A toolbox is not enough

LERU

LERU has always supported the initiatives of the EC to improve the careers of researchers and to provide a productive and stimulating environment where scientific endeavor can flourish. Employing over 100.000 researchers, in all phases of their academic careers, LERU universities do not need to be convinced of the importance of good HR-practices, as described by the Charter and Code. By exchanging best practices in the LERU policy groups, LERU universities stimulate each other in their continuing effort to provide a scientific environment that leads to outstanding achievements and to successful careers, in and outside academia. LERU universities have proven themselves to be able to attract the highest international talents, and keep them. We see ourselves as frontrunners in this domain, providing inspiration to the global academic community.

European Commission

Nonetheless, LERU welcomes the above-mentioned set of measures the EC adopted on 13 July 2023: we of course appreciate the Commission’s efforts to update the Charter and Code, to elaborate a European Competence Framework for Researchers, to expand and strengthen EURAXESS, to establish a research careers observatoryand to include the research profession in the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) framework. We also appreciated the opportunities for consultation, in which we participated intensely, even if we do not agree with its structure all the time. Together with other university associations, LERU e.g. played a pivotal role in the elaboration of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, and in the EC realizations in the field of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Draft Council Recommendation

The explanatory memorandum that is included in the draft council recommendation and the 43 observations that precede the proposed council recommendations give an appropriate overview of the policy discussions that have occurred in the past recent years. Unfortunately, they also demonstrate the limits of the approach that the EC has adopted in pursuing better European careers for researchers. These limitations can be summarized as follows: the toolbox that is provided to universities and member states does not address the fundamental issues that haunt researchers and research institutions. Therefore, the toolbox may be useful, but it risks being nothing more than a superficial gimmick.

1. Recognition of frontrunners and good practices
   
   The draft council recommendation is a typical policy document, focusing on issues and problems and sketching a grim picture of the present situation in Europe, with unnecessary negativity and without clarifying that in fact, this is a common situation across the developed world. We can only hope that no international researcher will ever read it when considering moving to Europe. The EC does not pay any attention to what has been achieved in the ERA on the subject during the last 20 years or to the strong points of the European research environment, compared to other parts of the world. They do not show any sign of recognition of frontrunners and good practices that can be found in several member states and universities. LERU universities, for instance, have never received official recognition from the EC for their continuous effort to provide excellent research environments and strengthen research careers, both for early career researchers as for professors. They have only been met with more demands for bureaucratic justification.
   
   LERU also believes discussions should focus on a shared image of a desired research career future that would be the inspiration for all stakeholders for the coming years. This shared image should also include a clear vision on how the EC wants to assess its research performance and its excellence. LERU agrees that research culture is important, but it believes that it should be developed in coherence with models of research performance. Scientific research is demanding, challenging and often frustrating. So are careers. Let’s bring this subject to the real world.
   
   
2. Policy fragmentation as a barrier for the development of a truly European perspective on research careers
   
   The dominant phrase in the proposed recommendations is “member states are recommended”. LERU does not believe that a mixture of goodwill and soft coercion towards the member states will lead to anything else but more frustration. Previous recommendations, however noble they may have been, have led to further policy fragmentation, as all 27 member states make their own translation and create their own ways of implementation. The VISA directive[2] is a good example: intended to improve mobility for researchers amongst member states, but the result is that universities are now confronted with 27 different registration systems for even short stays in another member state.
   
   There is no European labor market for researchers, as universities and academic careers are ruled by regulations that differ in every member state (and in some cases, like Germany and Belgium, even in different parts of the member state). This local regulation includes essential career elements, such as the entry to different phases of the academic career, career progress procedures, levels of pay and social security coverage for ECRs (early career researchers) and others. There is no recommendation that addresses these obstacles to truly European research careers and no specific steps are proposed to remove these national barriers to mobility. LERU is convinced that the development of efficient, top-down overarching measures to identify and remove legal national barriers will be beneficial for all, and that the EC could play a coordinating overarching role in this sense, without refraining from giving a much-needed political push. These measures, however, should be imposed on member states, not on research institutions.
   
   
3. Precariousness of researchers as a direct consequence of the precariousness of funding
   
   One of the popular issues of career policy is the precarity of early career researchers, often with a focus on fixed term contracts. LERU’s position on this issue has always been clear: although precarity as a lack of career prospect in academia may be relevant, the basis of an attractive career is that the (early career) researcher can experience financial independence and enjoy full social security coverage. We are tired of hearing stories of PhDs or postdocs that have to sell their car to enable them to afford medical treatments. The Commission knows in which member states this is an issue, but does not come further than a friendly general recommendation[3].
   
   On the other hand, the EC recommends to member states to limit the overall amount of fixed term contracts for researchers to one third of the overall research staff volume[4]. First of all, this recommendation would be unworkable as in many LERU universities researchers at the PhD level constitute more than a third of the researcher workforce, and we do not believe that a temporary contract is the most critical issue for this group. But more fundamentally, the EC continues to neglect that fixed term contracts are a direct consequence of the competitive way research funds are allocated on a project like basis. Precariousness of researchers is a direct consequence of the precariousness of funding that universities and their PI’s experience, both in European and national funding. Suggesting to promote a wider use of baseline funding[5] is nothing more than small lip service to a fundamental problem of increasing policy expectations from universities without providing them the resources that are required to fulfill them.

As a final comment we would like to point to the considerable overlap between the “European framework for attractive and sustainable careers in Higher Education” as it is promoted by DG EAC[6], and the ERA priority action 4 “European Framework for Research Careers” from DG RTD. Two separate approaches that should operate in synergy are now a missed opportunity and a waste of time and effort for all stakeholders involved.

Prof. Bert Overlaet (former Director of Human Resources at KU Leuven and Chair of the LERU Careers of Researchers & HR Policy Group) states:

“The responsibility for attractive research careers in Europe cannot be assigned only at the institutions. Universities need real and active engagement from their member states on career topics, both in terms of regulations and funding. And we do need a much stronger coordination effort at the European level to overcome structural barriers hindering research careers in Europe.”

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_3807

[2] Directive 2016/801

[3] Nr. 15a

[4] Nr. 12e

[5] Nr. 12f

[6] See EC communication on a “European Strategy for University – COMM(2022) 16 final”