You are invited: Panel Discussion on Sustainable Research Careers

Dear ICoRSA members and partners,

We warmly invite you to our online Panel Discussion on Sustainable Research Careers, taking place on December 10, 2025, from 13:00 to 14:30 CET. This event will explore initiatives that contribute to more sustainable and attractive career paths for researchers.

Access the Agenda

Speakers from the Marie Curie Alumni Association will discuss how international mobility can strengthen talent attraction and retention in research ecosystems, as well as the challenges researchers face when moving between countries. Erna Karalija (ICoRSA) will present results from the European project Sustainable Research Careers Empowerment (SECURE2), which piloted elements of the Research Careers Framework in research-performing and research-funding organisations across Europe. Based on the challenges identified and actions tested, we will discuss how Research Careers Frameworks can support careers in research.

This will be followed by contributions from representatives of ICoRSA member associations, the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS/ACP) and Max Planck PostdocNet, who will share their work advocating for researcher wellbeing and improved working conditions, including surveys and successful grassroots partnerships to increase employee rights of researchers.

Finally, the panel will address the growing recognition of diverse career pathways within research systems, particularly the development of research managers and administrators, presented by Margarida Trindade (ITQB), ERA 17 Research Management Initiative expert. European initiatives such as the ERA Action for Research Management, and projects including RM Roadmap and CARDEA, analyse the professionalisation of research support roles. By valuing and strengthening these parallel career paths, research systems become more efficient and consolidated, ensuring that scientific careers are not limited to the traditional academic route, but supported by a broader ecosystem of skilled professionals.

Please register via Zoom to receive the meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/t_bYBOwwT9KYyAnYKsAi5Q