Irish Research Staff Association (IRSA) Researcher prospects in Ireland and Perspectives on I2020 Irish Research Staff Association (IRSA) Dr Gordon Dalton Senior Research Fellow MaREI ERI, UCC Chair of IRSA, vice chair UCCRSA Chair ICoRSA

History IRSA was established on September, 2007. Launched at Royal Irish Academy, Nov 2008.

IRSA TCD UCD QUB UCC NUIG DCU IRSA is an umbrella organisation of Ireland’s university research staff associations IRSA TCD UCD QUB UCC NUIG DCU

IRSA Strategic Goals Represent Irish researcher interests Career development Sustainable career paths Enhance public image of researchers in Ireland. Represent Irish Researchers internationally Member of ICoRSA www.ircorsa.org

Research Career Structure Working Group on Researcher Careers (HERG)

Pyramid reality in Ireland 10% senior researchers 90% researchers as junior postdocs All research funding, junior+senior Soft funded Fixed term contracts Impacts for postdocs = system exit Industry positions: few Emigrate : brain drain

Researcher career phases and mobility Early career researcher Post doc phase High mobility Mature career researcher Research fellow Establishment phase Research team Family

Researcher issues All researchers on contract. No permanency Doubtful career progression as researcher. Career framework limitations Accessing funding Where to go on contract end. Bridging funding

New career frameworks – UCD&UCC Postdocs are in 6 year period of “Training and development”. Quasy “interns” No CID entitlement Automatic exit unless they derive their own funds. 3 year training at one grade Forced progression to next grade No funding =exit No promotion. No recognition or status: = low moral

New career frameworks – UCD&UCC IRSA letter to Charter and Code “period of training” EC asked for university positions EC issued statement not supporting new initiative by universities No change since UCC and UCD Charter and code external review in 2017

Current funding scene in Ireland Postdocs – many SFI and IRC grants 1-3 year grants Exit postdoc system after 6 years Research fellows – National 10 SFI SIRG awards per year 1-2 President PIYRA awards International- gold dust awards H2020 ERC Marie Curie

I2020 I2020 values research and innovation Promotes increase in PhD and postdoc numbers - doubling €1 invested in research = €4.5 output - from The Economic Impact of Irish Higher Education Institutions – Preliminary results https://brianmlucey.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/the-economic-impact-of-irish-higher-education-institutions-preliminary-results/ 

Teaching Many researchers want to teach Good for CV Experience required to move to lecturing Now not paid Exploitation

Redundancy – on exit 2 weeks statutory, in comparison to 6 weeks academic 3 weeks extra if agree not to work in public service for 2 years emigrate

ICoRSA

COST Action aims Aim: Produce sustainable careers for European researchers, achieving higher quality of lifeEnable Career paths that maximise the research potential of research staff Maximise the investment made by national and international funds in research sector research, by maximising researcher output. Objective: Assess various career path options examining practices from a host of European countries. Assess best practice career options Examine career options that maximise research output production Make recommendations to EU on best career paths options via white papers and journal publications.

ICoRSA COST action Network called “Precarious Research” Country Total 1 Belgium 7 2 Ireland 6 3 UK 5 4 Germany France Romania Ukraine 8 Croatia 9 Cyprus 10 Greece 11 Hungary 12 Portugal 13 Spain Total persons 35 Stakeholder type Total 1 Funding Body - international 2 Recruitment 3 Research council 4 Union 5 Union - international 6 Union - national 7 Industry 8 Trade Associations 9 Policy Europe 10 Funding Body - national 11 RSA- national 12 International RSA Total of persons 35 Gender Total F 17 M 18 35

ICoRSA – H2020 “Gendering” Coordinated by ICoRSA €3M 2 years, 13 partners Including UNESCO and Marie Curie Fellow Carrier progress for researchers through the gender lens On ‘reserve’ status

Recommendations 1 - International models Long term fixed contracts – 7 years Charles Parson Beaufort US model – tenure tracks For established researchers Permanent careers at senior level Google, Ernst Young etc Permanent careers Promotes mobility Career positions on return

Recommendations 2 Double PhD numbers Recommendations 2 Double PhD numbers?? Where is funding to retain post doctorates More national funding More funding targeted at senior level Targeted as senior researchers: e.g. New Zealand model Not use Industry as exit until Ireland is truly an industry R&D nation Build R&D centres, with a degree of autonomy, which is not constrained by university public body system.

Recommendations - 3 More Blue Skies research- long term, Less industry applied research- short term. All funding to STEM - Humanities suffer Recognise research as a career Not an interim phase Retention of senior experienced staff Career frameworks Review existing frameworks Create National career framework, based on European model

Conclusion Thank you the invitation.