Mapping the population, careers, mobilities and impacts of advanced research degree graduates in the social sciences and humanities

This proposal responds to the Seventh Framework Programme call for studies to increase understanding of the population, career paths, employment patterns, mobility and contribution of doctoral graduates in the social sciences and humanities (SSH). The pressure for public expenditure cuts has lead to serious questioning of the role of investment in the social sciences, humanities (and arts) in particular. Understanding the outcomes of investment in SSH training in terms of career paths, migration, employment roles and economic and societal impact will play a key role in this process.

 The growth of increasingly more complex forms of research collaboration both between academic disciplines and also involving a wider range of actors such as industry and third sector organisations in knowledge transfer partnerships is related to another policy dynamic - namely internationalisation. Recent studies of the impact of the Framework Programmes on social sciences and the humanities in member states (Ackers et al, 2010: 2011) identified  a  close  relationship  between  internationalisation  and  inter-disciplinarity  in  European  research collaborations. Internationalization implies immediately migration of SSH graduates. Many of the Marie Curie Fellows involved in the recent impact assessment (Ackers et al, 2011) referred to a specific motivation to become engaged in inter-disciplinary teams and experience the kinds of inter-disciplinarity and high impact research that they had limited exposure to in their previous research environments.

 Internationalisation raises a number of other dynamics which will be addressed in the course of the proposed study. One of these concerns the role that internationalisation and geographical mobility plays in research careers (Ackers, 2008: 2010: Flanagan et al, 2010; Sygnowski, 2006). The second is specifically concerned with the geography of outcomes and impacts and the relationship of this to EU research objectives. The first concern here is with the geography of the actual researchers and how that contributes to the European Research Area (if, for example, an SSH researcher moves to a research location outside of the EU perhaps in the US). The second is more concerned with the reach of the knowledge gained and acknowledges the importance of impact in locations outside of the EU - such as in developing countries for example.  Both of these concerns indicate the need for a focus on the complex relationships between human mobilities and knowledge transfer.

The project, implemented by 13 partners and covering 13 countries, 11 European + Turkey and the USA, will look into the careers, mobility (including sectoral and geographical) and impact of SSH graduates originating in 11 European countries and Turkey. The project will start with the review of existing research literature on the subject, followed by an impact assessment of relevant policies, in particular in relation to migration and education. Official statistical data characterising SSH graduate population (including socio-demographic variables and origin of a graduate whenever available) will be collected and analysed.