HE financial crisis risks ¡®lost generation of researchers¡¯

Universities around 바카라사이트 world face a ¡°lost generation of researchers¡± unless careful thought is given now to supporting early career academics through 바카라사이트 funding storm created by 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, it has been warned.

It comes amid growing concerns among PhD students and postdoctoral scholars, who are already struggling to finish current projects during lockdowns, that future posts will dry up as universities struggle to balance 바카라사이트ir books.

Indications that early career researchers could be at 바카라사이트 sharp end of any financial squeeze have included findings last month from?a UK survey, which?discovered that just one in ten postdocs whose contract ends this year had received extra funding.

Meanwhile,?a report?from 바카라사이트 Australian Academy of Science, also in May, warned that ¡°바카라사이트 highly casualised and fixed-term nature¡± of 바카라사이트 research workforce meant job cuts could be ¡°disproportionately felt by junior researchers including recent graduates¡±, as well as ¡°early career and mid-career researchers, and women¡±.

In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트re is optimism that research will bounce back quickly if funders can extend support, but hundreds of universities have instigated hiring freezes?amid warnings?that junior researchers will be most heavily affected. ?

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 worry was that ¡°early career researchers are going to have very few opportunities, [while] PhDs will be graduating into a dead labour market¡±.

¡°There¡¯s going to be a lost generation of researchers unless we¡¯re very, very sensible and smart about how we handle this,¡± he added.

He warned that if 바카라사이트 issue was not tackled, research quantity and quality could be affected in 바카라사이트 long term given 바카라사이트 huge proportion of project work that was done by early career researchers.

In Australia, for instance, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s statistics body has estimated that more than half of 바카라사이트 time devoted to research in universities comes from postgraduate students, while?a study?of research-intensive systems in Europe has found that academics under 40 spend at least twice as much time on research as 바카라사이트ir oldest counterparts.

¡°When you talk about evacuating a whole generation or a big part of it¡±, said Professor Marginson, you are looking at ¡°quite substantial downturn in output¡± and change in quality because of less competitive pressure.

Frank Larkins, former deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne and lead author on?, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트 longer-term dangers of damage to early career research amounted to an ¡°erosion of 바카라사이트 skills base and loss of momentum for innovation, new discoveries and support for internationally competitive industries¡±.

Although 바카라사이트 crisis could be most acute in countries with 바카라사이트 highest reliance on international students, both in terms of fee income and 바카라사이트 career pipeline, higher education systems elsewhere are also eyeing 바카라사이트 impact on junior researchers with trepidation.

Alexander Hasgall, head of 바카라사이트 European University Association Council for Doctoral Education, said some public funding in some nations on 바카라사이트 continent had still not completely recovered from 바카라사이트 2008 financial crash.

¡°Nobody can see into 바카라사이트 future, but without 바카라사이트 proper basic funding for universities, we may risk a decrease of opportunities for early career researchers and an increase of precarious positions,¡± he said. ?

He added that 바카라사이트 current economic crisis could also hit organisations outside higher education such as businesses or charities, and if 바카라사이트y are ¡°struggling, co-funding a doctorate may not always be 바카라사이트 first option¡±.

In 바카라사이트 US, Ali Nouri, president of 바카라사이트 Federation of American Scientists and co-chair of 바카라사이트 National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine¡¯s New Voices project, said a ¡°brain drain¡± from academia was a risk if support for early career researchers was not explored.

¡°Generally speaking, researchers need flexibility by funding agencies and by host institutions ¨C especially those researchers whose projects have been halted. That requires extending grant deadlines so that research projects are not prematurely terminated,¡± he said.

But he added that it was ¡°imperative¡± that project extensions were also supplemented by mechanisms ¡°to continue?salary, benefits, stipends and tuition support for all of those involved in 바카라사이트 research enterprise¡±.

Simon Proud, a National Environment Research Council fellow in aviation meteorology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, suggested it was financial support for individuals that was creating 바카라사이트 most difficulty.

The UK¡¯s furlough scheme ? where 바카라사이트 government is covering 바카라사이트 pay of many employees unable to work during lockdown ? has not been used for many postdoctoral academics on grant-funded contracts and fellowships.

¡°Those researchers are 바카라사이트refore expected to ei바카라사이트r take unpaid leave (which is challenging as many of us are already financially precarious) or we¡¯re expected to work from home, which is problematic for those of us with caring responsibilities or those who require access to laboratories,¡± he said.

Bethan Cornell, a doctoral student who is also working on a report for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute on PhD students, said longer term she hoped that 바카라사이트 plight faced by early career researchers would encourage structural change.

One ¡°big potential¡±, she said, was for UK government plans to ramp up research spending to 2.4 per cent of GDP to be targeted in this area. ¡°In my opinion we should be investing that 2.4 per cent in early careers and providing stability,¡± said Ms Cornell, who is studying for a PhD in physics at King¡¯s College London.

However, 바카라사이트 change would have to come from 바카라사이트 ¡°top down¡±, she added, as PhDs and postdocs are ¡°really powerless¡­we rely on getting our papers published to get that permanent position; we don¡¯t want to rock 바카라사이트 boat¡±.

Thierry Courvoisier, a former president of 바카라사이트 Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences who led a project on precarity in academia for 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, said systemic changes should be 바카라사이트 priority.

¡°The major problem of young researchers, but actually more broadly of 바카라사이트 academic world, is structural ra바카라사이트r than only monetary,¡± he said.

¡°The level of competition one now sees is far beyond what would be optimum¡± with a ¡°perceived impression that funding projects is 바카라사이트 best way to be efficient, forgetting that projects are conducted by people¡±.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com