What happens after a fixed-term contract ends? How can career development, international mobility, and caregiving responsibilities be reconciled? The uncertainty and precariousness alluded to in these questions are only compounded by the increasing pressure to publish as well as dependence on third-party funding. Discussion of these issues is ongoing both nationally and in European research at large, and 2024 saw the Austrian Universities Conference (Uniko) publish a set of recommendations on this overall topic entitled “Research Assessment and Career Paths for Researchers”.
At the mdw, these topics were addressed at the University’s Research Conclave (KdW) by a working group called “Temporary Contracts – Creating Perspectives”. Moreover, measures for greater transparency and information as well as concrete support services were developed as part of the mdw’s participation in the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) process.
We asked around as to how the situation at the mdw looks and the challenges faced by individual researchers:
“Where career development is concerned, it’s important to create structures that point out and offer sustainable and attractive prospects to young researchers and artists. These include transitions to “senior lecturer” and “senior artist” status, permanent contracts, and tenure-track positions. Due to university funding mechanisms based on key figures and the competent ministry’s requirements regarding the number of positions to be filled, personnel structure planning is becoming increasingly important. The scope for decision-making by universities is limited: a balance has to be maintained between economic responsibility and personnel development in line with employees’ individual needs. The fact that the collective agreement for academic positions, in contrast to the one for artistic positions, provides a clear framework for career development poses challenges for arts universities. For quite some time, we have been working together with the relevant labour union to find solutions—a process to which I am personally committed. And, fundamentally, it can be said that the mdw makes a very high share of positions permanent compared to other universities.” Gerda Müller, Vice Rector for Organisational Development and Diversity
“The mdw combines art and research at the highest level—a rare combination worldwide that appealed to me particularly because of the focus here on Austrian film. At present, I’m concerned mostly about the structural uncertainty for early-career researchers: the limitation of fixed-term contracts to eight years per university makes sustainable career planning difficult—especially since paid pre-doctoral periods, which are necessary to cross-finance unpaid doctoral studies, are taken into account here. An additional challenge is balancing international visibility, third-party funding, and national requirements in the artistic field. I find the mdw’s content-related and financial support in obtaining third-party funding very helpful. Urgently needed, however, would be a nationwide reform of the regulation governing consecutive fixed-term contracts. My advice: a motivating network of peers—both domestic and international—is essential.” Barbara Wolfram, postdoctoral researcher at Film Academy Vienna and mdw post-doc fellow
“Pursuing an academic career at the mdw offers space for creativity and enables inter- and intradisciplinary cooperation that leads to fruitful, societally relevant outcomes. One issue in terms of pursuing a sustainable career is the acquisition of funding: research as part of interdisciplinary teams entails the challenge of acquiring funds for projects covering multiple aspects—as is the case in music therapy, which combines fields including psychology, psychiatry, medicine, and music. What I personally perceive as helpful is the mdw’s annual Research Conclave: it’s quite useful for networking and supports collegiality. I believe there’s a widespread culture in academia that encourages overwork in light of the insecurities associated with fixed-term positions at universities. For those in tenure-track positions, dedicated and more structured support could ease the burden during this uncertain and highly stressful period. What advice would I give? Research something you’re passionate about, find your support system, talk to others who are already in such positions to see if it’s really for you, and keep making music!” Elsa Campbell, assistant professor (tenure-track) at the WZMF – Music Therapy Research Centre Vienna
“I left an ongoing contract for postdoctoral research on music and linked data at the University of Oxford to relocate my family to my native Vienna, joining the mdw in 2018 to conduct research at one of the world’s leading universities of music. Over the course of several third party-funded digital music research projects, my colleagues and I have built software that’s gained international traction: our app “mei-friend” has become a de-facto standard tool for music encoding. Due to § 109 of the Austrian Universities Act (which governs consecutive fixed-term contracts ), I now face uncertainties beyond the usual precarity of fixed-term postdoctoral research. This regulation affects the vast majority of academic staff in Austria and has a demonstratively negative impact on researchers and their work. I’m grateful for the advising and support that the mdw provides to affected staff, and I hope to be able to continue my work here over the long term.” David M. Weigl, senior postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Music Acoustics – Wiener Klangstil
Veranstaltungstipp: Karrierewege in Wissenschaft und Kunst an der mdw – mit Blick auf den europäischen Kontext
Gespräch mit Gerda Müller (mdw), Giuliana Sabbatini (FH St. Pölten), Marie Louise Herzfeld-Schild (mdw), David M. Weigl (mdw)
Moderation: Therese Kaufmann (mdw)
23. Oktober, 15.30 Uhr
mdw-Campus, spiel|mach|t|raum
