Those who go onto postdoc positions after their PhDs still find themselves in an uncertain situation. The next job is no guarantee for these young academics. Moreover, the university’s contribution to their further education is uncertain.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering concluded that this situation had to improve two years ago. The postdocs who work there – almost two hundred of them – received their own ‘council’. The faculty also implemented regular meetings for all temporary researchers and an educational budget of a thousand euros per year.
Cooperation
As of today, the university board wants to apply this to all postdocs at the university. Since not all faculties have such large numbers of postdocs, it means that only the UMCG – with over two hundred temporary researchers – will get its own council. All other faculties will have to cooperate.
A budget of a thousand euros for training and development will be available for each postdoc who has been employed for longer than six months.