Pounds 150,000 pledged for research careers

The Office of Science and Technology has backed a report on improving terms and conditions for non-permanent research staff with Pounds 150,000 for projects to improve career guidance.

The report published by the Research Careers Initiative - the body charged with taking forward the implementation of the concordat to improve terms and conditions for contract staff - acknowledges that problems still persist for contract researchers.

RCI chair Sir Gareth Roberts, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: "Our work has confirmed that problems persist since the concordat was signed, but that measurable progress is being made."

The RCI technically has no way of enforcing the recommendations it makes in the report, nor in the delivery and implementation of the concordat.

However, the fact that the RCI has brought together some major players in research and that grant awards are likely to depend increasingly on implementation of the concordat are seen as factors that will drive ahead change.

Gus Pennington, of the RCI secretariat, said the money was a demonstration of how serious the Department for Trade and Industry was, saying there was a hope this would encourage more money to be made available.

Welcoming the report, Lord Sainsbury, the new science minister, emphasised the role of the research councils, saying he had asked the council's chief executives to use their influence to drive up standards.

Responding to the suggestion that progress had been slow so far, Professor Pennington likened the task to turning round a supertanker - with some institutions being slow to respond to initial inquiries by the RCI. However, he said there were many institutions, such as the University of Manchester, that were well ahead of the RCIs proposals, having already completely overhauled their employment practices.

The report was also welcomed by the Association of University Teachers, which called for a "concerted drive" to lift the standards of employment of contract research staff.

The association's general secretary, David Triesman, said: "A collection of fixed-term contracts is still not a career in research." He called for an end to the contract culture, which had "done such a disservice to UK science and technology".