Great article this morning on issues facing underpaid PhDs in Ireland - an issue that has seen little progress under the watch of your soon-to-be Taoiseach Simon Harris TD

irishtimes.com/ireland/educat…

Next week the PWO will be releasing a 60+ page report on PhD employment models across Europe.

The necessity of recognising PhD researchers as workers is becoming more and more evident!

PhDs are workers in all but name, pay and conditions - let's change that!

Link below

I just had the great opportunity to pitch our startup idea (Breno’s and mine) at the Future Professional Skills Showcase in Cork. Thanks to SFI CRT in Artificial Intelligence for the opportunity, Micheal Collins for the great advice and Janet Choi for making it possible.

#crt -ai
#fsps

😢

Simon Harris TD Department of Further and Higher Education Irish Universities Assoc. Good progress. But how do I explain to my three-year-old daughter that her dad, who is university-funded and not in IRC or SFI, won't be able to get the stipend increase and will, therefore, have to sleep outside for more than four days, doing odd jobs, to cater for their family?

PWO Statement on Budget 2024

We are disgusted to have been overlooked in #Budget2024 despite assurances from DFHERIS Comms that IRC/SFI stipends would go up.

We are struggling. We are the backbone of Irish research & higher edu. We are undervalued by the state & our universities.

We are fighting back - join us

Thanks to Richard Boyd Barrett for raising the failure of the budget and Department of Further and Higher Education to have any measures addressing the issues facing PGRs.
We don't qualify for the tax credits or renter's credits, we don't earn minimum wage. You didn't introduce the promised stipend increase.

Simon Harris TD Department of Further and Higher Education Irish Universities Assoc. This is a huge disappointment.

Only effects IRC and SFI funded PhDs, further driving up inequality among PhDs.

Far short of the 25k promised in the review for SFI and IRC.

No indexing of the stipend for future inflation.

No PRSI or parental leave / sick leave.

PhD researchers in Ireland cannot live like this for much longer.

Ireland continues to be ranked LAST GLOBALLY in PhD stipend to cost of living ratio, at just 0.47.

This means the ANNUAL stipend currently covers less than 6 months of living costs!

USI VP Postgraduate Affairs Uplift

University researchers protest for improved pay and worker status irishtimes.com/ireland/educat…

We are outside The Helix at the launch of Dublin City University strategic plan and staff party. PhDs need strategy now, not later. We need fair pay, not parties! PWO Ireland #ResearchIsWork

'Recommendations of a recent Government backed review of the sector did not go far enough in its recommendations with just 30 per cent of researchers likely to benefit from the pay increases'

Irish Universities Assoc. Simon Harris TD Department of Further and Higher Education are you listening?

irishtimes.com/ireland/educat…

Things cannot go on as normal & postgraduate researchers will continue to protest and organise until we see change. Join us at Trinity Square today! PWO_DCU will be out in force #PGRsDeserveBetter #ResearchIsWork

Today's the day - join the PWO protests to demand the state take action and end the unfair and discriminatory treatment of PGRs in Ireland.

#PGRsDeserveBetter #ResearchIsWork

Protesting today with PWO Ireland because #PGRsDeserveBetter and #ResearchIsWork .

We are underpaid, get no PRSI, sick leave or parental leave. We work over 40 hours a week to drive the Irish research economy.

We need real reform, not a vapid review.

Simon Harris TD Department of Further and Higher Education

The protest has begun! PWO Ireland #ResearchIsWork #PGRsDeserveBetter

We welcome the acknowledgement from Dublin City University that all PhD stipends need the funds to be increased to 25k. Government needs to treat all PhD funding streams equally in any future changes. We also need DCU to do more than just request help from gov.. (1/3) launch.dcu.ie/45OZtqq