Living flexibly? How Europe's science researchers manage mobility, fixed-term employment and life outside work

Abstract

This paper draws from interviews with mobile science researchers to explore experiences of mobility and fixed-term employment in the EU. The paper takes a socio-legal approach, aiming to understand the contribution of EU law and policy to the resource framework within which career decisions are made. The high incidence of fixed-term employment and the expectation of geographic mobility in science labour markets has made science researchers very ‘flexible’ employees and, arguably, model EU citizens. But how are these factors managed in the context of every-day life? Developing sound empirical evidence of how individuals experience mobility and fixed-term employment could lead to more sensitive and effective policy making. This is particularly pertinent as human resource issues in science research have become central to achieving the EU's overarching strategies for growth and jobs (the Lisbon Strategy and Europe 2020). A range of policies designed to increase the mobility of researchers and to manage the use of fixed-term contracts have been put in place. This paper draws on empirical evidence to inform our understandings of these developing areas of law and policy in the EU.

Keywords:

• academic science careers
• European Research Area
• fixed-term employment
• higher education
• mobility
• work–life balance

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Prof Louise Ackers, Dr Keleigh Coldron and Dr Jennifer Tomlinson for their encouragement in the preparation of this paper.

Notes

 1. The author was a project researcher on Work Package 2 of the EU-funded ResIST (ResIST research inequality through science and technology), and later became principle investigator of a study of fixed-term employment in UK universities. Further information can be found at the project websites (http://www.resist-research.net/home.aspx and http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1272-266531/Researchers-fixed-term-contracts-and-universities-understanding-law-in-context.html).

 2. The respondents were to be ‘geographically mobile’, ‘EU nationals’ and ‘scientists’. Mobility referred to transnational mobility within the EU; respondents were targeted if they were from another EU country but living and working in one of the partner countries (i.e. Austria, Greece, Italy, Portugal or the UK). Some returners (nationals of the partner country who had worked in another EU country and then returned to the country of origin) were included in the sample. A threshold of over one year spent in another country was applied to the definition of mobility, this was to ensure that respondents had time to gain experiences of policies and practices in the host country. The stipulation that the respondents be EU nationals and move within the EU served to contain the members of the sample within a common legal status under the Free Movement Provisions of the EU. A very loose definition of ‘science’ was applied, around half the sample were to work in physical sciences and other half, in life sciences. Throughout the sample an even distribution of respondents at various stages in their career and the life-course was aimed for. An even distribution of male and female respondents was sought; as was a fairly large proportion of respondents with children (of around a third).

 3. The paper draws from the author's doctoral thesis that was linked to the MOBISC project. The thesis focused on the issue of fixed-term employment. Following the identification of this area as the subject for further analysis, a decision was taken to focus a second phase of analysis on the legal and policy context of ‘the UK in Europe’.

 4. In the sample, 50 interviews were conducted in the UK; 9 in Austria; 25 in Greece; 11 in Italy and 19 in Portugal.

 5. In this paper, the term geographic mobility is used to refer to transnational geographic mobility.

 6. The EU-funded ‘MORE study’ on mobility patterns and career paths of EU researchers consists of several surveys of researcher populations across the EU. A representative survey of researchers in higher education institutions found around a third employed on fixed-term contracts. In a separate survey of research institutes (not representative of the population as a whole), the proportion of employed fixed-term was 43%. The findings of both the surveys suggested that fixed-term employment is associated with the early career stages. A further industry survey (not representative) showed a different pattern with only 9% of respondents employed fixed-term (Lykogianni and Van Den Broeck 2010).

 7. The European Commission, the League of European Universities and the European Science Foundation.

 8. The term ‘post-doc’ is a colloquial term used to describe a fixed-term research position taken following a doctoral study. The term has received criticism for its association with casual and junior positions. It has been suggested that it undermines the professionalism of experienced researchers.

 9. Following the Lisbon Treaty, this area is subject to a special form of shared competence whereby the exercise of EU competence does not restrict the Member States from acting (Article 4 TFEU). There is no automatic pre-emption of Member State action where the EU has acted (Craig 2008).

10. For example, in the context of the European Partnership for Researchers, representatives from France stressed that the development of legal measures for all workers would be preferable to any specific rules for researchers alone (SGHRM 2010).

11. The OMC is a form of ‘new governance’ used by the EU to achieve convergence through soft law. This form of governance is flexible and non-hierarchical. It can be contrasted broadly with the ‘Classic Community Method’ that is characterised by top-down governing, central institutional actors and the generation of binding ‘hard’ legal rules (Trubek, Cottrell, and Nance 2006; Craig and De Búrca 2007). The OMC uses various methodologies, some more onerous and institutionalised, some less so; it is applied in different forms in different contexts. For an analysis of the application of the OMC to research and development initiatives see De Elera (2006), Morano-Foadi (2008) and McGuinness and O'Carroll (2010).

12. Fellowships allow for maternity leave and a family-related mobility allowance has been made available. A limited degree of flexibility is allowed in fellowship schemes (possibilities for part-time work and to split fellowships into more than one stay), but this is only allowed where justified and thus remains the exception rather than the norm (Watson et al. 2010).

13. These were initially set up as national projects that were co-financed through FP6. In 2008, the EU funding for national mobility centres ended, support for the overarching network continues to be provided through FP7 (European Commission 2010).

14. The package does not apply to the UK or Denmark.

15. The framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by the European Trade Union Confederation, the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (now Business Europe) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest is annexed to the directive.