This article is from WeChat official account:Nature Natural Research (ID: Nature-Research) , original author: Chris Woolston, from the head of FIG: unsplash
This article is the second in the first “Nature” postdoctoral survey series, revealing the uneasy mentality of the most unstable group in academia.
The first “Nature” postdoctoral survey shows that postdoctoral researchers around the world feel uncertain, uneasy, and extremely difficult about their career prospects, workload, work culture and other issues.
This survey tried to clarify the most important contradictions faced by postdoctoral fellows, and obtained self-reported information from 7,670 postdoctoral researchers from 93 countries. For more than 20 years, postdoctoral fellows have been called proletarians in academia by institutions such as the U.S. National Academies and the OECD. Their jobs are unstable, their incomes are poor, and the path to tenure is full of unknowns.
Miguel Monkc
Despite the uncertainty, postdoctoral fellows persisted in their work. Six out of ten respondents said they are satisfied with their position. They are also sticking to their dreams. Even when the pandemic has forced universities around the world to shrink hiring positions or even suspend hiring, about two-thirds of respondents(80% of them are currently working in North America or Europe) still regard academic research as an ideal career.
The survey also found general anxiety about the status quo and the future of postdoctoral fellows. When asked whether postdoctoral fellows met expectations, 32% of respondents said they were not as expected, and only 12% said they exceeded expectations. More than half of the respondents (56%) expressed pessimism about their career prospects, and less than half of the respondents said they would Recommend yourself to work in academia. An interviewee pointed out in the message area: “(Postdoctoral) has no choice.”(See “Postdoctoral is not valued”.)
Post-docs are not valued
The message area of the survey showed the negative aspects and a few positive aspects of post-doctorate’s daily life. Due to the length and expression, some comments have been edited and translated a little.
We need to rethink the role of postdocs in scientific research. Postdoctoral fellows never get the reward they deserve, and sometimes they are even worse than graduate students. Postdoctoral fellows play a key role in scientific research and are also the research driving force of their department. —— A biomedical researcher from South Africa
Postdoctoral fellows are in a “conflict of interest” position that is difficult to break: You have invested years of enthusiasm and focus on certain projects, and you have dedicated everything you have. Your PI used your research and talent to get millions of dollars in funding, but you got nothing, not even scum. —— A cell biology researcher from the United States
Postdoctoral fellows are not regarded as formal faculty members, but as graduate students. Especially for postdoctoral fellows who are interdisciplinary, such as me, it is difficult to participate in cooperative projects because of low trust. —— A biomedical researcher from China
I enjoy my doctorAfter work, it’s like doing doctoral research again. But because you have already completed your PhD, there will be no pressure to complete the thesis or other degree requirements. —— A genetics researcher from Canada
My salary is not as much as that of a clown.(The clown can earn $59,000 a year in the United States). This is not the fault of my tutor, but because the academic world has a bad tradition of giving very low wages to well-trained and educated people. This is why I plan to leave academia. I did not study for 10 years to earn less than the clown. The academic community needs to correct its own behavior and stop bullying the newly graduated Ph.Ds. —— A physics researcher from the United States
My university lacks support for postdoctoral fellows, which allows me to devote myself to the local postdoctoral organization to fight for the rights and interests of future postdoctoral fellows. —— A biomedical researcher from Canada
Because I am a postdoc, I feel more respected. I now have more leadership opportunities, which increases my confidence and broadens my interpersonal relationships. Of course, because the post-doctorate is on a short-term contract, uncertainty still exists, but overall it is better than I thought. —— An astrophysics researcher from Germany
Postdocs are also employees, but they are not as important as students or professors. School policy is generally to help the other two groups, not applicable to post-doctorate groups. Your salary is half that of assistant professors, only a few thousand dollars more than graduate students. —— A chemistry researcher from the United States
Postdoctoral fellows are not regarded as an important part of academia. Their position is between PhD students and faculty members. They have no position anywhere, and their voices are not weighty. —— An archaeological researcher from Finland
Now is the time to acknowledge the contribution of postdoctoral fellows to scientific research. Building a centralized platform is a good start, which allows postdoctoral fellows all over the world to help each other. But in the long run, we need to do more. —— A chemistry researcher from India
My institution does not support independent research by postdoctoral fellows. I also did not get any training and development opportunities. —— A cell biology researcher from the UK
I thought I would have more academic freedom, more support for my future career, and my laboratory would provide me with moreA lot of technical support, but in fact there is no. —— A cell biology researcher from Germany
The past year has been particularly difficult for postdocs. The world has experienced the outbreak and spread of the new crown. Half of the respondents’ job satisfaction has declined in the past 12 months. (I want to know the impact of the new crown on postdoctoral Impact, see Nature 585, 309–312; 2020).
“Nature” collated the survey results. The next two articles will explore the interviewees’ feelings about their quality of life, including their mental health and the discrimination and harassment they have encountered, as well as their views on career prospects.(See “Nature Postdoctoral Survey”). The complete data can be viewed at go.nature.com/3tmckuq.
“Nature” postdoctoral survey
In September, “Nature” conducted a survey on how the new crown affects post-doctoral students and their views on the future, and announced the relevant results. The second article in the series summarized their situation around the world. The third article discusses their quality of life, including mental health and the discrimination and harassment encountered.
The last article discussed the postdoc’s views on their career prospects. The career future is a key issue for them. The survey was jointly organized with London-based market research company Shift Learning, and related advertisements were displayed on nature.com, Springer Nature Digital Products and emails. The survey languages cover English, Chinese, Spanish, French and Portuguese. The data is available at go.nature.com/3tmckuq.
“No one knows what a postdoc is”
The survey touched upon some fundamental questions: Who are the postdocs in the world and what do they think of their work? The postdoctoral fellows covered by this survey are limited to academic circles. “Nature” also plans to investigate in the futurePost-doctorate in industry and other fields. Respondents came from various disciplines, and more than half of the (52%) respondents were from the biomedical field. Research in this field relies heavily on post-doctoral research.
Anna Coussens, an immunologist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia (WEHI ), said: “The postdoctoral fellow is (Biomedical Laboratory) is the most valuable part because of their contributions. They are first-line researchers.” Anna Coussens was previously a German Executive member of the research support group Global Young Academy (Global Young Academy).
In some fields, the concept of a postdoc is still unpredictable. Petra Hermankova, an archaeologist at Aarhus University in Denmark, asked: “Is this the path to academia? Is this a research position? No one knows what a postdoc is, so we have to fight for ourselves.”
Unsatisfactory scientific research
In fact, the survey participants have their own struggles. More than a quarter of (26%) respondents said they were dissatisfied with their position. Half of them said that their satisfaction has declined in the past year. (see “Enhancing Space”).
Some bright spots have also appeared in the survey: 80% of respondents pointed out that because they are interested in current research, they are satisfied with their current job; three-quarters are satisfied with their current independence.
Satisfaction varies in different disciplines. In the field of ecology and evolution, (8% of the respondents), 69% of the respondents said they are satisfied with their current position. It is the highest among all disciplines. However, the dissatisfaction of postdoctoral fellows in biomedicine and physics is the highest, reaching 28%. Among biomedical researchers, 57% of respondents said they were satisfied, and 14% said they were not satisfied or dissatisfied.
Natalie Sirisaengtaksin, a postdoctoral fellow engaged in cancer research at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, pointed out that biomedical research is an extremely high-pressure discipline. “In the field of biomedicine, you have to stay in the laboratory often and you can’t see Your family can’t do other things you want to do. There is so much you can do at the table. Every minute you are away from the laboratory is a wasted minute.”
The survey also found that postdoctoral satisfaction with life has declined over time. Young postdoctoral students between the ages of 26 and 30 have the highest satisfaction, reaching 66%. For those respondents who have only engaged in post-doctoral research for less than two years, satisfaction is also quite high (64%), but those The satisfaction of more qualified postdocs is lower.
The life of a postdoc is quite unstable. 61% of respondents said that they are currently working abroad. Postdoctoral fellows often need to conduct research in other countries, but moving to residence is a challenge.
A genetics researcher who came to the United States from France wrote: “People don’t understand the sacrifices we make.” She also mentioned that during this period of political uncertainty in the United States, she was I am worried about whether I can maintain the visa.
Similar worries are very common, but surveys show that the situation of postdoctoral fellows working overseas is actually similar to those of postdoctoral fellows working in their home countries. When asked about job satisfaction, postdoctoral fellows working overseas are no different from those working in China.
“thousand old”
Postdoctoral fellows usually get short-term cooperationAt the same time, generally speaking, it is only 2~3 years at a time, but many people find that in the process of looking for a long-term position, they become “thousand old” In the survey, 48% of respondents pointed out that they have been doing postdoctoral research for more than 3 years. 30% of the interviewees stated that they have done 2 to 3 rounds of postdoctoral work, some have done more than 4 to 5 rounds, and some even have done 6 to 7 rounds.
Rory Duncan, Director of Talents of (UKRI) of the British funding agency, the UK’s Department of Research and Innovation, introduced that post-doctoral work means this is a long-term A short springboard for a position. He estimated that UKRI indirectly funded about 40,000 postdoctoral fellows through funding for universities and laboratories. He said: “Everyone including postdoctoral fellows and supervisors should be aware that postdoctoral positions are temporary and developmental.”
Kate Buckeridge, an ecologist at the University of Edinburgh, started her first postdoctoral job in 2010, and she is now doing her fourth round. Her research on the Arctic tundra allowed her to set foot in Canada, Greenland, Sweden and other regions, but she has been struggling to find long-term positions. “I feel lucky for the projects I have done. I am better than many new faculty members. All workers have experience”. But she still hasn’t found any teaching position. She said: “I hope to have such an opportunity. If there is an opportunity, I think I have become an excellent teacher.”
Due to more than ten years of postdoctoral research, Buckeridge said that she is extremely lack of stability and continuity. She noticed that some projects would not be on track for several years, but at that time she was leaving again. She also found that the choice of post-doctorate was limited. When she was in Canada, she could not supervise a PhD student who could have helped her research. In the UK, she cannot directly apply for the large funds reserved for PI. “No matter where you are, postdoctoral fellows are always restricted, and there is always a ceiling above your head.”
flow with funding
Postdoctoral fellows are defined by funding sources in a sense. Only 13% of respondents work directly for their institution, and the rest are in a gray area between students and teachers. Forty percent of respondents received funding from funding agencies, and almost the same proportion of people were paid from their PI research funding. Self-funded postdoctoral fellows have a certain degree of freedom in scientific research, but they usually cannot act alone.
CoussEns said that in the field of hard science, postdoctoral fellows usually rely on their mentors and institutions to provide resources and work environments. This arrangement has a profound impact on the independence and ownership of research and intellectual property rights. “You have done a project and acquired skills, but there is always a dispute about who the project is.”
Many postdoctoral fellows do not feel that their research belongs to them. Among the respondents who brought their own funding, only 18% said they could take the project away when they left, and 29% were not sure(The estimate is derived from the initial data). The situation in different fields is different. 31% of the sociology researchers with their own funding believe that the research can follow them, which is beyond the biomedical field(17% ) or self-funded postdoctoral fellows in the field of chemistry (17%).
Sirisaengtaksin believes that she has at least partial ownership of her research, but it will take some time to discuss, “The condition of my employment is that I work for the laboratory project, but I can work on my own project. Take the time, and you can take your own project away.”
Interviewees pointed out that they did not get any guidance from PI or the mentor. More than half of the respondents of (55%) pointed out that they only have less than one hour per week to communicate face-to-face with the laboratory PI, three points One of the people said that there are 1-3 hours of face-to-face communication every week (see “Is the time right?”). An interviewee wrote in the comment area: “I have been a postdoctoral fellow for a year and a half, and I have only met face-to-face with PI three times.”
salary and benefits
Postdoctoral fellows do not always get rewards that match their efforts. An American chemistry postdoctoral fellow wrote in the comment section: “Your salary is half that of assistant professors, which is only a few thousand dollars more than graduate students. But at the same time, we have more responsibility than any graduate student.”
Less than half of the respondents of (42%) said their annual salary is between $50,000 and $80,000, only 3% Of people say they have a higher salary. These data are consistent with the salary standards set by major funding agencies. For example, the annual salary of postdoctoral fellows funded by the National Institutes of Health’s in-hospital research project (Intramural Research Training Awards) starts at $52,850. The survey found that the salary difference between men and women is not large. Similarly, the salary of minorities does not show any disadvantages.
But there are also some people whose salary is lower than that of ordinary people. 38% of the respondents have an annual salary of between 30,000 and 49,000 US dollars, and 15% of the respondents said that their annual salary is less than 30,000 US dollars. There is a huge income gap in different regions. 84% of respondents from Australasia and 70% of respondents from Central and North America earn more than US$50,000 per year. However, only 29% of respondents from Europe received such a salary, compared to 13% of respondents from Asia. This result is similar to the survey results of the European Postdoctoral Association Network in 2019. The survey also found that the income gap between postdocs is very large, with a median annual salary of 38,000 US dollars.
Some subject areas have better income. Among postdoctoral fellows in astronomy and planetary sciences, 63% of respondents have an annual salary of more than US$50,000, the highest among all disciplines, but this population accounts for only 3% of the total number of surveys. Half of the biomedical researchers (51%) have an annual salary of more than US$50,000, but this percentage is higher among postdoctoral fellows in social sciences and ecology and evolution. Only 43% and 36% respectively.
More than half of the respondents (51%) stated that they had not raised their salary in the past year, and 5% of the respondents SalaryThere is less water than the previous year. In the message area, several interviewees mentioned the shrinking funding caused by the epidemic.
Sirisaengtaksin believes that biomedical postdoctoral fellows do not only work for themselves, they also make money for laboratories and institutions. “You give your time, work hard and publish papers, and finally bring funding for your supervisor.” But postdoctoral remuneration It may still be insufficient to avoid financial constraints. In the United States, many researchers must begin to repay student loans as soon as they obtain a PhD.
She said that compared with graduate students, the income growth of biomedical postdoctoral fellows is very limited, but they encounter greater financial difficulties in the process of starting a family and starting a career. “In a sense, the financial burden of postdoctoral fellows is greater than that of students. The times are bigger.” In the survey, 22% of the respondents said that they could not save money with postdoctoral salaries, and another 48% said they could save money but not enough.
Benefits such as medical insurance, pension insurance, and paid leave are also very different, which also shows that post-doctorate is an unclear position between students and professors. 84% of respondents said they had paid leave, and 79% said they had paid sick leave. Slightly more than half of the people said they had paid maternity leave, but only 14% were able to get childcare subsidies. 13% of the interviewees said that they had children during their current postdoctoral work, and the significance of childcare subsidies is great for them. Less than half of (46%) respondents said they are satisfied with their current salary and benefits.
Geologist Tara Edwards said that at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, postdoctoral fellows are “treated as PhD candidates, even if they already have a PhD”. She said that postdoctoral fellows are not directly recruited by universities, so they cannot enjoy the same treatment as faculty and staff. She said that during her Ph.D. study in Australia, she had more benefits than now, when she was able to enjoy four weeks of paid leave.
A spokesperson from the University of Cape Town confirmed that postdoctoral fellows are considered “scholars in training” rather than faculty. They also stated that the school provides “corresponding academic benefits” for postdoctoral fellows, such as the ability to use libraries and computing services. The spokesperson also said that PI can sometimes provide some benefits from person to person, such as maternity leave. Edwards said: “There are always problems, but the situation may change.”
Regardless of their title, postdocs rarely receive the recognition and support they deserve. Hermankova said: “The post-doctorate sweats and PI is praised. The future post-doctorate should be regarded as an important group that can speak up.body. I want their voices to be heard by the upper echelons of academia. “
The original article was titled Postdoc survey reveals disenchantment with working life and was published on the career feature section of Nature on November 18, 2020
This article is from WeChat official account:Nature Natural Research (ID: Nature-Research), the original author: Chris Woolston