A recent news feature in Nature highlighted challenges facing early career scientists, from pressure to publish to shrinking funding and the increasing length of time before reaching research independence.

Early Career Researchers Need Fewer Burdens and More Support
“New faculty members need more flexibility and support than established investigators with smoothly running groups, often staffed by long-term scientists and technicians. Too often, however, these young researchers must address urgent needs — to secure funding and publications — by sacrificing more important goals, such as learning how to run a lab and explore new questions.”  This editorial calls for and suggests solutions.

Young Scientists Under Pressure: What the Data Show
PhDs are rising while jobs are flat, funding falters as competition increases, and more depressing data in these infographics.

Young, Talented and Fed-Up: Scientists Tell Their Stories
With a “brutal” funding cycle and immense pressure to publish incremental advances rather than take time to think about new questions, scientists reaching independence say they have precious little time left for actual research.  Three scientists are interviewed about their experience with the system.

Let Researchers Try New Paths
Four scientists call on NIH and other funding agencies to reward—or at least not punish—investigators for pivoting and changing trajectories to a more interesting or promising line of research that may be high-risk, but also high-reward.

Fewer Numbers, Better Science
“Bibliometrics are warping science.”  Two university leaders describe how they would evaluate faculty members differently.

Agents of Change
Three young researchers have created organizations that promote sustainable careers in biomedical researchers by sharing experiences and data—including experience with alt-ac careers—and emphasizing the importance of preprints in accelerating careers.

About the Author

Screen Name

Rebecca Helton, MA

About Me

I'm a Senior Program Manager for the Edge at Vanderbilt and primarily work with early career faculty. I manage the Newman Society, the VUMC Faculty Research Scholars program, Edge Reviews, and more. I also edit much of the content on the Edge. When not editing, writing, or working on career development activities, you can find me jumping, spinning, and gliding on the ice.