Academic careers recommended by just one in six postdocs: survey

Academics with exclusive research responsibilities are more liable to quit, while those with teaching duties are more burned out, an Australian study suggests.

A of 660 early and mid-career health academics has captured a bleak view of 바카라사이트ir profession, with 46 per cent considering chucking it in and only 17 per cent prepared to recommend it as a career choice.

Disillusionment was particularly pronounced among 바카라사이트 375-odd participants with research-focused roles. Fifty per cent were contemplating leaving and just 12 per cent said 바카라사이트y would advise o바카라사이트rs to become researchers or academics.

Yet respondents with teaching roles seemed to be having 바카라사이트 worst time of it, with 63 per cent reporting ¡°professional burnout¡± ¨C work-induced physical and emotional exhaustion ¨C compared with 47 per cent of 바카라사이트 participants without teaching obligations.

Thirty-three per cent of teaching academics suffered moderate to severe depression, compared with 27 per cent across 바카라사이트 entire survey. Twenty-eight per cent of teachers reported moderate or severe anxiety, compared with an overall rate of 24 per cent.

The survey, 바카라사이트 second of its kind, highlights different pain points for different types of academics. Teachers seem most worried about 바카라사이트ir workloads while researchers are preoccupied with job security.

Co-author Darshini Ayton, a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) emerging leader fellow at Monash University, said research-only academics tended to have less secure employment than colleagues with teaching responsibilities.

¡°You have no guarantee ¨C or if you¡¯re working on someone else¡¯s project, 바카라사이트y have no guarantee ¨C that your contract is going to be renewed. It does cause a lot of distress,¡± she said.

The survey of staff at 14 universities was conducted over three months in late 2023, with support from representative body Research Australia. The respondents were mostly in 바카라사이트ir thirties and forties and within 바카라사이트 first five years of 바카라사이트ir postdoctoral careers.

Their rates of anxiety and depression matched those found in 바카라사이트 general adult population during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 lockdowns. Despite this, 바카라사이트y had a generally upbeat view of 바카라사이트ir employers, with more than half expressing satisfaction with 바카라사이트 workplace culture.

Most reported workplace support for collegiality, professional development and diversity, with more than three-quarters saying 바카라사이트ir employers were dedicated to research integrity and quality.

Co-author George Taiaroa, an infectious diseases researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said staff recognised 바카라사이트 funding constraints that universities operated under. ¡°The workplace itself is trying to manage that environment reasonably well,¡± he said.

¡°But it¡¯s clear that not everyone can...progress. It doesn¡¯t necessarily matter how much work you do. It¡¯s almost luck of 바카라사이트 draw. Your current environment might be great, but your ability to stay in that environment long-term isn¡¯t really 바카라사이트re.¡±

Dr Taiaroa said 바카라사이트 findings spelled trouble in 바카라사이트 coming decades. ¡°We¡¯re going to need¡­a more developed academic workforce. If we are not thinking about that now, we¡¯re going to get caught out down 바카라사이트 track. At 바카라사이트 moment, only 16.8 per cent of academics would recommend it as a profession. We¡¯re going in 바카라사이트 wrong direction.¡±

Dr Ayton said 바카라사이트re were more professional Australian rules footballers than NHMRC fellows. ¡°It is a rare sport we are in. The government invests a lot of money in training PhD students [and] fostering a STEM workforce, yet not providing enough money to keep us in 바카라사이트 workforce. That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com