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Postdoctoral scientists are mentors, and it is time to recognize their work
Gracielle Higino1, Ceres Barros2, Ellen Bledsoe3
1Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Biologie, Sherbrooke, Canada.
Plos Biology
|November 2, 2023
Summary
Academic institutions often overlook the crucial support roles, like mentoring and teaching, undertaken by postdoctoral researchers. Recognizing these contributions is vital for early-career researchers and can improve the academic environment.
Area of Science:
- Higher Education
- Academic Career Development
- Postdoctoral Research
Background:
- Postdoctoral researchers perform essential functions beyond research, including teaching and mentoring.
- These vital contributions are frequently undervalued and unrecognized within academic reward structures.
- Early-career researchers, particularly postdocs, face challenges due to this lack of recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the unrecognized labor of postdoctoral researchers in academia.
- To identify opportunities for improving the recognition and status of postdoctoral contributions.
- To advocate for systemic changes in academic evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of academic support roles.
- Review of institutional policies and practices.
- Case studies of postdoctoral contributions.
Main Results:
- Significant contributions of postdocs to teaching, mentoring, and institutional functioning are consistently underappreciated.
- Current academic systems do not adequately credit these essential support activities.
- There is a clear need for revised evaluation metrics and recognition pathways.
Conclusions:
- Academia must develop formal mechanisms to acknowledge and reward the full scope of postdoctoral work.
- Implementing changes can enhance career progression for early-career researchers.
- Recognizing these roles benefits the entire academic ecosystem.
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