PNN calls for improvements to promotional programs in peripheral hospitals

In recent years, peripheral hospitals have increasingly focused on initiating and conducting scientific research. This is reflected in the growing number of employees in peripheral hospitals who are engaged in (medical) scientific research both part-time and full-time. The emergence of this "new" type of employee requires proper categorization and registration of a new function in peripheral hospitals: "the PhD candidate." We urge peripheral hospitals to recognize the PhD candidate function and therefore include it in the collective labor agreement for hospitals.

The National Consultation of UMC PhD Candidates (LOUP), a working group of the PhD Candidate Network Netherlands (PNN), was originally established to represent the interests of PhD candidates employed at academic hospitals within the PNN. However, the growing number of PhD candidates in peripheral hospitals is lacking representation. Therefore, the LOUP launched an initiative to map out who these PhD candidates are and the challenges they face.

An exploratory survey among peripheral PhD students (n=109) identified problems in various areas. The most common and critical problems are briefly discussed below.

• Employment conditions : Within the current Collective Labor Agreement for Hospitals (2019-2021), which applies to all employees in peripheral hospitals, there is no separate chapter or job evaluation defining the job descriptions and employment conditions of PhD candidates. This means that contract hours, salaries, and contract duration are not stipulated in an applicable collective labor agreement. Consequently, there is considerable variation within the system, meaning that PhD candidates are not recognized and valued in the same way. The quality of research and employee well-being could be harmed as a result of the above. The survey shows that PhD candidates systematically work overtime, 23% of contracts can be classified as questionable (less than 36 hours per week reserved for research), and a majority of PhD candidates have questions about, or require assistance with, conflicts regarding employment conditions and training courses.

• COVID-19 : While the National Education Program (NPO) Administrative Agreement allocated funds to extend the temporary contracts of young researchers and PhD candidates at universities and university medical centers, this did not take into account PhD candidates at other institutions, including peripheral hospitals. Our survey shows that 55% of PhD candidates experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an average of three months. Furthermore, we see that in 38% of cases, this delay led to mild or major problems. In many cases, PhD candidates at these peripheral hospitals stepped in to assist in departments providing COVID-19 care. It is therefore particularly distressing that many of these PhD candidates, who have proven indispensable with their contributions to the care of COVID-19 patients, are not being compensated for the delays they have experienced. Unfortunately, there is currently no short- or long-term vision to address this problem.

In light of these findings, we call on peripheral hospitals:

• Start the registration and categorization of PhD candidates in peripheral hospitals by introducing the job category "PhD candidate".
• Provide insight into which employees are pursuing PhDs at your institution (both full-time and part-time) so that you can easily approach this group of employees about topics that affect them as PhD candidates.
• Prevent further variation and strive for harmonization of rules and guidelines for obtaining a PhD within a peripheral hospital with regard to the duration, scope of employment and the salaries of PhD candidates.

National Consultation of UMC PhD Candidates (LOUP)

Part of the PhD Network Netherlands (PNN)