SECURE Deliverable 3.3 Final Version of Tenure Track-Like Models

Deliverable 3.3 of the SECURE project presents the final version of Tenure Track-Like Models (TTLMs) developed under Work Package 3 (WP3), which aims to support sustainable research careers across Europe. Building on earlier deliverables and aligned with the SECURE Research Career Framework, this report consolidates findings from nine institutional case studies across nine countries, offering a comparative analysis of national and institutional approaches to implementing TTLMs. The report refines a set of nine SECURE principles—ranging from fair pay and benefits to responsible evaluation and supportive management—based on extensive consultation, including stakeholder workshops and a Europe-wide survey with over 250 responses. These principles serve as a framework for good practice in designing and implementing TTLMs that are equitable, transparent, and adaptable to diverse national contexts. Each case study illustrates how TTLMs are embedded within national legislation, institutional strategies, and cultural norms. The report highlights both commonalities and variations in tenure-track systems, including differences in contract structures, evaluation criteria, and support mechanisms. It also identifies challenges such as balancing flexibility with standardisation, addressing precarity, and ensuring inclusivity and professional development. It highlights the enablers and constraints of legal, adminstrative and financial frameworks and the challenges of working with national law and processes, alongside local challenges for example, language barriers and regional law. Key recommendations are provided for institutions, researchers, and funders. Institutions are encouraged to adopt flexible, transparent TTLMs aligned with the SECURE principles and to invest in long-term planning and leadership, career and professional development. Researchers are advised to understand institutional expectations and seek environments that support their career progression. Funders are urged to consider long-term sustainability and alignment with broader European initiatives such as COARA and EURAXESS. This deliverable contributes to the broader goal of fostering sustainable, inclusive, and transparent research careers across Europe, offering a practical set of principles with real-life examples for institutions and policymakers to implement effective tenure-track systems.