The Scientific Body Council

The Scientific Body Council

The Scientific Body Council (Le Conseil du Corps Scientifique (CCS)) is the institutional body for consultation and representation of the scientific staff of the University of Liege. It represents the scientific staff to the institution’s authorities and organises meetings regarding the scientific career. In 2015, the CCS replaced the University Council of Scientific Staff (Le Conseil Universitaire du Personnel Scientifique(CUPS)) which had been in place since 1968.

The scientific staff within the university

The scientific body is made up of all the scientific staff and researchers funded by the operating budget (the government), research agreements (a heritage organisation) or institutionally recognised scientific foundations. Several research and teaching support service partners are also included in the scientific staff.

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• ULiege paid staff members
• ATO staff (administration, technicians, or construction workers)
• administrative staff, technicians and workers, tradesmen, management staff
• teaching staff
• lectures, teachers, full professors, part-time professors
• scientific staff
• scientific staff in charge of the operating allowance (BO) or in charge of external services (HBO)

In 2014, the paid scientific staff represented 2300 people or 52% of the University of Liège’s employees (in full time positions), this includes paid researchers by scientific foundations.

In 2015, more than 4,000 people at the University of Liège were working in the scientific community. They carry out research, supervision, and administrative tasks. Unpaid employees represent almost one third of these people.

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• ULiège Scientific Body – 4000 people.
• French Community (statutory)
  assistants, HE assistants, first assistants, supervisors, custodians, teaching assistants, academic specialists…
• ULg Heritage (BO)
  Contracted scientific staff from the regular budget: experts, research assistants, logisticians, assistants, teaching assistants, lecturers (ISLV)…
• Members of the scientific staff on external contracts or services : administrative employees, assistants, doctoral scholarship holders, members of the CSL and the ISLV…
• Unpaid staff members – volunteer assistants, lecturers, scientific collaborators, teaching collaborators…
• F.R.S- FNRS – aspiring researchers, research fellows, qualified researchers, senior research fellows, research supervisors…
• FRIA – Doctoral scholarship holders
• Others -indeterminate or multiple work placements

The scientific staff meet at least once a year in a general assembly organised by the Scientific Body Council.

Configuration and rules of the Scientific Body Council

The Scientific Body Council represents the diverse statuses and affiliations of the scientific staff. Each faculty and interfaculty research unit has a representative in the CCS. In addition, the representatives of the scientific staff on the University’s Board of Directors are members of the CCS by right.

Officially recognised by universitary authorities, the rules of the CCS are approved by the Univeristy Board of Govenors. You can find out more about the updated configuration and rules of the CCS on the dedicated page.

Inform, represent, and propose

The academic setting is particularly complex and dynamic. Being informed and aware of these changes is our primary concern. The structure of the CCS allows for information to be continuously exchanged and the process to be monitored by the different representatives of the scientific staff in the institution’s bodies.

At the same time, the CCS represents the scientific staff while dealing with the authorities and provides representation in institutional commissions and several work groups. In particular, it ensures that the interests of researchers and research are represented and defended in areas which are of direct or indirect interest to us.

Finally, the CCS has structured itself to be able to make proposals within the university. It relies on its understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of scientific research to analyse the development of the research profession and to propose structural improvements, from its own initiative or at the request of the authorities.