New dawn for researchers

The careers of contract researchers could be markedly improved with clearer job descriptions, formal and regular job appraisal and a statement on competencies and targets, according to Sally Wheeler, Leeds University's director of personnel.

At a conference in London to discuss opportunities and challenges posed by new official guidelines on future management of contract researchers, Mrs Wheeler also argued that some researchers could end up working outside research itself and must be armed with generic skills that will enable them to succeed in the wider economy.

At the conference, organised by the Association of University Teachers, Mrs Wheeler said she "greatly welcomed" the agreement, called the Concordat. The document, which comes into force in the new academic year, has been drawn up by bodies including the research councils, the Royal Society and the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals. It is in response to widespread concern about the plight of thousands of contract researchers and the explosion in their numbers from 8,000 in 1980 to 18,000 in 1993.

The Concordat says funding bodies will wish to be satisfied, "as a key condition" of providing grants and fellowships, that institutions have in place policies for career management of contract researchers in areas such as recruitment, performance and career guidance.

The University of Leeds has nearly 700 such staff and improving their employment conditions has been high on the official agenda for some years. Researchers' biggest complaint there has been the lack of long-term security. "They perceived themselves to be 'second-class citizens' when compared with academic staff," says Mrs Wheeler.

Leeds will shortly have in place a professional career development scheme for all staff. As part of the scheme, contract researchers will be assessed on their problem-solving and research techniques. Research- ers can be tracked across their contract period and their performance assessed at different stages. Training logs may also be useful, says Mrs Wheeler, given that they highlight for the individual the skills gained.

But improving the career management of contract researchers will place further pressure on indirect project costs. "Research councils should accept that principal investigators must include time for training in their proposals. They should allow for this extra cost in the level of indirect costs for staffing," says Mrs Wheeler.