1. 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

2. 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 .

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. 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?

10. 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’?

11. 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