Academic Ecosystems Must Evolve to Support a Sustainable Postdoc Workforce

Murielle Ålund; Nathan Emery; Benjamin J. M. Jarrett; Kirsty J. MacLeod; Helen F. McCreery; Nadya Mamoozadeh; John G. Phillips; Jory Schossau; Andrew W. Thompson; Alexa R. Warwick; Kelsey M. Yule; Erin R. Zylstra; Eben Gering

doi:10.1038/s41559-020-1178-6

Academic Ecosystems Must Evolve to Support a Sustainable Postdoc Workforce

Murielle Ålund
, Nathan Emery
, Benjamin J. M. Jarrett
, Kirsty J. MacLeod
, Helen F. McCreery
, Nadya Mamoozadeh
, John G. Phillips
, Jory Schossau
, Andrew W. Thompson
, Alexa R. Warwick
, Kelsey M. Yule
, Erin R. Zylstra
, Eben Gering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

The postdoctoral workforce comprises a growing proportion of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (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 Postdoc professional development, however, remains rooted in outdated realities.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 (1) skills-based training tailored to the current career landscape, and (2) supportive policies and tools outlined in postdoc handbooks. We also invite the ecology and evolution community to lead further progressive reform.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	777-781
Number of pages	5
Journal	Nature Ecology and Evolution
Volume	4
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1178-6
State	Published - Apr 13 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer Nature Limited.

Funding

Financial solvency, another dimension of work–life balance, is an important consideration in seeking postdoctoral work. The economic impact of a postdoc is difficult to assess given the job’s uncertain duration and outcome, variation in costs of living, and a common requirement of self-financed serial relocation8,27. Postdoc salaries vary greatly among nations, both relative to national medians and compared to those of non-postdoc residents with comparable credentials (Supplementary Table 1). For example, current postdoc stipends funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) start at €44,600 (US$50,000) yr–1, falling short of the National Academy of Sciences’ minimum recommendations from 2014 (an inflation-adjusted minimum of €48,600 yr–1)8. Indeed, while typical postdoc salaries correspond to 1–1.5× the median salary in most countries surveyed, 36–60% of individuals with similar educational backgrounds out-earn postdocs in these countries (Supplementary Fig. 1, Supplementary Table 1). Many postdocs will also fail to recuperate delayed earnings. In France, for example, the salaries of postdocs transitioning into the private sector are not influenced by postdoctoral experience38. These findings are particularly bleak given that most STEM postdocs have already deferred saving through several years of graduate training. This publication is dedicated to the memory of the co-authors’ dear colleague, mentor, and friend Shengpan Lin. Funding was provided in part by the National Science Foundation (Cooperative Agreement no. DBI-0939454), the Swiss National Science Foundation (Early Postdoc Mobility Fellowship no. P2SKP3_184052 to M.Å.), the James S. McDonnell Foundation (Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Studying Complex Systems to H.F.M.) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant no. 799025 to K.J.M.). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the funding agencies listed above. Overview of external funding opportunities (European Research Council, National Science Foundation and so on)

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	DBI-0939454
National Institutes of Health
National Academy of Sciences
James S. McDonnell Foundation
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions	799025
European Research Council
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung	P2SKP3_184052

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology

Keywords

Careers
Culture
Institutions

Disciplines

Biology
Education
Life Sciences
Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Access to Document

10.1038/s41559-020-1178-6

https://rdcu.be/b3xKm

Cite this

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title = "Academic Ecosystems Must Evolve to Support a Sustainable Postdoc Workforce",

abstract = " The postdoctoral workforce comprises a growing proportion of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (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 (1) skills-based training tailored to the current career landscape, and (2) supportive policies and tools outlined in postdoc handbooks. We also invite the ecology and evolution community to lead further progressive reform.",

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doi = "10.1038/s41559-020-1178-6",

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Academic Ecosystems Must Evolve to Support a Sustainable Postdoc Workforce

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

Disciplines

Access to Document

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Cite this