Subject(s)
COVID-19 , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Research Support as Topic , Child , Humans , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/economics , Financial Management , National Institutes of Health (U.S.)/economics , United States , Research Support as Topic/economics , Research Support as Topic/organization & administrationSubject(s)
Clinical Trials as Topic , Exercise Therapy , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Research Support as Topic , Humans , National Institutes of Health (U.S.)/economics , National Institutes of Health (U.S.)/organization & administration , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome/therapy , Research Support as Topic/methods , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , United States , Exercise Therapy/adverse effectsSubject(s)
Global Health/standards , International Agencies/organization & administration , International Health Regulations , Pandemics/prevention & control , Security Measures/legislation & jurisprudence , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/mortality , Forecasting , Global Health/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Information Dissemination , International Cooperation , International Health Regulations/standards , Pandemics/legislation & jurisprudence , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Security Measures/standards , World Health Organization/organization & administrationABSTRACT
Importance: Emerging vision scientists who have yet to be awarded their first independent funding may have their research careers disproportionately affected by early COVID-19-related disruptions. In September 2020, the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research convened a panel of 22 such scientists (nominated by their academic institutions) to communicate to the US Congress about the importance of vision research. As part of the effort, interviews were conducted with scientists about the effect of the pandemic on their research. Observations: Qualitative areas of adverse consequences from the early months of COVID-19 disruptions included striking interruptions of patient-based research, limits on other types of clinical research, loss of research time for scientists with young children (especially women), challenges with animal colonies and cell cultures, impediments to research collaborations, and loss of training time. Conclusions and Relevance: The early months during the COVID-19 pandemic increased career stress on many early-stage investigators in the vision field and delayed (and may potentially derail) their ability to attract their first independent research funding grant. As a result, federal and private granting agencies may need to take these factors into account to retain talented, early-stage vision researchers.
Subject(s)
Biomedical Research/organization & administration , COVID-19/complications , Career Choice , Ophthalmology/organization & administration , Research Personnel/education , SARS-CoV-2 , Stress, Psychological/etiology , Biomedical Research/education , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Ophthalmology/education , Quarantine/psychology , Research Personnel/psychology , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , United StatesSubject(s)
COVID-19 , Politics , Science/legislation & jurisprudence , Science/organization & administration , Security Measures , COVID-19/epidemiology , CRISPR-Cas Systems , China , Disaster Planning/organization & administration , Humans , International Cooperation , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pandemics/statistics & numerical data , Policy Making , Prejudice/prevention & control , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Science/ethics , Science/standards , United States/epidemiologySubject(s)
Biomedical Research/economics , Biomedical Research/trends , COVID-19/complications , Goals , National Institutes of Health (U.S.)/economics , Research Support as Topic/economics , Anxiety , Autopsy , Biological Specimen Banks/organization & administration , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/pathology , COVID-19/physiopathology , COVID-19/therapy , Depression , Disease Susceptibility , Dyspnea , Fatigue , Fever , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Monitoring, Physiologic , National Institutes of Health (U.S.)/organization & administration , Organ Specificity , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Time Factors , United States , Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSubject(s)
Biomedical Research/methods , COVID-19 , Research Support as Topic/methods , Biomedical Research/organization & administration , Humans , National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U.S.) , National Institute on Aging (U.S.) , Research Personnel/psychology , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Resilience, Psychological , SARS-CoV-2 , United States , Webcasts as TopicSubject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Financing, Organized/organization & administration , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Research/economics , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Vaccines , Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy , Coronavirus Infections/economics , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Decision Making , Drug Repositioning/economics , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Time Factors , United Kingdom/epidemiology , Viral Vaccines/economics , COVID-19 Drug TreatmentSubject(s)
COVID-19 , Research Personnel/economics , Research Personnel/psychology , Research Support as Topic/economics , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Anxiety , COVID-19/epidemiology , Career Choice , Depression , Europe , Financial Stress/prevention & control , Humans , Unemployment/psychologySubject(s)
Biomedical Research/economics , Coronavirus Infections , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , Research Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Research Support as Topic/legislation & jurisprudence , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Sexism/prevention & control , COVID-19 , Canada/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Gender Identity , Humans , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Research Support as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Sex Characteristics , Sex Factors , Sexism/legislation & jurisprudenceSubject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/economics , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , European Union/economics , Pandemics/economics , Pneumonia, Viral/economics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Research Support as Topic/economics , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Research/economics , Research/organization & administration , Budgets , COVID-19 , Mentoring , Politics , Research/standards , Research Personnel/economics , Research Personnel/standards , United KingdomABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. Investment in research solutions has been demonstrated to yield health and a 9.8-fold return economic benefit. The sector, however, is severely challenged with success rates of traditional peer-reviewed funding in decline. Here, we aimed to understand the perceived challenges faced by the cardiovascular workforce in Australia prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We used an online survey distributed across Australian cardiovascular societies/councils, universities and research institutes over a period of 6 months during 2019, with 548 completed responses. Inclusion criteria included being an Australian resident or an Australian citizen who lived overseas, and a current or past student or employee in the field of cardiovascular research. RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 42±13 years, 47% were male, 85% had a full-time position, and 40% were a group leader or laboratory head. Twenty-three per cent (23%) had permanent employment, and 82% of full-time workers regularly worked >40 hours/week. Sixty-eight per cent (68%) said they had previously considered leaving the cardiovascular research sector. If their position could not be funded in the next few years, a staggering 91% of respondents would leave the sector. Compared to PhD- and age-matched men, women were less likely to be a laboratory head and to feel they had a long-term career path as a cardiovascular researcher, while more women were unsure about future employment and had considered leaving the sector (all p<0.05). Greater job security (76%) and government and philanthropic investment in cardiovascular research (72%) were highlighted by responders as the main changes to current practices that would encourage them to stay. CONCLUSION: Strategic solutions, such as diversification of career pathways and funding sources, and moving from a competitive to a collaborative culture, need to be a priority to decrease reliance on government funding and allow cardiovascular researchers to thrive.