Implementing measures to promote gender equality and career opportunities of early career researchers

Holzinger, Florian; Schiffbänker, Helene; Reidl, Sybille; Hafellner, Silvia; Streicher, Jürgen

doi:10.4324/9781315201245-8

Cited by 6 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…Such individuals must have accurate, verifiable and up-to-date curriculum vitae to showcase their strengths but also to honestly display their failures, such as retractions (Teixeira da Silva et al, 2020b). The job market, which tends to be precarious for many ECRs, needs to be able to absorb a large volume of graduates using fair, timely, gender-balanced, unbiased and transparent selection and recruitment processes (Holzinger et al, 2018;Fernandes et al, 2020;Kwamie & Jalaghonia, 2020). To meet research job market demands that also requires publishing as one criterion and to offer ECRs a competitive advantage, Pather and Remenyi (2019) suggested professional and personal qualities that could fortify their chances of success and survival in a publish-or-perish culture.…”

Section: Additional Challenges In Research and Publishing Environments That Ecrs Might Encountermentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges that Early Career Researchers Face in Academic Research and Publishing

Silva¹

2021

EIRJ

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the academic community. Yet, in some respects, they occupy a selectively inferior niche due to structural constraints, as well as personal and professional limitations. ECRs, who are at an initial stage of their careers, face multiple challenges in research and publishing due to a relative lack of experience. These may make them vulnerable to abuse and cause stress and anxiety. Those challenges may have been amplified in the COVID-19 era. ECRs' efforts may unfairly boost the reputation of their mentors and/or supervisors (Matthew Effect), so greater credit equity is needed in research and publishing. This opinion paper provides a broad appreciation of the struggles that ECRs face in research and publishing. This paper also attempts to identify extraneous factors that might make ECRs professionally more vulnerable in the COVID-19 era than their established seniors. ECRs may find it difficult to establish a unique career path that embraces creativity and accommodates their personal or professional desires. This is because they may encounter a rigid research and publishing environment that is dominated by a structurally determined status quo. The role of ECRs' supervisors is essential in guiding ECRs in a scholarly volatile environment, allowing them to adapt to it. ECRs also need to be conscientious of the constantly evolving research and publishing landscape, the importance of open science and reproducibility, and the risks posed by spam and predatory publishing. Flexibility, sensitivity, creativity, adaptability, courage, good observational skills, and a focus on research and publishing integrity are key aspects that will hold ECRs in good stead on their scientific career path in a post-COVID-19 era.

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Section: Additional Challenges In Research and Publishing Environments That Ecrs Might Encountermentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges that Early Career Researchers Face in Academic Research and Publishing

Silva¹

2021

EIRJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Among graduate students, low morale and depression are often attributed to financial insecurity, social isolation, and lack of sufficient mentorship 32,33 , and these factors can also impact postdocs 29 . For example, postdocs face high risks of social isolation due to short-term contracts, staggered arrivals, and frequent relocations 1,5,27,34 . Importantly, social isolation can be amplified for underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, foreign researchers and other marginalized groups 32,35 .…”

Section: Goal 2: Sustain Wellness and Work-life Balancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…healthcare programs) that offset mental, logistical, and financial strain. Supervisors can further promote wellness by clarifying expectations and values, modelling healthy work habits, discussing wellness in research planning and performance evaluation, and celebrating diverse axes of achievement 1,5,36 . Importantly, these mentoring efforts must be rewarded to flourish (see Goal 3).…”

Section: Goal 2: Sustain Wellness and Work-life Balancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, since most postdocs ultimately settle into different careers from their mentors (Fig. 1B), advisors should also encourage connections with colleagues, resources, or training that bridge gaps in experiential knowledge 5 .…”

Section: Goal 3: Enhance Mentoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These issues highlight an urgent need for policies and practices that better support a growing postdoctoral workforce. Ultimately, this will benefit all stakeholders in postdoc success --providing ethical and far-reaching returns on time and resource investments [1][2][3][4][5]12 .Below, we describe five goals for enhancing postdoc professional development. We also highlight innovative examples of policies and practices from around the globe.…”

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Academic ecosystems must evolve to support a sustainable postdoc workforce

et al. 2020

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The postdoctoral workforce comprises a growing proportion of the STEM community and plays a vital role in advancing science. Postdoc professional development, however, remains rooted in outdated realities. We propose enhancements to postdoc-centred policies and practices to better align this career stage with contemporary job markets and work life. By facilitating productivity, wellness, and career advancement, the proposed changes will benefit all stakeholders in postdoc success -including research teams, institutions, professional societies, and the scientific community as a whole. To catalyse reform, we outline recommendations for a) skills-based training tailored to the current career landscape, and b) supportive policies and tools outlined in postdoc handbooks. We also invite the ecology and evolution community to lead further progressive reform. Main Text (current word count 2188):Postdoctoral researchers ("postdocs"; Fig. 1A) contribute extensive research, teaching, and service to their supervising faculty, home institutions, and broader scientific communities [1][2][3][4] . In principle, these contributions are rewarded with opportunities to specialize and develop independence. In practice, however, postdocs' progress and well-being are constrained by social, mental, and financial challenges 1,5-7 . Further, the skills and credentials that are prioritized in postdoc positions are misaligned with contemporary job markets (e.g. [8][9][10][11] , Figure 1C). These issues highlight an urgent need for policies and practices that better support a growing postdoctoral workforce. Ultimately, this will benefit all stakeholders in postdoc success --providing ethical and far-reaching returns on time and resource investments [1][2][3][4][5]12 .Below, we describe five goals for enhancing postdoc professional development. We also highlight innovative examples of policies and practices from around the globe. Our recommendations are applicable to many STEM disciplines, but especially relevant to ecology and evolution. Alternative careers in these fields commonly require additional training [13][14][15] , and non-academic paths are often unknown to both postdocs and their mentors. This causes anxiety and reticence for postdocs who, by choice or by necessity, are considering nontraditional careers 1,16,17 . Fortunately, the ecology and evolution community is also poised to lead adaptive reform. Our research targets complex interactions spanning many levels of biological organization. Consequently, our community possesses the tools and perspectives needed for strategic, evidence-based engineering of workplace ecosystems 9 .Goal 1: Align career development with job markets 1,3,38,39 ). More effective mentorship can be facilitated through training, 36 and should be incentivized during hiring, evaluation, and merit-based promotion 40 .

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A Precarious Future: Reflections from a Survey of Early Career Researchers in Archaeology

et al. 2022

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This article presents the results of a 2021 international online survey of 419 early career researchers in archaeology. Respondents were passionate about pursuing an academic career, but pessimistic about job and career prospects. Statistics highlight specific obstacles, especially for women, from unstable employment to inequitable practices, and a chronic lack of support. Over 180 open-ended comments reveal worrying levels of workplace bullying and discrimination, particularly targeting women and minorities. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researchers is also examined. The survey's findings are analysed and contextualized within the international higher education sector. A communal effort is necessary to create sustained change, but early career researchers remain hopeful that change can be implemented.

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Implementing measures to promote gender equality and career opportunities of early career researchers

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Challenges that Early Career Researchers Face in Academic Research and Publishing

Challenges that Early Career Researchers Face in Academic Research and Publishing

Academic ecosystems must evolve to support a sustainable postdoc workforce

A Precarious Future: Reflections from a Survey of Early Career Researchers in Archaeology

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