Federao Nacional dos Professores Departamento do Ensino Superior

Federação Nacional dos Professores Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? Tiago Dias New Challenges for Forest Research Looking back, moving forward CEF Internacional Conference January 27 th, 2017 Federação Nacional dos Professores – Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Rua Fialho de Almeida, n. º 3 1070 -128 Lisboa | Telefone: 213 819 190 | Fax: 213 819 198 | Email: fenprof@fenprof. pt

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Outline • • What is thing we call Science? The Portuguese Research and Development System Job vs Career Development – – Research Career Statute (Decree 124/99) FCT career development programmes Studentships and Fellowships Promotion of employment in scientific fields (Decree 57/2016) • Conclusions What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 2

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação What is thing we call Science? • “Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. ” Britain's Science Council • Science contributes with several outcomes to a society – increases the knowledge of the world around us; – provides economic development; – helps improving people's lives. k is r o w ’ s t cientis s ed! t y r h o w p p s i u be s This t s u m d nt an importa What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 3

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação The Portuguese Research and Development System • Most scientific research takes place in R&D institutions encompassing different areas of knowledge that are evaluated and financed by FCT. – Associate Laboratories (26) • Public or non-profit private research centres. • Selected to collaborate in pursuing specific objectives rk within the o w s r e h arcincluding e s Government’s science and technology policy, consultation on e r 0 ! 0 s 0 e r t 2 2 n e n c rch a the definition ofeprogrammes instruments. re tha and policy e o s m e r , r c i geth ientif o c t l s A e s e – R&D Units (307)ay in th veryd e • Public or private non-profit research centres. • Public R&D Units are university-based, partnerships between several universities, or autonomous centres. • The system also includes State Laboratories (9), whose missions are to pursue specific objectives within the Government’s science and technology policy. What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 4

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 5

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Job vs Career • A job consists on performing a daily set of tasks to earn income. It does not necessarily involve much commitment or enthusiasm. • Outstanding workplaces seeking excellence, like research labs, require employees with such features to keep their productivity high. tion a c u d e , • A career offers this, as well as ence i r e p x e ry. he t t s l l u a d s n i e r – fulfillment, bothnpersonally passand professionally; icula t m r o a c p a e r in with h A caree tottake t a p – the opportunity on more responsibility; e r and fu u – earn a higher rate of pay throughout the duration of work. • When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work. What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 6

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • Research Career Trends Past Present Future Researcher Task-Based Researcher Entrepreneur Researcher Position Applicant Researcher What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 7

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • Research Career Statute (Decree 124/99) – The Research Career Statute was approved by Law no. 124/1999, of April 20 th. (Several amendments have been introduced) – Establishes the scheme applicable to all the researchers working in public research centres. – The Statute establishes a ranking structure with 3 distinct categories • Investigador-Coordenador • Investigador Principal • Investigador Auxiliar – Admissions are a direct result of international recruiting procedures. No admissions in several years! What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 8

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • Studentships and Fellowships – The Research Fellowship Holder Statute was approved by Law no. 40/2004, of August 18 th. (Several amendments have been introduced) – Establishes the scheme applicable to the beneficiaries of subsidies granted by private and public bodies intended to allow the exercise of scientific, technological and training activities. arch se e r o t n r to tu to fund nintended nent e a d m – The Statute covers the s fellowships d r i e b p r meet It i fo “ o t 1) s r e d l of article as well as post 5 • Research leading to a Masters degree and a doctoral degree, o. h o n ( p shi nts. ” e llow m t r a doctoral researchfeand advanced training; p the de f o s d e netechnological development, experimentation, or technology and • Scientific research, knowledge transfer, whether of initiation or updating nature, irrespective of the fellowship holder’s training level; • Initiation or updating training activities in any field, developed by the fellowship holder, within the scope of non-curricular internships. What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 9

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • FCT runs several career development programmes, for postdoctoral researchers, of all nationalities, and across all research and academic fields – Ciência Programme (2006/7, 2008) • Aimed to sponsor the entry of Ph. D holders into the science and technology system by means of individual employment contracts; • Centred on a research project; • 5 -year funding (remuneration indexed to the Scientific Research Career statute); • Aimed to recruit 1, 000 researchers. What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 10

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • FCT runs several career development programmes, for postdoctoral researchers, of all nationalities, and across all research and academic fields – Welcome II Programme (2010) • Targeted the recruitment of European researchers to join Portuguese research institutions after work in Third Countries. • Centred on the researcher and his/her research project. • 3 -year funding (2 types of grants with a remuneration indexed to the Scientific Research Career statute). • The overall goal was to fund 54 researchers. What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 11

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • FCT runs several career development programmes, for postdoctoral researchers, of all nationalities, and across all research and academic fields – FCT Investigator Programme (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) • Aimed to create a talent base of scientific leaders by recruiting the most talented and promising researchers, across all scientific areas and nationalities. • Centred on the researcher and his/her research project. • The main evaluation criterion was scientific excellence. (Applicant’s background, career and research proposal) • 5 -year funding (3 types of grants). • Aimed to recruit 1, 000 outstanding researchers by 2016. (To date, only 597 FCT Investigators were selected) What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 12

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • Promotion of employment in scientific fields (Decree 57/2016) – Aims to stimulate the creation of jobs in science and technology, promote the rejuvenation of institutions and enhance scientific research activities, technological development, science management and communication. Pros • Establishes a new mechanism to recruit Ph. D holders based on contracts (Full social security benefits for these researchers) • Aimed to recruit 1, 000 researchers “in the immediate”. What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 13

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Career Development • Promotion of employment in scientific fields (Decree 57/2016) – Aims to stimulate the creation of jobs in science and technology, promote the rejuvenation of institutions and enhance scientific research activities, technological development, science management and communication. ree Cons this Dec ve o r p m i ss e y • Application is non-mandatory ficantl n s u o i r gni rebecaused by the si. Holder p o c t i f i s t t t!R&D Units to n n n The Research Fellowship Statute can still e e e i c m m s a d i l n s r e u Am. Ph. D holderseusing rmo he Pa o t n t e recruit Post-Doctoral Fellowships a d h e t s fight scus i d d n g a n i e • There are no mechanisms ntly b to enable the incorporation into the research career e r r u c e ar the researchers in the R&D Units or embody • • 1 -day to 6 -year funding based on fixed-term employment contracts Remuneration is not indexed to the Scientific Research Career statute Transitional rule (article 23) is unfair and shameful Can be (wrongly) exploited to create a new parallel research career What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 14

FENPROF Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Conclusions • What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? – To work in an enthusiastic and passionate way. – To produce a lot of good research and scientific work that puts forward the country into a very competitive world. – A constant and tiresome fight for funding and recognition. ! an end to – To exasperate awaiting for the changes thatfigwill tingput h p e precariousness. must ke ALL t, we e g r o f t ’ Don is good, but recently – Not everything • There have been some changes for the better; • There have been some promises from the Government that we can hope to be fulfilled. – But… What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? CEF Conference - New Challenges for Forest Research: Looking Back, Moving Forward January 27 th, 2017 15

Federação Nacional dos Professores Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação What’s it like to be a researcher in Portugal? Tiago Dias New Challenges for Forest Research Looking back, moving forward CEF Internacional Conference January 27 th, 2017 Federação Nacional dos Professores – Departamento do Ensino Superior e Investigação Rua Fialho de Almeida, n. º 3 1070 -128 Lisboa | Telefone: 213 819 190 | Fax: 213 819 198 | Email: fenprof@fenprof. pt