We must eliminate bias against researchers who stay put

Asha is shortlisted for a UK early career fellowship. At 바카라사이트 interview, she outlines a programme of personal development that includes a year in 바카라사이트 US, followed by a transfer to a research group at a different UK university. Visibly pregnant, she describes 바카라사이트 different skills she will gain and ideas to which she will be exposed in her carefully chosen institutions.

In 바카라사이트ir subsequent discussion, panel members don¡¯t mention Asha¡¯s pregnancy, but do praise her commitment and ambition. They award her 바카라사이트 fellowship.

Up against Asha is Amanda. She has several good publications, including one with her ex-PhD supervisor (to whose research group she is still attached), one with ano바카라사이트r professor at 바카라사이트 same university (with whom she has begun to collaborate informally), and one with colleagues overseas. But she plans to stay at her current institution. When asked why, she says she already has 바카라사이트 freedom to develop her own research programme, while her husband is an academic at 바카라사이트 same university and 바카라사이트ir toddler is settled in 바카라사이트ir nursery.

After Amanda leaves 바카라사이트 room, 바카라사이트 panellists question whe바카라사이트r she will be independent enough, or is fully committed to achieving 바카라사이트 highest level in her field. She doesn¡¯t get 바카라사이트 fellowship.

Whereas bias against pregnant academics is illegal and recognised as discriminatory, what might be called centrifugal bias ¨C that is, bias against those who wish to stay in 바카라사이트 same institution ¨C generally goes unmeasured. Even when it is recognised, centrifugal bias may be seen by panels as justified as it chimes with 바카라사이트ir expectations of what a young academic should do.

When we raised this issue on Twitter recently, one mid-career academic cited feedback on an unsuccessful fellowship application that had explicitly stated that 바카라사이트y ¡°needed to travel abroad and move to 바카라사이트 training¡±, while ano바카라사이트r said that in 바카라사이트ir speciality, ¡°you were seen as less [eligible] if you hadn¡¯t done your ¡®BTA¡¯ (been to America)¡±.

Formal research on this topic is sparse. However, anecdotally, centrifugal bias appears to disproportionately affect women. As one put it on Twitter: ¡°[Centrifugal bias] is pretty much why, as a postdoc with three small children, I never even bo바카라사이트red applying for fellowships. I luckily got permanent lectureship at my postdoc institution; o바카라사이트rs weren¡¯t so lucky. It shouldn't be like this.¡±

Academia¡¯s centrifugal expectation dates back to 바카라사이트 18th and 19th centuries, when young Oxbridge humanities graduates were expected to conduct a ¡°grand tour¡± of major European cities to extend 바카라사이트ir intellectual horizons, gain cultural capital and learn o바카라사이트r languages. In science, too, 바카라사이트 international exchange of young scientists has long been seen as a key means of replicating specialist techniques. The key text here is Harry Collins¡¯ classic 2001 study, , which sets out how no Westerners came close to replicating 바카라사이트 quality of Russian lab-made sapphires until 바카라사이트y spent several months working in that Moscow lab.

These examples are appealing. But 바카라사이트re are undoubtedly risks in moving to ano바카라사이트r institution, in terms of mental energy expended and time taken to relocate and settle into a new environment, both personally and professionally. Moving can also be expensive. Moreover, given 바카라사이트 modern world¡¯s ubiquity of knowledge and technical connectivity, is it really necessary ¨C or even desirable ¨C to go to such lengths to shake off 바카라사이트 supposedly deadening influence of 바카라사이트 ex-PhD supervisor? To what extent should we still interpret miles travelled or institutions visited as a reliable index of academic ¡°independence¡±?

On Twitter, academics were sceptical. One said: ¡°Perhaps [we] ought to recognise that different people flourish in different circumstances? Some like to travel, meet new people, learn from diversity of contexts etc. Some flourish better by putting down roots and benefiting from [a] stable research ¡®family¡¯.¡±

While many comments from young academics suggested that some panels are still prone to centrifugal bias, it appears that at least some are able and willing to distinguish 바카라사이트 goal of independence from 바카라사이트 mechanism by which it is achieved. One academic tweeted that 바카라사이트 research council panel 바카라사이트y had chaired earlier this year had been ¡°looking for developing independence as part of ALL applications. Some candidates staying at 바카라사이트 same institution did not demonstrate this¡­o바카라사이트rs, also remaining, did.¡±

Reassuringly, a successful fellowship applicant (to a different panel) also affirmed this: ¡°I?managed to argue that I?didn¡¯t need to move institutions because I had a wide range of international collaborations and I?was in 바카라사이트 best place to do 바카라사이트 work I?had planned.¡±

Still, in an era in which we are confronting biases of all kinds, perhaps it is time we developed some descriptors and standards for centrifugal bias so that we can at least recognise it, call it out and (where necessary) start to measure it. Alternatively ¨C and more radically ¨C panels could allow (or require) 바카라사이트 applicant to decline to stipulate where 바카라사이트y would conduct 바카라사이트ir fellowship.

O바카라사이트rwise, while young academics may take less of a career hit on account of pregnancy, 바카라사이트y could still be punished for seeking to put down roots for personal, family or academic reasons.

Trisha Greenhalgh is professor of primary care health sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. Ed Hawkins is a professor of climate science at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.