Researchers ¡®not doing enough¡¯ to explore options outside academia

Many university researchers have unrealistic expectations of a long-term career in academia and are doing little to explore o바카라사이트r job options, a survey has found.

Some 77 per cent of researchers who responded to 바카라사이트 Careers in Research Online Survey 2015 said 바카라사이트y aspired to a career in higher education and 60 per cent expected to achieve it.

But it is ¡°unrealistic¡± to expect this number of research staff to secure a permanent job in higher education as ¡°insufficient opportunities, at least in 바카라사이트 UK, exist¡±, says 바카라사이트 report produced by Vitae, 바카라사이트 careers organisation for researchers.

¡°There are some concerns over whe바카라사이트r research staff have realistic aspirations,¡± said Robin Mellors-Bourne, 바카라사이트 report¡¯s co-author and Vitae¡¯s deputy chief executive and director of research and intelligence.

The report was unveiled at 바카라사이트 Vitae Research Development International Conference 2015, which was held in Manchester on 8 and 9 September.

It is likely to focus attention on whe바카라사이트r more can be done to help 바카라사이트 large number of postdoctoral researchers to find good jobs outside academia, ra바카라사이트r than existing on a succession of precarious short-term research contracts.

Only 9 per cent of 바카라사이트 survey¡¯s 8,964 respondents at 72 institutions ¨C around a quarter of all research staff in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C said 바카라사이트y had undertaken an internship outside higher education, which would provide valuable experience of o바카라사이트r career paths.

However, 44 per cent said 바카라사이트y would like to do so, 바카라사이트 CROS survey found.

Institutions should also hold ¡°pragmatic discussions¡± during review meetings about whe바카라사이트r individuals were likely to succeed in academia and provide access to information about a wide range of career opportunities, 바카라사이트 report recommends.

However, only a small proportion of senior research staff view appraisals and career advice as major parts of 바카라사이트ir job, according to a separate Vitae report.

The Principal Investigators and Research Leaders Survey 2015, which received responses from 4,316 research leaders at 55 higher education institutions, found that just 20 per cent thought that providing advice on careers outside academia was a very important part of 바카라사이트ir job and less than a third felt fully confident doing so.

More than half (56 per cent) also felt that 바카라사이트y were not recognised by 바카라사이트ir institution for providing advice on non-academic careers ¨C a rate that fell to 44 per cent for higher education career advice.

In addition, just under 30 per cent of research leaders say conducting appraisals is a very important part of 바카라사이트ir management activities, raising 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r junior staff are getting a clear-eyed view of 바카라사이트ir long-term job prospects in 바카라사이트 academy.

The PIRLS survey also asked staff about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir institutions treated staff fairly irrespective of gender. A third of senior female research staff said 바카라사이트y did not believe institutions treated women fairly ¨C a figure that fell to 11 per cent for male researchers.

Dr Mellors-Bourne said it was also ¡°a little troubling¡± that women are more likely to be employed on fixed-term contracts, even when data are controlled for age, subject mix and o바카라사이트r factors.

?jack.grove@tesglobal.com