The Effects of the Pandemic on the Research Output and Strategies of Early Career Researchers and Doctoral Candidates

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken research in higher education in unexpected ways (OECD, 2021). While it sped up the transition to online and virtual modes of learning within the academe, it also generated significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression among university-based researchers (Chirikov et al., 2020). Higher education institutions adopted widespread changes in teaching loads and research policy at break-neck speed, often to the dismay of early career researchers and doctoral candidates. This chapter investigates the impact of the global health crisis on the research output and strategies of early career researchers and doctoral candidates at universities around the world. It reviews the literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research output and strategies. The chapter also incorporates recent findings from the author's research project, which investigates the long-term impact of the pandemic on academic writing strategies and output among doctoral candidates (following on from results previously published in Cahusac de Caux (2021)). © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Embarking on an adventure of early career academic leadership.

Leading a research group as an early career researcher (ECR) in academia presents many challenges. First, it imposes many additional pressures on individuals, causing fear of missing out on a great opportunity that could advance your career. Together, the unsettling nature of short-term or temporary contracts, lack of guidance and the imposter syndrome can trigger a crisis in future leadership. Most leadership positions at universities are held by senior colleagues. ECRs have modest input in decision-making, due to a requirement for specific leadership training and experience with oversight that precedes suitable decision-making. The turbulence of the unprecedented world COVID-19 crisis has been felt disproportionally by many researchers, intensely by those with caring responsibilities. In the current academic climate, navigating either between your postdoctoral or fellowship project, leading others, taking strategic project directions, mentoring or networking may feel like too much. This editorial expresses views on the current state of the matter in academia with suggestions for helpful strategies to employ to meet research endpoints. It also addresses some challenges that new principal investigators and academic leaders may face due to external or institutional change, and provides some tangible advice with action points.

Early career researchers and predatory journals during the Covid-19 pandemic. An international analysis

Around 170 early career researchers (ECRs) from 8 countries were interviewed about the whole range of their scholarly communication attitudes/behaviours during pandemic times and this paper analyses what they said about predatory journals in a wide range of scholarly communication contexts. Because of the delicacy of the topic there was just one question exclusively directed at predatory journals, which asked about policies rather than actions, which yielded nevertheless wide-ranging comments on the topic. ECRs also volunteered information on predatory journals in another half dozen questions, most notably including one on questionable research practices. The source of data was mainly the final interview of three undertaken, with some comparisons made to rounds one and two. Findings disclose the existence of a whole raft of formal and informal assessment policies/codes that direct ECRs to legitimate journals and away from predatory ones. Despite being junior, ECRs are very accultured to the criteria of what is considered as prestige and quality and believe predatory publishing is not even conceivable. They are far more concerned about low-quality research, preprints and borderline ‘grey' journals. The pandemic has increased the level of questionable practices and low-quality research, but predatory journals were only singled out by a relatively small number of ECRs. © 2023, El Profesional de la Informacion. All rights reserved.

Emphasizing uncertainty, celebrating community and valuing values: science communication remedies for the COVID-19 era and beyond

Specific pieces of science communication shape publics' more general impression of science, whether intentionally or not. This, in turn, affects how publics interact with science, acts as citizens in techno-scientific societies, and ultimately has implications for the role of science as an institution in democratic societies. Representations of science that downplay scientific uncertainty, elide the role of the scientific community, and de-emphasize the values which define the institution of science have problematic consequences for science, publics and democracy. Therefore, though increasingly encouraged to communicate research to wider public audiences, scientists must think carefully about their communication practices. Specifically, the epistemic status of research findings, what elements of the process of knowledge creation are foregrounded, and the values which underpin the scientific community all need to be clearly communicated to the public. This article will help Early Career Researchers (ECRs) reflect on their public science communication and begin to develop communication practices of benefit to publics and science.

Early career researchers in the pandemic-fashioned ‘new scholarly normality’: voices from the research frontline

After two-years of talking to around 170 early career science/social science researchers from China, France, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Spain, UK and US about their work life and scholarly communications during the pandemic, the Har-bingers-2 project is in possession of a mountain of verbatim data. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the kinds of comments ECRs are raising, with a focus on those that provide a particular interesting and illuminating take on ECRs’ experiences under difficult times. Comments, for instance, that might challenge the established order of things or that presage big changes down the line. The selection of comments presented here were made by the national interviewers shortly after the completion of the last of three rounds of interviews (two interviews in the case of Russia). The understandings, appreciations and suggestions thus raised by the ECRs are insightful and constructive, which is what we might have expected from this cohort who are very much at the forefront of the research enterprise and veritable research workhorses. Sixteen broad scholarly topics are represented by quotes/comments, with the main focus of the comments on a subset of these: research performance and assessment, scholarly communication transformations, networking and collaboration, social media and access to information/libraries, which suggests, perhaps, where the action, concerns and interest mainly lie. © 2022, El Profesional de la Informacion. All rights reserved.

Early career researchers in the pandemic-fashioned ‘new scholarly normality’: a first look into the big changes and long-lasting impacts (international analysis)

After two-years of repeat interviewing around 170 early career science/social science researchers from China, France, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Spain, UK and US about their work life and scholarly communications in pandemic-times, the Harbingers project is now in possession of a mountain of data on what constitutes a very important academic topic. The purpose of the paper is to share the early highlights of the data, with a focus on the main and lasting impacts of the pandemic. The data presented comes from the national interviewers, who had conducted 3 rounds of interviews with their 20 or so early career researchers (ECRs) over two years and, thus, knew them well. They were asked to provide an ‘aerial view’ by identifying the most important impacts they had detected while things were still fresh in their minds. The main findings are that: 1) ECRs, the research workhorses, have generally proved to be resilient and perseverant and some have prospered;2) the pandemic has fast-tracked researchers to a virtual and remote scholarly world, with all the advantages and disadvantages that comes with it. The data, however, is nuanced, with significant differences occurring between countries, especially China and France. The paper also updates a literature review on the topic previously published in this journal. © 2022, El Profesional de la Informacion. All rights reserved.

AbGradCon 2021: lessons in digital meetings, international collaboration, and interdisciplinarity in astrobiology

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) is an annual conference both organized for and by early-career researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students as a way to train the next generation of astrobiologists and develop a robust network of cohorts moving forward. AbGradCon 2021 was held virtually on 14-17 September 2021, hosted by the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) of Tokyo Institute of Technology after postponement of the in-person event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting consisted of presentations by 120 participants from a variety of fields, two keynote speakers, and other career-building events and workshops. Here, we report on the organizational and executional aspects of AbGradCon 2021, including the meeting participant demographics, various digital aspects introduced specifically for a virtual edition of the meeting, and the submission and evaluation process. The evaluation process of AbGradCon 2021 is unique in that all evaluations are done by the peers of the applicants, and as astrobiology is inherently a broad discipline, the evaluation process revealed a number of trends related to multidisciplinarity of the astrobiology field. We believe that meetings like AbGradCon can provide a unique opportunity for students and early career researchers in astrobiology to experience community building, inter- and multidisciplinary collaboration, and career training and would be a welcome sight in other fields as well. We hope that this report provides inspiration and a basic roadmap for organizing future conferences in any field with similar goals.

Pausing again: Reflecting on humility and possibility in pandemic times.

Despite continued global strife, the period of exception that has characterised experiences of pandemic times now seems to be changing. As graduate students, the emergence of COVID-19 unsettled our lives and broke our timelines, but we recognise that our experiences of it have also been framed by relative comfort and privilege. In the context of the various and unequal personal, institutional, and societal failures that COVID-19 has caused and amplified, we seek to pause and reflect on how our collective encounter with pandemic times might also be a space of possibility. We respond to calls for more humble and gentle geographies, situating our reflections in recent work on failure in the academy. The pandemic has humbled us, but we also recognise it as an opportunity to practise an ethic of humbleness in our work. While by no means linear, we talk/write through this process as it relates to our engagements with our personal, institutional, and research contexts. Ultimately, by giving space to the "messy" and "mundane" aspects of doing research, we hope to unpack how the pandemic has humbled our ambitions, timelines, and expectations and offer a pause to explore what this means for us and research more broadly, in terms of what we want to leave behind and what we wish to take forward.

Early career researchers benefit from inclusive, diverse and international collaborations: Changing how academic institutions utilize the seminar series.

Efforts to make research environments more inclusive and diverse are beneficial for the next generation of Great Lakes researchers. The global COVID-19 pandemic introduced circumstances that forced graduate programs and academic institutions to re-evaluate and promptly pivot research traditions, such as weekly seminar series, which are critical training grounds and networking opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs). While several studies have established that academics with funded grants and robust networks were better able to weather the abrupt changes in research and closures of institutions, ECRs did not. In response, both existing and novel partnerships provided a resilient network to support ECRs at an essential stage of their career development. Considering these challenges, we sought to re-frame the seminar series as a virtual collaboration for ECRs. Two interdisciplinary graduate programs, located in different countries (Windsor, Canada, and Detroit, USA) invested in a year-long partnership to deliver a virtual-only seminar series that intentionally promoted: the co-creation of protocols and co-led roles, the amplification of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion throughout all aspects of organization and representation, engagement and amplification through social media, the integration of social, scientific and cultural research disciplines, all of which collectively showcased the capacity of our ECRs to lead, organize and communicate. This approach has great potential for application across different communities to learn through collaboration and sharing, and to empower the next generation to find new ways of working together.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on research and careers of early career researchers: a DOHaD perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed several inequalities worldwide, including the populations' access to healthcare systems and economic differences that impact the access to vaccination, medical resources, and health care services. Scientific research activities were not an exception, such that scientific research was profoundly impacted globally. Research trainees and early career researchers (ECRs) are the life force of scientific discovery around the world, and their work and progress in research was dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. ECRs are a particularly vulnerable group as they are in a formative stage of their scientific careers, any disruptions during which is going to likely impact their lifelong career trajectory. To understand how COVID-19 impacted lives, career development plans, and research of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) ECRs, the International DOHaD ECR committee formed a special interest group comprising of ECR representatives of International DOHaD affiliated Societies/Chapters from around the world (Australia and New Zealand, Canada, French Speaking DOHaD, Japan, Latin America, Pakistan and USA). The anecdotal evidence summarized in this brief report, provide an overview of the findings of this special interest group, specifically on the impact of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic on daily research activities and its effects on career development plans of ECRs. We also discuss how our learnings from these shared experiences can strengthen collaborative work for the current and future generation of scientists.

Struggling to get started.

As the world attempts to cope with the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers about to start PhDs and postdocs face particular challenges.

Being vulnerable.

Early-career researchers feel discouraged from exposing vulnerability even during a global crisis.

Promoting resilience of large international collaborative research programs in times of global crisis.

The recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is impacting the research community worldwide with unforeseen long-term consequences for research, doctoral training, and international collaboration. It is already clear that the immediate effects of the crisis resulting from disrupted research stays and reduced career development opportunities are being most detrimental to early-career researchers. Based on a Sino-German international research training group dedicated to doctoral training and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research, we show how resilience of large collaborative research programs can be promoted in times of global crisis. We outline possible adaptations in the areas of funding, research, teaching and learning, supervision and mentoring, and international collaboration helping to reduce detrimental impact for early-career researchers and to permanently strengthen the performance of large collaborative research groups in the postpandemic era.

A lost generation? The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career ASD researchers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted autism research and services. Early career researchers (ECRs) are particularly vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic on job security and career development. The goal of this study was to capture the challenges ECRs are facing during the pandemic and the supports that are needed for career development and research. ECRs were invited to complete an online survey that focused on four major areas; the impact of COVID-19 on their research; changes in productivity due to COVID-19; changes to training due to COVID-19; and current mental health. 150 ECRs were eligible and provided sufficient data for inclusion. All but one ECRs reported their research had been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Reductions in productivity were reported by 85% of ECRs. The biggest impacts included recruitment of participants, increased needs at home and personal mental health. ECRs reported a 3-fold increase in burnout, as well as increased anxiety. ECR supports, such as funding, flexibility, and tenure extensions, are required to ensure ASD research does not suffer from a "lost generation" of researchers. LAY SUMMARY: The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative impacts on research around the world. Loss of productivity impedes autism research discoveries. However, researchers in the earliest phases of their career, specifically postdoctoral fellows through individuals in assistant professor (or equivalent) positions, are particularly vulnerable to long-lasting effects of pandemic-related disruptions which may limit their ability to continue as autism researchers. This survey highlights the needs of this group and identifies mechanisms by which these early career researchers may be supported in this time. This is critical to ensure the next generation of ASD researchers and clinician scientists continue on the path to advancing understanding of autism in the decades to come.

Insights on COVID-19 impacts, challenges and opportunities for India's biodiversity research: From complexity to building adaptations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every sphere of human society. The paradigm shift of focus to COVID-related research and management has significantly affected various scientific domains, including biodiversity conservation. We assessed the perceptions of early-career researchers working for biodiversity conservation across India, to understand the impacts of the ongoing pandemic on their research. We administered an online questionnaire survey to 565 respondents, who identified four key areas that are affected by the pandemic: (1) research, (2) conservation (3) education, and (4) communication and networking. Respondents (89.2%) perceived that their fieldwork, followed by travel for meetings and funding were the most affected due to COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown. Nonetheless, responses on the impact varied between different professional categories and were disproportionate. Our study highlights that majority of the respondents (80%) advocate for stakeholder-driven policies and management practices as the most effective strategy to promote biodiversity conservation, in the post-COVID-19 world. To this end, as a post-pandemic response, we propose holistic solutions such as optimising research funding and collaborations, and supporting and strengthening them by citizen science and big data analytics. Our findings and recommendations will also serve as a paradigm for post-COVID-19 biodiversity policy, advocacy and implementation of the post 2020 biodiversity action plan that supports eco civilization.

Succeeding in Aging Research During the Pandemic: Strategies for Fellows and Junior Faculty.

Fellows and junior faculty conducting aging research have encountered substantial new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. They report that they have been uncertain how and whether to modify existing research studies, have faced difficulties with job searches, and have struggled to balance competing pressures including greater clinical obligations and increased responsibilities at home. Many have also wondered if they should shift gears and make COVID-19 the focus of their research. We asked a group of accomplished scientists and mentors to grapple with these concerns and to share their thoughts with readers of this journal.

Virtual conferences raise standards for accessibility and interactions.

Scientific conferences have an important role in the exchange of ideas and knowledge within the scientific community. Conferences also provide early-career researchers with opportunities to make themselves known within their field of research. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought traditional in-person conferences to a halt for the foreseeable future, the growth of virtual conferences has highlighted many of the disadvantages associated with the in-person format and demonstrated the advantages of moving these events online. Here, based on data from in-person and virtual conferences in a range of subjects, we describe how virtual conferences are more inclusive, more affordable, less time-consuming and more accessible worldwide, especially for early-career researchers. Making conferences more open and inclusive will provide both immediate and long-term benefits to the scientific community.

Next-generation field courses: Integrating Open Science and online learning.

As Open Science practices become more commonplace, there is a need for the next generation of scientists to be well versed in these aspects of scientific research. Yet, many training opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs) could better emphasize or integrate Open Science elements. Field courses provide opportunities for ECRs to apply theoretical knowledge, practice new methodological approaches, and gain an appreciation for the challenges of real-life research, and could provide an excellent platform for integrating training in Open Science practices. Our recent experience, as primarily ECRs engaged in a field course interrupted by COVID-19, led us to reflect on the potential to enhance learning outcomes in field courses by integrating Open Science practices and online learning components. Specifically, we highlight the opportunity for field courses to align teaching activities with the recent developments and trends in how we conduct research, including training in: publishing registered reports, collecting data using standardized methods, adopting high-quality data documentation, managing data through reproducible workflows, and sharing and publishing data through appropriate channels. We also discuss how field courses can use online tools to optimize time in the field, develop open access resources, and cultivate collaborations. By integrating these elements, we suggest that the next generation of field courses will offer excellent arenas for participants to adopt Open Science practices.

Young@Heart: empowering the next generation of cardiovascular researchers.

In recognition of the increasing health burden of cardiovascular disease, the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA) was founded with the ambition to lower the cardiovascular disease burden by 25% in 2030. To achieve this, the DCVA is a platform for all stakeholders in the cardiovascular field to align policies, agendas and research. An important goal of the DCVA is to guide and encourage young researchers at an early stage of their careers in order to help them overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Young@Heart is part of the DCVA that supports the young cardiovascular research community. This article illustrates the challenges and opportunities encountered by young cardiovascular researchers in the Netherlands and highlights Young@Heart's vision to benefit from these opportunities and optimise collaborations to contribute to lowering the cardiovascular disease burden together as soon as possible.