisfied or very dissatisfied” with job security • 69% were dissatisfied with their career prospects • 46% were dissatisfied with their current salary

Issues from survey…. • Lack of career structure - short term contracts, titles • Salary not in line with experience • Pensions • Career development advice • Opportunities for transferable skills • Recognition - not seen as professional! • FTWA – redundancy, benefits etc

Transferable skills • • • Project management IP Entrepreneurship Science communication Leadership and team work Business administration IT Technology commercialisation Self-promotion and marketing Negotiation and networking

Elsewhere…. • UK universities/funders are ahead of Ireland in addressing the issue of careers for CRs, with the publication of a Concordat in 1996 – This aims to have more effective career management, improved funding for and greater recognition of the professional role of CRs. • 7/10 of the top Universities in the world have postdoc associations and postdoc offices

UK universities instigating positive change • Cambridge University introduced a Career Management Scheme for CRs. • Cardiff University has a Contract Research Staff Office deals mainly with contractual issues and training and career development issues. • Bristol University has been a forerunner in acknowledging the vital role that CRs play and is committed to improving the working conditions for CRs may be offered a permanent contract after 5 years employment

The reality of research careers in a knowledge economy? • Evolving the Irish Research Infrastructure / Populating the Knowledge Economy • Measures for the Development of Research Skills and Researcher Mobility in Ireland • The Institutional, Financial and Other Factors influencing Research career Formation in Ireland • Career Paths in Industry –feast or famine!

Evolving the Irish Research Infrastructure / Populating the Knowledge Economy • Lack of continuity in funding • HEIs are employers but CRs salaries largely paid by a third party • Industry need to be a partner in design & delivery but should not set the research agenda • While research plays an important role in university rankings, it is more likely to be the PIs rather than the researchers that receive credit for the research output • Problems with turnover and loss of knowledge/expertise

Measures for the Development of Research Skills and Researcher Mobility in Ireland • Key actions – Increase the number of research teams – Enhance postgrad skills – Develop sustainable career paths – Enhance mobility of researchers

The Institutional, Financial and Other Factors influencing Research career Formation in Ireland • Institutional ‘Bizarre how we think we can build a knowledge-based economy on short term contracts ’ • No alignment between: – National policy: assembly line production of Ph. Ds with the focus on economic output – Reality: where actually very few jobs in industry • 'Status and inclusion within the University is considered very important to CRs. – – – Are we staff or not? Are we academics or not? 'Is a Postdoc a period of training/study or an academic position?

Institutional - careers • Lack of support measures for CRs within Universities. • Lack of career structure causes problems with family, mortgages etc. • Short term – provide support to plan, gain transferable skills • Longer term – some tenure track positions to provide security • Would be willing to undergo performance-based review if led to longer term posts • Academic scenario evolving into teaching and research streams. Funding needs to be reformulated for careers in universities to reflect this.

Career Paths in Industry –Feast or famine • Limiting factors – Work experience – Lack of recognition of skills – Mobility – moving to market – Writing skills /communication • Solutions – Placements/partnership – Accreditation, entrepreneurial skills – Incentives to bring companies here – Provide courses

Strategy for Science, Technology & Innovation (SSTI) • “People are at the heart of the knowledge society” • “In addition, the development of career paths which will make science more attractive and has the potential to give Ireland a competitive advantage in the international market for top researchers will have to be examined”. • “Emphasis placed on sustainable career development rather than only focusing at early stage careers”

Strategy for Science, Technology Innovation (SSTI) • “To double the output of Ph. Ds by 2013 – a total output of 6, 546 Ph. D graduates over the period 2006 -2013” • “Growing the number of Postdoctoral researchers by 1, 050 - in the same period 1, 815 additional Postdocs will have undertaken four years of study in supported research teams” • “Growing the numbers of PIs by 350 over the period to 2013” • “The Advisory Science Council requested to examine, & present proposals to the IDC on this key issue”.

So what are the solutions? • Cannot build a sustainable career on short term contracts • Serious commitment to research careers is required – Stability of funding for individual researchers over the longer term – Clear research career path with salaries in line with experience – Acknowledgement by universities of researchers as professional academics