Young Academy Charter
Young Academies aim to contribute to societal change through interdisciplinary dialogue and public engagement, giving early career researchers a distinct voice in research and policy discussions. The Young Academy of Ireland will bring together early career researchers and innovators (ECRIs), talented and emerging leaders, researchers and scholars across all disciplines and fields on the island of Ireland who are at an early stage of their careers.
The Young Academy Charter was compiled by a Young Academy Working Group (WG) at the Royal Irish Academy.
The WG included members from the Irish Universities’ Association (IUA), Technological Higher Education Association (THEA), Irish Research Staff Association (IrishRSA) and the Royal Irish Academy.
The Global Young Academy identified the following rationale for establishing a national Young Academy: ‘Contemporary scientific challenges often benefit from investigators with diverse backgrounds and expertise areas. Thus, bringing together talented young scientists creates new opportunities for better solutions to both national and international challenges. Furthermore, the exchange of best practices amongst young scientists across disciplines could further expand the opportunities for career development of young scientists in any country. To achieve this, there is a need for a strong platform where top young scientists can interact, coordinate, and organise to meet these challenges.
The Young Academy Ireland was established in line with the Global Young Academy’s Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Young Academies (2019) and will adhere to the following values:
- Excellence
- Diversity and inclusivity
- Integrity and ethical behaviour
- Collegiality
- Scholarly rigour
- Academic freedom
- Transparency and trust
- Equality and social justice
- Dignity, respect and care for the individual.
Through its work, the Young Academy WG considered the overall vision and objectives of a Young Academy as well as membership criteria, membership term, governance, legal structure, and resourcing, among others. The WG also facilitated dialogue and sought inputs from the wide body of stakeholders and the early career researcher community on the island of Ireland. This resulted in the Young Academy of Ireland Charter.