The EURAXESS Research Careers Beyond Academia (REBECA) Hub is a network of EURAXESS members connected to offer services for early career researchers to facilitate their career transition to non-academic careers. In this way, it contributes to the permeability of research talent among non-academic research jobs and employers, including industry and businesses
Why to organize in a Hub?
The extension of EURAXESS services can pose an asymmetry of different types and levels of services provided by EURAXESS members. Depending on the capacity of EURAXESS members, some will restrict their services to welcoming and informational services, while other can engage with other non-academic services to provide career development opportunities and activities.
By clustering EURAXESS services in cross-border hubs, it strengths the services, creates a one-stop shops for researchers, and provides the possibility to engage other external stakeholders. This last point is of special relevance to engage non-academic actors when providing services dedicated to increase the employability of early stage researchers.
Activities of REBECA Hub
EURAXESS Hubs operates according to a working plan.
Please check here the Researchers' Careers Beyond Academia EURAXESS Hub Working Plan 2023-2025.
How to join and participate
Within the local arms, EURAXESS REBECA Hub members will:
- Network to engage other multiplier and enabler organizations
- Engage non-academic researcher employers
- Deliver career development support
- Disseminate of results and promote activities
- Engage researchers including non-academic researchers
- Create or join a Community of Practice
You can benefit from the next EURAXESS Cascade Funding and Study Visits to implement your activities related with this Hub.
If you want more information, please contact the REBECA Hub Coordinator, FECYT, at euraxess-spain@fecyt.es.
There are two levels of participation:
Activities related to increase the transition of early-stage research form the academic sector to other careers have space in this Hub. You can check the activities listed in the section For organization the activities suggested to "Support to researchers" to get inspired, although innovative ideas are more than welcome.
From the three activities so far implemented in this Hub, we have elaborated a guide on how to collaborate in such activities. It is worth highlighting that through some of these actions, you will engage with non-academic stakeholder providing you with a good basis for developing further activities and services helping researchers to explore careers beyond academia; in other words, expanding your network.
Find the ways on:
- How to collaborate in an intersectoral mentoring programme
- How to collaborate in an R2B matchmaking event
- How to collaborate in an online alumni community platform
Community of Practices: Cooperation with Stakeholders Outside Academia/Industry for Intersectoral Mobility
The scope of this Community of Practice (CoP) focuses on intersectoral mobility, specifically in its strict sense: the circulation of talent between sectors. It does not refer to public-private collaboration. In this context, the added value of sectoral exchange lies in the researcher or the idea, rather than the organisation’s portfolio. This exchange may result in a stay (reversible or irreversible) or a transition of human capital to sectors outside academia, or in the creation of a new company.
- Strategies to engage industry stakeholders in intersectoral mobility
- Strategies to engage industry stakeholders in scientific entrepreneurship
- Tools and activities for stakeholder engagement
- Funding mechanisms to support intersectoral mobility
- Blockers and boosters of intersectoral mobility
- Engagement with stakeholders as a EURAXESS centre
- Training researchers to engage with external stakeholders
To share and learn from existing practices and to develop new ideas for effective stakeholder engagement.
FECYT (Spain), MEF (Serbia), IPD (Israel), RIF (Cyprus), Linköping University (Sweden), LBG Center (Austria), Bizkaia Talent (Spain), and ITC (Spain), IUA (Ireland), Foundation Edmund Mach (Itlay), and Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (Moldova).
Who are the members of REBECA Hub?
These are the current EURAXESS members of the REBECA Hub who provide activities under the current working plan (2023–2025).
FECYT's mission is to bring science closer to society and to support the internationalization of the Spanish Science and Technology System. FECYT serves as the EURAXESS National Organisation for Spain and is currently the coordinator of the EURAXESS initiative Researchers' Careers Beyond Academia.
FECYT is the activity leader of the REBECA Mentoring Programme, REBECA Explorer, and the developer of REBECA Practice. Her expertise in intersectoral mobility and career transition is demonstrated by a long track record of activities — from conducting workshops for researchers on career planning to mentoring institutions on how to implement programmes that facilitate career transitions.
SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the internationalization of education and research in Slovakia.
Since 2004, SAIA serves as the national coordinator for the Slovak EURAXESS network, helping Slovak institutions in fostering better working environments and developing support services for researchers.
SAIA has been involved in several projects focusing on career development of researchers and organises various events to help researchers navigate their careers in academia and beyond.
Additionally, SAIA is actively engaged in capacity building within the European EURAXESS network and coordinates initiatives related to the EURAXESS Talent Circulation Hub.
We have joined the Researchers Career Beyond Academia Hub under as EURAXSS Ireland office under the umbrella of the IUA, which has a long-standing tradition of assisting researchers employed across various industry sectors in Ireland, as well as their employers. Our involvement in the Fast Track immigration scheme includes processing Hosting Agreement applicants for experts and researchers from outside the EEA who have secured employment in Ireland. Many of the researchers we assist already have significant European experience, having worked in other countries, providing a valuable platform for sharing experiences and broadening our horizons to improve the effectiveness of our work. We are eager to learn from others and share our own success stories. Joining the Hub would be a valuable resource for us, and as the Hub continues to evolve, we anticipate that new opportunities and elements will emerge, further enhancing the success of our EURAXESS mission.
EURAXESS Sweden, led by University of Linköping is part of the Researchers Career Beyond Academia Hub, and has been a beneficiary of the Multiplying the Impact of EURAXESS Hub, implementing training programme on career exploration and career-self management.
They are interested on mentoring programmes, Research Comp and best practices from different countries regarding researchers' career change and intersectoral mobility.
Bizkaia Talent (BT) is a non-profit association which depends on the Biscayan provincial government, EURAXESS Service & Career Development Centre, can contribute to this EURAXESS Researcher Careers Beyond Academia Hub because of its experience in stimulating the collaboration between sectors through its services and programmes along these almost two decades.
In relation to the work of BT to position the Basque Country not only as a good place to live, but also to develop a research career beyond the academic world, it is considered that BT can contribute to this hub through several actions such as International Talent Meetings, Monthly Work sessions with the Academy and Industry Ecosystem, and an experiential learning programme dedicated to forging enduring connections between international Master or PhD students enrolled in a University of Bizkaia and the local business and scientific ecosystem.
The LBG Career Center is the first point of contact for all questions concerning career development from pre- and post-doc researchers and their leaders in Austria & beyond. We provide confidential advice and accompany young researchers and leaders in their career development in academia and other sectors. We also implement programs and build social networks with relevant communities in science and business.
The LBG Career Center aims to improve the career perspectives of pre- and post-docs especially in sectors outside of academia. Our mission is to provide insight into alternative career paths outside of academia, prepare and qualify pre- and post-docs for the job market outside of academia – promote the self-image of pre- and post-docs and influence the way that they are perceived outside academia, promote openness and networking between partner organizations in science and business and foster a more intensive science knowledge transfer to business and society and vice versa.
Nuffic is an enthusiastic member of this Hub involved in the stay rate of researchers in the country as well as making Europe and especially the Netherlands an attractive destination. There is a great demand for highly skilled employees outside of academia.
Vitae is a UK-based organisation dedicated to supporting the professional and career development of researchers. It works with universities, research institutions, and policymakers to enhance researcher careers, provide resources and training, and advocate for a healthy research culture. Vitae is managed by CRAC (the Careers Research and Advisory Centre) and plays a key role in implementing initiatives like the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) to help researchers build skills for academic and non-academic careers.
Vitae are committed to supporting researchers explore careers beyond academia, and we work closely with research performing organisations to facilitate practice-sharing between those who support researchers in their roles. Vitae are currently leading on a peer learning project focused on building connections between those who support researchers across Europe.
Sofia University (SU) is the oldest and the largest university in Bulgaria. Founded 1888 it grew up to 16 faculties and number of centers incl. 2 Centers of Excellence and 1 Center of Competence. It is EURAXESS national coordinating organisation and joined the EURAXESS Researchers Beyond Academia Hub since the first round of ReBeCa mentoring program. SU strongly supports diversification of research careers and encourages researchers to explore new career opportunities.
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) is a Portuguese Research Funding Agency. As a beneficiary of ERA Talent project, FCT has implemented intersectorial networking events in collaboration with the EURES network.
The Centre of Administration and Operations of the Czech Academy of Science is a public research institution registered with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. It is an independent, not-for-profit legal entity whose aim is to provide research and development infrastructure and support services, primarily to the Czech Academy of Sciences and its institutes.
At CAO, through our Researchers Beyond Academia Hub, we support the career development of young researchers by helping them explore their goals, expand their skills, and discover diverse professional paths within and beyond academia. In the Hub, we are also ready to learn from the most experienced members of the research and professional community, valuing their insights and guidance. A key part of our mission is to build stronger links between academia and industry, supporting talent transfer and real-world impact through shared knowledge and partnerships.
The Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM) is a public institution of national importance that brings together personalities with outstanding achievements in the fields of research, innovation, and culture: titular members (academicians), corresponding members, honorary members as well as researchers, elected as members of the Scientific Sections of the Academy. The activities of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova are organized in three Scientific Sections: Life Sciences Section, Exact and Engineering Sciences Section and the Social, Economics, Humanities and Arts Section. At ASM, there are seven communication platforms actively promoting scientific dialogue within the academic community and between researchers and society.
A public research funding organisation that provides incentives for talent attraction and transfer of knowledge innovation programmes through fair and competitive calls and support services. It plays a significant role as a catalyst for structural change in Catalonia's research landscape, enhancing stakeholder engagement and supporting researchers' career development opportunities and equality measures for higher education and research.
Within the Hub, as a third party beneficiary of ERA Talent, AGAUR has developed the project TRACK; a project that aims to showcase the Research Manager profession as potential career for researchers.
The University of Vaasa is an international, business-oriented, multidisciplinary university that focuses on sustainable business, energy and society. We are a valued partner within Northern Europe’s largest energy and environment cluster, and we co-operate with more than 200 universities in almost 50 countries around the world.
The University of Vaasa is a new operator within the ERA TALENT project and the REBECA Hub. As a part of the REBECA Hub’s actions, we have launched a new CARE – Career Transition of Early-Stage Researchers project at our university. The project focuses on facilitating the early-stage researchers’ transition to the non-academic careers after their graduation. The CARE project has begun with a comprehensive benchmarking where we compared Nordic and national models and best practices in providing information about career opportunities and mentoring for doctoral students. As the project proceeds, an open website based on this benchmarking will be created. This website will be used as a toolkit for everyone who have interest for the EURAXESS, self-study and presentation materials, links, career testimonials and events. Based on the benchmarking, we will also build a new career mentoring model in which the career mentor is either a specialist from a company or a doctoral alumni of the University of Vaasa. Within the new career mentoring model, we plan to carry out career mentoring School specific mentoring webinars and to develop further the already existing career testimonials.
The Edmund Mach Foundation promotes and carries out education and training, scientific research, and experimental activities as well as providing technical assistance and extensions services to companies in the agri-food and environmental areas.
Within the Hub, as a third party beneficiary of ERA Talent, the Edmund Mach Foundation has developed the project MR2YR – Mentoring Routes: Unleashing Innovative Careers for Young Researchers. Through a comprehensive training programme and networking events, MR2YR has upskilled early career researchers for an entrepreneur career and to bring impact to society.