Precarity and Redeployment

Understanding postdoc role preferences

Early research careers are often characterised by a lack of employment security and narrow career paths (OECD, 2021). Several research organisations have suggested problems associated with precarity could be mitigated by redeploying researchers between posts within an organization (Russell Group, 2021; UCU, 2023; UKRI, 2023). However this might involve sacrificing academic freedom and other factors in favour of increased job security.

We are examining whether redeployment is an appealing and feasible approach to mitigating precarity through three different angles.

Firstly, we conducted a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) to understand how postdocs trade-off between different job characteristics when making career decisions, to understand for whom redeployment could be an appealing option. The survey, carefully crafted through an exploratory study was completed by 810 UK-based ECRs (see example of DCE structure below), and analysis of the data was preregistered and is currently ongoing.

Secondly, we surveyed redeployment policies across 45 UK universities, and are currently interviewing PIs to understand their experiences and attitudes towards redeployment.

Thirdly, we are using large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing techniques to assess the degree of overlap between the essential skills listed in job adverts within the University of Cambridge. We interpret this overlap as a proxy for redeployment feasibility.

Lastly, we analysed the duration and premature conclusion of postdoctoral contracts. We are focussing on understanding how long postdoc contracts typically are, when postdocs typically resign from their posts, and whether these posts are backfilled thereby creating more short(er)-term contracts.

Comparing (the experience of precarity) between sectors

Literature indicates that one-third of university researchers in the UK have been employed on temporary contracts for over 10 years. It also shows that for many researchers, being on fixed-term contracts has become the norm/has become a long-term condition (Menard & Shinton, 2022). The feelings of precarity which come with this are one of the main challenges of working within academic research, and are linked challenges around health and wellbeing, financial stability, and independence. Precarity within academic research careers is a contributing factor to significant surges in academics moving from academia to the industry, and this trend is increasing.

This research study aims to understand if these feelings of precarity related to fixed term research contracts are found within academic institutions and within industry and how Early Career Researchers (ECRs) feel that contract precarity affects their wellbeing and productivity.

Understanding this has important implications for the sector and may identify opportunities to reduce the negative impact of the contract precarity ECRs face.

Example of Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) Structure

What do we think we know

We identified the seven most important job attributes postdocs consider when looking for their next job, which our Discrete Choice Experiment investigated further:

Location
Salary
Research interest
Contract length
Research culture
Development opportunities
Autonomy

The average ECR would prefer to move to a different institution within commuting distance if offered a position with a better match in research interest than to stay in their current institution for a position with lower match in research interest. However, moving to a different institution was less appealing. if this involved relocating to a different place in the UK. This pattern was more pronounced among women, people with caring responsibilities, and people without visa requirements. These results indicate that redeployment might not appeal to the average ECR but might work for certain sub-populations.
Redeployment policies do not offer any incentives for PIs to prefer candidates from the redeployment pool.
PIs mostly care about finding the best person for the job and hold some presumptions against redeployment candidates.
Skill overlap and overall job opportunities between positions in SHAPE disciplines tends to be lower than in STEM disciplines.
Postdoctoral researchers begin leaving almost immediately after their contracts start, with departure rates accelerating as the contract end approaches. Fellowship funding appears to improve retention only for short contracts (i.e., one- and two-year contracts).
Whilst there are limited fixed-term research jobs beyond academia, in cases where they do exist, precarity is experienced similarly both within and beyond academia.

Methods

This project involves information gathered from multiple sources and methods, including:

Interviews and focus groups with ECRs and PIs

Online surveys

Choice modelling of ECR job preference

Policy documents analysis

LLM and NLP analysis of job ad documents

HR data analysis

Action Research on Research Culture

Narrative CV Study

Relationships and Expectations