Pandemic Impact on Early Career Researchers in the United States

Sims, David; Nicholas, David; Tenopir, Carol; Allard, Suzie; Watkinson, Anthony

doi:10.1177/21582440231194394

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

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“…Importantly, this survey also does not reflect the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are still reverberating throughout the scientific ecosystem. COVID-19 “lockdowns” in 2020 had immediate effects on scientific careers, particularly for those from marginalized identities, while the long-term effects of the pandemic on scientific careers and the scientific ecosystem remain to be seen ( Gibson et al, 2020 ; Haas et al, 2020 ; Malisch et al, 2020 ; Doyle et al, 2021 ; National Academies of Sciences, 2021 ; Beverstock and Pickersgill, 2022 ; Jamali et al, 2023 ; Sims et al, 2023 ). This study captures an important snapshot from the years preceding the pandemic that future studies can be benchmarked against to understand how the pandemic has affected scientists’ career decisions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Retrospective Analysis of Career Outcomes in Neuroscience

Ullrich,

Ogawa,

Jones-London

2024

eNeuro

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What factors are associated with career outcomes among biomedical PhDs? Much of the research to-date has focused on drivers of interest in (and intention to pursue) various careers, especially during graduate school, but fewer studies have investigated participants’ ultimate career outcomes. Even less is known about what factors matter most for groups historically underrepresented in the US STEM workforce, such as women, some racial and ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), 2021a). This study reports a new analysis of data from 781 PhD neuroscientists that were obtained from a retrospective survey (Ullrich et al. (2021)) to investigate the factors that influence the career sector in which neuroscience PhDs are employed, and whether there were group differences according to social identity. We find evidence of academia as a “default path” for incoming PhD students, but interest in different careers increases gradually over time. Those who remained in academia had greater acceptance of the structural aspects of academic careers, such as the promotion and tenure process, and greater faculty support during their postdoctoral training. Conversely, prioritizing monetary compensation and wanting varied work were associated with not being in academia, while a strong interest in research was positively associated with being in non-academic research. Somewhat surprisingly, there were few interactions with gender, and no interactions with underrepresentation status, although perhaps this was due to lack of statistical power. Our findings also underscore the role of advisors, networking, and personal relationships in securing employment in STEM.Significance StatementA new analysis of a retrospective survey from 781 PhD neuroscientists who have completed their training reveals factors associated with differences between respondents who are working in different sectors, including preferences about careers and experiences in graduate and postdoctoral training. We find evidence of academia as a “default path” for incoming PhD students, but interest in different careers changes gradually over time. Our findings also underscore the role of advisors, networking, and personal relationships in securing employment in STEM. To create a more inclusive and diverse academic environment, it's essential to address financial disparities, provide tailored support, foster mentorship relationships, and actively work to create inclusive academic cultures that embrace a variety of career paths for neuroscientists.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Retrospective Analysis of Career Outcomes in Neuroscience

Ullrich,

Ogawa,

Jones-London

2024

eNeuro

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Professional development through collaborative action research for early career academics - a collaborative auto-ethnography during the COVID-19 pandemic

Li,

Bliss,

Henderson

et al. 2024

Educational Action Research

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Charting the course for early career academics: a longitudinal analysis of U.S. academic job market trends post-pandemic

Kozik,

Hagan,

Jadavji

et al. 2024

SGPE

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Purpose This paper aims to identify the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the academic job market in North America and the ways in which faculty job applicants altered their applications in response to a changing academia. Design/methodology/approach The data presented here is the portion relevant to COVID-19 collected in a survey of faculty job applicants at the end of the 2019–2020 job cycle in North America (spring 2020). An additional “mid-pandemic” survey was used in fall 2020 for applicants participating in the following job search cycle to inquire about how they were adapting their application materials. A portion of data from the 2020–2022 job cycle surveys was used to represent the “late pandemic.” Job posting data from the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium is also used to study job availability. Findings Examination of faculty job postings from 2018 to 2022 found that while they decreased in 2020, the market recovered in 2021 and beyond. While the market recovered, approximately 10% of the faculty job offers reported by 2019–2020 survey respondents were rescinded. Respondents also reported altering their application documents in response to the pandemic as well as delaying or even abandoning their faculty job search. Originality/value This paper provides a longitudinal perspective with quantitative data on how the academic job market changed through the major events of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, a subject of intense discussion and stress, particularly amongst early career researchers.

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Pandemic Impact on Early Career Researchers in the United States

Cited by 3 publications

References 31 publications

A Retrospective Analysis of Career Outcomes in Neuroscience

A Retrospective Analysis of Career Outcomes in Neuroscience

Professional development through collaborative action research for early career academics - a collaborative auto-ethnography during the COVID-19 pandemic

Charting the course for early career academics: a longitudinal analysis of U.S. academic job market trends post-pandemic

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