University of Eastern Finland offers grant researchers an opportunity to conclude a part-time (10%) contract of employment for everyone who has an external funding of at least 12 months and meets other criteria listed below. In practice this means that the tasks related to this contract are agreed between the grant researcher and the head of the unit concerned. These tasks can be, for example, teaching.
The annual working time in part-time, 10% contract is equivalent to 160 hours. These hours are not tied to weekly working hours and they don´t have to be divided evenly over the grant period. Anyhow, the employment contract will be concluded for the whole funded period. This way the grant researcher will have almost the same fringe benefits as the rest of the university staff for the whole research period.
The contract of employment entitles the grant-funded researcher to:
- an office space, when necessary
- necessary tools for work (Microsoft O365), including a phone
- a user account to the university’s information systems and research databases
- occupational health care and insurance coverage (for the 10% contract of employment).
Read more on Information for new staff members– page in Kamu.
After fulfilling the criteria of 10 % part-time employment contract (listed below) it is recommended that the grant researcher contacts the head of the unit concerned well in advance to negotiate for the assignments and timetables. The grant-funded researcher must make the initiative to conclude the part-time, 10% contract of employment.
The funded research period has to last at least 12 months after concluding the employment contract. In addition to the part-time (10%) contract of employment, an agreement on working as a grant-funded researcher at UEF is always concluded, and, when necessary, a separate agreement on the transfer of rights.
Read the following information on the 10% contract of employment. For more information, contact Tuula Ranne.
A part-time (10%) contract of employment will be concluded between the University of Eastern Finland and a grant-funded researcher when the following criteria are met:
- The grant has been awarded and paid by an external organisation, meaning an organisation other than UEF.
- The grant-funded researcher has made sure that the funder’s grant decision allows the conclusion of a part-time, concurrent contract of employment with the university during the grant period.
- The grant-funded researcher is responsible for ensuring that the organisation awarding the grant approves the concurrent contract of employment with the university.
- Any other terms of the grant decision must also be taken into consideration.
- The research grant has been awarded and the research is linked or can be linked to:
- doctoral research, of which researcher has the right to pursue postgraduate studies in a doctoral programme of the University of Eastern Finland or
- other research conducted at the University of Eastern Finland as a postdoctoral researcher or senior researcher.
- The duration of the grant period is a minimum of 12 months, which is also the minimum duration of the contract of employment.
- The part-time (10%) contract of employment is always concurrent with the grant intended for full-time research.
- The grant period of a UEF Grant-funded Researcher must continue for a minimum of 12 months after 1 June 2021 in order for a contract of employment of a minimum of 12 months to be concluded with them.
- The 12-month grant period can consist of several grants awarded by an external organisation.
- The grant has been awarded for research work, a so-called working grant, and it must enable full-time research.
- Finland must be the country of work and residence, and it has been confirmed that the grant researcher belongs under Finnish social security legislation for the whole duration of the employment.
- The duties will be defined separately in a work plan to be prepared in collaboration with the head of the unit concerned.
- Researchers come under the total working time system, and the annual working time in a part-time, 10% contract is equivalent to 160 hours.
- A contract of employment will be concluded if an agreement on the duties can be reached (160 hours/year).
- The title associated with the part-time contract of employment is Doctoral Researcher, if the person is working on their doctoral dissertation. For persons conducting other research, the title is Postdoctoral Researcher, Senior Researcher or Project Researcher, depending on their duties, qualification requirements, and research career stage.
- In addition to the part-time (10%) contract of employment, an agreement on working as a grant-funded researcher at UEF is always concluded, and, when necessary, a separate agreement on the transfer of rights.
- The grant-funded researcher is responsible for finding out about taxation and pension-related issues from the tax administration and from the relevant pension insurer.
- The grant-funded researcher must make an initiative to conclude a part-time, 10% contract of employment with the University of Eastern Finland by filling out an electronic form. The form must be submitted one month before the planned employment start date! NOTE! Before submitting this form, please familiarise yourself with the criteria on which grant-funded researchers at UEF can conclude a part-time (10%) contract of employment (above).
- A contract of employment is concluded without discretion whenever the criteria are met and an agreement on the duties can be reached.
- After the grant-funded researcher has submitted the electronic form, the process proceeds internally at UEF. The head of the unit will discuss the duties with the grant-funded researcher proposing a contract of employment, and the head of the unit makes sure that the criteria are met.
- If an agreement can be reached on the duties of the grant-funded researcher, and if the criteria for concluding a contract of employment are met, the head of the unit gives the unit's HR staff an assignment to start preparing a contract of employment as per the normal procedure, including the terms of employment, such as salary and title.
This initiates the normal employment contract process, as part of which the employee is instructed to prepare a work plan in accordance with the university's guidelines pertaining to work plans.
- With the conclusion of a contract of employment, the grant-funded researcher also concludes an agreement on the transfer of rights as part of the contract of employment with UEF. In addition to the contract of employment, an agreement on working as a grant-funded researcher at the University of Eastern Finland is concluded for the same time period.
If a grant-funded researcher applies for a leave of absence from their part-time contract of employment, they shall be entitled to a part-time (10%) contract of employment of a corresponding length after their leave of absence, provided that their grant period continues. In these cases, the duration of the contract of employment may be shorter than 12 months, which otherwise is the minimum length.
Work trips
Part-time employers also are eligible for work trips in correspondence to the extent of employment. In a 10% contract of employment the extent is 2 working days/calendar month. Travel bookings can be made from the contract travel channels and the person is insured with university insurance on the work trip.
The total journey length is calculated by multiplying the number of working days by the number of remaining months of employment. For example, if the number of remaining months of employment is four, the total length of the work trip can be 2 x 4 = 8 working days at maximum. If a longer trip is planned, the grant-funded researcher must arrange the trip with the grant. In this case, the person handles the travel bookings themselves and provides adequate insurance coverage for the trip.
Working abroad
In general, the country of work and residence of grant-funded researcher who has a part-time contract of employment (10%) must be Finland, and it has been confirmed that the grant researcher belongs under Finnish social security legislation for the whole duration of the employment.
However, an agreement on working abroad can be concluded for a period of time coinciding with the duration of the employment relationship, provided that it has been ensured that the grant-funded researcher remains covered by Finnish social security during their working abroad, and that working abroad does not cause any other employer obligations in the destination country (such as an obligation to withhold tax, or separate insurance coverage required by the destination country). In the case of working abroad, the guideline on work trip above shall not be followed.
How flexible is the time criteria?
A grant-funded researcher who meets the criteria listed below and who has a funding of at least 12 months, has a subjective minimum right to conclude a 10 % part-time employment contract with the university. The departments are only bound by this minimum right, therefore it is possible to negotiate for concluding the employment contract even for a shorter period than 12 months.
Is there supervision of work available?
The researcher will be familiarized with the working tasks the same way as any other new staff. The employee will have information about working in UEF and other guidance needed will always take place at department level.
What to do when confronting problems at work?
In confrontational situations at work, you can contact the labour safety representative of your unit. When having health problems, contact the occupational health care and when encountering inequality in university, contact the UEF contact persons of equality.
Does the opportunity to part-time contract of employment concern only PhD students or post doc -researchers as well?
Part time employment concerns both PhD students and post doc- researchers. The research in both cases should be linked to research conducted at UEF.
Can the international research grants be taken into account?
International research grants can be taken into consideration if they equate the amount of the Finnish grants.
