REPORT. By next year, all doctoral students with three years left should be employed by their institute of higher education. Credentialed employment should increase, as persons who fulfil previously set criteria will be given the right to become permanently hired. The proposal was put forward in a new investigation on career paths, equality and mobility.
The proposal is good news for the National Junior Faculty (NJF) that is the umbrella organization for Sahlgrenska Academy’s Future Faculty and similar organizations for junior researchers at other Swedish institutes of higher education.
The investigation was conducted by Ann Fust, Executive Director of the Swedish Research Council. She presented her investigation to the government on March 29, and proposed changes that would secure the return of eminent researchers to Sweden.
“It is clear that we at NJF have been heard on this non-transparent credential system,” comments Helga Höifödt Lidö, Researcher at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology and Sahlgrenska Academy’s representative for the National Junior Faculty.
Clear career paths and fewer short-term contracts are the most important proposals from the investigation.
“There are those that believe that insecure conditions provide incentive for young researchers to strive harder to do better. I do not believe that the most promising research talents are attracted by the prospect of not having a permanent position ten years after acquiring their PhD. And that is how it currently is for many university lecturers,” says Ann Fust to the Swedish Research Council’s newspaper Curie.
Future Faculty at Sahlgrenska Academy
Future Faculty is an organization at Sahlgrenska Academy that promotes young researchers’ interests. You, who are a research assistant, assistant lecturer or postdoc lacking permanent employment are welcome to join. Future Faculty arranges such things as seminars on competence development, how to write a good grant application and arranges hearings with representatives from the faculties’ and institutes’ management.
Future Faculty primarily works for improved career development and with mentor programs for young researchers. The organization also works as a network to facilitate collaboration between young researchers. We also offer our members information that can help them to make strategic career decisions.
Please feel free to contact one of the Future Faculty Co-chairs: Marie Kalm or Elisabet Jerlhag Holm: futurefaculty@sahlgrenska.gu.se
Future Faculty on the web: http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/research/future_faculty
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM CLAESSEN
