The national program ‘Recognition & Rewards’ that was started in 2020 wants to give more room to the talents of academic staff. By this is meant that they will be able to pursue different career paths; not only in the field of research and numbers of publications but that they will also be able to grow, based on achievements in education, patient care, management or societal impact. Since no one can be good at everything, it should be enabled to make an academic career on the basis of different qualities.
Broader recognition
The national survey, which was also presented to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, intended to follow the progress of the Recognition & Rewards program. A second survey will be conducted in two years’ time. The results of the first questionnaire are now published in the Recognition & Rewards Culture barometer.
The findings of the Culture barometer show that many scientists are in favor of the broadening of career paths and focus on quality. Also, more than half of the respondents expect to be able to make more fundamental choices that correspond with their preferences, talents and phase in life in a better way, and that their work will be appraised in a broader way than previously. Almost 70% of the respondents of Amsterdam UMC expect that, as a result of this program, broader quality aspects of their work will be rewarded (much) more than before.
Points of attention
In addition to the aforementioned broad support for the program, there were also points for attention. Part of the respondents indicated that they currently experience no, or just slight changes as a result of the program. Within Amsterdam UMC, this was reported by about half of the respondents. Also, part of the respondents is concerned that after implementation of the program, opting for a specific career path may lead to a decrease in work mobility.
What is Amsterdam UMC doing?
Both deans, Saskia Peerdeman and Yvo Roos, consider the Recognition & Rewards program important: “The survey findings show that more than 60% of the responding academic staff of Amsterdam UMC experience (a lot of) recognition and appreciation for the work they do, and that they support the ambitions of the national program Recognition & Rewards. A large part of them, however, are not aware yet of the efforts our institution is engaged in with regards to Recognition & Rewards. This will become one of our main goals in the upcoming period, in addition to giving more substance to Recognition & Rewards.”
Amsterdam UMC has assigned the implementation of the talent and appointment policy along the lines of Recognition & Rewards to the Committee for Talent and Appointments (amsterdamumc.org); an independent committee that provides advice to the deans about academic staff who have been nominated to become Associate Professor, or Professor. These scientists describe their career path by way of a Qualification Portfolio in which they can describe their profile in the domains of research, education, valorization & societal impact, academic-clinical, or leadership & management. As Amsterdam UMC is an academic institution, one of the domains of research or education should always be represented.
August 29th: Dialogue meeting on Recognition & Rewards
In a special edition of the Recognition & Rewards e-magazine, the findings of the Culture barometer are elaborated upon, including an interpretation of the findings, interviews with scientists and a link to the full report. The report on Amsterdam UMC can be requested at the Research Policy Office: Contact form Research Support Amsterdam UMC.
The national program team organizes a public meeting in the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam (KNAW) to discuss the results of the Culture barometer.
Subscription is open until July 15th via Dialogue on Recognition & Rewards.