The Research Scientist Career Progression Framework was designed as a structured approach to evaluate the professional level of individuals within the SE-RES classification including the following Canadian government departments: Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada (AAFC), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Health Canada (HC), Communications Research Canada (CRC), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Ideally, departments would have common mentoring programs, submission and evaluation processes, but differences do occur, which can be partially attributed to differences in each department's SE-RES population size. Most but not all departments provide annual information sessions to explain guidelines and evaluation criteria. Still, there are often questions about the process. Here, we answer some FAQs, but each department may differ, so if you are unsure, check with your department.
How many publications does it take to request a promotion?
There is no official number. Once you have 10-15 publications, you may consider submitting a promotion dossier for RES-02 to RES-05. However, a low number like 10 would require an important level of innovation and impact, the other two compulsory factors in a promotion dossier. We have also seen dossiers with a high number that were denied because of lack of impact. RES-02 usually requires 1 or 2 publications, with demonstration of capacity to manage a lab and projects.
How many years should I wait before requesting a promotion?
There are no guidelines, but management (or inexperienced managers) may advise to wait more than a few years. It is not a factor of years, but productivity, innovation, and impact. As managers are busy, you may be the best judge of your readiness to apply for promotion. There are few cases of researchers who achieved a RES-04 level only 3 years after their last promotion. Remember you can always send your dossier without your management authorisation.
Can client service and recognition replace caveats in RDA?
No, productivity, innovation and impact must fully satisfy promotion criteria.
I had 35 publications, and I was denied a promotion. Why?
The number of publications is not the only consideration. Innovation and impact must fully satisfy promotion criteria, along with supportive elements in Services to Client, Recognition and Research management
What is impact?
In many departments, this a major reason for denying promotion. It is important to recognize that being an invited speaker, editor of a journal, or evaluator on a research committee is not impact, it is Recognition and/or Research management. Your ability to publish 60 papers does not necessarily demonstrate “impact” to the promotion committee (despite the fact that we researchers consider that as impact within our community).
Impact is the change you created in process, protocols, survey methods, regulation/laws of other departments, other government, other countries. You must be able to provide a third-party proof of those changes. Requesting a letter from managers of programs that were changed because of your work is an appropriate step, do it soon while it is still fresh, and file those letters in your dossier. Web site pages stating the protocols/methods are credited to you are also good proofs of impact. New regulations and laws originating from your research are good material but make sure to have an associated document stating you are the source of the research that led to those changes.
I am a RES-01, have one peer-reviewed publication produced from my present research, but I was denied a promotion. Why?
You must be able to demonstrate you are leading a research project, or supervise graduate students, or have had a successful funding proposal.
I have heavy responsibilities (supervising staff and participating on committees, organising a conference) and loads of administrative burden. Why is that not considered in a promotion dossier?
Those items may contribute to a dossier, but they will not replace Productivity, Innovation and Impact. We have seen a few dossiers denied despite considerable impact, because of a lack of productivity or innovation. In your annual objectives, steer away from administrative duties and responsibilities, letting your managers know that such work detracts from your primary duty to do research.
I write many reports and that precludes me from writing papers for peer review. What should I do?
Reports are not fruitful for your promotion dossier. Steer away from reports in your annual objectives and concentrate on writing manuscripts. In some departments, such as DFO, there are heavy requirements to write reports. Decide on your priorities and let them know reports will be finished after the related manuscript is submitted.
I have very limited financial resources and no staff resources. How can I produce to achieve the required productivity for a promotion?
This is a common problem. There is only one way out: to publish. Another alternative is summer students or graduate students, as they are low-cost and sometimes very productive (and fun to have with you). The Department of Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs has programs that pay for 50% of First Nations summer students and graduate students. Sharing graduate students with a university professor (and you being an Adjunct at that university) is another productive avenue.
When a manager and director tell me that I do not meet the criteria for a promotion, what can I do?
Request written feedback from them on specific caveats in your dossier. It can be good to consider their point of view to enhance your dossier.
You can also counter-argue by seeking colleagues’ promotion dossiers that were similar and resulted in promotion. Very often, your manager and DG may not be familiar with the intricacies of your work or with the Career Progression system.
Inform managers you are ready to submit your dossier, and let them know you have invested significant time to meet the requirements. When push comes to shove, they may ultimately support your dossier. We have seen that often.
Do I need my director’s approval to submit my dossier for a promotion?
You do not. You can submit directly to the Career Progression Committee. However, it is always nice to have your DG supporting your dossier.
I was denied promotion and I was verbally given vague reasons by my manager. What should I do?
Request from them written feedback about specific caveats in your dossier. Verbal communication is the method management uses when they do not make an effort to justify themselves.
What is the Recourse mechanism?
It is a mechanism by which you can request an independent review of the process used to evaluate your dossier.
I have been denied in-person conference participation in the last 3 years. Since this is important for my career progression, what can I do about it?
Before 2020, being denied conference participation for the last 3 years was a good reason for a successful grievance. Since the COVID pandemic, virtual conferences are favored by management for financial reasons. Although our collective agreement mentions that conference attendance can be limited for operational reasons (whereas the SP agreement mentions operation and financial reasons), management denies in-person using financial justifications. There are a few grievances about this issue. See Denied Conference Attendance.
I was on sick leave/parental leave for the past 2 years. Will that affect my promotion dossier?
In theory it should not, but be ready to provide information describing your leave. There is an annex in your dossier where you can provide an explanation for lower productivity during a period. Do not shy away from providing comments about your productivity average notwithstanding that period.
My manager says my publications have a low impact factor and therefore I do not meet criteria for promotion. What can I do?
It is not necessarily the responsibility of management to be knowledgeable about the nuances of a journal with a low-impact factor. A low-impact journal can have a high impact within a field of expertise but either way, management may not be the best judge of that. At any rate, you can counterargue (with evidence) that the journals most often used in your field of research may not have a high rating in general but still contribute to the advancement of science. In the end, your publications are still peer-reviewed papers, reviewed by a wider knowledgeable peer group. That, in itself, demonstrates impact and innovation. Context is everything so explain your rationale using your own experience within your field of expertise points.
One of my papers has a very high citation count but my managers says it does not count in a promotion dossier. What can I do?
A paper’s citation rate or total count is not a criterion for the Career Progression Committee. However, such a paper will usually lead to new collaborations that will enhance your productivity and impact. These are the points you have to focus on demonstrating.
I have the required number of papers for a promotion but my manager says I am not the first author, so it does not count. What can I do? I have been told I should be first author, is that true? Is position in the authorship list important?
Position in the author list is important. First and last authors are usually considered most important positions. In the description of each paper, explain your leadership role. As many journals now require, you can describe your role in the conception of the original hypothesis, the design of an analytical approach, performing analyses, and writing and reviewing the manuscript.
Do I need to meet all the boxes/criteria in a given category to get promoted?
It varies for each department. Some will request 2/3 of the boxes, others will request all of them. Surely for Productivity, Innovation and Impact, all boxes/criteria should be met. It is key to provide clear explanations of your research alongside the evidence to support Productivity, Innovation and Impact.