Perspective for Academics by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

PERSPECTIVE FOR academics OVERVIEW OF TALENT POLICY AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM

HR & HSE

contents

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FOREWORD: Talent policy for academics

INTRODUCTION: PERSPECTIVE FOR academics

THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT

Interview WITH prof. dr. Gerard Steen

THE PROMOTION AND APPOINTMENT YARDSTICK

Interview WITH prof. dr. Maurits van Tulder

THE TALENT REVIEW

Interview met prof. dr. Han Dolman

CAREER PLANNING AND CAREER SUPPORT

Interview WITH prof. dr. Piek Vossen

ENCOURAGING TOP TALENT IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH

Interview WITH prof. dr. Albert Menkveld

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 38

Interview WITH Caroline Kleine Staarman

Interview WITH dr. Bart de Jong

Course calendar for academicS

PUBLISHING DETAILS

FOREWORD

Talent policy for academics ‘I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.’ (Einstein)

The trouble with using a striking quote from a famous personality from the past, such as that given above, is that it may not be really applicable to the case in point. There can be no doubt that curiosity is the most important driving force for academics. We must not forget, however, that a university needs to pay close attention to nourishing the talent present within the ranks of its academic staff if it is to meet the ambitious targets in the field of research and teaching it has set itself. It follows therefore that academics need to be constantly encouraged and challenged to push their limits, and university managers have the task of bringing this about.

FRANK VAN DER DUYN SCHOUTEN Rector Magnificus

The Executive Board, in consultation with the faculties, has commissioned the development of a number of instruments to support managers in this task. These instruments are reviewed in the present brochure. They are not new. The brochure gives a brief summary of existing regulations and policies at VU University Amsterdam, including some instruments – such as the annual consultation and assessment – that have been around for a long time. The brochure will be regularly updated to ensure that it remains a living document. It also contains a number of interviews and descriptions of best practice in addition to descriptions of the various instruments. We hope that this publication will inspire not only university managers but also those for whom it is really intended – academics who are already part of the VU University Amsterdam community and those who are thinking of joining us. The main objective of the talent policy described here is to forge a strong link between them and the university.

ANNERIEK DE HEER Directeur HR & HSE

INTRODUCTION

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS THE TALENT POLICY AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM IS IMPLEMENTED AT FACULTY LEVEL. THIS BROCHURE REVIEWS THE VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS USED FOR THIS PURPOSE. THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS OF TALENT POLICY ARE ILLUSTRATED IN THE FIGURE GIVEN BELOW.

The instruments described in this brochure are intended to help managers to create good working conditions and career prospects for academic staff working at the university, to make plans for units and to implement them. It should be realized that a relationship exists between these instruments and the various management cycles within each faculty, such as the planning and control cycle, which are used to translate strategic objectives into financial and other plans. Various best practices are also discussed here by means of interviews with professionals and academics who have been involved in the concrete implementation of this policy. Finally, the brochure shows academics the kind of career support VU University Amsterdam can offer them. The information in this brochure is an abridged representation of existing policy at VU University Amsterdam. As such, it contains nothing new, but it should not be seen as a static document. The details of talent policy at VU University Amsterdam shown on VUnet, the university’s intranet, will be regularly updated.

THE ELEMENTS OF TALENT MANAGEMENT VU University Amsterdam has the following instruments at its disposal for implementing its talent policy. 1. THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT VU University Amsterdam attaches great importance to an open working environment in which academic staff and their supervisors treat one another with respect but are not afraid to discuss their mutual responsibilities. The annual consultation and assessment is an important task for managers at VU University Amsterdam. The aim is for each member of academic or other staff to discuss his or her performance with his or her supervisor once a year. This annual review of progress and results is essential if staff are to make the most of their potential. The professional development and motivation of staff is taken very seriously at VU University Amsterdam. Staff receive regular feedback from their supervisor on this topic throughout the year, but the consultation and assessment provides an opportunity for more in-depth consideration of each employee’s development and need for support, if any. This takes place within the framework and scope of the university’s overall talent policy, and is an important means of ensuring that each individual develops to the best of his or her potential.

2. THE PROMOTION AND APPOINTMENT YARDSTICK The promotion and appointment yardstick is a key element of an effective talent policy. VU University Amsterdam has various yardsticks that can be used to measure the performance of various groups. They make it possible to define the performance required in a given job in a way that is clear and transparent to everyone, and that is explicitly related to the strategic objectives. It goes without saying that these yardsticks are based on the university system for job classification (UFO in Dutch) that is used at VU University Amsterdam and all other Dutch universities. 3. THE TALENT REVIEW Once the performance required for specific jobs or job clusters has been clearly defined, team managers can use the talent review in consultation with other managers to gain an insight into the capabilities, talents and potential of individual academics and the team as a whole by discussing and mapping performances and potentials. 4. CAREER PLANNING AND CAREER SUPPORT VU University Amsterdam has the following measures aimed at improving career prospects at its disposal, to help it to recruit and retain excellent academic staff: • tenure tracks • career tracks • five-year appointments In most cases, the person in question will initially be offered a five-year contract. If the agreed targets are met, he or she will be promoted and/or offered tenure at the end of this period. 5. ENCOURAGING TOP TALENT IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH VU University Amsterdam has the following extra measures at its disposal to encourage top talent by recognizing and publicizing exceptional performance and often by making extra resources or facilities available: • appointment as a university professor • appointment to a university research chair (URC) • university research fellowships (URF) • Fenna Diemer-Lindeboom chairs for female academics • teaching professorships • Societal Impact Award (SIA) • support in grant applications and valorization activities 6. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT VU University Amsterdam recognizes the importance of continuous development for its academic staff. It therefore offers a wide range of development activities that are, of course, closely linked with the university’s teaching and research strategy and hence with the qualifications required of academics employed by the university – excellent scientific performance in the first place, but also valorization and entrepreneurial, managerial and teaching skills.

THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT IS ONE OF THE MEANS AVAILABLE TO MANAGERS AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM FOR ASSESSING AND GUIDING THE TALENTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE STAFF WHO REPORT TO THEM.

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT • Everyone at VU University Amsterdam has his or her performance evaluated once a year. • During this evaluation, the employee discusses the progress made during the past year with his or her supervisor, and (SMART) agreements are made concerning targets for the coming year. • The challenge for supervisors is to use this discussion to inspire and motivate employees, to evaluate their performance and to make room for a dialogue on mutual expectations.

VU University Amsterdam wants supervisors to evaluate and guide the work of academic staff thoroughly and transparently. Paying attention to their professional development and discovering and nurturing their talents are key aspects of this process. These topics are dealt with at least once a year at VU University Amsterdam, in a formal discussion between each employee and his or her supervisor. This is known as the annual consultation and assessment. AIM OF THE CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT Individual members of staff at VU University Amsterdam are responsible for their own career development. However, they have a right to expect the university – and in particular their own supervisor – to provide them with a clear picture of their career prospects and the coaching, mentoring and training possibilities available to support career advancement. The annual consultation and assessment is the ideal opportunity for dealing with these matters. The employee and his or her supervisor need to use this meeting to discuss performance and make agreements for the future. The consultation and assessment gives employees the chance to explain what career pathway they have in mind and what kind of individual contribution they hope to make, thus allowing them to influence their job content, working conditions and career prospects. CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS Supervisors are expected to make thorough preparations for the evaluation – but so are the employees under review. The latter share the responsibility for the success of the annual consultation and assessment. They are responsible for preparing properly, providing input and requesting feedback on a regular basis before the actual evaluation takes place. It is further important that the employee and his or her supervisor discuss the various issues on the table thoroughly

and with commitment, bearing the interests of both the individual academic and the university in mind. In other words, the annual consultation and assessment is a two-way process. ASSESSMENT The supervisor is responsible for giving regular feedback. Assessment is an important part of his or her tasks, since it provides a basis for individual academics to engage in continuous improvement, to get a clear picture of their expectations and to receive recognition for work well done. Assessment is always an integral part of the annual consultation and assessment and is recorded, with objective reasons, in the annual consultation and assessment report (Verslag jaar- en beoordelingsgesprek) (see VUnet). Assessment is in principle required before any decision affecting the legal status of the academic in question can be made. Such decisions may include the change from a temporary contract to tenure, or promotion, but also withholding periodic rise in salary or demotion. It may happen that a decision affecting the legal status of an employee has to be taken outside the regular cycle of annual consultations and assessments. In that case, an extra consultation and assessment has to be arranged since the decision in question cannot be taken without a prior annual consultation and assessment. CONTENT OF THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT The following points will be discussed during the annual consultation and assessment: • The agreements made during the previous annual consultation and assessment, and the extent to which they have been met. • Assessment of the performance in the various job-related task clusters (teaching, research and organization) and other tasks such as valorization and contributions to society. The assessment will be based on the performance agreements made during the previous annual consultation and assessment, among other things. • Objectives and agreed performance in the various relevant sectors for the coming year. • The relationship between the employee under review and the supervisor, with respect for example to the nature of the contact between them, how clearly the objectives were formulated and the effect this may have on performance and motivation. • Development of the employee under review. How can he or she achieve the agreed performance? What competencies, knowledge level or development are needed to this end, and what other conditions need to be fulfilled? What support (such as coaching by the supervisor or participation in training courses) does the employee need? Further development issues such as career prospects and short-term or long-term ambitions may need to be discussed here. • Matters such as working conditions, academic integrity,

ancillary activities, reduction of accrued holiday entitlement and other holiday-related agreements. • Agreements affecting the legal or financial status of the employees, such as the granting of tenure or promotion. The format of the annual consultation and assessment report guides employees and their supervisors through the topics to be discussed during the evaluation. WHEN IS PERFORMANCE EVALUATED? Faculties and departments usually make their strategic plans in August and September, and draw up their budgets in December. These activities set the priorities for the coming period and identify the resources needed to accomplish them. Once this has been done, managers will be able to determine the tasks to be performed and the desired outcomes – taking the academic calendar and teaching obligations into account, of course. Some units within the university therefore choose to hold their annual consultations and assessments at a fixed point within the year, for example during the first quarter of the calendar year, when the plans and the budget are known. The unit in question can then collect the career development agreements made during the annual consultation and assessment and incorporate them into its training plan and budget. WHO EVALUATES WHOM? In principle, the annual consultation and assessment always takes the form of a discussion between an employee and his or her supervisor. Ways in which this principle can be implemented in specific cases are listed below.

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

• As a rule, an employee will be evaluated by his or her hierarchic supervisor, though in some situations the functional supervisor may perform this task. For example, a PhD student may be evaluated by his or her research supervisor. • The Executive Board evaluates Deans and directors. • Deans evaluate heads of departments, heads of institutes and directors of operations. • Heads of department evaluate their staff, though they may delegate this task to professors, associate professors or team leaders.

SMART All agreements made during the annual consultation and assessment must be SMART – that is, they must be: • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Relevant • Time-bound

SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION Both the employee and his or her supervisor can approach other persons, such as the employee’s functional supervisor or a ‘client’, for further information needed for the evaluation. If they make use of this option, they should give the other party timely notice of this intention and provide the information obtained in this way during the annual consultation and assessment. KEEP SPAN OF CONTROL WITHIN LIMITS The span of control of a supervisor involved in an annual consultation and assessment should not be excessive, in order to keep the number of evaluations he or she has to perform within reasonable limits. It may be a good idea to reach agreement on the maximum span of control within each university unit, to delegate some of the evaluations to other parties or to modify the hierarchic structure of the unit.

RECOMMENDATION The content of the annual consultation and assessment should not come as a surprise. The supervisor should also discuss relevant issues with the employee throughout the year as appropriate and provide him or her with guidance and feedback.

SECOND ASSESSOR The supervisor may appoint a second assessor if he or she has insufficient knowledge of all aspects of the employee’s job. The second assessor will normally also be present during the annual consultation and assessment. In the case of PhD students, the research supervisor will usually be the chief assessor and the co-supervisor or the person providing the student with day-to-day guidance the second assessor. If one of the assessors so wishes, an advisor (for example on HRM issues) may also be present during the evaluation.

in practice

GERARD STEEN ‘THE ASSESSMENTS CAN BE A VERY USEFUL WAY OF LETTING OFF STEAM.’

‘ I REGARD IT AS IMPORTANT TO KEEP TOPICS DISCUSSED IN INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS CONFIDENTIAL, EVEN IF THEY CONCERN GROUP ACTIVITIES.’

ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT

GERARD STEEN’S FIRST ANNUAL CONSULTATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS WERE OF FIVE PhD STUDENTS WORKING ON A JOINT PROJECT IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS. ‘THEY WERE INTERESTING TALKS, BECAUSE THEY INVOLVED GROUP PROCESSES AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES.’

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAIN ADDED VALUE OF SUCH EVALUATIONS? “Annual consultations and assessments can provide an excellent opportunity for the employee under review to let off steam. This can be a very useful way of clarifying some of the underlying issues that come to light during the evaluation, which may have a strong emotional impact and be difficult to deal with. Bringing these issues out into the open makes them easier to discuss and hence more manageable, and to reach career development agreements on this basis. An additional advantage is that the employee and his or her supervisor need to agree during the discussion which items have to be included in the annual consultation and assessment report, and which can be omitted. This forces the supervisor and the employee to determine jointly the real importance of the issues the employee mentions as he or she lets off steam. The annual consultation and assessment checklist provides useful support here. If these problems are not mentioned at all during the evaluation, they could fester and lead to greater problems later. Letting off steam avoids this.”

WHAT DID YOU SEE AS THE MAIN AIM OF THESE EVALUATIONS? “We already had a lot of contact on a day-to-day basis, so I saw the annual consultation and assessment mainly as an opportunity to stand back and ask such questions as: How has the work been going so far? Are you on schedule? What contribution have you personally made to the results achieved? And what still needs to be done to round the research project off properly? The special thing about these discussions was that I was talking to people who work as a group. What really counted in the final analysis was the joint result. As the chief evaluator, you had to walk a very careful line to make sure you didn’t get mixed up.” WHAT WERE THE MAIN PITFALLS? “Well, for example, I had to take care not to compare the candidates with one another but to concentrate on each one’s individual questions and problems. What might seem a reasonable target for the group as a whole might turn out to be too challenging – or too easy – for the individual.” HOW CAN YOU DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES? “I regard it as important to keep topics discussed during individual annual consultations and assessments confidential, even if they concern group activities. The various group members will notice soon enough whether one of their number wants to step up the pace at a given moment, while another may feel the need to go a bit slower. You may feel it appropriate to touch on this point in the annual consultation and assessment with the individual concerned.”

GERARD STEEN IS PROFESSOR OF LANGUAGE USAGE AND COGNITION. HIS SPECIAL INTERESTS INCLUDE METAPHOR IN DAY-TO-DAY LANGUAGE USAGE, COMMUNICATIVE ACTS AND COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS.

THE PROMOTION AND APPOINTMENT YARDSTICK THE PROMOTION AND APPOINTMENT YARDSTICK USED AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM COMPRISES A LIST OF REQUIREMENTS TO BE MET BY A MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF IN A PARTICULAR JOB OR AT A PARTICULAR JOB LEVEL.

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT EXISTING YARDSTICKS • Various faculties have developed yardsticks for a number of jobs. For example, the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences has developed yardsticks for assistant and associate professors, and the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences has formulated requirements for academic staff in each job category. • Another example is provided by the Faculty of Arts, where agreement is reached during the annual consultation and assessment on the expected performance in each aspect of the job. A need was felt here for a better measure of the performance of researchers. A yardstick for publications was developed to meet this need. • VU University Amsterdam now also has a set of yardsticks for professors at its disposal. In the framework of the Professorship Policy VU for the period 2011-2015, each faculty has developed a yardstick that can be used to measure the performance of its professors in the fields of teaching, research, social relevance and professionalism. The yardstick can be used for example in the management of the career track or tenure track of the professor in question, and is useful during the recruitment and selection process for informing the Executive Board and the Deans of how well the selected candidate meets the various criteria. See VUnet > Professorship Policy VU .

The university system for job classification known as Universitair Functieordenen (UFO) in Dutch is used in all Dutch universities. Everyone working at a Dutch university is assigned a UFO job description and a corresponding job level. These descriptions are quite general, and form the basis for the yardsticks. Each faculty then formulates more detailed requirements for each job description. For example, while the UFO job description may simply state that a professor should publish, the yardstick may specify how many publications, the status of the journals in which they are published and the desired number of citations, in addition to such additional criteria as teaching, the ability to attract funding and the number of doctoral studies supervised. Certain qualifications are also required for specific jobs, such as a doctorate or teaching qualifications such as the basic teaching qualifications (BKO in Dutch).

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE YARDSTICKS The promotion and appointment yardstick can be used for a number of purposes, such as: • Recruitment, selection and promotion The yardstick can be useful during the recruitment and selection of employees, by laying down the requirements an employee should meet. It can also help when promotion is being considered, by providing a basis on which the faculty can lay out a promotion pathway in consultation with the employee in question. • Employee development The yardstick can provide similar services in the field of employee development, for example by pointing out where the employee in question is performing well, where he or she is not, and where further development is required. It can also assist in the formulation of a development pathway. • Talent review Finally, the yardstick can also be a useful tool in the talent review, where a team leader inventories the capabilities of individual team members and of the team as a whole (for further details, see the chapter on The Talent Review). For example, it can provide added value when measuring the current performance of employees and when estimating their scope for improvement. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A YARDSTICK The development of a yardstick is precision work. The UFO system provides the general basis as mentioned above, but the specific details vary from one job or one faculty to another. The yardstick changes and grows alongside the organization it serves, and is thus far from a static instrument. The yardstick for a particular faculty will be in line with the vision of VU University Amsterdam and with the terms of the relevant Collective Labour Agreement. When designing its own particular yardstick, each faculty will have to bear in mind the plans and visions of the Executive Board and the say employees have concerning their own development.

EXAMPLES OF FACULTY YARDSTICKS FOR PROFESSORS SURVEY OF SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL CHAIRS, TAKEN FROM THE POLICY ON PROFESSORSHIPS AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM FOR THE PERIOD 2011-2015. THE TALENT REVIEW MATRIX IS CREATED BY PLACING ALL RELEVANT PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL REQUIREMENTS IN A SINGLE FIGURE. Sci,

ELS

HMS

T/E Unit 1

Norm

ACTA Norm see VUmc

Lecturing (over 3-year period)

Contact hours/year

Supervision of work groups, practicals & ﬁeld work (over 3-year period)

Contact hours/year

Total No. of Bachelor’s theses supervised Total No. of Master’s theses supervised 1

1. Teaching

Membership of teaching development and renewal committee

27 (bz)

10 (bz)

ELSgood

Norm 10

Norm10

number

Contact hours/year

number of years description

HMS 4

PP 3.4

BKO

good

Norm

good

GEN1

Norm 4 (bz)

Norm

1 (bz)

27 (bz)

5 (bz)

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number

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Yes/No number

10Yes

10 Yes

number

110/30

1 15

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BKO/SKO

Teaching qualiﬁcations

Academic articles, total indexed 2. Research

Academic articles, peer-reviewed Has doctorate

Academic articles, non-peer-reviewed

2.1 Relevant academic publications and citations

number of years number description number

number

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number

Academic booksauthor and monographs Listed as main of academic articles

number number

Chapters books total indexed Academicinarticles,

number number

Academic articles, peer-reviewed Cited as main author (according to Web of Science)

number number

Academic articles, non-peer-reviewed Cited as main author (according to Google Scholar)

number number

Academic books and monographs

number

Chapters in books

number

Cited as main author (according to Web of Science)

number

Total citations (according to Web of Science) Total citations (according to Google Scholar)

Hirsch index (according to Web of Science) Cited as main author (according to Google Scholar) Hirsch index (according to Google Scholar)

number number value

Total citations (according to Web of Science)

number

Total citations (according to Google Scholar)

number

Hirsch index divided by number of years in research Distinctive contribution to scholarship Hirsch index (according to Web of Science)

2.2 Ability to attract funding Hirsch index (according to Google Scholar) Total government or European (NWO, ZonMw, KP7, ERC) Hirsch index divided by numberfunding of yearsacquired in research Total contract funding acquired Distinctive contribution to scholarship 2.2 Ability to attract funding 2.3 Supervision or co-supervision of doctoral studies Total government or European funding acquired (NWO, ZonMw, KP7, ERC)

Supervisions or funding co-supervisions Total contract acquiredcompleted Supervisions or co-supervisions planned

2.3 Supervision or co-supervision of doctoral studies

2.4 Stature or co-supervisions completed Supervisions Membership responsible Supervisionsof orcommissions co-supervisions planned for awarding grants Invited keynote speaker at national or international congresses 2.4 Stature

value

description k€ k€

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number number

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number number

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Membership of board of scientiﬁc or academic associations or other bodies Editor or referee of national or international journals or book series

Relevant academic prizes Membership of board of scientific or academic associations or other bodies 3.Relevant Currentacademic span of control prizes (management experience) of academic staff managed 3 Number 3. Current span of control (management experience) Numberofofadministrative academic staffand managed Number support staff managed of administrative and support staff managed 4.Number Social relevance 4 4.1 4. Social relevance Economic value (valorization) 4.1 Economic value (valorization) Membership of advisory committees in commercial field Membership of advisory committees in commercial field Patents, sale of intellectual property Patents, sale of intellectual property

Involvement Involvementininspin-oﬀ spin-oﬀor or start-up start-up companies companies 4.2 4.2Social Socialand andcultural culturalvalue value Professionalpublications publications (articles (articles in journals, books Professional books or or parts partsof ofbooks, books,footnotes, footnotes, contributionsto tocongresses, congresses, protocols protocols or reports) contributions reports) Laypublications publications(books (booksor or parts parts of of books, books, contributions Lay contributionsto todaily dailyor orweekly weeklynewspapers newspapers magazines, TV or radio appearances, book reviews) orormagazines, TV or radio appearances, book reviews)

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see VUmc see VUmc

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500

800

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1 1

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value

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BKO

description value k€ value

Norm

6 (bz)

number

value

ACTA

see VUmc

10 (bz)

2.Total Research No. of Bachelor’s theses supervised Membership of teaching development renewal committee 2.1 Relevant academic publications andand citations

adequate VUmc> 3.5 VUmc

6 (bz)

T/E

Unit number

Contact hours/year

Leading role inauthor curriculum renewal articles Listed as main of academic 2

number

Lecturing (over 3-year period)

Teaching qualiﬁcations Assessment of teaching performance (by students or others) 2

40 Sci,good

Supervision of work groups, practicals & ﬁeld work (over 3-year period)

Leading role in curriculum renewal

Norm

VUmc

GEN1

1. Teaching

Assessment of teaching performance (by students or others)

Norm

VUmc

3 3

see VUmc 0

see VUmc see VUmc see VUmc

0 see VUmc see VUmc

20 20 10 10

The norm at VUMc is one professor as head of department, a research professor and a professor in an endowed chair.

It isnorm intended to take as the norm. The at VUMc is BKO one professor as head of department, a research professor and a professor in an endowed chair. intendedto totake take BKO BKO as as the the norm. norm. ItItisisintended 3 It is intended to take BKO as the norm. 23

Key to abbreviations in table: Sci = Faculty of Sciences; ELS = Faculty of Earth & Life Sciences; HMS = Faculty of Human Movement Sciences; PP = Faculty of Psychology & Education; VUMc = VU Medical Centre; ACTA = Dentistry; BKO = basic teaching qualification; SKO = senior teaching qualification; bz = professor in endowed chair NWO = Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research; ZonMw = Dutch Organization for Healthcare Research and Care innovation; KP7 = European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development; ERC = European Research Council.

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

BENEFITS OF THE YARDSTICK The use of a yardstick has a number of benefits. 1. Well-defined criteria The expected performance per job or job level is clearly described and defined in concrete terms. 2. Clear expectations The yardstick makes it clear to academic staff what the faculty expects of them, since the required performances are clearly described. 3. Transparency Since the requirements to be met by a member of academic staff are unambiguously explained, it is clear, for example, why one employee is promoted while another is not. Career prospects, and the requirements for advancement to the next level if there is scope for this, also become much clearer. 4. Quality control Clear information from the faculty about the requirements set for each job improves quality control, since the criteria used are well defined and available for all to see.

RECOMMENDATIONS • Involve professionals such as HRM staff in the design of yardsticks. • Excessive use of criteria can lead to rigidity. A flexible approach should therefore be taken to the use of yardsticks. • Yardsticks should be regularly evaluated. Comparison with other universities at home and abroad will help to increase acceptance of a yardstick and to make it more challenging. • The performances of academics in different disciplines – such as the number of publications, for example – are not always comparable. Each yardstick is only valid for the discipline for which it has been designed. • A yardstick is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It provides a basis for a functional, transparent talent policy.

5. Future prospects The yardstick helps to clarify employees’ future prospects. It shows the point reached at present by each employee as regards knowledge, skills and output, and how he or she will need to develop in future in order to seize any chances of advancement that may be available.

YARDSTICK

• A yardstick is a set of requirements to be met by a member of academic staff in a particular job. • Each yardstick is based on the UFO job classification for the job in question as used at VU University Amsterdam and all other Dutch universities.

In practice

Maurits van Tulder ‘THE YARDSTICK FOR TEACHING STAFF HAS PLENTY OF BENEFITS AND NO DRAWBACKS.’

’WE HAVE BEEN SHARPENING OUR FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF TEACHING IN OUR FACULTY IN RECENT YEARS.’

PROMOTION AND APPOINTMENT YARDSTICK

MAURITS VAN TULDER WAS INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YARDSTICK FOR TEACHING STAFF IN THE FACULTY OF EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCES. ‘IT’S AN EXTREMELY USEFUL MANAGEMENT TOOL.’ WHY DID WE NEED A YARDSTICK FOR TEACHING STAFF? “A need was felt in our faculty for a clear set of criteria for the promotion of teaching staff. Many existing criteria at VU University Amsterdam focused on research or on combined research and teaching jobs. There were no criteria that applied exclusively to teaching staff, even though the focus on the quality of teaching in our faculty – and throughout VU University Amsterdam – has been steadily intensifying in recent years. In addition, we want to be able to offer good career prospects to academic staff who want to concentrate on teaching. We therefore decided in 2010 to develop a yardstick especially for this group, in order to boost the quality of teaching in our faculty.”

HOW DOES THE YARDSTICK WORK IN PRACTICE? “The main benefit of the yardstick is the clarity it provides. Both managers and staff are now left in no doubt whether a given member of teaching staff is ready for promotion or not. For example, the yardstick specifies that a member of teaching staff who wants to move from level four (lecturer) to level three (assistant or associate professor) must have a doctorate. It follows in practice that members of teaching staff who want to be considered for such a promotion must be given the opportunity to follow a doctoral study. And when new members of teaching staff are being recruited, we could introduce the requirement that all candidates have to have a doctorate. The same criteria apply to everyone.” YOU HAVE BEEN USING THE YARDSTICK FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS? “Not really. We have been very satisfied in our faculty with the way the yardstick works, and there has been no need to adjust it. It’s an extremely useful management tool. It avoids disappointment, though not everyone is yet aware that meeting the requirements does not necessarily mean that you are going to be promoted. The yardstick represents a minimum requirement, that’s all. Still, everyone knows what the criteria are, and there has so far been no need to modify them. It’s a win-win situation.”

HOW DID THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS GO? “The HRM department of the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences developed the yardstick in consultation with the teaching staff. We considered the job description for teaching staff, together with the conditions laid down in the Collective Labour Agreement and information provided by the Executive Board. On the basis of this input, we decided which criteria were really applicable and suitable for use in the yardstick. We then sought approval for the criteria we had selected through the usual employee participation process.” HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO DEVELOP THE YARDSTICK? “Not long at all – some two to three months. The development process was fast and efficient.”

PROF. MAURITS IS PROFESSOR OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCES IN THE FACULTY OF EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCES. HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YARDSTICK FOR TEACHING STAFF IN THIS FACULTY.

THE TALENT REVIEW MANAGERS AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM CAN HOLD AN ANNUAL TALENT REVIEW TO ENABLE THEM TO RECOGNIZE THE CAPABILITIES AND POTENTIAL OF TALENTED EMPLOYEES AT AN EARLY STAGE AND TO SEE HOW THEY FIT IN WITH THE UNIVERSITY’S AMBITIONS. THE TALENT REVIEW MATRIX IS A USEFUL AID IN THIS REGARD.

perspectief FOR PERSPECTIVE voorACADEMICS wetenschappers

THE TALENT REVIEW Talent reviews form part of the strategic HR planning cycle, alongside the annual consultation and assessment, training plans, HR budget, annual plans and succession management. A manager can use a talent review to map the competencies present in his or her team. It is also useful for revealing the overall potential of all employees, allowing the manager to set clear priorities for measures aimed at supporting employees’ development and the successive steps in their career pathway.

VU University Amsterdam uses talent reviews at two different levels. At strategic level, the Executive Board holds an annual talent review of Deans and directors. And at unit level, managers are increasingly holding talent reviews both of administrative and support staff and of academic staff. The considerations given below apply only to academic staff. THE AIM OF THE TALENT REVIEW The talent review gives a clear picture of the competencies and potentials available within a given organization or unit. The power of this instrument is that it can easily be used by managers to gain an overall insight into the performance, potential and career direction of staff and of the unit as a whole. The talent review gives a comprehensive overview of the strengths and weaknesses of all members of the unit. When used properly, it can help staff to make the best use of their potential. THE TALENT REVIEW IN PRACTICE One of the benefits of the talent review is that it gives a clear indication of which talented employees are ready for the next step in their career pathway, and who is a likely candidate for an important job or commission. When a vacancy exists or a one-off job has to be done that might for example lead to the successful candidate being placed on a tenure track (see chapter on career planning), the talent review can be used to decide whether internal talent should be actively encouraged to apply. It can also be used to decide what can be done to keep employees active and provide them with sufficient challenges when they make a useful contribution but are unlikely to be promoted further. Every team is in a constant state of flux. The talent review yields a snapshot of the dynamic development of capabilities and potential within the team, and can be used as the basis for a discussion, for example with other managers, of how best to deploy and develop the available talents.

A JOINT UNDERTAKING A manager will in principle never carry out a talent review on his or her own, but for example in cooperation with other managers and possibly a personnel consultant. This joint approach is perhaps the greatest strength of this instrument. The exchange of information and views on the talent and potential of staff not only helps individual managers to get a clearer picture of the capabilities of staff but also strengthens the collective vision on how to spot and encourage talent. Reaching a joint conclusion makes it easier to see which talents are available in-house, which employees can best be deployed where and which skills the team lacks. It should be stressed that these questions should always be viewed in the light of the unit’s strategic objectives. HOW THE TALENT REVIEW WORKS The talent review consists of five steps: • Determining the current performance of employees • Determining their development potential • Exploring the context and causes of performance and potential • Analysing the team profile • Choosing suitable interventions and incentives. STEP 1

Determining the current performance of employees First of all, the responsible manager inventories the current performance of employees, for example on the basis of annual consultation and assessment reports, and bearing in mind the objectives and tasks set for his department or unit. This can only be done properly if the right yardstick is used to measure performance (see the chapter on yardsticks). STEP 2

Determining employees’ development potential The next step is to ask what progress individual employees can be expected to make in their present position, and what indications there are for continued growth further along the career pathway. There are four possible answers to this question: ‘development limit reached’, ‘growth at current level’, ‘promote in 2-3 years’ and ‘promote now’. Not only the development potential but also the direction and timing of further moves along the career pathway should be taken into consideration here. Combining the growth potential with the performance measure of individual employees yields the talent review matrix.

EXAMPLE OF THE TALENT REVIEW MATRIX FOR A TEAM

EXCELLENT

VERY GOOD

GOOD

NEARLY ADEQUATE

PERFORMANCE*/ potential

INADEQUATE

THE TALENT REVIEW MATRIX IS FORMED BY COMBINING THE PERFORMANCE AND GROWTH POTENTIAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES IN A SINGLE FIGURE

PROMOTE NOW PROMOTE SOON (WITHIN 2-3 YEARS)

GROWTH AT CURRENT LEVEL DEVELOPMENT LIMIT REACHED

The colours of the dots representing individual employees in the matrix can be used to denote certain properties such as age. Taken together, the talent review matrix thus gives a complex picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the unit in question, with a focus on various features. * The performance measures used in the talent review matrix are taken from the annual consultation and assessment report: • A = excellent • B = very good • C = good • D = nearly adequate • E = inadequate

STEP 3

STEP 4

Explorating the context and causes of performance and potential The manager now works together with colleagues to examine the causes and content of the performance of individual employees in each cell of the talent review matrix. Questions such as the following may be asked in this connection: • Is this a trend, or a one-off situation? • Do external factors play a role here? • Are personal factors involved? • Or are internal organizational factors involved? • Has the individual’s growth potential been properly evaluated or estimated? • Which factors can play a role in helping the individual to improve his or her performance? • Does it make a difference if the individual’s performance and potential are viewed in the light of the unit’s strategic objectives?

Analysing the team profile Finally, placing the scores of all individual team members in the talent review matrix gives an overall picture of the performance and potential of the team as a whole. The manager should check the matrix to see whether it reveals a pattern. This team profile shows up opportunities and problems for the team as a whole, and provides a basis for the setting of priorities. The matrix in which details of all team members have been filled in gives a picture of the status of the team as a whole. Other characteristics can also be added, such as age and/or gender distribution and availability for teaching and research.

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

STEP 5

Choosing suitable interventions and incentives Decisions can be made about training or other development measures or suitable interventions for individual team members on the basis of their position in the talent review matrix. The talent review should not be seen as a replacement of the annual consultation and assessment, it is too blunt an instrument for that. It does however offer a means of getting an overall picture of team performance and potential, on the basis of in-depth interviews and filling in the outcomes of these discussions in the matrix.

RECOMMENDATION It is a good idea to hold a talent review in consultation with managers of units from more distant parts of the organization as well as more closely related units. This gives the weighted picture of team performance and potential more depth and added value.

THE TALENT REVIEW IS A SNAPSHOT It should not be forgotten that the talent review is a snapshot of a given situation at a given time, which is more suitable as a basis for discussion than as a decision-making tool. This does not mean, however, that the information it provides is too vague for any policy-making purposes. On the contrary, it can give useful indications concerning concrete activities such as drawing up budgets and making plans for the development and promotion of employees.

THE TALENT REVIEW

â&#x20AC;˘ Aims to give a global overview of the capabilities of all employees in a given department or other unit. â&#x20AC;˘ Encourages managers to enter into discussion with colleagues about the performance of their staff.

in practice

HAN DOLMAN ‘THIS APPROACH GAVE US A QUICK INSIGHT INTO THE SITUATION.’

‘THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE PERSONNEL CONSULTANT ALONGSIDE THE CLUSTER MANAGERS ENSURED THAT THE ASSESSMENTS WE MADE WERE MORE OR LESS STANDARDIZED.’

TALENT REVIEW

HAN DOLMAN, HEAD OF THE EARTH SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF THE FACULTY OF EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCES, HELD A TALENT REVIEW OF HIS DEPARTMENT. ‘WE WANTED AN OVERVIEW OF HOW FAR THE VARIOUS MEMBERS OF OUR DEPARTMENT HAD ADVANCED ALONG THEIR CAREER PATHWAY. WE GOT THE RESULTS WE NEEDED QUITE QUICKLY, AND THE REVIEW HAD A NUMBER OF SURPRISING IMPLICATIONS IN STORE FOR US.’

HOW EASY IS THIS INSTRUMENT TO USE? “It’s quite easy to use. Our personnel consultant worked with the cluster managers to map the situation of the various employees, and then I discussed the results with the cluster managers. That gave a pretty clear picture.” HOW OBJECTIVE IS THE INSTRUMENT? “Of course, the talent review is a subjective matter, but the involvement of the personnel consultant alongside the cluster managers ensured that the assessments we made were more or less standardized.” DO YOU ACTUALLY REGARD THE TALENT REVIEW AS AN ASSESSMENT? “No, I don’t. It gives an overview of the career prospects of all members of the department, and that is what we use it for. The data it produces are kept confidential: we don’t even show them to the management team.” FINALLY, HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT THOUGHT OF A SOLUTION FOR THE GROUP OF EMPLOYEES WHOSE CAREER DEVELOPMENT HAS MORE OR LESS STAGNATED? “Yes, we have. It occurred to us that we should ask these assistant and associate professors whether they are more interested in research or teaching. Concentration on one of these aspects is often at the expense of the other, and some members of this group might like to focus exclusively on teaching rather than research or vice versa. We hope that this approach may give their career a new impulse.”

WHAT WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR HOLDING THE TALENT REVIEW? “We were setting up a strategic HR management plan. To do this, we had to know what point the various employees had reached in their career, what scope there was for further development, how many employees there were whose career development had come to a standstill, etc. There were about forty permanent employees and about sixty temporary ones.” WERE THE RESULTS SURPRISING? “Some were, and some were not. It was not surprising to see who came out of the review as talented. These people are active, visible members of the team, so we know who they are. What was surprising – in fact, it came as a bit of a shock – was the large number of middle-aged assistant and associate professors who were unlikely to see much promotion, if any, during the rest of their careers. They still have fifteen or twenty years to go before they reach retirement. It suddenly became very apparent that we had to think of a solution for this group.”

HAN DOLMAN IS PROFESSOR OF ECOHYDROLOGY AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES. HE WAS AWARDED THE PRESTIGIOUS VERNADSKY MEDAL AT THE END OF 2012 FOR HIS STUDY OF THE CARBON CYCLE. HIS SPECIAL INTEREST IS THE INTAKE AND RELEASE OF CARBON IN THE BIOSPHERE.

CAREER PLANNING AND CAREER SUPPORT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM HAS A NUMBER OF INSTRUMENTS IT CAN USE TO OFFER TALENTED ACADEMICS GOOD CAREER PROSPECTS, TO REWARD THEM WHEN THEY MEET AGREED PERFORMANCE TARGETS, TO RETAIN THEIR SERVICES FOR THE UNIVERSITY, TO INSPIRE AND CHALLENGE THEM. THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE CALLED TENURE TRACKS, CAREER TRACKS AND FIVE-YEAR APPOINTMENTS. THEY SHOW A CERTAIN OVERLAP, AND PROPER USE OF THESE CAREER PLANNING AND CAREER SUPPORT INSTRUMENTS IS PRECISION WORK AND SITUATIONDEPENDENT.

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

PROF. DR. HENRI DEKKER ‘ In brief, we consider teaching performance, work on committees and in university administration, whether the candidate has submitted a research proposal to the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and research performance. This final aspect is the most important.’ Prof. Henri Dekker is a member of the Tenure Committee.

1. TENURE TRACK The tenure track is particularly useful in international recruitment or the recruitment of exceptional talent. The idea here is that the successful will gain tenure if he or she meets agreed performance targets and has excellent evaluations. This instrument enhances career prospects for academics and adds clarity. The aim is to increase transparency through clear agreements about possible advancement. The tenure track is moreover a useful recruitment tool, especially for candidates from abroad. The idea is that successful candidates are offered a temporary contract, coupled with clear agreements that they will be offered both promotion and tenure if they meet predefined performance targets at the end of the trial period. In general, academics on a tenure track start off at assistant or associate professor level, but in some cases the starting level will be researcher or lecturer. The benefit of the tenure track from the university’s point of view is that they get ample time to determine whether the employee in question really meets expectations. The benefit for academics is that their career prospects are clear: if they do well, they will be promoted to the job at the promised level and will get tenure.

2. CAREER TRACK The career track may be seen as a special form of the tenure track, where the employee in question already has tenure at the start of the process. His or her manager makes clear agreements about the career prospects if the performance requirements are met: either promotion to a certain position or nomination to a chair. It should be noted that open recruitment is the norm for most positions at VU University Amsterdam. As far as professors are concerned, this is laid down in the Professorship Policy VU. It is only possible to appoint someone to a chair directly without a competitive recruitment process if certain conditions are met and the career track has been registered by the Secretary of the Consultative Body of VU University Amsterdam (BOVU), formed by the Executive Board and the Deans of the faculties. 3. FIVE-YEAR APPOINTMENT Five-year appointments can be useful when managers are looking for a flexible, low-risk recruitment strategy. This instrument may be considered for example when it is desired to appoint someone to an externally endowed chair for which there is not yet any structural place within the university. It gives the university more of a free hand when recruiting staff, while reducing the risks involved. In this construction, for example professors in an externally endowed chair or associated professors who seem to be promising material for a full professorship can be appointed for a five-year period. This avoids the risk of making longterm commitments at an early stage. If they perform well during this five-year period, they can then be given tenure. This approach can also be applied to staff who are already employed by the university. If they do well during the initial five-year appointment, they can then be permanently employed in another position. 4. ASSESSMENT AND REMUNERATION Performance in these career pathways can be assessed on the basis of the competencies mentioned in the UFO job classification and the criteria used in the yardsticks defined by the various faculties. The selection and appointment criteria such as number of publications and citations, ability to attract funding and teaching qualifications are specified in detail by each faculty and laid down in individual agreements. In the case of a tenure track, for example, a candidate may initially be offered a two-year contract followed by an interim assessment. If the results of this assessment are favourable, a further temporary contract of say four years may be offered. One year before the end of this second contract, a decision can be made as to whether the candidate will be promoted and given tenure. If not, the final year can be used to explore further career possibilities. Similar interim assessments can also be built

into career tracks and five-year appointments. Managers are not the only ones who should follow the progress of employees on one of these career pathways. Faculty Boards should also give an opinion on the steps to be taken in response to the performance of these academics. The best way to do this is to set up an independent assessment committee, which advises the Board on whether to prolong the contract with the academic in question for a further four years after the initial two years in the case of a tenure track. The committee also assesses whether the candidate should be given tenure and a permanent promotion at the end of a tenure or career track or a five-year appointment. 5. IF THE PERFORMANCE TARGETS ARE NOT MET Of course, not everyone selected for one of these career promotion tracks will make the grade. Candidates are told clearly in advance what performance targets they are expected to meet, and if they fail to do so they will be informed of this fact in good time. Those on a tenure track whose contract will not be renewed after the initial twoyear period will be informed of this at least four months

before the end of the contract. If it is decided towards the end of the subsequent four-year period that the candidate will not be offered tenure and promotion, he or she will be given time during the final year of the temporary contract to explore other opportunities on the labour market or within VU University Amsterdam. Similarly, employees with a permanent contract who may need to resume their previous job or whose career track does not result in the promotion that had been provisionally promised them, should probably start looking for new career challenges rather than returning to their old job. Personnel consultants from VU University Amsterdam and the faculty network will support them in this search. In fact, the university is under an obligation to offer academics who fail to make the grade on a tenure track optimal support in reorienting on the labour market.

TENURE TRACK, AN EXAMPLE PERIOD UP TO END OF YEAR 2

PERIOD UP TO END OF YEAR 6

TENURE AS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

ASSESSMENT FOR SECOND PERIOD 4 MONTHS BEFORE END OF YEAR 2

ASSESSMENT FOR TENURE BEFORE END OF YEAR 5

TENURE AND PROMOTION TO FINAL POSITION AFTER YEAR 6

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

See VU Net: > Tenure track > Professorship Policy VU > Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities 2011-2013, Article 6.5a and Article 2.2 subsection 5

in practice

PIEK VOSSEN ‘I WAS SURE I WOULD DO WELL.’

‘ A TENURE TRACK CAN BE VERY ATTRACTIVE FOR ACADEMICS AT THE START OF THEIR CAREER.’

CAREER PLANNING AND CAREER SUPPORT

LINGUIST PIEK VOSSEN WAS APPOINTED PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS AT THE END OF 2011, AS PART OF A TENURE TRACK ARRANGEMENT. HE DID VERY WELL OUT OF IT. A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, HE WAS AWARDED THE SPINOZA PRIZE BY THE

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF TENURE TRACKS? “I think it’s a good system for VU University Amsterdam. It allows the university to attract talented academics for whom there is no permanent vacancy at the moment by offering them the chance of tenure in the future. This can be particularly attractive for talented academics at the start of their career.” HAS THE PROFESSORSHIP STRENGTHENED YOUR LINKS WITH VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM? “Yes, it has. It has broadened my field of activity and made it more interesting, for example by giving me more teaching responsibilities. I hardly did any teaching before. Now I have to combine research and teaching. That’s a new challenge for me, and I like it.”

NETHERLANDS ORGANIZATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (NWO), THE HIGHEST HONOUR FOR DUTCH ACADEMICS. THE SPINOZA PRIZE IS WORTH 2.5 MILLION EUROS, TO BE USED FOR A RESEARCH PROJECT. WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF YOUR INVESTIGATION? “I am studying how computers can understand language. Language consists of words in context. A message means nothing without the context. I use linguistics in combination with computer science in my study to recognize contexts in a language. This approach allows computers to understand language better.” YOU WERE APPOINTED TO A CHAIR AT THE END OF 2011, AS PART OF A TENURE TRACK ARRANGEMENT. BUT A TENURE TRACK DOES NOT OFFER ANY GUARANTEE OF TENURE. IT’S AN ‘UP OR OUT’ SYSTEM. DID YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE? “I had to prove myself to come into consideration for tenure. I knew that. But I was sure I would do well. I worked hard and I met the requirements set – in fact, I performed better than average. So I didn’t really feel under pressure because of the need to meet a target. It was more of a challenge.” WAS IT YOUR AMBITION TO BECOME A PROFESSOR? “Not initially. I worked for ten years in industry first. Even during my tenure track, I was not quite sure what my plans were. At that time I had been invited to become the director of an American company, so I asked VU University Amsterdam what the position was. They replied that they would be willing to offer me the chair with tenure, so I accepted their offer.”

PIEK VOSSEN IS PROFESSOR OF COMPUTATIONAL LEXICOGRAPHY – A SORT OF CROSS BETWEEN A LINGUIST AND A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER – IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS. HE STUDIES HOW COMPUTERS CAN UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE, AND IS CURRENTLY APPLYING HIS RESULTS IN A ‘HISTORY RECORDER’, A COMPUTER THAT READS FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS AND RECORDS WHO DID WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE.

ENCOURAGING TOP TALENT IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM EMPLOYS A NUMBER OF ACADEMICS WHO ARE GLOBAL LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD. THE UNIVERSITY HAS DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF MEASURES THAT HELP IT TO ENCOURAGE SUCH TOP TALENTS, RETAIN THEIR SERVICES AND ACKNOWLEDGE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE.

perspectief FOR PERSPECTIVE voorACADEMICS wetenschappers

EXTRA MEASURES VU University Amsterdam has the following extra measures at its disposal to encourage top teaching and research talent and recognize exceptional performance: 1. Appointment as a University Professor 2. Appointment to a University Research Chair (URC) 3. Fenna Diemer-Lindeboom chairs for female academics 4. University Research Fellowships (URF) 5. Teaching professorships 6. Societal Impact Award (SIA) 7. Support in subsidy applications and valorization activities

1. APPOINTMENT AS A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR The Executive Board can recognize exceptional talent in professors at VU University Amsterdam by giving them the title of University Professor. This title is only awarded to a very small number of professors who may be regarded as the university’s luminaries thanks to the great merit of their academic work or their services to society. The appointment Faculties who believe they have a good candidate for the title of University Professor can submit the name of the person in question annually to the Executive Board, who will pass these proposals on to the Appointments Committee which consists of selected professors. The actual appointment of university professors is made annually by the Executive Board on the recommendation of the Appointments Committee. Faculties can also propose candidates for this title from outside VU University Amsterdam. The Executive Board ensures that there is a proper balance between male and female candidates and candidates from outside the Netherlands. VU University Amsterdam can appoint university professors for a period of five years, and can renew the appointment for one further five-year period. The minimum workload of a university professor is 0.4 FTE.

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field. They are visible figures in national debate, known at an international level and help to determine the face of the university. An important difference between university professors and ordinary professors is that the former have no management and administrative tasks and no responsibility for other faculty-related matters. They may however play a prominent role in such events as the opening of the academic year and the Dies Natalis – the celebration of the anniversary of the foundation of the university in 1880 – a series of special lectures, a debate or other occasions intended to add lustre to the university. Special facilities for university professors University professors are granted special facilities such as office space, a personal budget for travel, supplies and activities, extra research funding, freedom from administrative and teaching responsibilities, and extra support from a University Research Fellow and a secretariat. The faculty and the Executive Board share the costs of the appointment equally.

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2. APPOINTMENT TO A UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CHAIR (URC) VU University Amsterdam uses appointment to a URC as a means of recognizing exceptional talent in researchers or associate professors who are regarded as up and coming leaders in their field. The Executive Board facilitates this appointment by awarding an extra research and teaching budget and by bearing part of the salary costs for the URC. The appointment Up to five professors are appointed to URCs each year. Candidates are excellent academics who perform exceptionally well at professorial level. They are appointed for a five-year period, with the intention of awarding them tenure at the end of this period. The nomination procedure is comparable with that for ordinary professors at VU University Amsterdam. Deans can select nominees by means of a competitive international recruitment procedure, or may choose to appoint an internal candidate by a transparent closed selection procedure. The number of nominations is limited, and depends on the size of the faculty. A university-wide URC Selection Committee selects the best candidates.

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Added value of the appointment The URC is both an appointment and a means of recognizing exceptional talent. Holders of a URC help to shape the research reputation of VU University Amsterdam, and appointment to such a chair enhances the career prospects of the holder. In addition to the title of professor, holders of a URC enjoy certain privileges.

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Special facilities for holders of URCs The Executive Board makes special funding arrangements for URCs. The faculty to which the URC belongs receives part of the salary costs of this chair for a five-year period.

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Added value of the appointment University professors are exceptional academics who are internationally recognized and respected as leaders in their

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PROF. DR. JAAP SEIDELL ‘ It was an honour to be appointed to the position of University Professor. I appreciate this sign of recognition from VU University Amsterdam. It shows that the Executive Board is aware of the work we are doing, and recognizes its value. That is very encouraging.’ Jaap Seidell is Professor of Nutrition and Health at VU University Amsterdam, and was appointed to the position of University Professor on 1 January 2013.

Holders of a URC get an extra research budget, and guaranteed admission to the Academic Leadership training course or a comparable training course. Finally, they are entitled to a tailor-made training and career development package. 3. FENNA DIEMER-LINDEBOOM (FDL) CHAIRS FOR FEMALE ACADEMICS The FDL chair is a special form of career track, designed to encourage female academic talent at VU University Amsterdam and help women break through the glass ceiling. The university hopes that this measure will make a substantial contribution to curing the under-representation of women in senior academic positions. Each faculty has ‘drawing rights’ on a limited number of positions made available by the Executive Board. The faculty arranges a transparent nomination procedure. Each faculty is supposed

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

to nominate female candidates for an FDL chair, and the successful candidate is appointed for a period of up to five years. If the holder of the chair performs well in this position, the chair is converted into a tenured professorship. Normal procedures for appointing a professor apply, supplemented by justification for the special selection procedure used here and for availability of research time for the candidates. Appointments are confirmed by the Executive Board. 4. UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (URF) URF fellows are appointed by top academics at VU University Amsterdam who are recognized by their colleagues as having made an outstanding contribution to their field and who have been awarded one of more of the following distinctions: • the Spinoza Prize of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) • the KNAW (Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences) Chair • an European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant • a University Professorship at VU University Amsterdam Each selected top academic is entitled to appoint one outstanding student annually to a URF fellowship bearing the name of the top academic in question. The fellow appointed in this way is given the position of a student teaching assistant or research assistant or is enrolled as a PhD student. The appointment The selected top academic can award the fellowship annually to his or her best student. This student will be taken from the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme at VU University Amsterdam with which the top academic is associated. A condition for the award of the fellowship

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is that the student in question must have been enrolled at VU University Amsterdam in the previous year and will still be studying at VU University Amsterdam (possibly as a PhD student) during the year of the fellowship. The Rector will confirm the selection made by the top academic. The names of the fellows will be announced at the start of the academic year, and the persons concerned will take up their fellowships in September. Added value of the fellowship VU University Amsterdam uses the URF fellowship programme as a way of recognizing the exceptional merits of its top academics. The fellowships help to make the names of these top academics more widely known.

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Facilities for the fellow Each fellow is given a training grant or a budget associated with a contract of employment with VU University Amsterdam.

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5. TEACHING PROFESSORSHIPS VU University Amsterdam can appoint academic employees with a special interest in teaching and outstanding teaching skills to the position of Teaching Professor, thus ensuring that a professorship – the highest academic position at a university – is not exclusively reserved to employees whose main focus is on research. A teaching professor may be active in one of the following three areas: • Teaching innovation in the faculty or in his or her own

discipline, combined with teaching research in disciplines covered by the faculty. • Teaching innovation in the faculty or in his or her own discipline, combined with general teaching research. • Teaching innovation combined with research in his or her own discipline. The appointment and justification by the faculties concerned The nomination of a teaching professor gives faculties the opportunity to comment on the relative importance to be attached to the various types of performance required of a professor, in relation to the criteria laid down in the yardstick defined by each faculty. Faculties will also be asked to explain how they see the position of a teaching professor as contributing to the strategic objectives of the university and the faculty with regard to improving the quality of teaching. In addition, it will be necessary to indicate what special role the teaching professor will play in the field of teaching in the university and the faculty. Academics appointed to a chair at VU University Amsterdam have to meet the requirements laid down in the Professorship Policy VU. The particular requirement for teaching professors is outstanding teaching skills, as shown for example by the winning of teaching prizes.

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Added value Achieving excellent research results is usually much more important for the career of associate professors and full professors at the university than teaching performance. By including considerations relating to teaching performance in its policy concerning the career of academic staff, VU University Amsterdam enhances the career prospects of those who wish to devote their efforts to quality, innovation and improvement in the field of teaching.

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Facilities VU University Amsterdam has introduced the following measures to support academic careers focused on teaching: • Partial subsidies for chairs where the main focus is on teaching. • Encourage participation in the Leadership in Teaching training course, and partial central financing of this course. • Encourage faculties to make room in their strategic personnel planning for academic staff (including professors) who want to focus on teaching in their careers to prepare for the next step.

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PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

6. SOCIETAL IMPACT AWARD (SIA) VU University Amsterdam uses the SIA to recognize the work of researchers who have made a real contribution to society. There are two types of SIA: the Junior Societal Impact Award, for PhD students at VU University Amsterdam whose PhD thesis had a major impact on society during the previous year, and the Senior Societal Impact Award, for academic staff who have been working at VU University Amsterdam for many years and whose research has had a major impact on society during this period. The awards are handed out by the Rector during the Dies Natalis celebrations. Added value of the award This prestigious award enhances the reputation of the person who receives it. It consists of a diploma together with a sum of money the recipient can use to publicize his or her research results.

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Selection of the candidates The Deans, heads of research institutes and research managers of the various faculties can nominate candidates for the Junior Societal Impact Award – not more than one candidate per faculty or research institute per annum –

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from among the students who received their doctorate during the previous year. As far as candidates for the Senior Societal Impact Award are concerned, Deans and heads of research institutes can submit résumés of the work of suitable members of academic staff as evidence of the high quality and major societal impact of their research over many years. An expert jury from VU University Amsterdam will assess the submissions and select the ultimate winners of the two awards. 7. SUPPORT IN GRANT APPLICATIONS AND VALORIZATION ACTIVITIES VU University Amsterdam has various ways of supporting and valorizing research – that is, of devising ways of putting research results to use that will be profitable and benefit society. These include the following:

RECOMMENDATION Talented members of academic staff can be nominated for the following prestigious positions in the university in order to retain their services at VU University Amsterdam: • University Professor • University Research Chair (URC) • The opportunity to give their names to a University Research Fellowship (URF) • Teaching Professor

The Grants Desk Researchers at VU University Amsterdam who need help in applying for research grants, or in implementing research projects for which they have already received a grant, can contact the Grants Desk.

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The VU University Amsterdam/VU Medical Center Technology Transfer Office The TTO helps researchers at VU University Amsterdam to protect and exploit intellectual property. 

Support for grant applications VU University Amsterdam offers support to researchers who wish to apply for a European Research Council (ERC) Starting or Advanced Grant, a Veni-Vidi-Vici Grant under the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme set up by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO, the Royal Dutch Academy KNAW and the Dutch universities jointly, or a Mozaïek Grant offered by NWO to research students from minority groups in the Netherlands. This support consists mainly of the following four elements: • Information meetings • Grant application workshops • Advice sessions • Training in the giving of presentations.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

This support is free for all researchers at VU University Amsterdam and for researchers from outside the university who are applying to join VU University Amsterdam.

See VUnet: > Research > Top Talent > Talent Policy See the website of VU University Amsterdam, www.vu.nl, English-language version: > Research > Top researchers > Research > Research Support > Grants desk > Research > Research Support > TTO

in practice

ALBERT MENKVELD ‘WE SHARE OUR PASSION FOR TOP RESEARCH.’

‘THE APPOINTMENT CREATED LINKS BETWEEN TOP RESEARCHERS FROM DIFFERENT FACULTIES. WE KNOW WHERE WE CAN FIND ONE ANOTHER NOW, AND WE LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.’

ENCOURAGING TOP TALENT IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH

ALBERT MENKVELD WAS APPOINTED TO A UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CHAIR IN FINANCE ON 1 JANUARY 2013, FOR A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. AFTER THAT,

HAS THIS APPOINTMENT STRENGTHENED YOUR LINKS WITH VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM? “It certainly has. I feel much closer to other top researchers in the university now. The appointment has created links between top researchers in different faculties. We know where to find one another, we meet and we learn from one another. After all, we all share a passion for research. That creates a link. The whole set-up definitely has added value, and enhances the synergy between the different faculties.”

HE WILL BECOME A TENURED PROFESSOR. WHY WERE YOU THE ONE TO BE CHOSEN FOR A UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CHAIR? “Because the research I am doing is well known and appreciated both by academics and by professionals.” WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH ABOUT? “I am studying ‘robot trading’, the use of computers in financial markets, and in particular high-frequency trading or flash trading, where huge numbers of shares change hands in a matter of milliseconds. The traders with the fastest software and hardware can earn the most in this line of business. My study, parts of which are still ongoing, is about the social impact of this type of trading.” DID THE APPOINTMENT COME AS A SURPRISE TO YOU? “Absolutely. It was a very pleasant surprise. There are plenty of very talented researchers at VU University Amsterdam whom I admire a lot, so it was a great honour when it turned out that I was the one who had been chosen.” WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO IN THIS RESEARCH CHAIR? “The URC is a great opportunity for me. I want to get on with my research, and this position will give me more scope to do just that. In addition, this appointment will increase my visibility as a researcher in social debate and the media. That is very important for me. That is why I do my best to present my results very clearly, almost in a kind of journalistic style. I want the man in the street to know what I’m talking about. That’s why I choose terms like ‘robot trading’, instead of ‘electronic trading by means of computers’. In the same way, my inaugural lecture in the URC was entitled “Why not replace bankers with robots?” That’s a title everyone can understand. The fact that I started off my career as a spokesman for KLM helped me in this connection. I learned how to communicate with the media. That knowledge comes in very handy now.”

PROF. ALBERT MENKVELD HOLDS THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CHAIR IN FINANCE AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM. HIS STUDY INTO FLASH TRADING ON STOCK EXCHANGES HAS BEEN CITED IN MANY LEADING MEDIA, INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. IT HAS ALSO AROUSED THE INTEREST OF REGULATORY BODIES SUCH AS THE DUTCH AUTHORITY FOR THE FINANCIAL MARKETS (AFM) AND THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC).

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF FLUX. AS A RESULT, THE DEMANDS MADE ON ACADEMICS ARE ALSO CONTINUALLY CHANGING. THIS MAKES LIFELONG LEARNING A NECESSITY. VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT TALENTED ACADEMICS IN THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREER AND TO HELP THEM TO REALIZE THEIR AMBITIONS.

perspectief FOR PERSPECTIVE voorACADEMICS wetenschappers

SJOERD SINKE ‘ The Basic Teaching Qualifications course (BKO in Dutch) teaches academics the structure of their field, the best way of getting the subject material across to students, how to devise a good test and a range of other useful skills.’ Sjoerd Sinke has been working as a training officer at VU University Amsterdam since 2000. He is also the coordinator for the Basic Teaching Qualifications course and internal training courses.

Our task as a university is not only to ensure the development of our students. Our academic staff also deserve opportunities to develop – indeed, they need to keep on developing if they are to make a success of their career. Employees are responsible for their own career development, but VU University Amsterdam supports them in this task. Some of the training courses the university offers provide necessary qualifications for certain positions, while others are mainly designed to facilitate their general development. A number of these development activities are open to any employee who wishes to enrol. In other cases, an employee’s supervisor may suggest that he or she participate, or participation may even be made obligatory. TRAINING COURSES AND UNIVERSITY STRATEGY The range of training courses on offer at VU University Amsterdam cannot be seen in isolation from the university’s strategic objectives. We want to ensure that our academic staff are well qualified and can turn their hand to a wide variety of tasks, and we have wide-ranging academic ambitions. Our training and development courses are tailored to meet these needs, and our HRM department plays a key role in coordinating these activities. A DYNAMIC RANGE OF COURSES The training courses on offer change regularly, to match the changing trends in the world of research and teaching. Valorization and applications for grants, English language skills for teaching staff and educational innovation due to greater reliance on IT. It is no longer enough nowadays for academics to learn traditional research and teaching skills: they also have to be aware of the need to acquire funding for their work, know about the sources of funding and have good acquisition skills, they need to be aware of political trends and possess entrepreneurship skills. They are also expected to be able to use IT to support their teaching skills in getting the subject matter across, to have a good command of English and to be able to work constructively with other organizations in both the public and the private sector. They need to be good leaders, able to respond to

changes in the academic world and the structure of the organization they work in. Bearing all these, and other, requirements in mind, VU University Amsterdam constantly varies the range of training courses on offer in order to prepare academic staff as well as possible for their tasks. VU University Amsterdam has defined four classes of skills that the training and development activities on offer for academic staff are intended to nurture, namely: • research skills • valorization and funding acquisition skills • teaching skills • management, leadership and personal development They are described in detail for the different levels of academic staff in the table on the next page. Apart from the internal offerings, there are of course many training and development opportunities on offer outside VU University Amsterdam. The personnel consultant in each faculty can help staff to choose the best courses available on the external market. A REGULAR POINT ON THE AGENDA OF THE ANNUAL CONSULTATION AND ASSESSMENT Training is always one of the points discussed during the annual consultation and assessment. An employee’s supervisor may suggest a particular course, but employees may also propose courses that they think would help them to advance in their job or career. The Regulation on Training facilities contains information about training facilities and reimbursement for fees. DEVELOPMENT IS MORE THAN TAKING PART IN TRAINING COURSES Training courses are not the only means of personal or career development for academic staff. Other possibilities are direct coaching by one’s supervisor, attendance at congresses, on-the-job training, peer review or the mentoring network.

RECOMMENDATIONS Look up the skills required by a member of academic staff at a particular level in the table on the next page. Comparison of the desired skills with the skills a given employee already possesses will show which further skills need to be acquired. Then consult the course calendar on VUnet to see which courses are available for this purpose.

RESEARCH SKILLS

VALORIZATION AND FUNDING ACQUISITION SKILLS

TEACHING SKILLS

MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSOR

Academic staff at a given level are expected to possess all skills listed for staff at lower levels.

Excellent research skills

Ability to influence grants playing field

Ability to translate new research insights into new lines of research

Ability to transfer knowledge to wider public Funding acquisition skills e.g. in consortium or international context

Teaching policy skills Teaching development, innovation and quality skills Networking skills

Academic leadership and strategic skills Leadership and supervision skills for department, research group, national and international committees and PhD students Personal development

Coaching research group in acquisition skills

Development of vision Ability to propound and monitor the basic principles of academic integrity Transfer of valorization and funding acquisition awareness

LECTURER

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Very good research skills

Ability to shape research group or field of research Ability to transfer knowledge to wider public Funding acquisition skills e.g. in consortium or international context

Ability to drive innovation by using a combination of subject content, teaching skills and IT technology Skills in design & maintenance of teaching quality assurance systems

Ability to acquire national, international and personal funding

Coordination and supervision skills for research groups and PhD students, research programmes and long-term projects (Delegated) leadership skills for capacity group

Coaching individual researchers in acquisition skills Advanced research skills

Academic leadership and strategic skills

Development of content, teaching methods & assessment methods in existing teaching programmes IT application skills in teaching and research Command of English at C1 level

Student supervision skills Networking skills Teaching and research coordination skills Project management skills

Evaluation skills Ability to translate research results into academic teaching

Design and implementation of research with government and contract funding

Advanced teaching skills

Ability to propound and monitor the basic principles of academic integrity

Ability to transfer knowledge to wider public

Intercultural skills

Teaching development skills

Leadership skills for committees, working groups, projects and team

Ability to use IT applications for teaching purposes Command of English at C1 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

PhD STUDENT

RESEARCHER

Evaluation skills Advanced academic research skills Follows rules of academic integrity in research

Basic research skills (data collection, analysis and interpretation), publication Ability to supervise students in academic research Awareness of criteria of academic integrity

PERSPECTIVE FOR ACADEMICS

Ability to acquire national, international and personal funding

Coordination and project management skills for research programmes Staff supervision skills Networking skills in research field

Awareness of funding acquisition and valorization in general Awareness of scope for valorization in own discipline Knowledge of personal grants

Basic teaching skills

Personal effectiveness Presentation skills Networking skills in field of applying for grants Overview of own career Information handling skills

CURRENT COURSE CALENDAR ON VUNET The course calendar for academics may be viewed on VUnet. This gives up-to-date details of training courses for academic staff available at VU University Amsterdam. In addition, the various faculties, institutes and graduate schools also offer training courses in their own disciplines. Details of these may be found on the faculty website. OVERVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF ACADEMIC STAFF Academic staff at different levels are expected to possess certain knowledge and skills. These requirements are listed in the table on the opposite page, which may help in identifying development requirements for specific employees.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Training needs are discussed at every annual consultation and assessment. • The training courses on offer are changed regularly, to ensure that they continue to provide the knowledge and skills employees need and remain in line with the ambitions of VU University Amsterdam. • Employees at VU University Amsterdam are responsible for their own development, but the university helps in this connection by offering a wide range of appropriate training courses and development activities.

in practice

‘Marketing your research’

CAROLINE KLEINE zo heet de cursus die STAARMAN wetenschappers helpt met het naar de markt

brengen van hun kennis. ‘VALORIZATION IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.’

‘Wetenschappers moeten vandaag de dag een ‘track record’ opbouwen op het gebied van valorisatie’, aldus Caroline Kleine Staarman, marketing en communicatie-adviseur bij TTO en organisator van de cursus. Waarom is valorisatie zo belangrijk? “Het is voor wetenschappers steeds belangrijker geworden om een ‘track record’ op te bouwen op het gebied van valorisatie. Grote subsidieverstrekkers eisen in toenemende mate dat het onderzoek dat zij steunen een toepassing vindt in de maatschappij. Dat hoeft overigens niet per se een commerciële toepassing te zijn. Het mag ook een maatschappelijk belang dienen. Maar kunnen onderzoekers een toepassing niet aannemelijk maken, dan wordt er vaak ook geen subsidie meer gegeven. Daarnaast is een track record op het gebied van valorisatie voor de wetenschappelijke loopbaan van de onderzoeker relevant geworden. Daarmee laat de wetenschapper zien dat hij valorisatie serieus neemt.” En waarom is deze cursus zo belangrijk? “Om wetenschappers bewust te maken van het belang van valorisatie, en om hen te leren wat valorisatie precies inhoudt. Ze leren bijvoorbeeld hoe ze hun ideeën kunnen pitchen op congressen, hoe ze een netwerk om zich heen kunnen bouwen, hoe ze kunnen bepalen of hun onderzoek of uitvinding interessant is voor de markt, hoe ze acquisitiegesprekken kunnen voeren, et cetera. De cursus helpt onderzoekers om een brug te slaan tussen de wetenschap en de markt.”

‘ NOWADAYS, RESEARCHERS NEED A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN THE FIELD OF VALORIZATION TO ENSURE GOOD CAREER PROSPECTS.’

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

‘Marketing your research’ IS THE NAME OF THE COURSE THAT TEACHES ACADEMICS TO TRANSFORM THEIR EXPERTISE INTO A COMMODITY. ‘ACADEMICS NEED TO TAKE VALORIZATION SERIOUSLY NOWADAYS,’ SAYS CAROLINE KLEINE STAARMAN, A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT AT THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICE (TTO) AND ORGANIZER OF THIS COURSE. WHY IS VALORIZATION IMPORTANT? “The days when knowledge for its own sake was enough are long gone, if they ever existed. It is essential nowadays for academics to find practical applications for their discoveries, to earn money from them. That is what is known as valorization, and it is increasingly important for academics to build up a proven track record in this field. Big funding providers are increasingly demanding that the research they support finds some kind of practical application. It needn’t be a commercial application, as long as it is useful for society. Researchers who are unable to show that their work has a practical application may find it difficult or impossible to find funding. Besides, a valorization track record is becoming relevant to researchers’ careers: is shows that they are aware of the importance of extracting real value from their research endeavours.” AND WHY IS THIS COURSE SO IMPORTANT? “Because it makes academic staff aware of the need for valorization, and shows them how to make it work in practice. They learn for example how they can get their ideas across at congresses, how to network, how to determine whether their ideas really interest the market, how to talk to funding providers or companies that might be interested in practical applications for their research, etc. The course helps researchers to build solid links to the market.”

WHAT EVIDENCE HAS THE TTO NOTICED OF THE INCREASED INTEREST IN VALORIZATION? “The Technology Transfer Office of VU University Amsterdam and the VU Medical Center (TTO) is much busier these days. In the past, the academics who approached us could get intensive support from our business developers. We have so much to do nowadays that we no longer have the time to offer each academic personal support. That’s why we have developed valorization courses and workshops.” WHAT DO ACADEMICS FIND MOST DIFFICULT WHEN IT COMES TO MARKETING THEIR RESEARCH? “In this course, we get a lot of questions about how to assess the value of research. It’s difficult to know what the market is interested in and what it isn’t. Many researchers find this question difficult to answer. In addition, many academics find it difficult to remain on good terms with funding providers and market players while still being true to themselves and their research. But it’s essential to learn how to do this: cooperation between academe and the ‘outside world’ is a key part of valorization.” FINALLY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY EARNED BY A DISCOVERY MADE BY AN EMPLOYEE AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM? “One-third goes to the employee, one-third to the faculty and one-third to the university. It’s a win-win situation.”

COURSE The course ‘Marketing your research‘ teaches academics how to find profitable practical applications for the knowledge they have developed. It is offered several times a year by the Technology Transfer Office of VU University Amsterdam and the VU Medical Center (TTO). For further details: www.tto.vu.nl > About TTO > Events/workshops

in practice

BART DE JONG ‘I HAVE ACADEMIC AMBITIONS.’

‘ MY DREAM IS TO BUILD MY OWN TEAM AND TO WORK WITH THEM TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXPAND THE SCOPE OF MY RESEARCH.’

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

BART DE JONG IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESOR IN THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. HE HAS VERY CLEAR ACADEMIC AMBITIONS: FIRST TO BECOME AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, AND THEN A FULL PROFESSOR. HE DESCRIBES HERE THE KIND OF SUPPORT HE EXPECTS TO RECEIVE FROM VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM IN REALIZING THESE AMBITIONS. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER AMBITIONS? “I want to build an academic career. I’m an assistant professor at present, and I have the ambition to develop into an associate professor and then to reach the position of full professor. My dream is to build up my own team of researchers and to work with them to expand the scope of my study systematically.” HOW CAN YOU TURN THIS DREAM INTO REALITY? “Step by step. Getting onto a tenure track in the faculty of Economics and Business Administration is an important step in this direction. I did my doctoral studies in the Faculty of Social Sciences, and while I was there I was approached by Prof. Tom Elfring from the department of Business Administration, who offered me a tenure track. I was very pleased with the invitation – it feels good to be appreciated. I am currently in my five-year trial period, and things are going very well. The criteria I have to meet to come into consideration for a promotion and tenure at the end of this period have been made perfectly clear to me. I have a clear picture of my target, and that motivates me to work towards it.”

ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROGRAMMES AND FACILITIES AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM THAT CAN SUPPORT YOUR DEVELOPMENT AND HELP YOU TO REACH YOUR AMBITIONS? “Yes, there are. The university has a large number of useful courses. I have followed the Basic Teaching Qualifications course (BKO in Dutch), for example, which is compulsory for everyone on a tenure track. But I have also taken a number of other courses, including one on how to write a grant application. With the knowledge I gained there, I applied for a Veni Grant under the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme set up by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO, the Royal Dutch Academy KNAW and the Dutch universities jointly. This grant is specifically intended for young academics who have recently earned their doctorate. And I am glad to say that my application was successful. The annual consultations and assessments are very useful too: they give me the opportunity to discuss the progress I have been making with my head of department and to pinpoint areas where there is room for improvement.” DO YOU THINK THE UNIVERSITY IS GIVING YOU THE SUPPORT YOU NEED IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT? “I get most support in practice from my head of department, who is keen to see me succeed. He is results-driven himself, and gives me the scope to work to achieve my own results. That’s a style of working I really enjoy. In fact, the university offers a great deal of freedom of action in general. For example, they have well developed facilities for working on the move and working from home. That’s great for me, because I live in The Hague and a daily commute to Amsterdam is very time-consuming.”

BART DE JONG GRADUATED CUM LAUDE IN SOCIAL SCIENCES FROM VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM, AND GAINED HIS DOCTORATE IN 2010 WITH A DISSERTATION ON ’TRUST & CONTROL IN TEAMS’, WHICH WON SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL AWARDS. HE IS CURRENTLY AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND IS CURRENTLY WORKING IN THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WITH THE PROSPECT OF TENURE AS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR.

HOW DO YOU WISH TO DEVELOP? DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR ACADEMIC STAFF AT VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM

OPLEIDINGEN VOOR WETENSCHAPPERS - VRIJE IJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM

Further information on training courses for academic staff at VU University Amsterdam may be found in the course calendar on VUnet. VUnet > Course calendar for academic staff

PUBLISHING DETAILS Project leader Eveline van Erp HRM, Health, Safety & Environment Department of Policy and Organizational Development With contributions from Jan Thomas Cremer Josien Hagen Marjolein Vloothuis Graphics Studio VU, 22717 Yvonne Compier Riechelle van der Valk Marieke Wijntjes Published by VU University Amsterdam November 2013

HR & HSE