On Monday 17 May, UIC Barcelona held an online seminar for the University’s teaching and research staff (PDI) regarding six-year research periods and their strategic importance in boosting a career in research in Spain, whether individually or as part of a group.

Titled “The role of six-year research periods”, the UIC Barcelona Vice-Rectorate for Planning and Quality invited Martí Casadesús, full professor at the University of Girona and director of AQU Catalunya, and Javier Llorens, full professor at the University of Granada and coordinator of the evaluation of six-year research periods at ANECA, to take part in the round table. They explained the significance of a six-year research period as a strategic element of a university career.

Both the Agency for the Quality of the University System in Catalonia (AQU Catalunya) and the National Evaluation Agency for Quality and Accreditation (ANECA) are organisations that evaluate, accredit and certify quality at universities and higher education centres. AQU Catalunya mainly focuses on degree programmes, teaching staff and university centres and services in Catalonia, while ANECA is an autonomous body linked to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which operates throughout Spain.

The online seminar was specifically focused on six-year research periods, a recognition obtained by university lecturers and professors for the merits achieved as part of their research activities. It is called a six-year period because applicants have to submit a selection of scientific papers published over the course of six years in order to be evaluated.

In this sense, the point of these six-year periods at universities and as part of a researcher’s professional career, is to promote research by lecturers and professors in universities across Spain.

Martí Casadesús and Javier Llorens explained the evaluation criteria and reflected on the importance of research as the main driver of knowledge and knowledge transfer in Catalan and Spanish universities. They both stressed that the request for a research period is voluntary and, according to Llorens, “the number of six-year research periods you have is a measure of academic prestige”. Likewise, “you need to have at least one six-year period to be able to supervise doctoral theses, to be a principal investigator in research projects or to be a member of the jury tasked with selecting and hiring teaching staff”, said the ANECA evaluation coordinator.

The two speakers agreed that a six-year research period, and in particular the number of periods awarded to a university lecturer and professor, is an indicator of how strategic the research is for the university and, consequently, in terms of its positioning.