Research Careers - Ireland

Transcription

1 Research Careers - Ireland A paradigm for the future? Siobhan Harkin Conference of Heads of Irish Universities

2 Presentation Overview Overview of CHIU Irish Research Landscape Embedding early stage careers Sustainability for advanced careers Current Structures Challenges Future Strategy Horizontal issues employment conditions; industry collaboration; workloads.

3 Conference of Heads of Irish Universities Promoting and supporting sectoral strategies for Irish universities

4 Irish Research Landscape the Background Country characterised by emigration in the past, now net immigration of workers, Past 6 years characterised by major national effort to build research excellence in universities, Research infrastructure ( 700m in for PRTLI programme, Attracting and retaining researchers ( 640m from Science Foundation Ireland, Building University/Industry Links Technology Transfer Research Collaboration Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (SFI)

5 Research Careers : The Irish Perspective National need to provide high quality training, research careers, attract from abroad, retain our own Full buy-in to achieving the objectives of the European Research Area Commitment to striving towards the 3% target (Irish figure 2.5%)

6 OECD Review of Higher Education Need to broaden personnel base in R&D No.s of PhDs: 1.8% vs EU avg of 2.9% Need for continued investment in R&D in HE Need to double PhD numbers

7 Why a sectoral approach to research careers? Internationally, competition between institutions is generally regarded as a force for quality and institutional development but Irish HEIs need to recognise that they are relatively small and that the undoubted strength of the system will only be fully realised through institutional collaboration whether in research, postgraduate programmes, first degree work or lifelong learning OECD Review of HE in Ireland 2004

8 The Challenges for Ireland Attractiveness of research as a career Quality in early-stage training Sustainability of advanced careers Multiple career paths Industry R&D in Ireland

9 Attractiveness of research as a career in Ireland National objective of doubling the numbers of researchers A shortfall of 3600 by 2010 Fall-off in interest in the sciences at 2 nd level Better prospects elsewhere? Currently 5000 Irish PGs in the UK!!

10 Quality in early-stage training - strong foundations are a must PhD training pilot programme Health Research Board [ Research Councils funding PhD in all areas of science PhD Training sites like Marie Curie, (ESTF) Universities developing structured PhD training Irish Universities Quality Board Code of Practice for PhD training ownership and implementation

11 CHIU Research Strategy for earlystage research Excellence in PhD training Implementation of the IUQB CoP; involvement of funding agencies Access to specialised training and generic skills nationwide Compact size (OECD) use to our advantage

12 Early-stage training potential model? Virtual graduate school School for Training of Advanced Researchers Hubs for generic skills training, IPR communications, management Specialised courses in subject-specific areas Good practice? National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis

13 Advanced Research careers in Ireland Pogramme for Research in Third Level Institutes Science Foundation Ireland Schemes (Bio & ICT) Health Research Board FP funding

14 Advanced Research careers in Ireland- challenges? SFI world-leading researchers institutional challenges for their retention SFI research careers or career researchers? implications for HE teaching Sustainable funding in areas outside Bio/ICT Recognition of the cost of the Fixed Term Worker s Directive

15 CHIU Strategy -Sustainability of advanced Research careers National Research Salary Scales [ Development of a 5 year funded career track Phased teaching Funding mixed between core, competitive and industry Aims to overcome serial post-doc-ing

16 Research Careers :Horizontal issues Third Country Directive Fast track work permit for researchers Will move more quickly on directive Fixed Term Workers Directive Researchers were always employees paying social welfare and tax, Now must provide pension and redundancy (increased cost to funding agencies) PhDs as employees??

17 Collaboration with Industry Necessary for PhD training and multiple careers Funding schemes SFI Basic Research Grants and Centres for Science Engineering and Technology Reccomendation of 2010 document and OECD review

18 Collaboration with Industry -challenges 20 foreign-owned co.s /1000 account for 2/3 of R&D invested by this sector Majority of indigenous industry spend <100k 90% of industrial researchers are non- PhD The challenge is to find a level playing field

19 Next steps PhDs 1 st. Strength & Numbers conference in Nov launch of PhD CoP..then advanced research careers - early 2005 strategic planning there s bound to be a few rows but it will be worth it!!

20 Further details on CHIU Research Strategies