The postdoctoral system under the spotlight.

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

If there is one thing that most European life scientists agree on, it is that the academic systems in which they work are far from ideal. Good science requires innovation and creativity, but most European academic organizations and funding agencies have rigid and hierarchical structures that do little to foster intellectual independence among young researchers. Scientists from these countries look with envy at that their colleagues in Britain and North America, where relatively flexible systems offer much greater opportunities for mobility and greater rewards for creativity. Many end up voting with their feet and moving to take the opportunities provided by more flexible academic systems. Senior scientists, together with politicians and funding agencies across Europe, have begun to realize that the current funding and organization of science will need to change if it is to remain competitive with research in other parts of the world (Schatz, 2002). A key feature of a European‐wide approach to scientific career structures is likely to be a postdoctoral system that promotes mobility in the early part of scientists’ careers, followed by tenure‐track appointments that provide the opportunities to demonstrate their abilities as independent scientists. This is a tried and tested approach that has been shown to enable career progression and promote scientific creativity. Some European countries are already moving in this direction. Spain, for instance, has introduced a tenure‐track programme, and France has established a limited postdoctoral system. However, recent changes in European laws governing the employment of staff on fixed‐term contracts present a potential obstacle to the expansion of such systems across Europe. The EU Fixed‐Term Contract Directive (EU, 1999) is designed to protect workers by preventing employers from using successive contracts as a means to avoid making employment permanent. To comply, governments in the member states must introduce measures that specify …