News
University College Cork Research Staff Association officially launched
The UCC Research Staff Association (UCCRSA) was officially launched on Thursday October 3rd 2013 succeeding the Association of Research Contract Staff (ARCS). Attending the launch were the UCCRSA committee, the Vice President for Research and Innovation, Professor Anita Maguire and the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr Liam Marnane.
The past five years of austerity have negatively impacted the third level sector in many ways. Researchers are at the front line of these cuts, as employment of most Researchers is dependent on funding awards from external bodies. UCCRSA will strive to engage with the Vice President of Research and higher management within UCC, with a view towards drafting and implementing policies to the benefit of Researchers within UCC.
Through this partnership we will strive to build on the research successes of UCC and ensure that Cork remains a centre of research excellence going forward. UCCRSA seeks to represent all Researchers, whether they are employed on permanent or fixed-term contracts, within UCC. Commenting at the launch, UCCRSA Chair Ruairi O’Reilly stated “The work undertaken by UCCRSA centers around increasing the awareness of Researcher issues within UCC. The main goal of this process is to strengthen the links between Researchers and university management leading to sustainable Researcher careers within our university”.