Career Discussion Guidelines for Researchers

UZH provides optimal conditions for academic staff and holders of junior academic positions to promote their commitment and autonomy regarding research, innovation, and teaching. UZH also supports a strong feedback culture as an important element in the career development of its employees, especially early career researchers. Annual career discussions provide academic staff members with a particularly important opportunity to evaluate past performance and discuss career and training opportunities as well as development goals. 

These guidelines provide orientation for career discussions relating to research and are designed to supplement the official UZH performance appraisal form. It covers various areas in which researchers are active and should receive feedback. They are assigned to the categories "Performance", "Behavior" and "Development" and apply both to the assessment of past performance and the setting of development goals. These guidelines are intended to help structure career discussions concerning research and provide suggestions for possible discussion points. It is not the intention that all points must be discussed. All other areas outside of research that are discussed in career development meetings with employees are not covered by these guidelines.

Guidelines Career Discussions (PDF, 62 KB)

a. Work performance

• Research activity:
  Theoretical & methodological knowledge in the research field; progress & commitment project work; progress qualification goal; interdisciplinarity; development goals for the following year
• if applicable:
  Clinical activities: Professional competence; performance records
• Acquisition of third-party funds:
  Self-acquired third-party funds; participation in third-party funding applications; development goals for the following year
• Networks and cooperation/internationalization/mobility:
  Experience at other institutions; active participation in networks, professional associations, working groups; initiating international cooperations; internationalization at home; development goals for the following year
• Work performance:
  Compliance with & promotion of good scientific practice; consideration of UZH Open Science Policy; transparent information on the use of AI; compliance with policy on research with animals; scope of work

b. Accomplishments

• Publications:
  published, submitted, completed, open access; personal contribution to publications; relevance of results in the research field; reception of results; research data collected, data sets created; research data prepared and published according to FAIR principles; tools, software, code developed & openly shared; negative research results shared and published; development goals for the following year
• Presentations/Conferences:
  Presentation at events, conferences; lectures & posters; self-organized conferences; development goals for the following year
• Prizes and awards:
  Prizes & awards received; scholarships acquired; nomination of colleagues for prizes & awards; development goals for the following year
• Knowledge transfer and social impact:
  Government advisory or expertise bodies, policy advice, policy work; collaboration with industry; patents, technology transfer, start-ups; science communication (e.g. Scientifica participation or involvement in the Children's University); citizen science initiatives; development goals for the following year

Academic culture:
Fair, accurate, and transparent recognition of each team member's performance; contribution to an inclusive working and learning environment; promotion of diversity & inclusion

Career plans in research or after completion of research; strengths and weaknesses; personal development plan