Grant-funded researcher’s employment relationship

The University of Lapland offers researchers an opportunity to conclude a 10% employment contract with the university when the researcher has received at least a 12-month grant from an external party. In 2023, the employment contract can exceptionally concern a shorter period if the researcher has been awarded at least a 12-month grant that covers the whole year 2023.

If needed, you are given a workspace, a computer and user credentials, access to information systems and databases, and a right to use occupational health services and well-being benefits (Smartum Saldo) along with the employment relationship.

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If you are interested in the part-time 10% employment contract of a grant-funded researcher, you are first advised to learn the criteria, below.

Thereafter, you are recommended to get in contact with the manager of the placement unit and discuss the duties potentially associated with the part-time contract. The part-time 10% employment contract involves 161 working hours per year, and the duties may include teaching and supervision related to your own field. The working hours need not be distributed evenly over the contract period.

A part-time employment relationship between a grant-funded researcher and the University of Lapland may be established when the following criteria are met:

• The grant has been awarded by an external party.
• The researcher has made sure that the financer’s decision allows him/her to conclude a part-time 10% employment contract with the university concurrently with the grant in question. The grant receiver assures that the awarder of the grant approves the concurrent employment contract, including all other preconditions.
• The research grant has been awarded and the research is related to the dissertation study, the author of which has the right to conduct doctoral research or some other research at the University of Lapland.
• The duration of the awarded grant is at least 12 months, for which period the employment contract is also made at minimum. A part-time 10% employment contract always coincides with a grant awarded for conducting full-time research. This 12-month grant period may be comprised of several grants awarded by external parties. In 2023, the employment contract can exceptionally concern a shorter period if the researcher has been awarded at least a 12-month grant that covers the whole year 2023.

• The grant must be a contribution referred to as a research grant and it must enable full-time research.
• The grant-funded researcher’s country of work and domicile is Finland, and it has been confirmed that the researcher is covered by Finnish social security legislation throughout the employment relationship.
• The duties are defined separately in a work plan drawn up with the unit manager. The researcher follows the total annual working time system, where a 10% part-time employment relationship equals to 161 working hours per year. The employment contract is concluded if an agreement is reached about the duties (161 hours/year).
• Depending on the career phase, the title of a person appointed to the part-time employment relationship is either early career researcher / researcher (doctoral research / doctoral studies) or postdoc researcher / university researcher.
• In addition to the part-time 10% employment contract, a separate agreement on the right to work is always concluded and, if necessary, a separate agreement on the transfer of rights related to the work.
• The grant-funded researcher is personally in charge of resolving issues related to taxation and pension by consulting the relevant authorities.

• The grant-funded researcher proposes the conclusion of a part-time 10% employment contract between the researcher and the University of Lapland by filling out the proposal e-form. Note! Begin by studying the criteria for a grant-funded researcher’s part-time 10% employment contract (above).
• The submitted proposal form is forwarded to the placement unit for processing. The placement unit manager makes sure that the criteria for concluding the employment contract are met and discusses the duties with the grant-funded researcher. When the duties have been agreed, the unit manager starts the contract preparation process. The researcher is also instructed to draw up a work plan according to the relevant guidelines.

• The employment contract is concluded without deliberation when the criteria are met and the 10% duties have been settled upon.
• In addition to the part-time 10% employment contract, a separate agreement on the right to work is always concluded and, if necessary, a separate agreement on the transfer of rights related to the work.

Proposal to conclude the employment contract >

Grant-funded researcher’s 10% employment relationship and exemption from duties

• If the researcher applies for exemption from the duties of the part-time employment relationship, he/she is entitled to extend the part-time 10% contract by the duration of the exemption period, provided that the grant period still continues. Thereby the duration of the employment relationship after the exemption period may be shorter than the otherwise required minimum of 12 months.
• In the part-time employment relationship of grant-funded researchers, statutory absences (e.g. sick, maternity, and family leaves) are observed as in any other employment relationship.
  

Work-related trips

• A grant-funded researcher in a part-time employment relationship is to discuss potential work-related trips with the placement unit manager. If the unit manager considers a work-related trip justified in view of the researcher’s duties, the university may cover the travel costs. In this case, the travel reservations can be made through a contract travel agency, and the researcher is insured by the university during the trip. This concerns short trips.
• As a rule, the grant-funded researcher must use the grant or or other sources to finance travel costs directly related to the grant-funded research.The person then personally makes the travel reservations and ensures sufficient insurance coverage during the trip.