The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has criticised what it says are delays and a lack of engagement in a national review of state supports for PhD researchers that was due to be completed shortly.
Announcing the review last October, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said it would begin its work in November and be done by early 2023.
But USI has said that to date there has been no engagement with postgraduate research stakeholders and that this is leading to uncertainty and anxiety.
It says it wrote to the Department of Further and Higher Education to express its concerns and was told that invitations would be issued this week, with meetings due to take place in the second week of March.
But USI has said there needs to be immediate engagement with representatives of PhD researchers to ensure their needs and concerns are adequately addressed.
USI Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs, Waqar Ahmed, said they hoped the review would deliver measures to improve working conditions for PhD researchers and that it would be conducted in "a transparent and inclusive manner".
The union says it will be submitting its newly approved 'Postgraduate Researchers' Rights Charter 2022' to the PhD review. The charter advocates for employee status for researchers, a minimum living wage, payment for all work and representation on decision-making bodies.
Announcing the review last October, the minister said its scope would include current PhD researcher supports; the status of PhD researchers including a review of international comparators and models; the impact on the funding of research programmes of any adjustments to current supports; graduate outcomes for students; issues related to visa requirements for non-EU students.
