SECURE 2 aims to pilot and implement recommendations for the European Framework for Research Careers (ERCF) to improve research career progression and mobility within research-performing organizations (RPOs) and research-funding organizations (RFOs). In short, this project will:
• Build upon the legacy of the recently completed Horizon Europe project SECURE, which gave the initial practical toolkit of over 80 actions for RPOs and RFOs to implement reforms in recruitment, training, progression, and mobility, helping to reduce career precarity.
• Conduct trials in at least 8 European institutions for a period of over 2 years, in order to trigger interventions for tangible institutional changes. These longterm trials offer enough time to analyze the possibilities and effects of implementation in specific institutions.
• Carry out these pilots via custom-tailored action plans (АPs). Institutions have an active co-creative role in designing and implementing the actions. The SECURE RCF Actions Selection Tool will serve as the basis of guiding the pilots to select their own specific interventions.
• Foster the development of ecosystems for research positions by promoting collaboration between researchers, research managers, and administrators, facilitating active participation. Project will ensure that the co-design, implementation, and evaluation of the RCF are rooted in the practical needs of both academic and non-academic sectors.
- Objective 1: Create Talent Ecosystems for Research Positions to Promote Attractive Careers
- Objective 2: Implement Standards for Attractive Research Careers
- Objective 3: Enhance Early Career Researchers’ Competences and Employability through Research and Innovation Synergies
- Objective 4: Co-Develop and Implement Self-Tailored RCF Action Plans for Inclusive and Sustainable Research Careers
- Objective 5: Establish a Sustainable Mutual Learning Process to Increase Capacity for Open Science
The SECURE2 project intends to make significant improvements in research management and career development within the pilot institutions and beyond through several key initiatives:
1. Development and Implementation of Action Plans for 9 Pilot institutions: SECURE2 will integrate the RCF with HRS4R, aligning RCF recommendations with HRS4R for cohesive researcher recruitment and career development. This will guide intervention selection for the trials. Action plans will be customized for each pilot institution, focusing on transparent recruitment, career development, and standardized working conditions. Building on the SECURE project, these strategies will support early-stage researchers with clear career growth pathways. Building on the list of interventions from the SECURE project, selected organizations will select and trial the RCF to test and refine its implementation, providing data on its effectiveness across various institutional contexts.
2. Mainstreaming RCF: SECURE2 will conduct extensive consultations with the research community, including Researchers and RMAs, government/policy makers and industry to inform and gather feedback on the RCF. This will allow the project to refine the framework based on practical insights and stakeholder needs. The project will focus on improving early career researchers’ competences and employability through regular sessions and comprehensive materials. These will cover ethical research practices, career progression, entrepreneurship, and diversity, thereby enhancing researchers’ skills, and knowledge-sharing sessions, making them more competitive in the job market, and supporting their long-term career development.
3. Policy Briefs: SECURE2 will ensure that the results of the project are well-publicized and advocated through policy briefs that will be mainstreamed through project partners and the Advisory Board. These briefs will provide feedback and evaluation on the project’s impact on research careers, with a particular focus on the needs of researchers and RMAs. The project will present all results in a Final Closing Summit aimed at mainstreaming the RCF and driving its uptake among the stakeholder community. Additionally, the project will develop recommendations based on its findings, guiding institutions and policymakers in enhancing researcher recruitment, development, and retention as part of the policy briefs and distribute them toward policy makers, government and decision makers.
4. Ecosystems for RMAs and Researcher Collaboration: SECURE2 will establish an ecosystem that facilitates collaboration between RMAs and researchers, in collaboration with ICoRSA, MCAA, EURODOC, CPN, HETFA and YAE, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of research management and career development initiatives.