1. Context Overview Partners
PIPERS project Policy into Practice: EURAXESS Researcher Skills for Career Development
Context
Overview
Partners
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme
for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No

2. Context
21st Century Researchers need 21st century skills – not just research specific skills but those that help them navigate and contribute to a global knowledge economy
Vitae ‘What do researchers do?’ report:
Only 54% of PhD students were working in academia or as researchers, three years after they received their doctorate
BUT the majority of those no longer in ‘research’ felt that their PhD had been valuable to them in their current career – and many were using research skills and knowledge in their current job
Lots of mobility between sectors and occupations
How do we ensure that whatever pathway researchers take, they are making the most of their careers? .

3. Aim
The PIPERS project is led by the British Council along with 5 partners and 15 associated Third Parties from both the EURAXESS Service Network and other academic and non-academic stakeholders from across Europe and Israel.
Its aim is to support researcher career development and training in areas such as:
managing a research career and researcher self-assessment
leadership skills
interdisciplinary working
entrepreneurial skills
spin-off companies/market exploitation of research results
working with industry
IPR issues
information literacy
public engagement

4. Overview and objectives
Identify and cascade existing good practice and training resources
Develop new tools to support proactive management of researcher career paths
Provide an efficient and sustainable way of disseminating these across the Network
The objectives of the project will be pursued over a 24 month period
Not long!

5. Core activities
policy dialogue with employer stakeholders and groups representing researchers’ interests
dissemination of good policy practice and training resources in researcher career development through the development of an e-platform

6. Core activities
delivery of 9 “train the trainer” workshops for researcher career development staff
4 demonstration workshops with researchers;
the development and testing of a self-assessment tool for researchers to enable them to be proactive in their professional and career development

7. Key targets
Researchers can identify their skills and capabilities, set personal targets, and plan their professional development.
Researcher mobility between academia and industry is made easier, lowering the dropout rate from within the research profession
demonstrate evidence of achievements based on knowledge and behaviours which will help them to navigate often complex research careers, both within academia and industry as well as skills such as information literacy, leadership, interdisciplinary working and public engagement which will help them to maximise the impact of their research.
Self-assessment tool and e-platform with learning resources
Numbers of researchers who use the self -assessment app and e-platform
Numbers of researchers who indicate that they will use this in the future or recommend to colleagues (target: 80% of those surveyed in final user survey)
Workshops for researchers and trainers
Researchers indicate that their skills have improved as a result of the training
Multipliers indicate that they are confident in delivering training and will likely deliver the training in the future

8. Key targets
The support offered by the EURAXESS Services network has an increased focus on career development of researchers, and is offered to mobile and non-mobile researchers.
EURAXESS Service centre staff indicate that they will deliver researcher training on an ongoing basis
EURAXESS services staff indicate that they will use the best practice examples to inform ongoing practice.
The e-platform will be integrated into the EURAXESS Handbook to ensure long term

9. Impact and Outcomes-1 Desired Impact Activity Outcome
Researchers can identify their skills and capabilities, set personal targets, and plan their professional development.
Self-assessment tool and e-platform with learning resources
Researchers can self-assess their skills and capabilities, and use this to plan a career pathway and articulate relevant knowledge and attributes during recruitment. Researchers have access to online tools and resources to support their ongoing professional development and research career pathways.
Workshops for researchers and trainers
1. Researchers as primary beneficiaries have improved skills in key areas
2. Multipliers are trained in delivering skills plus career development advice, and given access to quality assured, free to use, materials and resources.
Policy discussions and formulation of guidelines
Examples of best practice are shared across MS and institutions have access to guidelines to support professional development of researchers

10. Impact and Outcomes - 2 Desired Impact Activity Outcome
Researcher mobility between academia and industry is made easier, lowering the dropout rate from within the research profession
Involvement of industry in workshop development and collection of resources
Researchers will be equipped with skill sets which enable them to move more easily from academia to industry.
Researchers will also be able to access industry relevant online resources through the e-platform.
Involvement of industry in policy discussions
Stakeholders from academia are more aware of the skills that researchers need to make the transition to industry
Policy guidelines
Research institutions are informed by policy guidelines and good practice examples which support academia-industry mobility.

11. Impact and Outcomes - 3 Desired Impact Activity Outcome
The support offered by the EURAXESS Services network has an increased focus on career development of researchers, and is offered to mobile and non-mobile researchers.
Train the trainer workshops
EURAXESS members are able to deliver skills training and career development advice to researchers (mobile and non-mobile).
Policy guidelines and e-platform
EURAXESS members can learn from best practice examples of researcher support, and use these to deliver and advocate for improved researcher support within their institutions.

12. WPs WP No Work package title WP 1 Project management & coordination
WP 2 (FECYT lead)
Policy dialogue with employer stakeholders and groups representing researchers’ interests and identification of good practice through policy case studies.
WP 3 (CERTH lead)
The identification, refinement and exchange of good practice and training resources and the development of workshop training programmes.
WP 4 (BC/CERTH)
Train the trainer workshops for researcher career development staff from the EURAXESS Network who will act as multipliers to disseminate the identified good practice more widely & demonstration workshops with researchers to test and provide feedback on training resources.
WP 5 (MEF lead)
Development and testing of a self-assessment tool for researchers and development of an e-platform to ensure that the good practice, resources and self-assessment tool are easily available to as wide a range of researcher career development staff and researchers as possible.

13. Partners British Council (BC), United Kingdom
Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology), FECYT, Spain
University of Durham (UDUR), United Kingdom
Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Greece
Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Univerziteta U Nisu (MEF), Serbia
Sofiiski Universitet Sveti Kliment Ohridski, (SU-NIS), Bulgaria

14. Associated Partners Country Partner Austria University of Vienna
Belgium
University of Liege
Croatia
University of Zagreb
Denmark
Aarhus University
Estonia
Estonian Research Council
France
Association Bernard Gregory
Ireland
Irish Universities Association
Israel
Bar Ilan University
Italy
Fondazione Crui, ADAPT (TBC)
Romania
Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
Spain
Fundacion Barrie UK
Epigeum, Proctor and Gamble
Netherlands
NUFFIC

15. Key Milestones and Deliverables - timeline
By Delivery date
M December 2014 Kick off (D)
M3 Consultations with stakeholders / employers (M)
M4 Focus group of researchers (D)
M6 Literature review (D)
M6 Regional mapping of training needs (D)
M6 on-line self-assessment tool (M)
M7 set of good practice policy case studies (M)
M7 consultations with stakeholders / employers (D)

16. Key Milestones and Deliverables – timeline
M10 publish recommendation / guidelines (M)
M11 set of quality assured training resources and tools (M)
M12 set of quality assured training resources and tools (D)
M13 set of good practice policy case studies (D)
M13 impact study of the selected policy developments (D)
M13 programme and training models for workshops (D)
M13 e-platform for career development staff & researchers (M)

17. Key Milestones and Deliverables - timeline
M15 9 train the trainer workshops in 10 countries (M)
M15 4 demo researcher workshops in 10 countries (M)
M17 Set of quality – assured training resources & tools
M17 programme and training models for workshops
M20 policy workshop at ESOF (D)
M20 Content for policy depository with case studies (D)
M23 9 train the trainer workshops in 9 countries (D)
M23 4 demo researcher workshops (D)
M23 E-platform for career development staff & researchers (D)
M23 On-line self-assessment tool (D)
M24 October Final meeting

18. Gantt chart

19. Gantt chart

20. Questions?