Human Capital Management Developing Capacity

There is a global fight for talents

How to ensure that IIASA remains a scientific beehive? 1 Leavers and newcomers include participants of the Young Scientists Summer Program - about 50 PhD students who spend 3 months researching at IIASA 2 Researchers that previously had a contract at IIASA and return to work at the Institute Research Staff 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Leavers1 106 119 97 111 107 Newcomers1 129 125 115 126 113 Returning researchers2 27 30 26 34 24 Nationalities 48 49 45 Research Staff 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Part-time contracts 145 129 120 101 Guest contracts 64 54 43 52 49 Associate contracts 41 38 44 35 Researchers on guest contracts research at IIASA for between one and twelve months a year. Their salaries and other benefits are paid by outside sources. Researchers on associate contracts research at IIASA for between one and six months a year. Their honorariums are paid by IIASA.

Years of service of IIASA researchers on employment contract (2016)

Human Capital Management - Challenges IIASA was never intended to be a place where careers are built, but rather as an Institute where top-quality researchers would come and go. Hence, it is characterized by short-term contracts (with permanent contracts having become more frequent due to Austrian labor laws). Challenges: High staff turnover, leading to issues in maintaining project and capability continuity. (Perceived) lack of career prospects and a reluctance of potential employees to forgo the security (both academic and social) of their home institutions and countries to join IIASA.

Human Capital Management - Challenges IIASA serves as a hub for a vast global network of international visitors and collaborators who interact with the core staff of the Institute. Challenge: Need to manage these networks effectively for the benefit of IIASA. IIASA embraces the diversity of its workforce and recruits on the basis of merit and not national quotas. Need to balance hiring practices with the requirement that IIASA’s staff composition is representative across member countries and gender.

IIASA’s Human Capital Management Plan Core elements Offering perspectives to mid-career researchers through longer-term employment contracts and the preparation for management positions Exploring the possibility of joint tenure tracks as well as joint and collaborative appointments between IIASA and leading universities and institutions within member countries Formalizing IIASA’s external network through the establishment of an External Faculty to clearly articulate reciprocal expectations and conditions for our collaborators and enhance its program of Distinguished Visiting Fellows (Research and Policy)

Perspectives for mid-career researchers Introduction of the concept of Deputy Program Directors as an integrative part of a succession plan for key positions at IIASA. Today, five programs have Deputy Directors. Offering longer than one year contracts to recruit or retain highly talented research staff. The introduction of cross-cutting and exploratory projects at IIASA has provided project leadership roles for a number of mid-career researchers. Growing the number of postdocs at IIASA, including through bilateral agreements with NMOs

Joint tenure tracks and joint appointments Joint and collaborative appointments allow scientists to benefit from researching at IIASA while maintaining job security and career prospects in their home country. Some examples of this researcher mobility include: Sabine Fuss, Mercator Research Institute, Berlin, was an IIASA Research Scholar (2008- 2013) and continues to collaborate as an IIASA Guest Scholar Warren Sanderson, Stony Brook University, spends 3 months every summer at IIASA as an IIASA Senior Research Scholar Arnulf Grübler, TNT Program Director, works as a Professor at Yale University every Fall semester Offer placements at IIASA as a recognized part of a researcher’s tenure track. Offer endowed chairs that include placements at IIASA.

External Faculty The External Faculty is a plan to formalize IIASA’s very active international collaborative research networks and to develop a more formal status on a contractual basis (Santa Fe Institute model). IIASA will build on the current mechanism of Guest Researchers (currently 64 in total) In a trial period IIASA will articulate reciprocal expectations for members of the External Faculty, hire personnel to manage the program and execute a communication campaign to begin attracting researchers to apply to join the Faculty. The initial target might be to have an External Faculty of 500 by 2020.

IIASA’s Human Capital Management Plan Further elements: Ensuring a diverse work force across all IIASA functions and employment levels, in terms of both gender and geographical diversity, with an emphasis of increasing representation across all IIASA member countries, without compromising excellence Providing clearer standardized role descriptions for all IIASA roles across all employment levels. Reviewing IIASA’s performance appraisal and management system to better align employee objectives, performance and rewards with IIASA’s strategic and operational objectives

IIASA’s Human Capital Management Plan Further elements: Providing better institutional support for employee personal and career development during their time at IIASA Offering support for spouse employment Offering family allowances and child care benefits to all qualifying staff regardless of where they come from. Previously only citizens of countries in the European Union were eligible. A strong focus on staff well-being, through ongoing and enhanced support for staff counselling, and cultural and social diversity

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