A6 - Dilemmas in providing structured career routes for researchers –Tenure track, Academic Career pathways and other approaches
| Day | Day 1 |
|---|---|
| Session | A |
| Start time | 15:20 |
| Strand | Research Staff |
| Code | A6 |
| Presenters |
Liesbeth Volbeda - Career advisor for (young) researchers, University of Groningen, The Netherlands Frank Nienhuis - Policy advisor Strategic Human Resource Management, University of Groningen, The Netherlands Dr Alison Leggett - Head of Academic Staff Development, University of Bristol |
Dilemmas in providing structured career routes for researchers –Tenure track, Academic Career pathways and other approaches. Two universities, different approaches, same dilemmas
Workshop overview
This workshop will look at two different structured career routes at two different universities - the Tenure Track at the University of Groningen and the Academic Career Pathways at the University of Bristol. Presenters will highlight the purpose behind these, the value they have brought and the challenges they have created. Participants will then be invited to discuss some of these challenges with reference to the structures within their own institutions.
The University of Bristol has three Academic Career Pathways: Pathway one for Academic staff who spread their time between research and teaching, Pathway two for those who focus on research (e.g. Postdocs) and Pathway three for those who focus on teaching. Within each of these pathways, there is a route to full professorship through progression and promotion procedures.
The University of Groningen introduced the Tenure Track system in 2003. Within this system Academics have the right to be promoted after reaching certain publishing, teaching, management and income targets and end up with a full professorship. If a Tenure Tracker fails to meet the criteria he/she is asked to leave the University. It is an ‘up or out’ system. Groningen also has a specific program for female researchers.
This session will cover
- An overview from both universities on their career pathways
- The benefits and challenges of the systems
- Experiences from other institutions
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- Gain a greater awareness of the organisational challenges associated with starting a program to support talented researchers
- Gain an insight into the dynamics of structured career routes
- Share best practice with other institutions
Format
Presentations and discussion.
