Budapest, 20 November 2024 – The pressing question of how to make academic careers more attractive and sustainable took centre stage at a panel discussion held during the World Science Forum. Organised by EURODOC, ICORSA, MCAA, and the Young Academy of Europe (YAE), the event brought together researchers, policymakers, and academics in the Ceremonial Hall of Pesti Vigadó to address the systemic challenges faced by researchers worldwide.
The session shed light on the critical role of science in addressing global crises, including climate change, health emergencies, and the implications of artificial intelligence. However, participants highlighted the alarming reality: while research is essential for solving these issues, academic careers remain unattractive and unsustainable for many, threatening the pipeline of talent needed to tackle these challenges.
Key Issues Highlighted in the Panel
The panel addressed a range of challenges facing early and mid-career researchers:
- Precarious Job Prospects: Many researchers face uncertain and short-term employment, with limited opportunities for permanent positions.
- Financial Instability: Low-paying postdoctoral roles make academic careers financially unviable for many.
- Excessive Pressure: The “publish or perish” culture fosters burnout and limits creativity.
- Unrecognised Contributions: Key skills such as teaching, mentoring, leadership, and policy engagement often go unrewarded.
- Inequity and Lack of Diversity: A narrow definition of excellence exacerbates inequality, making academia less inclusive.
Panel Contributions
Moderator Rosarii Griffin, Secretary and Director of ICORSA, opened the session with an introduction and an interactive Mentimeter activity to engage the audience.
The keynote statements followed, with each speaker addressing critical aspects of academic career sustainability:
- Slaven Misljencevic, Policy Officer at the European Commission, emphasised the need for structural reforms in academic funding to provide long-term stability for researchers.
- Carl Vannetelbosch, Project Officer at UNESCO, highlighted the importance of global cooperation and the need for equitable opportunities for researchers across regions.
- Nicola Dengo, Vice-President of EURODOC, advocated for recognising diverse contributions beyond research publications to ensure fair assessments of academic excellence.
- Katalin Solymosi, Outgoing Chair of the YAE, discussed the impact of the “publish or perish” culture on researchers’ mental health and called for a more holistic evaluation system.
- Gian Maria Greco, Chair of MCAA, proposed innovative approaches to reduce precarity, including pension schemes and tenure-track models tailored to international mobility.
Discussions
Attendees participated in four sessions facilitated by expert moderators. Each session explored specific dimensions of academic career sustainability:
- Doctoral Education: Challenges for Researcher Careers
- Moderated by Pil Maria Saugmann (EURODOC), this discussion examined the structural barriers faced by PhD candidates, including funding constraints and career progression issues.
- European Research Competence Framework and Precarity
- Moderated by Rosarii Griffin (ICORSA), participants evaluated whether the European framework adequately addressed career precarity and considered best practices from international frameworks.
- Tenure-Track Models
- Moderated by Philippa Warren (YAE), this session debated the potential of tenure-track systems to offer stability and attract talent to academia.
- Mobility, Pensions, and Social Security
- Moderated by Mostafa Moonir Shawrav (MCAA), the group explored solutions for reducing precarity through enhanced social security systems and support for researchers engaged in international mobility.
SECURE Project: Redefining Research Careers
Rosarii Griffin (ICoRSA) also presented the SECURE project, a significant initiative under the HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01-50 call, aimed at transforming academic research careers in Europe. Running from January 2023 to March 2025, this 27-month project seeks to improve career development opportunities and tackle the widespread issue of precarity in research roles. Griffin highlighted the project’s central goals: creating a standardized Research Career Framework (RCF) to ensure career progression and stability, and developing innovative Tenure Track-like (TTL) models for seamless integration into the framework.
These frameworks and models are being trialed across diverse institutions, including four research-performing organizations (University of Rijeka, University of Cyprus, University of Lisbon, and PLOCAN in Spain), one research funding body (UEFISCDI, Romania), and one recruitment and talent management organization (ADOC, Belgium). Griffin emphasized that results from these trials will be available in January 2025, followed by the release of insights, best practices, and recommendations in February 2025. Importantly, the SECURE project is aligned with the Council Recommendation of December 18, 2023, aiming to attract and retain research, innovation, and entrepreneurial talent in Europe. Griffin concluded by underscoring the project’s vision to establish a sustainable, equitable structure for research career progression, fostering a more supportive environment for Europe’s academic researchers.
See the SECURE project presentation here.
Insights from the Mentimeter Survey and Key Changes to Enhance Academic Careers
The session concluded with a detailed analysis of the Mentimeter survey results, offering a snapshot of participants’ perspectives on the sustainability of academic careers and their perceptions of recognition. Additionally, the session addressed key structural changes needed to make academic careers more attractive and equitable, based on audience inputs and expert insights.
Mentimeter Survey Results
- What do you think is the biggest barrier to a sustainable career in research?
Participants identified the following key barriers:
- Job Security: 50% (7 out of 14 respondents) highlighted job insecurity as the most significant challenge. This underscores the pressing need for stable academic positions to foster long-term careers.
- Funding Availability: 28.6% (4 out of 14 respondents) pointed to limited funding as a critical obstacle, reflecting the difficulty of securing sufficient resources in a competitive research environment.
- Publication Pressure: 7.1% (1 out of 14 respondents) flagged the “publish or perish” culture as a barrier, although it was less frequently cited compared to structural issues like job insecurity and funding.
- Lack of Career Development: 7.1% (1 out of 14 respondents) noted insufficient career development opportunities as a challenge.
- Work-Life Balance: 7.1% (1 out of 14 respondents) emphasised the difficulty of balancing personal well-being with the demands of an academic career.
- How valued do you feel as a researcher in terms of your contributions beyond publications?
This question focused on the recognition of broader academic contributions, such as teaching, mentoring, leadership, and policy engagement:
- Highly Valued: 7.1% (1 out of 14 respondents) felt that their non-publication contributions were highly valued.
- Somewhat Valued: 35.7% (5 out of 14 respondents) expressed that their broader efforts were somewhat appreciated.
- Neutral: 35.7% (5 out of 14 respondents) indicated a neutral stance, reflecting uncertainty or indifference about recognition.
- Rarely Valued: 7.1% (1 out of 14 respondents) reported feeling that their broader contributions were rarely acknowledged.
- Not Valued at All: 14.3% (2 out of 14 respondents) felt that their contributions beyond publications were completely unrecognised, highlighting a critical gap in academic culture.
- Key Changes to Make Academic Careers More Attractive
The final Mentimeter question gathered suggestions for improving the attractiveness and sustainability of academic careers. The responses focused on six key areas for reform:
- Sustainable Funding:
- Ensure stable and sufficient funding for basic research, particularly targeted at early-career researchers before they secure permanent positions.
- Improved Working Conditions:
- Competitive salaries to ensure financial well-being.
- Limited working hours to prevent burnout.
- Guaranteed conditions for conducting research effectively.
- Reforming Metrics of Success:
- Move beyond the “publish or perish” culture; success should not be solely defined by prestigious publications.
- Recognise and reward diverse contributions, including teaching, mentoring, leadership, and policy engagement.
- Equity and Social Security:
- Provide equitable access to benefits such as sick leave, parental leave, and unemployment support, tailored to the mobile and precarious nature of academic work.
- Fully recognise doctoral candidates as professionals holding advanced degrees.
- Reforming Research Assessment:
- Develop fair evaluation criteria that account for differences across academic disciplines.
- Introduce accountability measures, such as opportunities for early-career researchers to evaluate their mentors.
- Language and Communication:
- Simplify academic jargon to make research more accessible to diverse audiences.
- Flexible Funding Opportunities:
- Introduce “springboard” funding to support researchers transitioning between positions.
Key Insights and Implications
- Job Security and Funding:
- With 50% of respondents citing job security as the top barrier and 28.6% identifying funding challenges, these issues are clearly systemic. Addressing these requires institutions and policymakers to prioritise long-term contracts, tenure-track systems, and increased research funding.
- Recognition Beyond Publications:
- The mixed responses to researcher recognition suggest a critical need for cultural reform in academia. Contributions such as teaching, mentoring, and leadership should be formally recognised and rewarded alongside traditional research outputs.
- Structural Reforms:
- Equitable access to social benefits, reforms in research assessment metrics, and transparent accountability systems are essential to creating a more inclusive and supportive academic environment.
- Improved Work-Life Balance:
- Introducing flexible working hours and ensuring financial stability can help researchers maintain their well-being while excelling in their careers.
- Bridging Transitions:
- Flexible funding opportunities, such as “springboard” grants, can support researchers during career transitions, helping them navigate gaps in employment or funding.
The Mentimeter survey and subsequent discussion illuminated the systemic challenges that undermine the sustainability and attractiveness of academic careers. However, the proposed reforms offer actionable pathways to address these issues. By prioritising job security, sustainable funding, recognition of diverse contributions, and equitable working conditions, academia can foster a thriving environment that attracts and retains the talent necessary to tackle global challenges effectively.