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Abstract

The working group ’Realising a Research Career’ put into specific terms the objectives and methods of the operational programme for developing researcher training and research careers (2007–2011) that were published by the Ministry of Education in 2007, and with which the prevailing practices involved in a research career are being made a part of universities’ positive personnel policies and the Academy of Finland’s responsibility for developing research careers.

The working group’s presentations are based on the four-stage research career model in universities that promotes the transparency and predictability of a research career. The first stage usually consists of young researchers working on their doctoral dissertation, the second stage is the career phase of researchers who have recently completed their doctorate, the third stage consists of independent research and education professionals capable of academic leadership, and the fourth stage is that of professorship. It should be possible to develop aspects within the system, such as components that encourage mobility, advancement opportunities as a result of successful research and opportunities to establish permanent positions. Universities must adopt a flexible method of establishing permanent positions both within the stages as well as in the phases between them.

The four-stage research career system aims at supporting and facilitating transfers back and forth between universities and other actors, (research institutes, companies, the civil service) by, for example, readjusting the method of evaluating qualifications acquired by researchers outside of their academic work using the system’s qualification descriptions. The four-stage system also provides companies and research institutes with methods for examining the structure of their own system of permanent positions.

The working group suggests that the Ministry of Education take into account the implementation of the four-stage research career system in universities when considering their funding and management by results. In the management by results procedures between research institutes and ministries, the perspective of the researcher’s career will also be discussed. The working group also suggests that in the near future, the promotion of research careers will be a more important aspect in the activities of public research financing and trust funds.

According to the working group, post-doctoral international mobility to and from Finland must be increased by, for example, unifying regulations at the European level and by adopting a plan of action by which social security and advancing in one’s career is not negatively affected by periods abroad.

The objective of the four-stage research career model is a more transparent, more predictable and more egalitarian research career.