Research Career Framework
This is an easy-access tool for the exploration of
Council Recommendation on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe
brought to you by project SECURE.
Pillar 1Researchers, Research Managers, and Research Technicians in the European Research Area
Recommendation 1
Researchers’ means professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new scientific knowledge based on original concepts or hypotheses. They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, infrastructures, techniques, instrumentation, software or operational methods. Researchers may be involved fully or partially in different types of activities – such as basic or applied research, experimental development, operating research equipment in any sector of the economy or society and disseminating and valorising research results. They may also be partially involved in, among others, project management, teaching, mentoring, supporting evidence-informed policy making, open science practices, knowledge and technological transfer activities, and science communication. Researchers identify options for new research and development activities, and plan for and manage them by using high-level skills and knowledge developed through formal education and training or from experience.
Different organisations may adopt a different definition of ‘researcher’ depending on their own internal or even national regulations and policies. Differing definitions of ‘researcher’ can limit interoperability and comparability across organisations, sectors, and countries. The semantic meaning of ‘researcher’ can also differ across languages and translations. This recommendation provides a common definition which can be used across languages, organisations, sectors, and countries. Organisations could adopt this definition of ‘researcher’ or at least clearly communicate on their own definition of ‘researcher’. Researchers could also be made explicitly aware of all of the expected activities as well as formal rights and obligations associated with their role of researcher at their organisations.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Career
The adoption and promotion of ResearchComp at an organisation could be accompanied by a clear definition of ‘researcher’ so that it is clear for whom ResearchComp is applicable.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of researcher job/grant advertisements with relevant ESCO classifications for occupations, skills/competences, and qualification
The definition of ‘researcher’ proposed in this recommendation and its adoption or refinement at an organisation could help the organisation define the scope of precarity. Any organisation aiming to reduce precarity in research careers needs to define who is at risk and who is the target of efforts to reduce precarity. Including a clear definition of ‘researcher’ along with the associated rights and obligations of the role of the researcher in grant/job advertisements could help researchers manage their expectations in their careers
Adopt the EFfRC definition of ‘researcher’ in organisational regulations and policies.
Communicate more clearly on definition and rights and obligations of ‘researcher’
Definition of ‘researcher’ may already be defined in local or national regulations.
Semantic meaning of ‘researcher’ can differ across languages and translations.
Changing definition of ‘researcher’ in regulations and policies is a complex process.
Researchers may be resistant to changes regarding the definition of ‘researcher’.
Recommendation 2
Researchers can conduct their activities with equal relevance in all sectors performing research and innovation, including academia, industry, business, public administration and the non-profit sector, where their skills, knowledge and attitudes can be beneficial to European society, the research and innovation system, and the economy.
Research is not restricted to the academic sector but takes place in collaboration with and across the public and private sectors. Researchers thus not only work in different sectors but collaborate and move across sectors. While researchers traditionally expect to stay in academia, many need to find employment elsewhere, where there are new opportunities and attractive working conditions for careers in and beyond research. Yet, researchers are often not trained and supported for intersectoral collaboration and mobility. The public and private sectors furthermore do not always recognise the skills/competences of researchers. Organisations could thus encourage and support collaboration and mobility across sectors.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 1 > Principle 7 > Free Circulation of Researchers
Pillar 2 > Principle 1 > Researchers’ Assessment
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include the recognition and development of relevant skills/competences for intersectoral collaboration and mobility.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of researcher job/grant advertisements with relevant ESCO classifications for intersectoral collaboration and mobility.
This recommendation helps organisations to recognise that researchers collaborate across sectors and may temporarily or permanently transition to another career in or outside the academic sector. Organisations could better encourage and support their researchers to collaborate across sectors and be intersectorally mobile so that they have intersectoral experience should they want or need to transition to another career. This could increase their awareness, willingness, and opportunities of finding a new career and reduce the pressure and thus precarity of finding employment as a researcher in the academic sector.
Raise awareness on the wide diversity of research careers in and outside academia.
Encourage, train, and support researchers for intersectoral collaboration and mobility.
Promote value of researchers and their skills/competences to non-academic sector.
Organise research career events and employer matchmaking events for researchers.
Identify structural and administrative barriers to intersectoral collaboration and mobility.
Collect and share best practices on support for intersectoral collaboration and mobility.
Researchers are more interested in academic careers than in non-academic careers.
Researchers are not aware of opportunities and conditions in non-academic sector.
Non-academic sector is not aware of skills/competences of academic researchers.
Recommendation 3
Research management careers can be undertaken by researchers and other professionals to manage and support research and innovation activities. Research management careers should be adequately framed and recognised at the level of the Union, by defining relevant skills and competences, in order to strengthen research managers’ professional capacity, to enable the development of relevant training, and to foster comparability. Research managers can perform different tasks, for example:
(a) streamlining or facilitating the planning, development, management, FAIR data management, administration, monitoring, communication and valorisation of research and innovation;
(b) ensuring compliance with policy objectives, funding programme requirements, financial rules and legal regulations;
(c) improving the efficiency and effectiveness of research and innovation projects or systems;
(d) enhancing the impact of research and innovation on policy and society;
(e) supporting the design and implementation of research and innovation policies, programmes and projects;
The term ‘research manager’ refers to research management staff who are not necessarily conducting research but who manage and support research and researchers. They have often been researchers themselves and completed a PhD. Relevant research management and support functions may already exist in different forms at RPOs and RFOs, but the term or function of ‘research manager’ may not be clearly defined or recognised. Organisations could improve the profile of research managers by more clearly defining, recognising, and supporting research managers and research management activities at their organisations.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 1 > Researchers’ Assessment
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include the recognition and development of relevant skills/competences for research managers and management.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of research manager job/grant advertisements with relevant ESCO classifications for research managers and management.
The inclusion of research manager as an alternative career path in the research profession gives recognition to the term and function of ‘research manager’ at organisations. This could help develop research manager as an independent profession and highlight diverse career paths in research. As many researchers may not be able or want to continue a career as a researcher, becoming a research manager gives them more options to exploit their skills/competences and transition to another research career in or outside academia. This also helps organisations and researchers to be aware of and prepare for such a transition.
Define a clear profile for research manager positions with their roles and responsibilities.
Raise awareness on diverse career paths and research manager as a research career.
Train researchers in research management and support transition to research manager.
Support ongoing training, development, and professionalisation of research managers.
Creation and embedding of a new profile for research managers is a complex process.
Researchers are not aware of opportunities and benefits of career as research manager.
Researchers are not adequately trained and supported for career as research manager.
Position of research manager may not be recognised with attractive working conditions.
Recommendation 4
Research technicians are professionals whose main tasks require high levels of technical knowledge, training, and experience in one or more fields of engineering, the physical and life sciences, or the social sciences and humanities. They participate in scientific and technical tasks involving the application of concepts and operational methods and the use of research equipment, normally under the supervision of researchers. Research technicians have a crucial support role in the performance of high-level research and innovation. Member States should consider adequately framing and recognising research technicians’ careers at national level.
The term ‘research technician’ refers to research support staff who are not directly conducting research but who provide technical support for research and researchers. They have often been researchers themselves and completed a PhD. Relevant technical support functions may already exist in different forms at RPOs and RFOs, but the term or function of ‘research technician’ may not be clearly defined or recognised. Organisations could improve the profile of research technicians by more clearly defining, recognising, and supporting research technicians and technical support activities within their organisations.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 1 > Researchers’ Assessment
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include the recognition and development of relevant skills/competences for research technicians and technical support.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of research technician job/grant advertisements with ESCO classifications for research technicians and technical support.
The inclusion of research technician as an alternative career path in the research profession gives recognition to the term and function of ‘research technician’ at organisations. This could help develop research technician as an independent profession and highlight diverse career paths in research. As many researchers may not be able or want to continue a career as a researcher, becoming a research technician gives them more options to exploit their skills/competences and transition to another research career in or outside academia. This also helps organisations and researchers be aware of and prepare for such a transition.
Define a clear profile for research technician positions with their roles and responsibilities.
Raise awareness on diverse career paths and research technician as a research career.
Train researchers in technical support and support transition to research technician.
Support ongoing training, development, and professionalisation of research technicians.
Creation and embedding of a new profile for research technicians is a complex process.
Researchers are not aware of opportunities and benefits of career as research technician.
Researchers are not adequately trained and supported for career as research technician.
Position of research technician may not be recognised with attractive working conditions.
Recommendation 5
All researchers, regardless of their status and sector of employment, should be framed in the following profiles:
(a) R1 – First Stage Researcher: Researchers doing research under supervision up to the point of a PhD or equivalent level of competence and experience;
(b) R2 – Recognised Researcher: Researchers with a PhD or equivalent level of competence and experience who have not yet established a significant level of independence in developing their own research, attracting funding, or leading a research group;
(c) R3 – Established Researcher: Researchers with a PhD or equivalent level of competence and experience who are able to independently develop their own research, attract funding, and lead a research group;
(d) R4 – Leading Researcher: Researchers with a PhD or equivalent level of competence and experience who are recognised as leading their research field by their peers
Organisations may deploy different classifications/nomenclatures for researchers at their organisations. The R1-R4 profiles provide a common framework for classifying researchers which can be used interoperably across organisations, sectors, and countries. The R1-R4 profiles are not restricted to academic researchers or researchers obtaining or having obtained a PhD but include researchers in the public and private sectors as well as researchers without a PhD but with equivalent levels of competence and experience. The R1-R4 profiles also allow organisations to target job/grant advertisements to a specific R1-R4 profile. Organisations could adopt the R1-R4 profiles or map existing classifications/ nomenclatures onto the profiles and refer to the R1-R4 profiles in relevant communications.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 3 > Principle 2 > Stability of Employment
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include mapping relevant skills/competences and learning outcomes/proficiency levels to the R1-R4 profiles.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of researcher job/grant advertisements to the R1-R4 profiles along with relevant ESCO classifications for the profiles.
The adoption of the R1-R4 profiles could make it easier for researchers to identify a wider variety of researcher job/grant opportunities matched to their skills/competences and qualifications across organisations, sectors, and countries. The R1-R4 profiles also help organisations define the scope of precarity as early-career researchers are typically in more precarious situations and face different issues than senior researchers. Doctoral candidates are, for example, in some cases students and do not receive professional working conditions or adequate social benefits as they would if they were professionals. Organisations could thus focus on specific R1-R4 profiles and tailor precarity support measures to those profiles.
Adopt the R1-R4 profiles or map existing organisational profiles onto the R1-R4 profiles.
Refer to the R1-R4 profiles in job/grant advertisements and relevant communications.
Identify scope of precarity and propose measures to reduce precarity for R1-R4 profiles.
Treat doctoral candidates as professionals with related working conditions and benefits.
Raise awareness of and support adoption of R1-R4 profiles in the non-academic sector.
Integration of R1-R4 profiles in existing regulations and policies is a complex process.
R1-R4 profiles may not be easily mapped onto existing local and national profiles.
Non-academic sector is not aware of or does not see benefits of the R1-R4 profiles.
Lack of widespread adoption of R1-R4 profiles hinders interoperability and usefulness.
Recommendation 6
For the purposes of this Recommendation, R1 and R2 profiles should be considered early-career researchers, and R3 and R4 profiles should be considered senior researchers.
Member States are recommended to encourage the use of references to the profiles in all vacancies specifically addressed to researchers or, where relevant, to invite higher education institutions and research organisations to do so.
Profiles should not necessarily be considered as stages on a progressive career path.
A non-exhaustive list of examples of occupations for researchers across sectors along the R1-R4 profiles is set out in Annex I
Organisations adopting the R1-R4 profiles or mapping their existing profiles for researchers onto the R1-R4 profiles could group and differentiate the R1-R2 profiles for early-career researchers and R3-R4 categories for senior researchers. These two researcher groups have different rights and obligations and typically face different challenges in their careers, whereby this grouping allows organisations to tailor their career support to the two groups. While the recommendation notes that the R1-R4 profiles are not necessarily stages in a career path, the profiles clearly suggest that progression is sequential along a career path.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 3 > Principle 2 > Stability of Employment
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include grouping relevant skills/competences and learning outcomes/proficiency levels into R1-R2 and R3-R4 profiles.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of researcher job/grant advertisements to R1-R2 and R3-R4 profiles along with relevant ESCO classifications for the profiles.
Early-career researchers are usually the most vulnerable to precarity in their careers as they are typically employed on temporary contracts for the duration of a research project and are not guaranteed any stability after their contract. While senior researchers are often seen as less vulnerable as they typically have permanent positions at organisations, they can be employed on temporary contracts and often may not be able to progress to more senior positions in their careers due to restricted numbers of senior positions. Organisations could aim to address such precarity issues for the R1-R2 and R3-R4 profiles.
Adopt the grouping of R1-R2 and R3-R4 profiles in organisational regulations and policies.
Tailor support measures for career development to R1-R2 and R3-R4 profile groups.
Tailor support measures to address precarity to R1-R2 and R3-R4 profile groups.
Two-fold grouping of early-career and senior researchers may be too simple for reality.
National regulations and policies may define and treat doctoral candidates as students.
Recommendation 1
Member States and the Commission are recommended to promote and support a full recognition of researchers’ careers as well as an equal esteem and reward of the different paths regardless of the sector of employment or activity, and to take supportive measures to allow for their full interoperability and comparability across Member States, sectors and institutions
Organisations and researchers are not fully aware of the diversity in research careers in and outside academia. The many functions in research careers are often also not recognised or rewarded equally or commensurate with their required skills/competences and expertise. There are further discrepancies in salaries, working conditions, and social benefits across organisations, sectors, and countries. Existing academic culture at organisations moreover already consists of enshrined norms and views on research careers, whereby structural changes at organisations need to be accompanied by cultural changes. Organisations thus need to raise awareness on the diversity and opportunities in research careers and ensure attractive salaries, working conditions, and social benefits for all of their research staff. Organisations could also improve interoperability and comparability of research careers by adopting, interpreting, and implementing many of the recommendations from the EFfRC.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 3 > Principle 1 > Working Conditions, Funding, and Salaries
Pillar 3 > Principle 2 > Stability of Employment
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include aligning with relevant skills/competences and learning outcomes/proficiency levels in their research jobs/grants.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of research job/grant advertisements with relevant ESCO classifications for occupations, skills/competences, and qualifications.
While careers for researchers in academia are precarious due to the limited number of researcher jobs/grants, abundance of temporary/short-term contracts, and oftentimes inadequate working conditions and social benefits, there are many opportunities for other careers in research in and beyond academia with less precarity and better conditions. Organisations could raise awareness about these other opportunities in and beyond academia and better support researchers in this transition on the research labour market. Organisations could likewise better support researchers in transitioning to other research careers by internally improving the interoperability and comparability of research careers.
Track the long-term career paths of researchers at and beyond home organisations.
Collect and share best practices on recognition and support of diverse research careers.
Engage with key stakeholders on recognition and support of diverse research careers.
Engage with key stakeholders on interoperability and comparability of research careers.
Tracking long-term careers of researchers requires long-term planning and commitment.
Best practices on recognition and support of diverse research careers may not be findable.
Engaging with key stakeholders on diverse research careers could cost time and resources.
Recommendation 2
Non-linear, multi-career and hybrid paths could be encouraged and supported by Member States, and should be recognised on a par with linear career paths with multiple professional outcomes
Career paths in academia are typically linear whereby researchers aim to stay doing research at universities and progress from early-career to senior researchers. This often entails staying long-term at the same university with the goal of attaining a professorship. Vertical, horizontal, and hybrid career paths are typically the norm outside academia. Organisations could raise awareness and better recognise non-linear and hybrid career paths for research staff especially in the recruitment and career development of staff. Such support measures could be aimed at both early-career and senior researchers. Academic organisations could hereby learn from existing good practices in the non-academic sector.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 2 > Recruitment
Pillar 2 > Principle 3 > Selection
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could include the recognition and development of relevant skills/competences for non-linear and hybrid research careers.
Organisations could align the classification/tagging of research job/grant advertisements with relevant ESCO classifications for non-linear and hybrid research careers.
Recognising and supporting non-linear and hybrid career paths encourages researchers to think of alternative career paths and offers researchers more opportunities in their careers. This not only takes some pressure off the traditional research career paths but provides more security to those both on traditional and non-traditional career paths. Organisations could raise more awareness about how non-linear and hybrid career paths can help to reduce precarity and help researchers to find their own fulfilling research career paths.
Raise awareness on non-linear and hybrid research career paths among researchers.
Integrate non-linear and hybrid research career paths into regulations and policies.
Offer career development support for non-linear and hybrid research career paths.
Collect and share best practices on non-linear and hybrid research career paths.
Researchers are not aware of possible non-linear and hybrid research career paths.
Integration of non-traditional career paths in existing systems is a complex process.
Researchers may be resistant to changes regarding non-traditional career paths.
Best practices on non-linear and hybrid research career paths may not be findable.
Recommendation 3
Member States are recommended to implement new versions and updates of the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations classification, with specific regard to researchers’ occupations and skills
The ESCO classification identifies and categorises skills/competences, occupations, and qualifications which are relevant for the European labour market. The ESCO classification is especially useful for identifying and categorising skills/competences, occupations, and qualifications for the research profession. The ESCO classification further supports the interoperability and comparability of research careers across organisations, sectors, and countries, and can thus help researchers more easily find opportunities for their careers. Organisations could adopt (updates of) the ESCO classification in their classification/tagging of research job/grant advertisements and offer recommendations on future ESCO updates.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 2 > Recruitment
Pillar 4 > Principle 3 > Continuous Professional Development
The skills/competences in ResearchComp are directly aligned with the ESCO classification.
This recommendation is about the ESCO classification and is thus directly related to ESCO.
Future updates to the ESCO classification could contribute to the identification of existing or new skills/competences, occupations, and qualifications for the research profession that have been overlooked, have become less/more relevant due to changing occupations, or are required due to development, expansion, or specialisation of the research profession. Updates to the ESCO classification could signal to organisations and researchers that they need to acquire new skills/competences and qualifications for changing or emerging occupations and there are new occupations which are relevant for jobseeking researchers. Updates to the ESCO classification should go hand in hand with updates to ResearchComp.
Integrate (updates of) the ESCO classification into research job/grant advertisements.
Integrate (updates of) ESCO classification into local/national accreditation frameworks.
Identify changing and emerging skills/competences, qualifications, and occupations.
Provide recommendations for future revisions of classifications in the ESCO classification.
Integration of new classifications or updates to any classifications is a complex process.
Technical infrastructure may be needed to implement any (updates to) classifications.
Recommendation 4
Member States are recommended to encourage human resources offices in all sectors to map career structures for researchers against the profiles referred to in point 5 of this Recommendation
Human resources offices could (but may not always necessarily) be the most suited to interpret the R1-R4 profiles and map them onto and eventually integrate them into existing research career structures at their organisations. Any such mapping is complicated due to the wide diversity and disparity of research career occupations and associated titles within and across sectors. Many organisations are also intersectorally engaged in local innovation ecosystems, which form natural contact points between organisations and sectors. Human resources officers could engage with each other to discuss adoption of the R1-R4 profiles and mutually learn on best practices and challenges with implementation of the profiles.
Pillar 1 > Principle 6 > The Researcher
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 3 > Principle 2 > Stability of Employment
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could help human resources offices to define and support skills/competences relevant for research careers across R1-R4 profiles.
Organisations could support human resources offices to implement the ESCO classification and R1-R4 profiles in the classification/tagging of their research job/grant advertisements.
The mapping of existing research career structures to the R1-R4 profiles improves the interoperability and comparability of research occupations across organisations, sectors, and countries. This could help researchers more easily search and find relevant job/grant positions and help human resources offices increase the visibility of their job/grant advertisements and attract and recruit new research staff. This could also help human resources offices to identify and create internal career pathways linked to R1-R4 profiles.
Integrate (updates of) the ESCO classification into research job/grant advertisements.
Integrate (updates of) ESCO classification into local/national accreditation frameworks.
Identify changing and emerging skills/competences, qualifications, and occupations.
Provide recommendations for future revisions of classifications in the ESCO classification.
Conduct a review of research career structures and career paths within organization.
Involve human resources officers and research staff in organisational R1-R4 mapping.
Develop clear documentation, guidelines, and communications on the R1-R4 mapping.
Engage with other human resources offices to share best practices on the R1-R4 profiles.
Recommendation 1
Member States are recommended to promote and support open, transparent and merit-based selection and recruitment of candidates, without penalisation for career breaks or non-linear, multi-career, and hybrid paths
The recruitment and especially selection procedures for job/grant positions are not always open or fully transparent for the candidates applying to the job/grant positions. Alternative career paths such as non-linear, hybrid, and multi-career paths are usually not valued and often penalised in the recruitment and selection of candidates for academic positions. The same applies for career breaks where a candidate has a substantial break in the continuity of their employment or career path. Organisations could be more open about their recruitment and selection procedures, especially when posting job/grant vacancies and in advance of the recruitment and selection of candidates. Organisations could also be more transparent to candidates with individual feedback (upon request) on the result of a specific recruitment and selection. Organisations could lastly inform their recruiters and selectors to recognise the added value of alternative career paths and career breaks and thereby be mindful of unconscious bias against alternative career paths and career breaks.
Pillar 2 > Principle 2 > Recruitment
Pillar 2 > Principle 3 > Selection
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
This recommendation ensures that applicants who have had alternative career paths or career breaks are not unfairly penalised in recruitment and selection when applying for job/grant vacancies. Alternative career paths and career breaks could foster intersectoral mobility and allow researchers to gain additional skills/competences which may open up more opportunities and be beneficial for future research positions. This would be especially beneficial to female researchers who may experience career breaks due to maternity leave.
Make general recruitment and selection procedures for vacant positions publicly available.
Provide individual feedback to candidates on result of a specific recruitment and selection.
Inform recruiters and selectors on the value of alternative career paths and career breaks.
Current hiring culture is strongly biased against alternative career paths and career breaks.
Ensuring compliance with new hiring policies may be challenging and require monitoring.
Changes in local hiring policies may conflict with national hiring regulations and policies.
Recommendation 2
Member States are recommended to encourage respect of collective agreements and effective social dialogue, and to take support action so that employers and funders provide attractive, inclusive and competitive research and working conditions, where researchers are valued, encouraged and supported. Such support action could include:
(a) providing commensurate remuneration, work-life balance and flexible working conditions that help bring together personal life, family, caring, health, safety, and overall wellbeing, without prejudice to careers;
(b) ensuring gender equality, gender balance, equal opportunities and inclusiveness for researchers from all backgrounds including under-represented and marginalised groups, and promoting among research performing and funding organisations the use, implementation and monitoring of instruments of institutional change, such as inclusive gender equality plans open to intersections between genders and other social categories, in line with the new European Research Area framework and the European Strategy for Universities;
(c) safeguarding the freedom of scientific research from any possible limitation or interference, including from foreign actors;
(d) offering dedicated support at institutional level to researchers in relation to the fulfilment of administrative duties;
(e) taking resolute action to counter the phenomenon of precarity and to support job security and stability. This could, on a voluntary basis, incentivise the establishment of a maximum threshold for the number of fixed-term contracts per organisation in researcher human resources overall. Whenever permanent, long-term or highly recurrent research tasks are being fulfilled, permanent or open-ended contracts are recommended as the appropriate instrument. Researchers under fixed-term contracts should benefit from specific measures – as referred to in point 29 of this Recommendation – that promote their career development and continuity;
(f) considering the use of different funding models – e.g. baseline, life-cycle, or project-based –, to allow research organisations to develop more long-term research strategies and engage in more stable commitments towards employees;
(g) providing access to adequate social protection irrespective of the form of employment, without prejudice to the right of Member States to define the fundamental principles of their social security systems. Such measures could pertain to the following branches, insofar as they are provided in the Member States:
(1) unemployment benefits;
(2) sickness and healthcare benefits;
(3) maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave and related benefits;
(4) invalidity benefits;
(5) old-age benefits and survivor benefits;
(6) benefits in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases
Organisations need to offer attractive working conditions to attract and retain research talents. This naturally includes attractive remuneration packages for researchers. Working conditions should be flexible and encourage a healthy work-life balance. There should be equal opportunities for researchers from all backgrounds and support for gender equality. Academic freedom should be protected from local or foreign limitations or interference. Researchers should be adequately supported in fulfilling their administrative duties. Researchers should be offered (the prospect of) permanent contracts whereby a maximum threshold on the number of (consecutive and total) fixed-term contracts at an organisation could be established and monitored to ensure compliance. Researchers should lastly be offered access to all relevant social protection benefits irrespective of their form of employment (including for unemployment, healthcare/sickness, maternity/paternity leave, invalidity, old age, surviving a spousal/parental death, and work accidents and diseases).
Pillar 1 > Principle 2 > Freedom of Scientific Research
Pillar 1 > Principle 4 > Gender Equality
Pillar 1 > Principle 5 > Embracing Diversity
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 3 > Principle 1 > Working Conditions, Funding, and Salaries
Pillar 3 > Principle 2 > Stability of Employment
Pillar 3 > Principle 3 > Contractual and Legal Obligations
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
This recommendation is critical in reducing the precarity of research careers as it tackles the core issues of working conditions and duration of contracts for researchers. These issues are linked to core activities and budget allocations of the organisations, whereby any changes to improve these issues will directly affect core activities and budget allocations. Addressing these issues will thus require reallocation or expansion of the available budget.
Review and internally discuss providing commensurate remuneration for researchers.
Review and improve support for flexible working conditions and work-life balance.
Review and improve support for inclusivity, equal opportunities, and gender equality.
Review and improve support for academic freedom and protection against interference.
Review and improve support to researchers with the fulfilment of administrative duties.
Review and internally discuss providing more permanent contracts to researchers.
Define a maximum threshold for number of fixed-term contracts and monitoring plan.
Review and internally discuss researcher access to relevant social protection benefits.
Collect and share best practices on improving the working conditions for researchers.
Changing working conditions and contracts may need to comply with national regulations.
Changing working conditions and contracts may require budget reallocation or expansion.
Changing working conditions and contracts may need cultural change and face resistance.
Recommendation 3
Member States are recommended to ensure researchers’ access to updated, comprehensive, user-friendly and clearly understandable information on their social protection rights and obligations, and to ensure that entitlements – whether they are acquired through mandatory or voluntary schemes – are preserved, accumulated and/or transferable across all types of employment and self-employment statuses and across borders, economic sectors, throughout the person’s working life or during a certain reference period and between different schemes within a given social protection branch
Researchers should always be aware of their social protection rights and obligations. They may, however, not fully understand or know where to find relevant information about their rights and obligations, which may be voluntary or mandatory and be accumulated or transferable, especially given their mobility across organisations, sectors, and countries. Organisations could ensure that all of their researchers are regularly provided updated and clear information on their social protection rights and obligations. This could happen at the recruitment stage for new researchers and at regular intervals for all existing researchers.
Pillar 3 > Principle 1 > Working Conditions, Funding, and Salaries
Pillar 3 > Principle 3 > Contractual and Legal Obligations
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
This recommendation reduces precarity of research careers by ensuring that all researchers (regardless of their background, nationality, and career stage) are aware of their social protection rights and obligations and that they have access to those rights and obligations.
Raise awareness regularly on social protection rights and obligations to all researchers.
Provide individual personalised counselling on social protection rights and obligations.
Collaborate with external specialists in field of social protection rights and obligations.
Ensuring updated and specialist social protection advice could cost time and resources.
Social protection differences across countries could lead to issues for mobile researchers.
Ensuring transferability of social protection entitlements could require regulatory changes.
Recommendation 4
Member States that aim to enhance saving in defined contribution supplementary schemes are recommended to promote the use of the solutions provided by the RESAVER pension fund which guarantees the absence of a vesting period and asset transfer fees
The Retirement Savings Vehicle for European Research Institutions (RESAVER) Pension Fund is a multi-employer occupational pension scheme for defined supplementary contributions which is open to public and private organisations employing researchers across Europe. The scheme is aimed at geographically mobile researchers and enables these researchers to remain affiliated to the same pension fund when moving across employers and countries. The scheme offers a range of benefits for researchers (such as the absence of a vesting period and asset transfer fees) and provides researchers with an interactive digital platform ‘MyRESAVER’ where they can easily access their RESAVER and associated pension fund information. The number of participating organisations in the RESAVER consortium is currently quite low and this number will need to grow in future to attractive to other organisations and researchers. Organisations could raise awareness on pensions and RESAVER among all of their researchers and join the RESAVER consortium.
Pillar 1 > Principle 7 > Free Circulation of Researchers
Pillar 3 > Principle 1 > Working Conditions, Funding, and Salaries
Pillar 3 > Principle 3 > Contractual and Legal Obligations
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
Accumulating and transferring pension funds are an important social protection and supplementary support for mobile researchers after their research careers in retirement. Pensions are often overlooked by researchers during their careers and they are typically not fully aware of the legalities associated with accumulating and transferring pensions across employers and countries. The RESAVER Pension Fund offers support to mobile researchers with their pensions and reduces the precarity of mobile researchers in their retirement. Researchers may also be more likely to accept opportunities in other countries as a result of RESAVER which they might otherwise refuse should their pension contributions be affected.
Raise awareness about long-term pension planning and RESAVER among researchers.
Take part in RESAVER Pension Fund and join the consortium of member organisations.
Researchers are not aware of or interested in long-term pension planning and RESAVER.
National regulations and policies could restrict the uptake and usefulness of RESAVER.
Low number of participating organisations could limit uptake and usefulness of RESAVER.
Recommendation 5
Member States are recommended to encourage specific measures in support of early-career researchers, corresponding to the R1 and R2 profiles referred to in point 5 of this Recommendation. Taking into account national circumstances, such specific measures could include:
(a) providing First Stage Researchers with social protection and working conditions applicable to researchers in other career stages and with adequate income;
(b) providing early-career researchers with financial and social protection incentives;
(c) promoting the use of, and supporting, incentives for the recruitment of early-career researchers by employers in all sectors, in particular with permanent or open-ended contracts;
(d) promoting and recognising interinstitutional, intersectoral, interdisciplinary and geographical mobility, including virtual mobility;
(e) promoting cooperation between academia, research funders and other relevant ecosystem actors, notably industry and other businesses as well as public and non-profit organisations, with regard to skills needed and skills provided, so as to foster recruitment of highly-skilled researchers meeting the targeted skills needed in the sectors concerned;
(f) promoting involvement of early-career researchers into research teams avoiding the demand of tasks unrelated to their scientific training
This recommendation focuses on support measures for the R1-R2 profiles for early-career researchers to improve their working conditions, access to social protection benefits, stability of employment, mobility, skills/competences, and team collaboration. These topics are adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 25, and 26) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 1
The goal of the first-stage researcher is to cultivate the research mindset, to nurture flexibility of thought, creativity, and intellectual autonomy through an original, concrete research project. Member States are recommended to take appropriate steps to encourage that doctoral training is geared towards those goals, and furthermore compatible with interoperable careers in all relevant sectors and for the practice of Open Science, including by making use of ResearchComp, the Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training, the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, and of any other future initiatives taken for the purpose of strengthening the transversal skills of researchers
Doctoral training typically aims to support doctoral candidates in acquiring relevant skills/competences to become independent, creative, flexible, and resilient researchers so they can complete their PhD and continue their careers in or beyond research and academia. These transversal skills are complementary to the research and discipline-specific skills/competences which doctoral candidates also need to acquire for their research. Doctoral training could support the interoperability of research careers by aligning with key European initiatives for research careers including the Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training, European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, Open Science, ResearchComp, and the ESCO classification as well as the new EFfRC and revised Charter.
Pillar 1 > Principle 1 > Ethics and Research Integrity
Pillar 1 > Principle 3 > Open Science
Pillar 4 > Principle 3 > Continuous Professional Development
Pillar 4 > Principle 4 > Supervision and Mentoring
ResearchComp consists of skills/competences and learning outcomes/proficiency levels which are directly linked to research integrity and Open Science.
The ESCO classification is directly linked to the skills/competences listed in ResearchComp and thus includes relevant classifications for research integrity and Open Science.
Aligning doctoral training and the development of transversal skills/competences with key European initiatives for research careers could help researchers to find more opportunities and adjust more easily to a career beyond academia in other organisations, sectors, and countries. That said, while the importance of research integrity is quite well recognised, the importance of Open Science, especially outside academia, is currently less well recognised.
Align doctoral training programmes with Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training.
Align doctoral training programmes with European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity.
Integrate policies and practices for Open Science into doctoral training programmes.
Aligning doctoral training programmes with key initiatives could cost time and resources.
There may be a lack of expertise in research integrity and Open Science at organisations.
Recommendation 2
The Commission is recommended to take action to support and facilitate the use of ResearchComp, promote the exchange of good practices, and consider future revisions of the Competence Framework where needed on the basis of the evolution of the research and innovation system and of the labour market
ResearchComp offers a framework of transversal skills/competences for researchers coupled with learning outcomes and proficiency levels across 7 areas: cognitive abilities, doing research, managing research, managing research tools, self-management, working with others, and making an impact. Researchers are typically not aware of the transversal skills/competences which they need to acquire or have acquired in their research careers. ResearchComp could help researchers to assess and develop their skills/competences and help organisations to tailor their training and career development support to researchers. Organisations could adopt and integrate ResearchComp into relevant policies and practices for researchers. Organisations could also share good practices on ResearchComp and provide recommendations for future revisions of the skills/competences in the framework.
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
Pillar 4 > Principle 3 > Continuous Professional Development
Pillar 4 > Principle 4 > Supervision and Mentoring
This recommendation is on ResearchComp and is thus directly related to ResearchComp.
The skills/competences in ResearchComp are directly aligned with the ESCO classification.
ResearchComp helps researchers to identify and develop skills/competences which could improve their awareness of their own abilities and help them to more easily find other career opportunities in or outside academia. ResearchComp also helps organisations to understand the skills/competences of researchers and what they could offer organisations.
Raise awareness on ResearchComp and transversal skills/competences for researchers.
Integrate ResearchComp into training and career development support for researchers.
Integrate ResearchComp into researcher profiles and relevant regulations and policies.
Collect and share best practices on ResearchComp and transversal skills/competences.
Provide recommendations for future revisions of skills/competences in ResearchComp.
There may be existing skills/competence frameworks which are being used or mandated.
Integration of new skills/competences or revised skills/competences is a complex process.
Recommendation 3
Member States are recommended to place emphasis on schemes aiming to strengthen the transversal skills needed by researchers to engage in knowledge valorisation activities and entrepreneurship. Such schemes could include awareness raising activities and trainings on relevant topics, including intellectual assets management, standardisation, industry-academia, academia-public administration sector collaboration, including science for policy activities, and engagement with society
This recommendation aims at strengthening transversal skills/competences for researchers. This topic is adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 29) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 4
Member States and the Commission are recommended to encourage interaction and cooperation, including partnerships, between academia, industry, other businesses, public administration, the non-profit sector, and all other relevant ecosystem actors, and to ensure that doctoral training and targeted training are developed or co-developed on the basis of the actual skills needs of the parties concerned, including by building on best practice examples implemented under existing programmes at Union and Member State level.
The support of such interaction and cooperation is particularly recommended in areas where specific skills are necessary for operating with state-of-the-art research and technology infrastructures
This recommendation focuses on encouraging intersectoral collaboration and mobility as well as doctoral training and the development of intersectoral skills/competences. These topics are adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, and 29) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 5
Member States and the Commission are recommended to take action to foster an innovation and entrepreneurial mindset in researchers, including the necessary skills for investment-seeking, with the objective of allowing those who undertake an entrepreneurial career path to couple their knowledge production capabilities with knowledge valorisation proficiency, turning innovative ideas into business and fostering innovation and progress.
A specific focus should be put on the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation among women and on the creation of women-led spin-offs. The same approach should be envisaged for minority and marginalised groups.
Member States could consider measures to mitigate the potential risks for researchers undertaking an entrepreneurial career, including through the possibility to return to their previous career path
Entrepreneurs play an important role in developing new research and innovation products and services for the European market. Researchers could be more encouraged and better supported at their organisations to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and create new start-ups and spin-offs. This is especially true for minority, marginalised, and female researchers who may need extra encouragement and support for entrepreneurship. Organisations could raise awareness about entrepreneurship among their researchers with an inclusive and gender equal approach. Organisations could also offer skills/competence training for entrepreneurship and support for the creation of new start-ups and spin-offs. This should include skills/competences for business and intellectual property management.
Pillar 1 > Principle 4 > Gender Equality
Pillar 1 > Principle 5 > Embracing Diversity
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
Pillar 4 > Principle 3 > Continuous Professional Development
Pillar 4 > Principle 4 > Supervision and Mentoring
ResearchComp consists of skills/competences and learning outcomes/proficiency levels which are directly linked to developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
The ESCO classification is directly linked to the skills/competences listed in ResearchComp and thus includes relevant classifications for developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
Offering relevant training to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and supporting the creation of new start-ups and spin-offs helps researchers not only to create their own opportunities but possibly also new opportunities and career paths for other researchers. Taking an inclusive and gender equal approach to raising awareness on entrepreneurship ensures that more precarious groups are especially encouraged to become entrepreneurs.
Raise awareness on entrepreneurship taking an inclusive and gender equal approach.
Encourage, train, and support researchers for entrepreneurship, start-ups, and spin-offs.
Create support offices, hubs, and centres for entrepreneurship and technology transfer.
Researchers are not aware of opportunities for entrepreneurship, start-ups, and spin-offs.
There may be a lack of expertise in supporting entrepreneurship and technology transfer.
Local and national regulations and policies could restrict researchers in entrepreneurship.
Creating entrepreneurship and technology transfer support could cost time and resources.
Recommendation 6
Member States are recommended to take action to support the development and provision of targeted training, to encourage up-skilling and re-skilling opportunities for researchers with a lifelong perspective and to foster intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. Member States are also recommended to take the necessary steps to promote a fair and transparent validation procedure of formal and informal training opportunities, including on-the-job training
This recommendation aims to provide continuous skills/competence training to researchers with a life-long perspective and focus on intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. These topics are adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 17, 18, 19, 25, and 29) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 7
The Commission is recommended to take the following action in the context of the development of initiatives fostering cross-sectoral circulation of talents:
(a) supporting mutual learning for Member States on the basis of models of intersectoral mobility schemes established by the Commission, in three priority areas:
(1) strengthening academia and non-academia cooperation;
(2) improving training and lifelong learning for researchers, innovators, and other research and innovation talents;
(3) boosting entrepreneurship, transversal skills and engagement among researchers in activities increasing social impact;
(b) reinforcing intersectoral mobility components in existing instruments for researchers’ mobility, and complementing them with new instruments, where deemed necessary;
(c) creating awareness on intersectoral mobility schemes, via a branch of the ERA Talent Platform referred to in point 33 of this Recommendation
This recommendation focuses on developing initiatives to support mutual learning (with a focus on skills/competences, entrepreneurship, and academic-non-academic collaboration), reinforce and complement existing schemes, and raise awareness of schemes for intersectoral collaboration and mobility of researchers (linking to the ERA Talent Platform). These topics are adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 17, 20, 21, 23, and 24) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 8
Member States are recommended to consider establishing national schemes promoting intersectoral mobility in one or more of the three priority areas referred to in point 22 of this Recommendation
This recommendation focuses on developing national schemes to promote and support the intersectoral collaboration and mobility of researchers (with a focus on skills/competences, entrepreneurship, and collaboration between the academic and non-academic sectors). These topics are adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 17, 20, 21, 22, and 24) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 9
Member States are recommended to undertake all necessary effort to promote the elimination of existing structural and administrative barriers which can hamper or obstruct mobility between sectors, including by supporting researchers in overcoming family and personal barriers to mobility, by supporting the interoperability of careers, where applicable, and by facilitating temporary or permanent mobility, without hindering linear research career paths
There are many cultural, structural, and administrative barriers to intersectoral mobility and collaboration at organisations which should be identified and taken into account when promoting and supporting the intersectoral collaboration and mobility of researchers. These topics are adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 2, 11, 18, 19, 22, 23, and 26) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 10
Member States and the Commission are recommended to promote interdisciplinary mobility of researchers, including by adequately taking into consideration and addressing hurdles such as lack of recognition and difficulties in securing funding from traditional sources
Collaboration between different research disciplines is becoming more important to address complex societal challenges. Multidisciplinarity aims to address a research problem through the juxtaposition of perspectives from different research disciplines. Interdisciplinarity aims to address a research problem though the combination of perspectives from different research disciplines into an integrated perspective. Transdisciplinarity aims to address a research problem through the combination of perspectives from different research disciplines into an integrated perspective along with the engagement of research stakeholders from the public and private sectors. Organisations could better encourage, train, support, and recognise interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility of researchers.
Pillar 1 > Principle 7 > Free Circulation of Researchers
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
ResearchComp consists skills/competences and learning outcomes/proficiency levels which are directly linked to interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility.
The ESCO classification is directly linked to the skills/competences listed in ResearchComp and thus includes relevant classifications for interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility.
Researchers who are trained in interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility have developed additional skills/competences to their disciplinary and transversal skills/competences and are capable of flexibly working across disciplines and on complex societal challenges. This provides them with more opportunities with finding employment in and outside academia.
Encourage, train, and support researchers for interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility.
Collect and share best practices on supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility.
Researchers are not aware of opportunities of interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility.
There may be a lack of expertise in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility.
Recommendation 1
Member States are recommended to support the recognition of the value of geographical, intersectoral, interinstitutional, inter- and transdisciplinary mobility as important means of enhancement of scientific knowledge and professional development at any stage of a researcher’s career. Virtual mobility has been proved as a valid asset and can also be considered. The assessment and reward system should not penalise non-linear, multi-career and hybrid paths
One main way to encourage researchers to engage in international, intersectoral, interdisciplinary, and virtual collaboration and mobility is to acknowledge these activities in assessment. Organisations could thus recognise and reward international, intersectoral, interdisciplinary, and virtual collaboration and mobility in their assessment of researchers.
Pillar 1 > Principle 7 > Free Circulation of Researchers
Pillar 2 > Principle 2 > Researchers’ Assessment
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
Researchers are more likely to engage in international, intersectoral, interdisciplinary, and virtual collaboration and mobility if these activities are taken into account in assessment. This would ensure that they acquire extra collaboration and mobility skills/competences on top of their usual disciplinary and transversal skills/competences as well as broaden their professional experiences and contacts. This would in turn also provide them with more opportunities to find employment across disciplines, organisations, sectors, and countries.
Recognise international collaboration and mobility activities in research assessment.
Recognise intersectoral collaboration and mobility activities in research assessment.
Recognise interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility activities in research assessment.
Recognise virtual collaboration and mobility activities in research assessment.
Researchers are not interested in the different types of collaboration and mobility.
Researchers are not aware of opportunities for research collaboration and mobility.
Recommendation 2
Member States and the Commission are recommended to promote and support systems for the assessment and reward of researchers that:
(a) are based on qualitative unbiased judgement provided by peers and other pertinent experts, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators;
(b) reward quality and the various potential impacts of their research on society, science and innovation;
(c) recognise a diversity of outputs, inter alia publications, datasets, software, methodologies, protocols, patents; a diversity of activities, inter alia mentoring, research supervision, leadership roles, entrepreneurship, FAIR data management – following the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable –, peer review, teaching, knowledge valorisation, industry-academia cooperation, support for evidence informed policy-making, interaction with society; and a diversity of practices, inter alia Open Science, early knowledge and data sharing, and open collaboration, in addition to all mobility experiences referred to in point 26 of this Recommendation;
(d) ensure that the researcher’s professional activity meets high standards of ethics and integrity, applies appropriate conduct of research, and values good practices, including open practices for sharing research results and methodologies whenever possible;
(e) use assessment criteria and processes that respect the variety of research disciplines and national contexts;
(f) support a diversity of researcher profiles and career paths, and value individual contributions, but also the role of teams, collaborative work, and interdisciplinarity;
(g) ensure gender equality, gender balance, equal opportunities and inclusiveness.
To ensure coherence in the implementation of the recommendations listed in this point, Member States are encouraged to foster continuous training for the actors involved in the assessment and reward process
There has been a growing movement towards the reform of research assessment which moves beyond the entrenched publish-or-perish mentality and focus on peer-reviewed publications in high impact factor journals and related publication metrics. New research assessment systems could take a peer-reviewed qualitative approach supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators. New systems could also recognise the diversity of research and non-research roles, activities, and outputs of researchers. This could include the recognition of research managers and research technicians. New systems could lastly recognise activities especially contributing to research integrity, inclusivity and gender equality, Open Science, and societal impact. Research assessors will hereby need to be informed about the added value of reformed research assessment criteria. The reforms in research assessment proposed in this recommendation are currently being developed into new research assessment systems in the OPUS project and GraspOS project.
Pillar 1 > Principle 1 > Ethics and Research Integrity
Pillar 1 > Principle 3 > Open Science
Pillar 1 > Principle 4 > Gender Equality
Pillar 1 > Principle 5 > Embracing Diversity
Pillar 2 > Principle 1 > Researchers’ Assessment
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could support the informing of research assessors about the added value of relevant reformed research assessment criteria.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
The reform of research assessment will likely include recognising the diversity of roles, activities, and outputs of researchers as well as activities contributing to research integrity, inclusivity and gender equality, Open Science, and societal impact. This broadening of research assessment criteria allows more researchers to be positively recognised and rewarded in research assessment. At the same time, this broadening of research assessment criteria could result in increased competition between candidates for research jobs/grants and other potentially negative and unwanted effects. Organisations should monitor reforms in research assessment criteria for any negative and unwanted effects.
Integrate a qualitative and responsible quantitative approach into research assessment.
Recognise diversity of roles, activities, and outputs of researchers in research assessment.
Recognise research manager and research management activities in research assessment.
Recognise research technician and technical support activities in research assessment.
Recognise research integrity and inclusivity and gender equality in research assessment.
Recognise Open Science practices and societal impact of research in research assessment.
Inform research assessors on the added value of reformed research assessment criteria.
Monitor any reforms in research assessment criteria for negative and unwanted effects.
Changing research assessment criteria in regulations and policies is a complex process.
Researchers may be resistant to changes regarding existing research assessment criteria.
Reforming research assessment criteria could result in negative and unwanted effects.
Recommendation 3
Member States are invited to encourage organisations to join coalitions, alliances or initiatives set up to evolve assessment systems in line with the recommendations listed in point 27 of this Recommendation. Member States are also encouraged to tackle, within their area of competence, national administrative or legal barriers to such evolution of research assessment and help prevent any contradictions or incompatibilities that might exist in the application of the recommendations listed in point 27 of this Recommendation, between the assessment of research, of researchers and of research organisations
There have been many calls and initiatives to reform research assessment over the last decade including the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics, and Hong Kong Principles. The newly established Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) is implementing an Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment which includes 4 core and 6 supporting commitments for organisations to reform their research assessment systems. Organisations could sign the agreement and join CoARA to align the reform of research assessment as well as share and mutually learn on best practices and challenges for research assessment.
Pillar 2 > Principle 1 > Researchers’ Assessment
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
Aligning the reform of research assessment across organisations, sectors, and countries (such as by signing the agreement and joining CoARA) could support wider interoperability of research careers and research assessment as well as providing researchers with equal opportunities and thus more opportunities across organisations, sectors, and countries.
Sign the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment and join CoARA as a member.
Identify structural and administrative barriers to reform research assessment systems.
Collect and share best practices on reforming existing research assessment systems.
Organisations may not want to commit to signing the agreement and joining CoARA.
There may not yet be many best practices available on reforming research assessment.
Recommendation 4
Member States are recommended to promote measures, including advisory and mentoring mechanisms, that make researchers, in particular early-career ones, aware of opportunities available in all relevant sectors and to promote a culture of diversification of careers for better personal and professional development. In this regard, Member States and the Commission are recommended to support the provision of career advisory and support services, e.g. EURAXESS, to stimulate intersectoral, interdisciplinary and geographical mobility, as well as the creation and development of entrepreneurial activities
Providing adequate career support and professional development to researchers is critical to help them develop the skills/competences which they will need in their research and future jobs/grants in and outside academia. This should not only include support for the development of disciplinary and transversal skills/competences but also research career advice and orientation for the labour market as well as professional mentoring by experts. Organisations could improve their research career support and mentoring for researchers.
Pillar 1 > Principle 8 > Sustainability of Research
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
Pillar 4 > Principle 3 > Continuous Professional Development
Pillar 4 > Principle 4 > Supervision and Mentoring
The adoption of ResearchComp at an organisation could be utilised for the career support and professional development of relevant skills/competences for researchers.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
Providing adequate career support and professional development to researchers could help them develop skills/competences to improve their opportunities with finding employment. Offering professional mentoring with experts, especially from outside the organisation, could not only provide researchers with valuable hands-on and practical experience but also key contacts with other organisations which could be become employers in the future.
Review and improve the career support and professional development of researchers.
Provide professional mentoring to researchers by experts in and outside the organization.
Improving career support and professional development could cost time and resources.
Organisations may not have experience or contacts with mentors outside the organization.
Recommendation 5
Member States are recommended to promote a fair, equal, inclusive, transparent, structured and gender-equal career accession and progression system for researchers in academia, up to the top positions. In this respect, Member States are recommended to consider developing tenure-track-like systems, to be understood as defined frameworks where a fixed-term contract has the prospect of a progression to a permanent position, subject to positive evaluation
TTLMs are a critical means for organisations to ensure that talented researchers are attracted to and retained at organisations and have a clear and agreed career path within the organisations. The TTLMs could in principle start and end at different career stages and focus on early-career or senior researchers. It should always be the case that a researcher on a TTLM progresses to the agreed end position of the TTLM with a positive evaluation. A TTLM should adhere to recognised principles (such as the principles for TTLMs in SECURE) and ensure fair, equal, inclusive, and transparent career progression for TTLM researchers. The flexibility to define TTLMs may be restricted due to national or local regulations. TTLMs should be defined in discussion and collaboration with researchers at the organisations.
Pillar 1 > Principle 8 > Sustainability of Research
Pillar 2 > Principle 4 > Career Progression
Pillar 3 > Principle 1 > Working Conditions, Funding, and Salaries
Pillar 3 > Principle 2 > Stability of Employment
Pillar 3 > Principle 3 > Principle 3: Contractual and Legal Obligations
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
This recommendation is critical for reducing the precarity of research careers as it is a direct means to reduce fixed-term positions and ensures that researchers have a clear and agreed career path to permanent positions. The percentage of researchers at an organisation which should have permanent positions and be on a TTLM is open for debate. Long-term funding plays a critical role in the success of implementing TTLMs as a substantial budget is required to guarantee permanent employment of TTLM researchers. Organisations could engage with national research-funding bodies on the need for long-term funding for TTLMs.
Review regulations and status of TTLMs in national context and locally at organisations.
Define TTLMs in discussion and close collaboration with researchers at organisations.
Develop an action plan for future implementation of defined TTLMs at organisations.
Engage with key stakeholders on TTLMs to collect and share best practices on TTLMs.
Engage with national research-funding bodies on need for long-term funding for TTLMs.
National regulations and policies may restrict TTLMs and not be open for improvement.
Long-term funding may not be available to guarantee the implementation of any TTLMs.
Recommendation 1
Member States are recommended to take resolute action to put in place favourable, attractive and competitive conditions for conducting research and innovation activities, and for the return of researchers from abroad. Such measures could include, but not be limited to:
(a) incentives to make research activities more attractive, taking into consideration the need for a fair competition for talents;
(b) simplification of legal and administrative requirements for researchers;
(c) investments in the research and innovation system, including support to networking within and beyond the Union, to connect and integrate national research and innovation systems to European research networks and provide higher visibility of national capabilities and high-level research and technology infrastructures;
(d) the exchange of best practices with regard to creating an attractive, safe, inclusive, gender-equal and competitive research and innovation environment, even as regards the improvement of remuneration, working conditions and services, and the reduction of administrative and language barriers for foreign and internationally mobile researchers;
(e) return and career reintegration grants and attractive positions for returning researchers;
(f) the possibility of having dual positions in institutions established in different Member States, thereby fostering knowledge transfer, skills development, collaboration, and preventing talent drain;
(g) exploring options for a common approach for the staff of the Research Infrastructures, especially in the case of a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).
The Commission is recommended to support Member States in their endeavours, including by enabling the implementation of synergies among Union programmes, and Union and national programmes
This recommendation aims to make Europe an attractive and competitive destination to attract, circulate, and retain researchers. The measures proposed fall mainly under the responsibility of the countries and European Commission and include more investments in research, simplification of legal and administrative requirements, funding and positions for researchers returning to their home countries, dual country positions, exchange of best practices on attractive and competitive conditions for researchers, and a common approach for staff of European research infrastructures. Organisations could support attracting and reintegrating returning researchers, facilitating dual positions for researchers in different countries, and engaging with key stakeholders on the balanced circulation of researchers. The topic of balanced circulation of researchers is also addressed in Recommendation 32.
Pillar 1 > Principle 7 > Free Circulation of Researchers
Pillar 2 > Principle 2 > Recruitment
Pillar 3 > Principle 1 > Working Conditions, Funding, and Salaries
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
Researchers are encouraged to be internationally mobile and typically move to organisations and countries which offer better working conditions and environments, are more prestigious and recognised, and support high-quality research. Mobile researchers often develop their careers and settle down long-term or even permanently in their new countries. The high outward mobility of researchers from some organisations and countries contributes to the unbalanced circulation and career precarity of researchers in Europe. Ensuring attractive working conditions and environments, supporting the retention of current researchers, supporting the attraction and reintegration of returning researchers, and facilitating dual positions in different countries could counteract ‘brain drain’ and better balance the circulation of researchers as well as provide more stability for research careers.
Review and internally discuss support to attract and reintegrate returning researchers.
Review and internally discuss support to facilitate dual positions in different countries.
Engage with key stakeholders to contribute to the balanced circulation of researchers.
It may be difficult to retain and attract researchers where there is high outward mobility.
Local and national regulations and policies could restrict dual positions for researchers.
Recommendation 2
The Commission is recommended to take the following actions fostering a more balanced circulation of talents:
(a) supporting mutual learning for Member States in view of the reform of their research and innovation systems, including through calls for expression of interest to create a community of practice with training and guidance for Member States on the basis of successful pathways and solutions enabling more balanced talent circulation;
(b) monitoring mobility flows, within the Union and with third countries, through an interactive talent circulation map in the observatory on research careers referred to in point 40 of this Recommendation;
(c) facilitating transnational ties with the research and innovation diaspora and third country communities and facilitating the attraction or return of talents, via a branch of the ERA Talent Platform referred to in point 33 of this Recommendation;
(d) promoting a balanced talent circulation of researchers at Union level, by strengthening the human capital base with more entrepreneurial, managerial and better-trained researchers and innovators
This recommendation aims to promote and support a more balanced circulation of research talents to, in, and from Europe. The measures proposed fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries and European Commission and include strengthening the existing human capital base with skilled researchers and innovators, supporting transnational ties with the researcher diaspora, supporting the return of researchers to their home countries (especially through the ERA Talent Platform), monitoring the mobility and circulation of researchers, and mutual learning on balanced talent circulation. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will thus not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. The ERA Talent Platform is also addressed in Recommendation 33 and the monitoring of talent circulation in Recommendation 40.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
Recommendation 1
The Commission and Member States are recommended to take appropriate measures to strengthen the EURAXESS portals, services, as well as the international dimension, and to develop the ERA Talent Platform as an online one-stop-shop for researchers and institutions in all sectors, with a new governance framework and a coordination role of relevant national bodies and institutions involved in service delivery.
The ERA Talent Platform should allow:
(a) researchers to manage their learning and training opportunities and their careers;
(b) research and innovation institutions, employers and funders to conduct networking activities, better manage their pools of talents, collaborate and exchange best practices, while facilitating talents’ attraction and retention and improving data for a better understanding of mobility trends across Europe and beyond.
Services could be broadened to include talent development and career management services, with a focus on researchers in all relevant sectors of society, including academia
The aim of the existing EURAXESS portal and future ERA Talent Platform is to boost the careers of researchers in Europe by providing relevant information and services to researchers on skills/competences, talent and career development, funding opportunities, and mobility as well as connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, universities, and businesses. Organisations could support the wider uptake of these initiatives by promoting the existing EURAXESS portal and future ERA Talent Platform among their researchers. Organisations could also more widely disseminate their job/grant opportunities through the platforms.
Pillar 1 > Principle 7 > Free Circulation of Researchers
Pillar 4 > Principle 1 > Valuing Diverse Research Careers
Pillar 4 > Principle 2 > Career Development and Advice
Pillar 4 > Principle 3 > Continuous Professional Development
ResearchComp could be promoted on the EURAXESS portal and ERA Talent Platform.
ESCO could be promoted on the EURAXESS portal and ERA Talent Platform.
The existing EURAXESS portal and future ERA Talent Platform are excellent tools to help researchers develop their skills/competences and find collaboration and employment opportunities across organisations, sectors, and countries. More promotion of these two initiatives is necessary to ensure that researchers are aware of and utilise the platforms.
Raise awareness on the EURAXESS portal and ERA Talent Platform among researchers.
Disseminate job/grant opportunities in the EURAXESS portal and ERA Talent Platform.
Researchers are not aware of the existing EURAXESS portal and new ERA Talent Platform.
Organisations may need support in utilising the EURAXESS portal and ERA Talent Platform.
Recommendation 2
The Commission is recommended to ensure links and interoperability between the ERA Talent Platform and other relevant Union and national initiatives, including Europass, ESCO and EURES, to provide for an improved governance model of the platform and the underlying network of service centres to better meet the needs of researchers and research performing organisations
This recommendation aims to improve the links and interoperability between the new ERA Talent Platform and other European initiatives which are relevant for research careers including the ESCO classification, European Employment Services (EURES), and Europass. The recommendation also proposes to improve the governance of the ERA Talent Platform and strengthen the network of EURAXESS service centres. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the European Commission. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will thus not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. The ESCO classification is also addressed in Recommendation 9, ERA Talent Platform in Recommendation 33, and support tools in Recommendation 38.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
Recommendation 3
Member States and the Commission are recommended to acknowledge the importance of the endorsement and implementation of the Charter for Researchers referred to in point 36 of this Recommendation
This recommendation aims to recognise the importance of endorsing and implementing the newly revised Charter at organisations in Europe. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries and European Commission. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will thus not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. The Charter is also addressed in Recommendations 36 and 37.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
Recommendation 4
The new Charter for Researchers set out in Annex II to this Recommendation should replace the Charter and Code for Researchers set out in the Annex to Recommendation 2005/251/EC. Member States and the Commission are recommended to encourage the endorsement and implementation of the new Charter for Researchers by research employers and funders from all sectors, including through dedicated incentives, in view of making it a structural tool in support of researchers and research careers
The Charter offers a set of principles to define the relationship between researchers and employers/funders as well defining their roles, responsibilities, and entitlements. The newly revised Charter replaces the existing C&C and should thus be adopted by both new organisations and those organisations which are already endorsing and implementing the C&C. Organisations should raise awareness on the revised Charter among their researchers.
This recommendation is about the Charter.
The implementation of the Charter could include ResearchComp.
The implementation of the Charter could include ESCO.
The Charter consists of a set of principles to improve the careers of researchers and reduce the precarity of research careers. The focus of the Charter on diversity and gender equality could especially help to reduce the precarity of female and disadvantaged researchers.
Raise awareness on the revised Charter among researchers.
Endorse and implement the revised Charter at organisations.
Researchers are not aware of the revised Charter and its implementation.
Integration of the revised Charter into existing systems is a complex process.
Recommendation 5
The Commission is recommended to adjust the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, or any future similar implementation mechanism, to the new Charter for Researchers, and to ensure continuity in respect of the institutions that have endorsed the principles of the old Charter and Code for Researchers and have adhered to the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, notably by considering them as continuing to endorse the Charter for Researchers set out in Annex II to this Recommendation. The Commission is recommended to apply the same transitional measures to the institutions which started the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers process under the old Charter and Code for Researchers
The current HRS4R award is directly linked to the implementation of the existing C&C and will need to align with the revised Charter whereby a transition period is now in effect. New organisations could apply for the HRS4R award and organisations currently applying for or already granted the HRS4R award could prepare for alignment with the revised Charter.
This recommendation is about the HRS4R award and thus directly related to the Charter.
The implementation of the Charter for the HRS4R award could include ResearchComp.
The implementation of the Charter for the HRS4R award could include ESCO.
The HRS4R award recognises the implementation of the Charter at organisations and aims to improve the careers of researchers and reduce the precarity of research careers. The HRS4R award helps researchers recognise organisations that treat their researchers well.
Raise awareness on the HRS4R award and its relevance for researchers.
Apply formally to the European Commission to receive the HRS4R award.
Researchers are not aware of the HRS4R award and its relevance for researchers.
Application for the HRS4R award is a long and strategic and structural procedure.
Recommendation 6
The Commission is recommended to regularly review and adapt all tools in support of research careers, based on the actual needs of researchers, in coordination with Member States and relevant stakeholders
This recommendation aims to regularly review and adapt all relevant national and European tools supporting research careers based on the actual needs of researchers. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries and European Commission. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will thus not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. The countries and European Commission should consult researchers for their feedback on the tools for research careers.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
Recommendation 7
The Commission and Member States are recommended to encourage and support alliances of higher education institutions, such as the European Universities alliances, the whole European higher education, research and innovation sector and all relevant stakeholders, to pilot relevant actions foreseen by this Recommendation on the basis of a voluntary and bottom-up approach.
This recommendation aims to encourage and support piloting of the recommendations in the EFfRC. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries and European Commission while the actual piloting is targeted at organisations in Europe. This first draft of the RCF interprets how each recommendation in the EFfRC is relevant and could be translated into implementation actions for RPOs and RFOs. This recommendation will not be translated further into actions for RPOs and RFOs as it could be enacted by selecting and implementing the actions for RPOs and RFOs in this first draft of the RCF.
This recommendation is about piloting the recommendations in the EFfRC.
This recommendation is about piloting the recommendations in the EFfRC.
This recommendation is about piloting the recommendations in the EFfRC.
This recommendation is about piloting the recommendations in the EFfRC.
This recommendation is about piloting the recommendations in the EFfRC.
This recommendation is about piloting the recommendations in the EFfRC.
Recommendation 1
In addition to the overarching European Research Area monitoring systems, the Commission and Member States are recommended to monitor relevant aspects of research careers in the Union and the implementation of this Recommendation through a dedicated Observatory, to the benefit of the research community, policy makers, public administration and relevant organisations at European and national level. The Observatory should support better understanding of challenges and opportunities by researchers, and it should also promote the attractiveness of Union research performing organisations for the best talents, while guaranteeing the protection of data privacy throughout implementation.
This recommendation aims to develop a monitoring mechanism for research careers and the implementation of the EFfRC across Europe. This Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO) will be developed and maintained from 2024 for six years by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with support from the European Commission. ReICO will collect and analyse data on research careers in Europe including talent development and deployment, supply and demand, dynamics and pathways, and national policies. The proposed measures fall mainly under the responsibility of the countries, OECD, and European Commission. Organisations could play an active role in the development and implementation of ReICO by engaging with key ReICO stakeholders and providing input and feedback on ReICO. Organisations might also end up as data sources for ReICO and collect and provide relevant internal data for the monitoring indicators which are selected for ReICO. ReICO is also addressed in Recommendations 41, 42, 43, and 44.
The indicators for monitoring research careers in ReICO are yet to be determined.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for ResearchComp.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for the ESCO classification.
ReICO will collect and share valuable data on the state of research careers across countries. The data will critically address current evidence gaps and support evidence-based policy making on research careers in Europe. The data will also help countries to identify gaps and weaknesses in regulations and policies for research careers and tailor support measures to improve research careers and reduce the precarity of research careers in their countries.
Engage with OECD and key stakeholders on development and implementation of ReICO.
Review and internally discuss collection and provision of relevant internal data for ReICO.
It is not yet clear how the research community can engage and offer feedback on ReICO.
Key developers of ReICO may not adequately involve the research community in ReICO.
Recommendation 2
The Observatory should carefully consider and identify the type of support data that would be relevant to observe research careers. Where possible, links to existing data should be considered and prioritised in order to reduce administrative burden for Member States and all relevant stakeholders. Member States are recommended to cooperate for the purpose of collecting data relevant for the implementation of the observatory in an efficient and sustainable way.
This recommendation aims to identify the data sources and data to be collected by ReICO whereby existing data sources and data should be prioritised. The data sources and data will be identified in the initial stages of ReICO. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries, OECD, and European Commission. Depending on the selected data sources and data to be collected, RPOs and RFOs may end up collecting and providing relevant data for ReICO. This topic is adequately addressed in other recommendations of the EFfRC (such as Recommendations 40, 42, 43, and 44) and will not be further addressed here.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
This recommendation is adequately addressed in other recommendations.
Recommendation 3
The Commission is invited to propose – on the basis of the data provided by the Observatory on research careers – further measures that encourage and promote the development of research careers.
This recommendation aims to develop further support actions for research careers based on the data collected by ReICO. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries, OECD, and European Commission. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will therefore not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. ReICO is also addressed in Recommendations 40, 41, 43, and 44.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
Recommendation 4
The Commission, in collaboration with Member States, is recommended to consider relevant links between the Observatory on Research Careers and the European Higher Education Sector Observatory proposed in the European Strategy for Universities, where relevant, and thereby enhance synergies between the European Research Area and the European Education Area.
This recommendation aims to link ReICO with the European Higher Education Sector Observatory (EHESO) and thereby enhance synergies between the European Research Area (ERA) and European Education Area (EEA). The observatory will collect and analyse data on the progress made to implement the European strategy for universities across Europe including data on inclusion, learning outcomes, skills/competences, student and labour market needs, employability, transnational cooperation, technology transfer, and innovation ecosystems. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries, OECD, and European Commission. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will therefore not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. ReICO is also addressed in Recommendations 40, 41, 42, and 44.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
Recommendation 5
Member States and the Commission are recommended to consider the adaptation to the data needs of the observatory referred to in point 40 of this Recommendation of the data collected in the context of Regulation (EU) 2019/1700.
This recommendation aims to align the data collection by ReICO with a European Parliament and European Council regulation on data collection related to persons and households for European statistics. The proposed measures fall primarily under the responsibility of the countries, OECD, and European Commission. This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs and will therefore not be further translated into actions for RPOs and RFOs. ReICO is also addressed in Recommendations 40, 41, 42, and 43.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.
This recommendation is not directly relevant for RPOs and RFOs.