Legal Status of Academic Researchers in Russia and Foreign Countries

Abstract

The article deals with the legal status of researchers in Russia and some foreign countries, classifies categories of researchers in Russia and highlights the main aspects of their legal status, identifies some problems of their legal status associated with short-term employment contracts. The author analyses the legislation covering each category of researchers on the basis of the division of the categories of researchers proposed by the author and the problems associated with unreasonable differentiation in the status of researchers. Special attention is paid to scientific workers working in educational institutions of higher and additional vocational education due to additional rights and duties, as well as in connection with the qualification requirements specified in the Professional Standard. Also, the paper highlights the problems of terminological nature, for elimination of which the author proposes to approve a uniform nomenclature of positions of researchers. The article critically evaluates the practice of transition to the conclusion of short-term employment contracts with researchers, analyzes the phenomenon of conclusion of fixed-term employment contracts in foreign countries.