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Junior Investigators Thinking About Quitting Research: A Survey
Mary Ellen Stoykov1, Kimberly A Skarupski2, Kharma Foucher3
1Mary Ellen Stoykov, PhD, MS, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Rush University, Chicago, IL; mary_stoykov@rush.edu.
Summary
Junior researchers considering quitting research often experience low confidence, job dissatisfaction, and burnout. Improving research skills may help retain early-career scientists.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Research Careers
- Academic Medicine
Background:
- Junior tenure-track faculty face significant stress and dissatisfaction, exacerbated by a competitive funding landscape.
- Understanding factors influencing early-career researchers' decisions to leave academia is crucial for retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with junior investigators considering leaving research careers.
- To evaluate the impact of a research mentoring program on investigator retention.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from mentees in an interdisciplinary research mentoring program at an academic medical center.
- Analysis of responses from 44 out of 62 mentees (71% response rate) regarding their consideration of quitting research.
- Regression analysis to determine factors associated with considering quitting, including the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-12 (CRAI-12), job satisfaction, and burnout.
Main Results:
- 17 out of 39 mentees (44%) reported considering quitting research in the past year.
- Mentees considering quitting exhibited lower CRAI-12 scores, reduced job satisfaction, and higher burnout.
- Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-12 (CRAI-12) scores were significantly and inversely associated with considering quitting research.
Conclusions:
- Lower confidence in research skills, decreased job satisfaction, and increased burnout are linked to early-career researchers considering leaving their fields.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing research skills and confidence may be effective in retaining junior faculty.
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