The Research Council of Norway s selfassessment of the Charter and Code

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1 The Research Council of Norway s selfassessment of the Charter and Code 2010

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3 The Research Council of Norway 2010 The Research Council of Norway P.O.Box 2700 St. Hanshaugen N 0131 OSLO Telephone: Telefax: bibliotek@forskningsradet.no The report can be ordered at: or green number telefax: English translation: Design: Photo/illustration: Printing: Number of copies: Oslo, month year ISBN xxxxx-x (printed version) ISBN xxxxx-x (pdf)

4 1 Summary Background: The European Commission's Recommendation on the "European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, referred to as the Charter and Code, are two documents containing recommendations concerning the responsibilities and obligations of researchers, employers and funders as regards working conditions, knowledge development and the sharing of knowledge, career planning for researchers and researcher mobility. The Charter and Code are therefore important in terms of addressing the challenges relating to researcher recruitment and mobility at the national and European levels. Researcher recruitment and mobility ( Better Careers and More Mobility ) have been chosen as a focus area and means of achieving a European Research Area (ERA). The Research Council of Norway, represented by Arvid Hallén, signed/ endorsed the Charter and Code in The Research Council also became a member of the European Commission s HR Strategy Group in 2009, which entails incorporating the Charter and Code into our strategy-related documents by March During the winter of 2010, a working group has worked on implementing the Charter and Code in the Research Council. The group has used the European Commission s recommendation Human Resource Strategy for Researchers incorporating the Charter and Code as an aid, which involves carrying out a self-assessment of the Research Council in order to compare the Research Council s policy and practice with elements of the Charter and Code that are relevant to the Research Council as a funder, as well as proposing measures that the Research Council should work on in the years ahead. The self-assessment The Research Council s self-assessment focuses on challenges and issues relating to researcher mobility and career development in Norway, which the Research Council is responsible for following up. The analysis includes areas in which the Research Council itself can implement measures and issues that must be solved at different levels. Most of the items in the Charter and Code require follow-up by the research institutions as the employers of researchers. In 2008, the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions carried out a national gap analysis that showed that Norwegian research institutions largely satisfy the principles, among other things as a result of the Norwegian regulations. On certain points, there is nevertheless a potential for improvement, and the selfassessment endeavours to shed light on how the Research Council can best support efforts in that connection. As a funder, the Research Council can include references to the Charter and Code in relevant policy documents, contract documents, calls for proposals and allocation letters. The aim is to stimulate research institutions to implement measures that improve working conditions and career opportunities for researchers in accordance with the principles of the Charter and Code.

5 As employer for a limited number of research fellows abroad, the Research Council is itself responsible for following up the principles, while its advisory function will entail pointing out deficiencies and challenges that need to be solved outside the Research Council itself. It will be necessary to return to how the advisory role is to be followed up in each individual case. The analysis is divided between the following headings and areas: Funding, salaries and social security and pension rights Research as a career and choice of profession Mobility Non-discrimination and gender perspectives Recruitment The research environment IPR management, co-authorship, and participation in decision-making bodies Main conclusions The challenges relating to funding, salaries and social security and pension rights are connected to the status of mobile researchers as either employees or students (doctorate) at Norwegian research institutions, the temporary nature of employment relationships and ad hoc funding. In cases considered by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), the Norwegian tax Administration and the National Labour and Welfare Service (NAV), mobile researchers often fall between two stools. In its advisory capacity, the Research Council can act as a driving force in relation to raising these challenges with relevant parties. As employers for researchers, the research institutions are responsible for following up career advice and development, counselling, and evaluation and appraisal systems. However, the self-assessment argues that the Research Council should play a supporting role in relation to the research institutions in order to develop these areas on which little work has been done so far in Norway. Arrangements such as the Industrial PhD scheme and EUROHORCs agreement Money Follows Researchers, as well as initiatives such as EURAXESS, are important instruments for promoting mobility between sectors, disciplines and countries that the Research Council can communicate more clearly and to a certain extent develop. As advisor, the Research Council can also be a driving force in developing offers of dual careers (career opportunities for mobile researchers accompanying partners) and supporting the establishment of Service Centres for Foreign Workers in Bergen and Trondheim. In particular, the self-assessment highlights challenges relating to recruiting and retaining women in leading and professorial positions. The term the leaky pipeline is used to describe a situation in which women leave research after a period and in which there are too few women in project manager jobs and other leading positions. Women s career opportunities in research must be improved. Among other things, temporary positions make it difficult for researchers to plan and develop their careers and they contribute to more researchers, and women in particular, dropping out of research. It will be necessary to study the different categories of positions and the laws that apply to researchers in order to identify which issues affect them. The Research Council should provide support for these efforts.

6 Measures The following measures are proposed. The Charter and Code are rooted in the Division for Science. The working group has assumed that the Division for Science will be responsible for ensuring that the measures (or a selection of measures) are followed up in an appropriate manner by the Research Council. The most important and most active measure the Research Council can implement is to include references to the Charter and Code in relevant policy documents, contract documents, calls for proposals and allocation letters (cf. measures 4 and 5 in the table). The aim is to stimulate research institutions to make active efforts to improve working conditions and career development opportunities for researchers and for women in particular, in accordance with the principles of the Charter and Code. 1 In cooperation with the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions, the Research Council held a seminar for the university and university college sector on 28 January 2009 at which Norway s gap analysis was presented and discussed. As the first institution to sign the Charter and Code, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) informed the seminar about the background to this. 2 In May 2009, the Research Council sent a letter to institutions in the university and university college sector calling for them to endorse the Charter and Code, and EURAXESS Services Network 3 A National Group mirroring the EU HR Strategy Group was established in August The group discusses strategies for implementation of the Charter and Code and provides input to the EU s HR Strategy Group, where the University of Oslo (UiO), NTNU and the Research Council are Norway s representatives. 4 The Research Council shall include references to the Charter and Code in relevant policy documents, calls for proposals, contract documents and allocation letters. 5 Of the elements of the Charter and Code, the Research Council will initially emphasise recruitment and women in research. 6 The Research Council shall propose that the Ministry of Education and Research include a reference to the Charter and Code in its allocation letters to research institutions and that it raise the Charter and Code in its management dialogues with the institutions. Finished Finished Continuously on-going In dialogue with the institutions and the ministry, the Research Council will consider how the point about temporary positions should be followed up and how we can reduce the use of temporary positions in practice. On-going 8 The Research Council is examining whether the scheme for top-up funding of Marie Curie fellowships is in breach of EU regulations, and it is considering the option of allocating these funds to the institutions. 9 The Research Council is preparing an overview of the most important grants used by researchers with own funds. It will present the overview Finished Finished

7 to the Norwegian Directorate of Taxes/ Tax Administration. 10 In dialogue with the institutions and the Ministry of Education and Research, the Research Council will consider how the points on guidance and career development should be followed up. A working group should carry out a needs assessment 11 The Research Council shall take steps to ensure that The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers are translated into Norwegian 12 The Research Council shall raise challenges relating to mobile researchers social security and pension rights with the Ministry of Education and Research in order to reach a solution at inter-ministerial level. 13 In consultation with affected parties, the Research Council shall work towards the establishment of a uniform national recruitment policy for research that addresses competence requirements, working conditions and salary issues, career development opportunities and recruitment processes. 14 The Research Council shall draw up a system to ensure support for the Charter and Code among its staff. Short term Finished On-going Long term, The Research Council shall follow up issues relating to dual careers and the work of organising the reception of mobile researchers at the institutions The Research Council shall consider whether to include a requirement for the portability of funding in contracts with institutions. 17 The Research Council s EU office shall take the initiative for the appointment of a working group to compare the Research Council s practice with the principles in the EU s Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and Code of Practice for universities and other public research organisations Finished 2 Main part Introduction The self-assessment shall compare the Research Council s practice with the principles in the Charter and Code. The assessment also provides an opportunity to identify challenges and potential for improvement regardless of whether they are within the Research Council s control or require a solution at different levels.

8 Because of limitations on the document s length, existing conditions and measures are only described in brief, thus ensuring that sufficient focus can be given to the challenges and improvement potential. The Research Council has three roles in relation to the Charter and Code. The Research Council is funder, employer and advisor. As a funder, the Research Council can include references to the Charter and Code in relevant policy documents, contract documents, calls for proposals and allocation letters. The aim is to stimulate research institutions to implement measures that improve working conditions and career opportunities for researchers in accordance with the principles of the Charter and Code. As an employer, the Research Council is itself responsible for following up the principles, while its advisory function will entail pointing out deficiencies and challenges that need to be addressed outside the Research Council. It will be necessary to return to how the advisory role is to be followed up in each individual case. The self-assessment largely refers to the Research Council as funder, while its advisory role is mentioned where relevant. The role of employer is described separately at the very end. Sections , and 2.1 and 2.7 concern funders and the analysis is limited to these sections. Several of the items in the Charter and Code deal with related topics. In order to avoid repetition and to make the self-assessment as accessible and reader-friendly as possible, several items are therefore dealt with together. The analysis is divided between the following headings and areas: Funding, salaries and social security and pension rights Research as a career and choice of profession Mobility Non-discrimination and gender perspectives Recruitment The research environment IPR management, co-authorship, and participation in decision-making bodies The areas with most challenges are mentioned first. On assignment for the Ministry of Education and Research, the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (UHR) appointed a committee, which carried out a national gap analysis for the Charter and Code in The committee consisted of representatives of the universities, and the Ministry of Education and Research and the Research Council were observers. A letter from UHR to the Ministry of Education and Research of 20 August 2008 states that the gap analysis examines in detail the points in the Charter and Code that deviate from the practice at Norwegian institutions. While the working group has benefited from the national gap analysis, it has focused more on implementation of the principles and on identifying challenges. The self-assessment places particular emphasis on items where the national analysis identifies deviations that may warrant measures on the part of the Research Council. Most of the items in the Charter and Code require follow-up by the research institutions as employers of researchers. The national gap analysis shows that Norwegian research institutions largely fulfil the principles, among other things as a result of the Norwegian regulations. On certain points, there is nevertheless a potential for improvement, and the self-

9 assessment endeavours to shed light on how the Research Council can best support efforts in that connection. In August 2009, the Research Council established a National Group mirroring the EU HR Strategy Group. The group consists of representatives of the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen, the University of Tromsø, NTNU, the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions and the Research Council. A representative at deputy rector/ research director level and a representative at advisor level take part from each university. The group discusses strategies for implementation of the Charter and Code and provides input to the EU HR Strategy Group, which consists of European institutions that intend to implement the Charter and Code by March The University of Oslo, NTNU and the Research Council are the Norwegian representatives in this group. The self-assessment refers to the work of the national group where relevant. At the end of the document, the inclusion of a reference to the Charter and Code in the Research Council s calls for proposals, contract documents and allocation letters is discussed, followed by a list of possible measures the Research Council can implement. The working group proposes that its proposals for how a reference to the Charter and Code can be included in the Research Council s calls for proposals, contract documents and allocation letters, as well as examples of how such references can be worded, be presented to the R&D group for discussion before the group s work is presented to the directors meeting. Funding, salaries and social security and pension rights Relevant section in the original documents: Funding and salaries Funding and salaries Employers and/or funders of researchers should ensure that researchers enjoy fair and attractive conditions of funding and/or salaries with adequate and equitable social security provisions (including sickness and parental benefits, pension rights and unemployment benefits) in accordance with existing national legislation and with national or sectoral collective bargaining agreements. This must include researchers at all career stages including early-stage researchers, commensurate with their legal status, performance and level of qualifications and/or responsibilities. National gap analysis: Section 1.18 on funding and salaries is described as largely unproblematic in the national gap analysis. Salaries are partly decided through collective bargaining, partly as a result of local pay policies and partly on appointment of the individual researcher. Clarification and better information about several issues is necessary, however, particularly as regards foreign researchers social security and pension rights. The Research Council s self-assessment: The CARSA Study on the remunerations of researchers in the public and private commercial sectors (2006) shows that Norway has particularly attractive conditions for young researchers. The study shows that Norway offers young researchers the highest average salary among 34 European countries. The same study shows that Norway falls to eleventh place in terms of

10 average salary after 15 years seniority. Norway is thereby very competitive as regards recruitment positions but not as competitive in relation to senior positions compared with other European counties. It should be considered whether Norway succeeds to a sufficient extent in attracting and retaining senior researchers. The biggest challenges, however, are related to social security and pension rights. This applies to several groups in society, but the profession of researcher may be particularly vulnerable. Ad hoc funding, temporary positions and mobility mean that researchers are not always in a good position as regards earning pension entitlements and the right to various social security benefits. The challenges are greatest for mobile researchers, and researchers with own funds in particular. Researchers with own funds are not employed by a Norwegian research institution, but are on a research sojourn in Norway funded by grants from Norway or abroad. The same applies to Norwegians on research sojourns abroad. Norwegians on research sojourns abroad will in many cases lose their pension and social security rights in Norway if they do not keep up their membership of the Norwegian National Insurance scheme while abroad. Nor are Norwegians guaranteed pension and social security rights in the recipient country. Many of these challenges are outside the control of the Research Council and the research institutions, and they will need to be solved at a different level. Another important factor is whether a researcher has student or employee status at the Norwegian institution. This primarily applies to researchers at doctoral level. Persons admitted to doctoral programmes at a Norwegian educational institution can either be employed research fellows at the institution or they can be students with external funding. Here, there are different categories it can be difficult to obtain an overview of. However, the following sections show that there are different issues associated with having status as a student or employee. Challenges: a) Social security arrangements: Researchers from countries outside the EU/EEA staying in Norway for up to 90 days are not covered by the Norwegian National Insurance scheme. This group of researchers is therefore not covered by a social security scheme unless they are covered in their home countries. Nor can an employer offer this group insurance in Norway because Norwegian insurance companies require membership of the Norwegian National Insurance scheme. It will be possible, however, for an employer to take out insurance in Denmark and perhaps in other countries. Norwegians on sojourns abroad of up to 90 days will be covered by the Norwegian national insurance scheme and have the option of taking out insurance in Norway. Social security benefits such as maternity and unemployment benefit are, in principle, paid after six months in a full-time position with status as an employee in Norway. This applies to all occupational groups. However, mobile researchers, both Norwegian and foreign, may fall between two stools in a transitional period if they lose equivalent rights in their home countries. Foreign researchers with own funds (i.e. those with external funding who are not employed by a Norwegian research institution) have no such rights in Norway. b) Pension: EU/EEA nationals must have worked for a year in Norway and had pensionable income or they must have lived in Norway for a year before they earn pension points. For

11 nationals from outside the EU/EEA, the rule is three years with pensionable income. Nor, during the initial period in Norway, are pension entitlements earned in the researcher s home country unless he or she has income or is registered as resident there. While this applies to everyone regardless of occupation, mobile researchers may be vulnerable because of ad hoc funding, mobility and the use of temporary employment. Researchers who move frequently between countries are in danger of earning few or no pension entitlements. Employees are deducted 2% premium towards a mandatory occupational pension scheme from their first day as employees in Norway. If a researcher moves to another country before earning pension entitlements in Norway, this amount will not be disbursed when the researcher reaches retirement age. As a rule, researchers with own funds do not earn pension points in Norway. The same applies to doctoral students who do not have status as employees, for example quota students. The European Commission is studying the possibility of establishing a common European supplementary pension fund, to which individual employers contribute. The fund is intended to ensure that researchers in Europe receive a supplementary pension irrespective of which country they work in. Norway must decide whether it wishes to be part of this pension fund. Norwegians who do not retain their employment relationship in Norway or who lose their membership in the National Insurance scheme during sojourns abroad do not earn social security and pension entitlements in Norway during the period they are abroad. The Norwegian Association of Researchers wishes to explore the possibility of entering into an agreement with the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund for Norwegian researchers on sojourns abroad of a certain duration. c) Tax: The Norwegian Tax Administration exercises discretionary judgment when taxing researchers with own funds. In many cases, this results in such cases being dealt with differently, so that some people pay tax on their grants while others within the same grant scheme do not pay tax. If tax is deducted, the researcher will in most cases have social security rights in Norway. The Research Council can assist the Tax Administration by providing an overview of the most common grant schemes and request the Directorate of Taxes to evaluate them with a view to introducing national guidelines. A list of the most important grant schemes is enclosed with this document. d) Residence permits: On several occasions, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration/ Norwegian foreign service missions have issued student residence permits to persons from countries outside the EU/EEA who have been admitted to a doctoral programme in Norway. Student status often results in the research fellow not paying tax in Norway, but it does not confer any social security rights over and above the right to medical treatment if the person in question is to stay longer than 90 days in Norway. As a result of the new Immigration Act, which entered into force on 1 January 2010, researchers from countries outside the EU/EEA area will be able to obtain residence permits as skilled workers/ specialists, researchers with own funds or students. Similar challenges may therefore arise under the new act. One important change in the new Immigration Act is the early employment scheme, which allows researchers from countries outside the EU/EEA area to be employed before a final work permit is issued. It is a requirement, however, that the person in question is either employed by a Norwegian institution or has funds from the Research Council of Norway.

12 Funds from the EU do not qualify for early employment, which is unfortunate. Nor is it possible to bring one s family to Norway under the early employment scheme. e) Top-up funding: The Research Council grants top-up funding to Marie Curie fellows in order to bring these candidates up to a level on a par with Norwegian fellowship salaries. Top-up funding is given both to Norwegians planning to carry out research abroad and to foreign research fellows planning to work in Norway. The scheme evens out the salary differences between Norwegian research fellows with salary funding from a Norwegian institution and foreign research fellows with Marie Curie grants. The scheme is thereby in accordance with the Charter and Code. For Norwegian Marie Curie fellows, the scheme promotes mobility, since those with top-up funding receive the same amount as they would have earned in Norway even though they are conducting research at a foreign institution. However, this means that Norwegian research fellows receive a higher grant than other Marie Curie fellows in the countries they are staying. The European Commission has reacted to the Research Council s practice in this context. One possible solution could be to transfer the top-up funding to the recipient institutions. f) The quota programme: Doctoral students who are part of the quota scheme receive funding through the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund in the form of a loan and grant. The loan is converted into a grant if the candidate returns to his or her home country after completing his or her degree. This group have student and not employee status in the university and university college sector. Quota students are paid less than employees who take the same doctoral programme and they do not earn pension entitlements. Some Norwegian institutions do not want to accept quota students because of the discrimination involved. The Research Council wishes to emphasise that it is unfortunate that this group does not have the same social rights as employees taking the same doctoral programme. Research as a career and choice of profession Relevant sections in the original documents: Career development Career development Employers and/or funders of researchers should draw up, preferably within the framework of their human resources management, a specific career development strategy for researchers at all stages of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, including for researchers on fixed-term contracts. It should include the availability of mentors involved in providing support and guidance for the personal and professional development of researchers, thus motivating them and contributing to reducing any insecurity in their professional future. All researchers should be made familiar with such provisions and arrangements Access to research training and continuous development Access to research training and continuous development

13 Employers and/or funders should ensure that all researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given the opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to measures for the continuing development of skills and competencies Access to career advice Access to career advice Employers and/or funders should ensure that career advice and job placement assistance, either in the institutions concerned, or through collaboration with other structures, is offered to researchers at all stages of their careers, regardless of their contractual situation Supervision Supervision i. Employers and/or funders should ensure that a person is clearly identified to whom earlystage researchers can refer for the performance of their professional duties, and should inform the researchers accordingly. ii. Such arrangements should clearly define that the proposed supervisors are sufficiently expert in supervising research, have the time, knowledge, experience, expertise and commitment to be able to offer the research trainee appropriate support and provide for the necessary progress and review procedures, as well as the necessary feedback mechanisms Teaching Teaching Teaching is an essential means for the structuring and dissemination of knowledge and should therefore be considered a valuable option within the researchers career paths. However, teaching responsibilities should not be excessive and should not prevent researchers, particularly at the beginning of their careers, from carrying out their research activities. Employers and/or funders should ensure that teaching duties are adequately remunerated and taken into account in the evaluation/appraisal systems, and that time devoted by senior members of staff to the training of early stage researchers should be counted as part of their teaching commitment. Suitable training should be provided for teaching and coaching activities as part of the professional development of researchers Evaluation/appraisal systems Evaluation/appraisal systems Employers and/or funders should introduce for all researchers, including senior researchers, evaluation/appraisal systems for assessing their professional performance on a regular basis and in a transparent manner by an independent (and, in the case of senior researchers, preferably international) committee.

14 Such evaluation and appraisal procedures should take due account of their overall research creativity and research results, e.g. publications, patents, management of research, teaching/lecturing, supervision, mentoring, national or international collaboration, administrative duties, public awareness activities and mobility, and should be taken into consideration in the context of career progression Complaints/appeals Complaints/appeals Employers and/or funders of researchers should establish, in compliance with national rules and regulations, appropriate procedures, possibly in the form of an impartial (ombudsmantype) person to deal with complaints/appeals of researchers, including those concerning conflicts between supervisor(s) and early-stage researchers. Such procedures should provide all research staff with confidential and informal assistance in resolving work-related conflicts, disputes and grievances, with the aim of promoting fair and equitable treatment within the institution and improving the overall quality of the working environment Recognition of qualifications Recognition of qualifications Employers and/or funders should provide for appropriate assessment and evaluation of the academic and professional qualifications, including non-formal qualifications, of all researchers, in particular within the context of international and professional mobility. They should inform themselves and gain a full understanding of rules, procedures and standards governing the recognition of such qualifications and, consequently, explore existing national law, conventions and specific rules on the recognition of these qualifications through all available channels National gap analysis: The analysis points out that items 1.20, 1.22, 1.23, 1.26 and 1.29 are largely unproblematic and it refers to the guidance schemes that already exist. The analysis emphasises that the Charter does not define employers responsibility clearly enough and that individual followup will probably be too demanding to be feasible in practice. In section 1.27 on teaching, it is pointed out that it is necessary to clarify whether seniors supervision of doctoral candidates can be deemed to be teaching. Otherwise, today s practice of teaching at doctoral and post-doctoral level should be continued. The evaluation and appraisal systems under item 1.28 are regarded as unproblematic as long as they do not involve evaluation at the individual level, which is highly demanding in terms of resources. Section 2.7 on recognition of qualifications is deemed to be unproblematic. The Research Council s self-assessment: Career advice and development are the areas in the Charter that are least developed at Norwegian research institutions. However, in the Research Council s experience, there is interest in, and willingness to implement, measures in the field of career advice and career development at many institutions.

15 The National Group mirroring the EU HR Strategy Group, which was presented above, will define what issues should be lifted up to the national level to be solved through cooperation between universities and university colleges and what needs to be solved at the national level through measures that should be implemented by the Research Council and the Ministry of Education and Research as regards the following: Planning of researchers careers what are our aims for the different stages in a career and how should mobility be included in this context? Conditions for and the use of postdoctoral positions The supervisor function for doctoral fellows Transferable skills national courses The Basic Collective Agreement and scientific careers Promotion and certification of competence (qualification framework). The Research Council s follow-up in this context should take place in consultation with the national resource group and other institutions, as well as the Ministry of Education and Research. A working group should be appointed to study needs in relation to the issues listed above. The Research Council can consider whether to include a requirement in calls for proposals and allocation letters that research institutions implement career guidance and development measures. The Research Council can also propose that the Ministry of Education and Research include such a requirement in its allocation letters. Mobility Relevant section in the original document: Value of mobility Value of mobility Employers and/or funders must recognise the value of geographical, intersectoral, inter- and transdisciplinary and virtual mobility as well as mobility between the public and private sector as an important means of enhancing scientific knowledge and professional development at any stage of a researcher s career. Consequently, they should build such options into the specific career development strategy and fully value and acknowledge any mobility experience within their career progression/appraisal system. This also requires that the necessary administrative instruments be put in place to allow the portability of both grants and social security provisions, in accordance with national legislation. National gap analysis: The same challenges relating to social security and pension rights described in 1.18 apply here. Endorsement in principle is seen as unproblematic, but, in practice, mobility involves certain difficulties. The Research Council s self-assessment: The Research Council has signed EUROHORCs agreement Money Follows Researchers (2006), which allows for research funds to follow the researcher when he or she moves to another country. Since the Research Council enters into contracts with institutions, this requires the consent of the institution in question. The Research Council should consider whether this arrangement has been well enough communicated to the research institutions. The Research Council can also include a requirement in its contracts with institutions that grants follow the researcher. It is important, however, that the institutions also play a part in

16 deciding conditions for researchers and their affiliation to the institution when they move to another country. The research white paper Climate for research calls for institutions to place greater emphasis on alternative career paths that allow for mobility between the private sector and academia, for example by increasing the use of adjunct professor positions and by stimulating research stays across institutions. The Research Council s Industrial PhD scheme is a policy instrument that furthers this goal. The Research Council can also consider whether to encourage intersectoral cooperation and cooperation between the private sector and academia in selected calls for proposals, and to emphasise this type of mobility when considering applications. Work is under way on developing well-functioning services to receive international researchers at several universities and university colleges in Norway. The institute sector and several industrial players also have systems in place for this. Several institutions are also affiliated to EURAXESS Services Network. The Research Council will continue in its role of national coordinator of the network and will be a driving force in the development of such reception services. In the long term, corresponding services should be developed for Norwegian researchers who wish to carry out research abroad. The Service Centre for Foreign Workers in Oslo offers fast-track processing of applications and queries to the Directorate of Immigration, the Tax Administration and the police. The centre is a great help to research institutions, primarily in Oslo as applicants must call in person. Corresponding centres opened in Stavanger and Kirkenes recently. It is unfortunate, however, that cities such as Trondheim and Bergen do not have such centres yet. The Research Council should support initiatives for the establishment of service centres in Trondheim and Bergen. Dual careers researchers accompanying spouse or partner s job and career opportunities in the recipient country can be decisive in relation to researchers contentment and how long researchers and their families wish to stay in Norway. Unlike several other European countries, Norway has as yet no job-finding and guidance services targeting this group in particular. Expat associations can assist research institutions in return for payment, but this is not seen as an optimal solution for institutions in the university and university college sector. Nor are NAV s job-finding services sufficiently well-adapted to this group. In dialogue with the research institutions and the Ministry of Education and Research, the Research Council can be a driving force in addressing issues relating to dual careers. Non-discrimination and gender perspectives Relevant sections in the original documents: 1.14 Non-discrimination Non-discrimination Employers and/or funders of researchers will not discriminate against researchers in any way on the basis of gender, age, ethnic, national or social origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, language, disability, political opinion, social or economic condition Working conditions

17 Working conditions Employers and/or funders should ensure that the working conditions for researchers, including for disabled researchers, provide where appropriate the flexibility deemed essential for successful research performance in accordance with existing national legislation and with national or sectoral collective-bargaining agreements. They should aim to provide working conditions which allow both women and men researchers to combine family and work, children and career. Particular attention should be paid, inter alia, to flexible working hours, part-time working, tele-working and sabbatical leave, as well as to the necessary financial and administrative provisions governing such arrangements Gender balance Gender balance Employers and/or funders should aim for a representative gender balance at all levels of staff, including at supervisory and managerial level. This should be achieved on the basis of an equal opportunity policy at recruitment and at the subsequent career stages without, however, taking precedence over quality and competence criteria. To ensure equal treatment, selection and evaluation committees should have an adequate gender balance Career development Career development Employers and/or funders of researchers should draw up, preferably within the framework of their human resources management, a specific career development strategy for researchers at all stages of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, including for researchers on fixed-term contracts. It should include the availability of mentors involved in providing support and guidance for the personal and professional development of researchers, thus motivating them and contributing to reducing any insecurity in their professional future. All researchers should be made familiar with such provisions and arrangements National gap analysis: Item 1.9 is seen as unproblematic, but there are challenges relating to its follow-up, among other things because measures are required that go further than current legislation and regulations. Item 1.20 is seen as problematic if it means that the Charter entails an extensive duty to follow up individual employees. The analysis mentions measures that have been initiated, such as the mentor scheme for women and guidance. Item 1.14 on nondiscrimination, however, is seen as unproblematic because discrimination of the kind mentioned is prohibited by law in Norway. Supervisory authorities have also been established that are tasked with ensuring compliance with the rules and prosecuting violations. The Research Council s self-assessment: The Research Council s work on non-discrimination and gender issues is based on its Policy for non-discrimination and gender perspectives On the one hand, this involves recruiting women to research with the aim of achieving gender balance and, on the other, including the gender perspective in research in general. It is primarily the recruitment of women to research and the gender balance that are relevant in relation to the Charter.

18 Women s social security and pension rights, as discussed in 1.18 and under the heading Funding, salaries, social security and pension rights, are also relevant. The Research Council will emphasise and highlight the importance of recruiting women to research, among other things by putting women in research and the gender perspective on the agenda in various contexts. The Research Council will also include the recruitment of women as a requirement in calls for proposals and place greater emphasis on this aspect when assessing applications. It is important that attention is drawn to these requirements, also in information about calls for proposals on the internet. The term the leaky pipeline is used to describe a situation in which women leave research after a period and in which there are too few women in project manager jobs and other leading positions. Talented researchers and important perspectives are thus lost to research. Women s career opportunities in research must be improved. The Research Council can require the follow-up of recruits and women project managers and include a requirement for reporting on gender in our reporting procedures. The Research Council can also include gender as part of the reference to the Charter and Code in our policy documents, contract documents, calls for proposals and allocation letters. Similarly, the Research Council s policy for non-discrimination and gender perspectives should contain information about and a reference to the Charter and Code. Recruitment Relevant sections in the original documents: Recruitment Recruitment Employers and/or funders should ensure that the entry and admission standards for researchers, particularly at the beginning at their careers, are clearly specified and should also facilitate access for disadvantaged groups or for researchers returning to a research career, including teachers (of any level) returning to a research career. Employers and/or funders of researchers should adhere to the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers when appointing or recruiting researchers Recruitment Recruitment Employers and/or funders should establish recruitment procedures which are open, efficient, transparent, supportive and internationally comparable, as well as tailored to the type of positions advertised. Advertisements should give a broad description of knowledge and competencies required, and should not be so specialised as to discourage suitable applicants. Employers should include a description of the working conditions and entitlements, including career development prospects. Moreover, the time allowed between the advertisement of the vacancy or the call for applications and the deadline for reply should be realistic. National gap analysis: The analysis endorses item 1.31 on recruitment with reference to the fact that the minimum requirements and criteria for ranking applicants are enshrined in the law and regulations and are included in the text of job advertisements. The analysis points to the fact that

19 appointments take too long at Norwegian research institutions as the main challenge in this context. As regards 2.1 on recruitment, the analysis does not advise including the point about career development opportunities in job advertisements or job descriptions. The challenge relating to the efficiency of appointment processes is also mentioned here. The Research Council s self-assessment: Norway lacks a uniform national recruitment policy for research that covers competence requirements, working conditions and salary matters, career development opportunities and employment processes. The Research Council can be a driving force for the establishment of such a policy in consultation with all affected parties. In its allocation letter, the Ministry of Education and Research required research institutions to advertise relevant positions on the EURAXESS portal. This has resulted in many institutions also advertising positions there. More of them also use other international channels. However, there is no overview showing whether all relevant positions are actually advertised internationally and on the EURAXESS portal. The Research Council can consider whether to include a requirement that positions be advertised internationally, including a reporting obligation that will ensure that such an overview exists. For example, it can be reported how many applicants there were for a position by nationality and where the position was advertised. The research environment Relevant sections in the original documents: Research environment Research environment Employers and/or funders of researchers should ensure that the most stimulating research or research training environment is created which offers appropriate equipment, facilities and opportunities, including for remote collaboration over research networks, and that the national or sectoral regulations concerning health and safety in research are observed. Funders should ensure that adequate resources are provided in support of the agreed work programme Working conditions Working conditions Employers and/or funders should ensure that the working conditions for researchers, including for disabled researchers, provide where appropriate the flexibility deemed essential for successful research performance in accordance with existing national legislation and with national or sectoral collective-bargaining agreements. They should aim to provide working conditions which allow both women and men researchers to combine family and work, children and career. Particular attention should be paid, inter alia, to flexible working hours, part-time working, tele-working and sabbatical leave, as well as to the necessary financial and administrative provisions governing such arrangements Stability and permanence of employment

20 Stability and permanence of employment Employers and/or funders should ensure that the performance of researchers is not undermined by instability of employment contracts, and should therefore commit themselves as far as possible to improving the stability of employment conditions for researchers, thus implementing and abiding by the principles and terms laid down in the EU Directive on Fixed-Term Work. National gap analysis: Working conditions are governed by statutes such as the Civil Service Act, the Working Environment Act, the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, in collective agreements and in the Basic Agreement for the Civil Service and are subject to negotiation between employers and employees and their trade unions. The national gap analysis therefore sees item 1.6 on working conditions as unproblematic. The analysis finds that Norwegian legislation is in accordance with EU regulations concerning temporary positions and sees no great problems in endorsing Item 1.15, however, is regarded as unclear in relation to the extent of the commitment as regards making equipment and infrastructure available and what responsibility employers and funders have in this connection. The Research Council s self-assessment: Item 1.16 on working conditions is adequately covered by Norwegian statutes and regulations, and the Research Council has no role in that context. The Research Council already makes a significant contribution to infrastructure and equipment through the National Strategy for Research Infrastructure The goal of the strategy is to provide researchers with the equipment they need in order to address the big knowledge challenges and the business community s need for efficiency and research of high quality. The strategy also aims to make Norwegian research environments known for the outstanding research infrastructure they offer. The Civil Service Act, which applies to many researchers, allows a greater degree of temporary employment than the Working Environment Act and gives employers flexibility as well as greater financial and strategic freedom of manoeuvre. The analysis nonetheless points out that flexibility can be exploited. Among other things, temporary employment makes it difficult for researchers to plan and develop their careers and it contributes to more researchers, and women in particular, dropping out of research. The Research Council can raise issues relating to temporary employment with the institutions in the university and university college sector and then raise them with the Ministry of Education and Research. It will be necessary to study the different categories of positions and the laws that apply to researchers in order to identify the issues that affect them. IPR management, co-authorship, and participation in decision-making bodies Relevant sections in the original documents: Intellectual Property Rights Intellectual Property Rights Employers and/or funders should ensure that researchers at all career stages reap the