NEWS

Research is the driving force behind innovation, tackling societal challenges, and nurturing economic growth. In Ireland, as in many other parts of the world, the research sector faces both opportunities and obstacles. The International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA) stands as a crucial player in this dynamic landscape, advocating for researchers’ interests and championing responsible research practices on …

Read more “ICoRSA’s Global Approach to Research Empowerment”

The SECURE project has introduced a significant milestone by releasing the first draft of the Research Career Framework (RCF), underscoring its commitment to improving research conditions and opportunities in Europe. This development is a direct response to the new European Framework for Research Careers (EFfRC), aiming to align with existing initiatives and improve the overall …

Read more “Driving Change: SECURE Unveils Draft Framework for Research Careers”

The annual conference and general assembly of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) took place at the University of Milano, Italy, from the 14th to 16th of March 2024. This year’s annual conference theme celebrated a decade of MCAA’s efforts in the research sector in Europe and worldwide, and raised the questions on the interplay …

Read more “Fostering Research Culture: SECURE Panel at MCAA 2024 Conference”

Vitae as a consortium member of the SECURE project are delighted to welcome the report released by the University and College Union (UCU) last month and echo the call to improve the level of support for researchers facing precarity.  Insecure employment for research staff appears to be endemic. While the sector is concerned with shifting the dial …

Read more “Getting precarity back on the agenda – Update from the United Kingdom”

The European project SECURE (Sustainable Careers for Researcher Empowerment) continues its commitment to enhancing the attractiveness and mitigating precarity in academic research careers. The University of Rijeka (Croatia) hosted the annual meeting of the SECURE project on February 8th and 9th, where the project partners deliberated on the SECURE Research Career Framework & Tenure Track-like …

Read more “SECURE Project Annual General Assembly held at University of Rijeka”

Currently, we are navigating a period of change due to the global economic crisis of recent decades, which has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite these economic challenges and budgetary constraints, Spain has managed to advance in the research sector compared to previous years. According to the Regional Competitiveness …

Read more “Research in Spain: current situation and emerging trends”

The CoARA Working Group on Reforming Academic Career Assessment aims to broaden the reflection on academic career assessment, taking into account the full range of work conducted by academics in research, teaching and learning, innovation, management/leadership and service to society. As part of its activities, the Working Group is launching a survey, open to higher …

Read more “Reforming Academic Career Assessment: A survey from the CoARA Working Group”

In December 2023, SECURE participated in the conference “Researcher Careers: Policy, Progression and precarity: EU, National and local perspectives”, organised by the University College Cork Research Staff Association (UCCRSA) at the University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. During the conference Dr Gordon Dalton, coordinator of the Project, presented the recent summary of Project activities, covering the …

Read more “SECURE at reasearch career events”

If we consider the perspective for researchers’ careers within the EU, the year 2023 was probably one of the most significant in the last decade, especially since EU institutions began addressing the biggest challenges that “beautiful minds” face across the ERA more engagingly than beofre.  In the outgoing year, the Council of the European Union paid significant …

Read more “Are researchers optimistically welcoming the New Year?”