Fostering scientific talent
The Council of the European Union is the European legislature's upper house, and consists of one national minister from each Member State. The Presidency of the Council rotates every six months, and Ireland held the office during the first half of 2013. Funded by the EU, the project 'Irish Presidency Conference: Researcher Careers and Mobility' (EIRMOB) consisted of a conference in May 2013. The Dublin gathering fell under the Irish Presidency of the Council. The background context was the need for Europe to improve researcher career development in order to increase the quality and quantity of internationally competitive research across Europe. Over 240 participants discussed EU research policy, the European Research Area (ERA), and the free movement of knowledge and researchers across borders. The conference aimed to take stock of progress, to identify obstacles, and to develop recommendations for practical solutions especially within the Horizon 2020 programme. The meeting produced a report containing 18 recommendations across four themes. These were researcher recruitment, preparation of doctoral candidates for the future, researcher professional development, and mobility across disciplines and borders. In summary, Europe should aim to attract, encourage and nurture high-quality talent through provision of competitive work conditions and professional development opportunities. The conference conclusions reflect the necessity of partnership among all stakeholders. While the EU can provide direction, ultimate responsibility for adopting the recommendations rests with employers (universities and research centres), funding agencies and national governments. The EIRMOB project suggested legally binding options in certain cases. A multi-level dissemination plan was also produced, including presentations to various EU committees and groups and the direct targeting of stakeholders. As a result of the EIRMOB project, Europe will be better placed to attract and foster key scientific talent. Doing so lays the foundation for world-class research.
Keywords
Scientific talent, researchers, mobility, research, professional development, training
