The Endless Precarity of Research Fellowships Contributions: Public Debate

This workshop organised by the International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICORSA) aims to shed light on the challenges faced by researchers in academia and other research institutions who are reliant on stipends and fellowships. By the end of this session, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of these challenges and discuss potential solutions to improve the working conditions for these researchers.

The academic and research landscapes have long been seen as prestigious fields of endeavor, promising intellectual fulfillment and the opportunity to contribute to significant advancements in knowledge and technology. However, for many researchers, especially those dependent on stipends and fellowships, the reality is often fraught with financial insecurity, professional instability, and personal stress.

Research fellowships are typically forms of stipends for PhD work or to conduct research tasks for a short period of time. However, institutions tend to use fellowships to hire postdoctoral researchers to conduct highly qualified research work with a stipend to reduce costs associated with regular employment benefits and reduce bureaucracy.

This workshop will explore these issues in depth, share personal experiences, and collaboratively discuss potential solutions. By understanding the negative impacts on the working conditions of researchers under stipends and fellowships, we aim to advocate for better policies and support systems that can foster a more equitable and sustainable research environment.

Speakers

• Dr. Henny Bennett, Chair of the Canadian Association for Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS) Improving the social benefits of research fellowships in Canada”
• Dr. ​​Ana Ferreira, Assistant Researcher at NOVA FCSH, “Precarity in Portugal”
• Dr. Tracy Wietecha, Max Planck PostdocNet
• Mrs Jorunn Dahl Norgard, Head of international affairs, Norwegian Association of Researchers
• Dr. Francisco Javier del Castillo, ANIH, Pathways to end precarity: Government incentives and the regulations in Spain.

Topics to be addressed:

• Public funding to provide institutional support to replace fellowships.
• Regulations and changes in the law.