Vitae International Researcher Development Conference 2022

Tuesday 13-15th September 2022. #VitaeCon2022

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"Safeguarding the future of research: how can we support the careers of ECRs post-pandemic?"

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The UK Research Staff Association (UKRSA) is concerned that early career researchers (ECRs) including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and other early- and mid-career researchers (MCRs) have been affected by the pandemic and will continue to be affected for years to come if systemic changes are not implemented to adequately support researcher development. Many organisations have studied this impact, including the Microbiology Society, which in 2021 sought to find out more about the impact of COVID-19 on ECRs and its subsequent impact on funding, workplace practices and future career prospects. The Society’s work revealed that the pandemic has acted as a magnifying glass on issues that have been present in academia for years, such as gender inequality, ableism for people with disabilities and a sense of isolation and loneliness at work. In that way, the pandemic has dramatically highlighted the need for a systemic and fundamental change in the way ECRs and MCRs are being valued and supported in pursuing successful research careers. 

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But what can we do? This interactive session helped attendees to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the careers of ECRs and MCRs, discuss barriers to their career progression and recommend ways in which they could bring about culture change for ECRs and MCRs back to their organisations. This session included the opportunity to hear from early career researchers, and Microbiology Society project’s main findings were shared. A workshop was used to foster discussion about the impact of the pandemic on ECRs and will brainstorm recommendations on how best to support them within their organisations.