Becoming an independent researcher Reflections on the career transitions of social science and humanities doctorate holders across Europe Dr Chris Coey Sci-Generation workshop, Ljubljana 12/03/15

Mapping the Population, Careers, Mobilities and Impacts of Advanced Research Degree Graduates in the Social Sciences and Humanities The data: 13 countries 2,500+ survey responses 325+ interviews http://www.salford.ac.uk/nmsw/research/research-projects/pocarim-home .

The European context of careers in research Europe has high and growing number of researchers, though lower proportion than competitors (USA, Japan) European countries taking steps to increase pipeline into research careers Policy focus on open recruitment mobility employability outside academia Aim for 3% GDP in R&D - Crisis and austerity A European labour market or national labour markets?

Elements of a successful career: Complex, self-reinforcing relationships between Funding Mobility Relationships and networks Opportunities and collaborations Impacts Professional development, visibility, reputation, prestige (‘mobility capital’) Career development and advance

Elements of a successful career: Table 1. Relationship between international mobility and impact   Mobility experience Impact activity Yes No Yes/No ratio Given interviews in media (radio, TV, newspapers) 58 27 2.2 Have advised to policy-actors on the local, regional, national or international level 40 22 1.8 Have supervised graduate or PhD students 71 44 1.6 Developed innovative products 25 15 Been a board member/volunteer/advisor in an NGO 30 19 1.5 Have managed/coordinated projects 48 Have participated in policy-relevant conferences or events 66 45 Have participated in societal or political committees 37 28 1.3 Have taken part in in knowledge transfer activities 54 Been a board member in a company 12 10 1.2 Have published textbooks, monographs, articles, books 93 77 Have taught students 91 82 1.1 Source: from POCARIM prepared by D. Kupiszewska

Elements of a successful career: Caveats: Appropriate ‘mix’ Of mobility types and durations For career and life stage (also ‘mix’ from institutional perspective) Direction of influence Recognition Of discipline-specific norms Of range of impacts and career patterns

But… (interdisciplinary mobility) How does interdisciplinarity affect the development of a professional identity? How does an interdisciplinary identity open up or close down opportunities in the labour market? How far is interdisciplinarity of some kind an intrinsic part of research work? Is interdisciplinarity more or less risky at certain career stages? Is the additional work – and the opportunity costs – of interdisciplinarity recognised?

But… (intersectoral mobility) Are skills, knowledge, aptitudes acquired during training recognised outside academia Are experiences acquired outside academia recognised within framework of academic careers? Do traditional measures of prestige (i.e. publication) work against high impact work in other sectors?

But… (international mobility) Is mobility desired (strategic career move) or a form of exit from a closed labour market? If labour market is closed, what about return? Is experience outside home market recognised, or does it compound exclusion and make return increasingly difficult and lead to exit from research career? Does everyone have access to mobility opportunities who wants/needs them? What is the impact of a lack of access to international opportunities?

Tensions Overlapping contexts of research/science/academic careers Mobility vs stability-embeddedness Desire for mobility and expectation of mobility Mobility and life-course Glass ceilings, stalled careers and exit? The ‘post-doc cul-de-sac’?

Managing the Tensions: recommendations Funding and positions Co-presence: duration and frequency Maintaining, developing, exploiting existing networks ‘internationalisation at home’ (Transnational) portfolio careers Sabbaticals and secondments Application of Charter and Code Recognise and reward the diversity of career paths