scholarly journals Towards inclusive funding practices for early career researchers

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M. de Winde ◽  
Sarvenaz Sarabipour ◽  
Hugo Carignano ◽  
Sejal Davla ◽  
David Eccles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Funding ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
New Principal ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Funding Agencies ◽  
Global Representation ◽  
Funding Success ◽  
Funding Distribution

Securing research funding is a challenge faced by most scientists in academic institutions worldwide. Funding success rates for all career stages are low, but the burden falls most heavily on early career researchers (ECRs). These are young investigators in training and new principal investigators who have a shorter track record. ECRs are dependent on funding to establish their academic careers. The low number of career development awards and the lack of sustained research funding result in the loss of ECR talent in academia. Several steps in the current funding process, from grant conditions to review, play significant roles in the distribution of funds. Furthermore, there is an imbalance where certain research disciplines and labs of influential researchers receive more funding. As a group of ECRs with global representation, we examined funding practices, barriers, and facilitators to the current funding systems. We also identified alternatives to the most common funding distribution practices, such as diversifying risk or awarding grants on a partly random basis. Here, we detail recommendations for funding agencies and grant reviewers to improve ECR funding prospects worldwide and promote a fairer and more inclusive funding landscape for ECRs.

scholarly journals Towards inclusive funding practices for early career researchers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M de Winde ◽  
Sarvenaz Sarabipour ◽  
Hugo Carignano ◽  
sejal davla ◽  
david eccles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Funding ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
New Principal ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Funding Agencies ◽  
Global Representation ◽  
Funding Success

Securing research funding is a challenge faced by most scientists in academic institutions worldwide. Funding success rates for all career stages are low, but the burden falls most heavily on early career researchers (ECRs) - young investigators in training and new principal investigators - who have a shorter track record and are dependent on funding to establish their academic career. The low number of career development awards and the lack of sustained research funding results in the loss of ECR talent in academia. Several steps in the current funding process, from grant conditions to the review process, play significant roles in the distribution of funds. Furthermore, there is an imbalance among certain research disciplines and labs of influential researchers that receive more funding. As a group of ECRs with global representation, we examined funding practices, barriers, facilitators, and alternatives to the current funding systems to diversify risk or award grants on a partly random basis. Based on our discussions, research, and collective opinions, we detail recommendations for funding agencies and grant reviewers to improve ECR funding prospects worldwide and promote a fairer and more inclusive funding landscape for ECRs.

scholarly journals Gender contributes to personal research funding success in The Netherlands

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (40) ◽  
pp. 12349-12353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romy van der Lee ◽  
Naomi Ellemers
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Women In Academia ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Funding Success ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Personal Research

We examined the application and review materials of three calls (n= 2,823) of a prestigious grant for personal research funding in a national full population of early career scientists awarded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Results showed evidence of gender bias in application evaluations and success rates, as well as in language use in instructions and evaluation sheets. Male applicants received significantly more competitive “quality of researcher” evaluations (but not “quality of proposal” evaluations) and had significantly higher application success rates than female applicants. Gender disparities were most prevalent in scientific disciplines with the highest number of applications and with equal gender distribution among the applicants (i.e., life sciences and social sciences). Moreover, content analyses of the instructional and evaluation materials revealed the use of gendered language favoring male applicants. Overall, our data reveal a 4% “loss” of women during the grant review procedure, and illustrate the perpetuation of the funding gap, which contributes to the underrepresentation of women in academia.

scholarly journals The Interdependence of Research Funding Concentration, Policy Priorities, and Problem Choice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Bargmann Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Research Funding ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Research Systems ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Problem Choice ◽  
Funding Success ◽  
Research Councils ◽  
Funding Distribution ◽  
Topical Diversity

The prioritisation of research funding towards a small elite of researchers and research topics of "strategic" importance are becoming a norm across national research systems. Researchers are increasingly worried that such steering hampers the diversity of scientific approaches and problems addressed. However, the effects of increased steering of who and what receives research funds are not well known. I use evidence from 65,000 research grants awarded by seven research councils in the United Kingdom and fifteen Danish research funders to investigate how strong funding concentration and thematic targeting leads to less topical diversity. Researchers in the very top of the funding distribution primarily investigate topics and disciplines with the most funding success, and research output form targeted funding schemes overlaps with that from investigatorledgrants. Moreover, priorities from private funders line up with the type of researchfunded by public research councils. The findings highlight how steering through funding decisions can multiply

scholarly journals Mandated Research Peer Review Positively Impacts Research Funding Success Rates for Young Investigators

2019 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 3-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie P. Opipari ◽  
Julie C. Lumeng ◽  
Becky Youmans ◽  
Faye Silverstein
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Funding Success

It takes a village to raise an ECR

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynette Browning ◽  
Kirrilly Thompson ◽  
Drew Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Career ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Track Record

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe organisational strategies that support early career researchers in building a successful track record which can lead to a successful academic research career. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on more than a decade of experience designing, implementing and evaluating professional development programmes for early career researchers in universities. Findings If an early career researcher is to achieve long-term success, the first five years after graduating with a doctorate are critical in establishing long-term career success. Professional development programmes for early career researchers are more successful if they are supported by organisational strategies around workload, performance management and accountability. Originality/value If implemented, these organisational strategies can assist early career researchers to build a successful track record, which can lead to a successful research career and contribute towards increasing aggregate institutional research performance for universities.

scholarly journals Mitigating the impact of conference and travel cancellations on researchers’ futures

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Weissgerber ◽  
Yaw Bediako ◽  
Charlotte M de Winde ◽  
Hedyeh Ebrahimi ◽  
Florencia Fernández-Chiappe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Do So

The need to protect public health during the current COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated conference cancellations on an unprecedented scale. As the scientific community adapts to new working conditions, it is important to recognize that some of our actions may disproportionately affect early-career researchers and scientists from countries with limited research funding. We encourage all conference organizers, funders and institutions who are able to do so to consider how they can mitigate the unintended consequences of conference and travel cancellations and we provide seven recommendations for how this could be achieved. The proposed solutions may also offer long-term benefits for those who normally cannot attend conferences, and thus lead to a more equitable future for generations of researchers.

scholarly journals Empowering Early Career Researchers to Improve Science

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne A Kent ◽  
Constance Holman ◽  
Emmanuella Amoako ◽  
Alberto Antonietti ◽  
JAMES MBA Azam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Funding ◽  
Systemic Change ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Culture ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Communication Of Science ◽  
Scientific System

Early career researchers (ECRs) are important stakeholders leading efforts to catalyze systemic change in the conduct and communication of science. Here, we summarize the outputs from a virtual unconventional conference (unconference), which brought together 54 invited experts from 20 countries with extensive experience in ECR initiatives designed to improve science. The event was focused on why ECRs are needed to improve science and the obstacles they face when trying to promote reform. Our discussions also highlighted the additional obstacles that ECRs in countries with limited research funding experience when working to improve the scientific system. We provide the lessons learned from successful ECR-led or ECR-focused initiatives and outline actions that individuals and organizations can take to further support ECRs who are working to improve research culture and practice.

scholarly journals Challenges of Early Career Researchers in Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tijjani Salihu Shinkafi
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Active Phase ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Government Funding ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Research Institutes ◽  
Funding Agencies ◽  
The World

Early career researchers (ECRs) are those researchers or academics (having not more than 8 years post PhD experience) at a very early stage which is the most active phase of research following the award of PhD. African universities have a fewer number of researchers with PhD in the world. Most universities have challenges of funding that could not allow the researchers to carry out research effectively. This necessitates for foreign training. Some government funding agencies such as Tetfund and PTDF in Nigeria provide the opportunity to Nigerian researchers to travel to other countries to conduct research leading to the award of PhD. Some other category of researchers remains within the continent or in their country to pursue their PhD degree. When these PhD holders are recruited (Early Career Researchers) to teach and conduct research in Africa they face a number of challenges. The major difficulties that are peculiar to ECRs in Africa are lack of mentorship, funding, laboratory space in addition to other ones that ECRs of developed countries experience such as lack of getting enough time for research, publishing and career progression. Provision should, therefore, be made to support these ECRs to become fully established after completing the PhD otherwise the purpose of the training (PhD) will not be achieved if the scholars ran away from the universities or research institutes.

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