The primary purpose of these guidelines is to facilitate the conditions for pensioners who still want to contribute to the University of Oslo’s research activities, either with research or research or teaching-related support. Such contributors may be offered extended affiliation with the University without being employed, provided the activity is valuable for the University. Questions on whether to grant such an offer will be determined in each case by the management of the relevant unit, and pensioners do not therefore have an assumed right to extended affiliation.
Point 1 Scope
These guidelines apply to old-age pensioners who do not have paid employment at the University of Oslo, but still want to make a contribution to the University’s activities, and primarily in relation to the research activity.
Pensioners who receive pay for temporary assignments at the University are defined as employees and are not covered by the guidelines.
Point 2 Criteria for allocating work space
It is the employer who decides whether the pensioner's activities are of such a nature as to warrant extended affiliation. This can apply to a wide range of activities, and it is therefore not possible to provide a detailed specification of relevant tasks. However, it is an absolute requirement that the activity has a clear connection with the academic activity at the unit to which the pensioner is affiliated.
Examples of activity that pensioners can be involved in on their own initiative and without pay:
- continuing and finalizing research projects
- dissemination and popularization
- mentor activities, support for new and/or younger employees
- project participation
- participation in/development of networks
- other relevant work
Like other employees, pensioners are not permitted to use the University of Oslo’s equipment, infrastructure and other resources for private projects, in private enterprises etc.
Point 3 Agreement
Extended affiliation with the University of Oslo is governed by an agreement between the pensioner and the manager responsible. The ‘manager responsible’ is defined as the head of department or senior manager at an equivalent level, or someone with such authority. The pensioner is no longer formally employed by the University, and as such there are no conditions relating to work duties or the delivery of specific results.
Examples of content of the agreement include:
- the purpose of the pensioner’s continued affiliation with the University of Oslo
- agreement period
- specification of the content of the affiliation offer
- the pensioner’s reporting to the unit’s management on the status and development of the work
- that the pensioner must familiarize himself/herself with and adhere to the University of Oslo’s guidelines on health, safety and the environment
- rules for using IT
- other special conditions pertaining to the specific activity that should be regulated
The scope of the agreement will be subject to individual consideration in each case, and determined by the management of the relevant unit. Examples may include access to:
- a virtual work space, with access to the Internet, databases, analysis tools
- standard IT tools, software updates, user support
- libraries, reading rooms, physical work station
- e-mail address, web presentation of own projects, registration of publications in databases
- administrative support services
- science equipment, consumer articles, chemicals
- technical support, laboratory services
Agreements should not normally cover a period of more than one year at a time.
Point 4 Funding
Specific costs associated with extended affiliation for pensioners must be funded within the units’ local budgets.
A condition for such offers is that the academic environment has the necessary resource capacity. Units cannot request additional space or resources based on an offer of work space to pensioners.
Note: See current Pedat rates (Norwegian) for the assessment of costs of providing work space.