Challenges faced by postdoctoral researchers in the US

and the UK

Academic research has become an increasingly competitive field, and a wide range of
aspects such as funding structures, publishing prototypes, career prospects, and
research management systems impact researchers. The culture of scientific research
particularly affects postdoctoral scientists who are in the most important phase of their
academic careera step away from academic independence. Although it is postdocs
who drive academic research in many institutions and are the future of academic
research, the challenges they face due to fierce competition paired with low job security
are often left unaddressed. However, two reports that highlight the problems and
condition of postdocs in the US and the UK have been gaining attention of concerned
academicians. Some key points from both the reports are presented below:
The UK report The culture of scientific research in the UK
This report, compiled by Nuffield Council on Bioethics, details the plight of postdocs in
the UK. The Council surveyed 970 people involved in research at UK universities and
institutions, and held detailed discussions with another 740. While postdocs comprised
the majority of the respondents, senior researchers too were part of the survey. Some
interesting findings the report are:

When asked to describe high-quality scientific research, the most popular word
respondents used was rigorous. Legal (9%), respectful (5%) and reproducible
(1%) were the least used words to describe high quality science.
Over 50% of respondents believe the way funding for specific projects and
programmes is awarded is having a negative effect. Also, most consider applying for
funding (94%) or jobs and promotions (77%) as the most competitive aspects of
being a scientific researcher.
58% of scientists said that they were aware of colleagues feeling tempted or under
pressure to compromise on research integrity or standards. While 21% of
scientists aged 35 or over said they themselves felt this way; strikingly, that figure shot
up to one-third for those aged under 35.
54% of survey respondents think the way scientists are assessed for
promotion during their career is having a negative or very negative effect on
scientists.

The US report Shaping the Future of Research: a perspective from junior

scientists
This report brings to the fore the challenges US postdocs face, and was a write-up of an
October seminar held by postdoc researchers in and around Boston, Massachusetts.
Some highlights of the report are:

Postdocs consistently called themselves the lost people and the invisible people
and the report states that junior scientists are primarily treated as cheap
labor rather than as participants in a well-rounded training program.
There is a complete lack of information on the number of postdocs in the US.
The number of graduate students is increasing faster than the number of
faculty positions. Moreover, few postdocs and their faculty mentors know what
careers are available and what skills those jobs require or how to obtain them.
The quality of the scientific results being produced is compromised by the current
structure of research funding and execution.
Both reports present the same set of problems postdocs face, namely, lack of
knowledge about career options, difficulties in obtaining funding, intense competition
that is affecting the quality of science, and few faculty positions. Apart from spelling
the difficulties, the reports also put forth solutions to improve the research environment
for postdocs, some of which are listed below:
Increased connectivity among junior scientists and other stakeholders should be
promoted to encourage discussions on reforming the structure of the scientific
enterprise.
Increased transparency should be a priority, which includes having clarity about the
number of trainees and their career outcomes as well as establishing a balance between
employment and training in individual postdoctoral appointments.
There should be an increased investment in junior scientists, with increased numbers
of grants that provide financial independence from Principal Investigator (PI) research
grants, and increased accountability for the quality of training as a requirement of
funding approval.
Research institutions should cultivate an environment in which ethics is seen as a
positive and integral part of research; ensure that the track record of researchers is
assessed broadly; and provide mentoring and career advice to researchers
throughout their careers.
Researchers should engage with funders, publishers and learned societies to
maintain a two-way dialogue and contribute to policy-making.
While the challenges faced by postdocs are well known to academia, little has been
done to bring about a change in the scenario. There still exists a gap between the
expectations of postdocs and the reality. The predicament of the postdocs presented in
both the reports point to scientific culture that has failed to adequately support and
guide young researchers to meet their goals. To secure the future of academic
research, all those involved in the field of scientific research should ensure that they
create a culture conducive to high quality, ethical, and valuable research for young
researchers.

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