Postdoctoral researchers: roles, functions and career prospects

Åkerlind, Gerlese S.

doi:10.1080/0729436052000318550

Cited by 154 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Furthermore, with the emerging European Areas of Research and Higher Education a new, trans-national dimension emerges. To date, however, academic research into the roles, functions and career prospects of post-docs has only reached an exploratory phase (Akerlind 2005, Davis et al 2005.…”

Section: The Rise Of the Post-doc In Europementioning

confidence: 99%

The Rise of the Post-Doc as Principal Investigator? How PhDs May Advance Their Career and Knowledge Claims in the New Europe of Knowledge

Armbruster¹

2008

Policy Futures in Education

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The European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area are still under construction. Their foundations, however, are visible and already affect what the next generation of researchers can and cannot do. While it is unclear when, and to what standard, construction will be completed, the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers clarify the expectations of policy makers and major stakeholders. One significant scenario is the rise of the post-doc as principal investigator. This would signal profound change in the governance and funding of research since hitherto the post-doc has been understood primarily as an assistant (to a professor's chair or on a research project). It is outlined which new knowledge and skills PhDs and post-docs need to advance their career and projects more independently -in science and engineering as well as the social sciences and humanities. Potential changes in funding and status are discussed as well as changing relations with supervisors and mentors. Because of European flagship awards for post-docs as well as mobility fellowships, a significant number of post-docs are already principal investigators. Details of these flagship post-doc awards and fellowship are outlined. The report then discusses what doctoral students and post-docs might do individually and collectively to follow in the footsteps of the pioneers. A list of the most valuable online resources is provided.

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Section: The Rise Of the Post-doc In Europementioning

confidence: 99%

The Rise of the Post-Doc as Principal Investigator? How PhDs May Advance Their Career and Knowledge Claims in the New Europe of Knowledge

Armbruster¹

2008

Policy Futures in Education

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“…11, No. 2;2015 253 Cusick, 2000Cusick, , 2001Watts, 2009), doctoral research practice in professional-service fields such as sport pedagogy , and post-PhD professional research roles (e.g., Åkerlind , 2005Pelz & Andrews, 1976). …”

Section: Occupational Socialization To Researcher Rolesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research Training as Occupational Socialization: Doing Research and Becoming Researchers

Cusick¹

2014

ASS

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Social science research training is de-facto occupational socialisation to researcher-roles. To do research, trainees need to develop and demonstrate advanced scholarship that complies with disciplinary norms and perform tasks to pre-determined standards. Functionalist approaches to occupational socialization underpin the performative and standardised approach to research training common in universities. But there is more to research training than doing research. If truly successful, trainees will become researchers. They will take on the researcher-role and make it their own. Interpretive approaches to occupational socialization help illuminate intra-and inter-personal dimensions of role-taking and role-making, however this approach is rarely used to inform research training strategies. Occasional scholarship reveals ad-hoc application on interpretive approaches to research trainee experience (eg., "the journey") supervisor experience (eg., "emotional burden of supervision"), research training methods such as peer-learning (eg., informal or fabricated groups, research micro-climates), or research training pedagogy (eg., collaborative learning, coproduction). Recently, interpretive approaches have been used to inform career-planning strategies for PhD graduates (eg., "Vitae") but this is yet to systematically inform institutional strategies for research-training. To more effectively and efficiently facilitate researcher-role development, research training should consider occupational socialization as an organizing framework, and utilize performative and interpretive approaches to role development. Asian Social Science; Vol. 11, No. 2;2015 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911 AbstractSocial science research training is de-facto occupational socialisation to researcher-roles. To do research, trainees need to develop and demonstrate advanced scholarship that complies with disciplinary norms and perform tasks to pre-determined standards. Functionalist approaches to occupational socialization underpin the performative and standardised approach to research training common in universities. But there is more to research training than doing research. If truly successful, trainees will become researchers. They will take on the researcher-role and make it their own. Interpretive approaches to occupational socialization help illuminate intra-and inter-personal dimensions of role-taking and role-making, however this approach is rarely used to inform research training strategies. Occasional scholarship reveals ad-hoc application on interpretive approaches to research trainee experience (e.g., "the journey") supervisor experience (e.g., "emotional burden of supervision"), research training methods such as peer-learning (e.g., informal or fabricated groups, research micro-climates), or research training pedagogy (e.g., collaborative learning, co-production). Recently, interpretive approaches have been used to inform career-planning strategies for PhD graduates (e.g., "Vitae") but this is yet to systematically inform institutio...

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“…The second motivation for this article is to contribute to the discussion of the situation of early career researchers, a topic that has attracted international attention (e.g., Frischer and Larsson, 2000;Fox and Stephan, 2001;Austin, 2002;Bazeley, 2003;Nerad, 2004;Akerlind, 2005;Laudel and Gläser, 2008;Brew et al, 2011). We believe that the case of a small country like Estonia is a convenient example for studying the consequences of implementing a system with a very large share of project-based research funding, since changes in higher education and research funding policy can be made swiftly and comprehensively here and their consequences also likely to become apparent faster than they would in larger systems with a greater resistance to change.…”

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confidence: 99%

Supervision and Early Career Work Experiences of Estonian Humanities Researchers Under the Conditions of Project-based Funding

et al. 2014

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We analyze a series of interviews with Estonian humanities researchers to explore topics related to the beginning of academic careers and the relationships with supervisors and mentors. We show how researchers strive to have meaningful relationships and produce what they consider quality research in the conditions of a system that is very strongly oriented towards internationalization and project-based funding, where their efforts are compromised by a lack of policies helping them establish a stable position in academia. Leaving researchers to face these obstacles alone places a great burden on them and may lead to a loss of talent in academia. Identifying and addressing these issues is thus important for both the well-being of early career researchers and the future of academia.

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Postdoctoral researchers: roles, functions and career prospects

Cited by 154 publications

References 3 publications

The Rise of the Post-Doc as Principal Investigator? How PhDs May Advance Their Career and Knowledge Claims in the New Europe of Knowledge

The Rise of the Post-Doc as Principal Investigator? How PhDs May Advance Their Career and Knowledge Claims in the New Europe of Knowledge

Research Training as Occupational Socialization: Doing Research and Becoming Researchers

Supervision and Early Career Work Experiences of Estonian Humanities Researchers Under the Conditions of Project-based Funding

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