SECURE Final Version of Research Career Framework (RCF)
COMING SOON
- The SECURE project has created a Research Career Framework (RCF) which offers a comprehensive suite of optional actions for research-performing (RPOs) and research-funding (RFOs) organisations to reform research careers and reduce precarity.
- The final version of the SECURE RCF has been built upon the first draft of the RCF, trials to test out the RCF which have been implemented by several trial organisations in SECURE, and an open consultation gathering feedback on the first draft of the RCF.
- The final version of the SECURE RCF consists of 8 action areas which focus on a specific theme for research careers and 10 actions in each action area for RPOs and RFOs to reform research careers:
High-level actions to improve the reform of research careers at organisations and align the national reform of research careers.
Actions to improve the stability of research careers via permanent/ open-ended and fixed-term contracts and tenure track-like models.
Actions to improve the working conditions of researchers and ensure a fair, safe, equitable, and rewarding working environment.
Actions to improve the professional development of researchers to improve their skills/competences and career development.
Actions to improve the international, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility of researchers for better talent circulation and collaboration.
Actions to improve the assessment of researchers to recognise a wider diversity of contributions in their grant and career evaluations.
Actions to improve the diversity of research careers including more career paths, non-linear and hybrid careers, and entrepreneurship.
Actions to improve the interoperability and comparability of research careers across career steps, organisations, sectors, and countries.
Action 1
Collect and share best practices on reform of research careers at organisations.
Descriptor: Organisations aiming to reform research careers could [GO1] first orient themselves. Existing good practices on reforming research careers serve to highlight the experiences and lessons learned by other organisations and help to develop effective reform policies and practices.
Action 2
Review and improve inclusion of researchers in governance bodies at organisations.
Descriptor: Researchers are often not sufficiently involved in governing and decision-making bodies. Both early-career and senior researchers could be proactively engaged and empowered to play an active role in governing their organisations and reforming research careers.
Action 3
Include researchers and support staff in discussions and reform of research careers.
Descriptor: Research careers are focused on researchers and supported by research support staff. Discussions and actions on the reform of research careers could directly involve researchers and research support staff including human resources officers and research managers.
Action 4
Engage with key stakeholders to align national regulations and policies on research careers.
Descriptor: National regulations and policies may form a barrier to reform research careers, change on a short-term basis, and need to be aligned with other reforms and across stakeholders. Organisations could advocate for and support alignment on clear and stable regulations.
Action 5
Engage with key stakeholders to improve long-term stability of funding for research careers.
Descriptor: Stable national funding is needed to support the reform of research careers. This includes multi-annual core funding and competitive project-based funding. Organisations could advocate for and support reforms for better and more stable funding for research careers.
Action 6
Engage with key stakeholders to create and fund pilots to test reforms of research careers.
Descriptor: Research careers are part of an interlinked web of regulations, policies, funding, activities, and stakeholders. Reforming research careers is a complex process with widespread repercussions. Pilots could be a first exploratory step to trial and implement reforms.
Action 7
Engage with key stakeholders on national implementation of Council Recommendation.
Descriptor: The Council Recommendation on research careers is aimed mainly at countries and needs to be coordinated at the national level. Organisations could advocate for and support alignment with and national and local implementation of the Council Recommendation.
Action 8
Raise awareness of Charter for Researchers and HR Excellence in Research Award.
Descriptor: Researchers are often not aware of their rights and obligations or those of their employers and funders as well as organisations known for good practices. Organisations could make researchers aware of the Charter for Researchers and HR Excellence in Research Award.
Action 9
Implement Charter for Researchers and apply for/renew HR Excellence in Research Award.
Descriptor: The Charter for Researchers and HR Excellence in Research Award.
Implement Charter for Researchers and apply for/renew HR Excellence in Research Award.
Action 10
Sign up to RESAVER Pension Fund and join consortium of RESAVER member organisations.
Descriptor: Sign up to RESAVER Pension Fund and join consortium of RESAVER member organisations.
Action 11
Collect and share best practices on types of contracts for researchers and TTLMs.
Descriptor: XX
Action 12
Review and improve contract conditions for researchers in discussion with researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 13
Review and improve number of permanent/open-ended contracts for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 14
Review and improve duration of fixed-term contracts dependent on needs of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 15
Define a maximum threshold for number of fixed-term contracts and monitor compliance.
Descriptor: XX
Action 16
Review regulations and status of TTLMs in national context and locally at organisations.
Descriptor: XX
Action 17
Define conditions and procedures of TTLMs in discussion with researchers at organisations.
Descriptor: XX
Action 18
Develop an action plan for future implementation of defined TTLMs at organisations.
Descriptor: XX
Action 19
Pilot or implement TTLMs at organisations and review in discussion with researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 20
Engage with national research-funding bodies on need for long-term funding for TTLMs.
Descriptor: XX
Action 21
Collect and share best practices on improving working conditions for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 23
Communicate clearly on definition and rights and obligations of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 24
Review and improve remuneration for researchers to be commensurate and competitive.
Descriptor: XX
Action 25
Review and improve support for researchers to access social protection benefits.
Descriptor: XX
Action 26
Review and improve support for flexible working conditions and work-life balance.
Descriptor: XX
Action 28
Review and improve support for academic freedom and protection against interference.
Descriptor: XX
Action 29
Review and improve support for equality, diversity, and inclusion of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 30
Identify scope of precarity and propose measures to reduce precarity for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 31
Collect and share best practices on professional development of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 32
Review and improve professional development of researchers on ongoing basis.
Descriptor: XX
Action 33
Raise awareness on skills/competence frameworks and skills/competences for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 34
Raise awareness on existing talent development programmes and platforms for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 35
Integrate skills/competence frameworks into professional development of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 36
Integrate skills/competence frameworks and skills/competences into researcher profiles.
Descriptor: XX
Action 37
Raise awareness on and include research integrity in professional development.
Descriptor: XX
Action 39
Raise awareness on and include triple-I mobility in professional development.
Descriptor: XX
Action 40
Provide professional career development and progression counselling to researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 41
Collect and share best practices on supporting triple-I mobility of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 42
Identify structural and administrative barriers to triple-I mobility of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 44
Raise awareness on transferring social protection benefits across countries.
Descriptor: XX
Action 45
Develop platforms to stimulate triple-I mobility opportunities for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 46
Organise events to stimulate triple-I mobility opportunities for researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 47
Promote value of researchers and their skills/competences to non-academic sector.
Descriptor: XX
Action 48
Review and improve support to attract and reintegrate returning researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 49
Review and improve support to facilitate dual positions in different countries.
Descriptor: XX
Action 50
Engage with key stakeholders on supporting balanced circulation of researchers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 51
Collect and share best practices on reforming researcher assessment systems.
Descriptor: XX
Action 52
Identify structural and administrative barriers to reform researcher assessment systems.
Descriptor: XX
Action 53
Integrate a qualitative and responsible quantitative approach into researcher assessment.
Descriptor: XX
Action 54
Recognise diversity of roles, activities, and outputs of researchers in researcher assessment.
Descriptor: XX
Action 55
Recognise research integrity principles and practices in researcher assessment.
Descriptor: XX
Action 57
Recognise triple-I mobility principles and practices in researcher assessment.
Descriptor: XX
Action 58
Inform researcher assessors on value of reformed criteria for researcher assessment.
Descriptor: XX
Action 59
Monitor reforms in researcher assessment for potential negative and unwanted effects.
Descriptor: XX
Action 60
Sign Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment and join CoARA as a member.
Descriptor: XX
Action 61
Collect and share best practices on recognition and support of diverse research careers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 62
Raise awareness on diversity of research careers including non-linear and hybrid careers.
Descriptor: XX
Action 63
Review and improve recognition and support of diverse research careers at organisations.
Descriptor: XX
Action 64
Review and improve existing and potential career paths for researchers at organisations.
Descriptor: XX
Action 65
Define clear and distinct profiles for research managers and research technicians.
Descriptor: XX
Action 66
Review and improve professionalisation of research managers and research technicians.
Descriptor: XX
Action 67
Review and improve support for entrepreneurship and knowledge valorisation.
Descriptor: XX
Action 68
Create support offices, hubs, and centres for entrepreneurship and knowledge valorisation.
Descriptor: XX
Action 69
Inform recruiters and selectors on value of diverse career paths and career breaks.
Descriptor: XX
Action 70
Track long-term career paths of alumni researchers at and beyond home organisations.
Descriptor: XX
Action 71
Adopt European definition of ‘researcher’ in organisational regulations and policies.
Descriptor: XX
Action 72
Collect and share best practices on adoption of R1-R4 profiles and ESCO classification.
Descriptor: XX
Action 73
Adopt R1-R4 profiles or map existing organisational profiles onto R1-R4 profiles.
Descriptor: XX
Action 74
Develop clear documentation, guidelines, and communication on R1-R4 mapping.
Descriptor: XX
Action 75
Refer to R1-R4 profiles in job/grant advertisements and relevant communications.
Descriptor: XX
Action 76
Raise awareness of and support adoption of R1-R4 profiles in non-academic sector.
Descriptor: XX
Action 77
Integrate (updates of) ESCO classification into research job/grant advertisements.
Descriptor: XX
Action 78
Integrate (updates of) ESCO classification into local/national accreditation frameworks.
Descriptor: XX
Action 79
Provide recommendations for future revisions of classifications in ESCO classification.
Descriptor: XX
See the link for the final version of the SECURE Research Career Framework (RCF) (D2.3):
https://zenodo.org/records/14917415