Career development 1 Summary for STEM

Postdocs

Male and female postdocs at the DISI had the same opinion of the ingredients necessary for career development in the department in which they worked. They all emphasised the importance of fundraising and scientific production, in particular in terms of publications in international journals:

“What I’ve seen is that there are some things which are particularly valued in this department. Fundraising is very important here, that’s for sure. An ability to procure added value and attract funding is greatly valued ... publications matter, especially if they are of a certain level, though perhaps less than the ability to bring in research projects which get funded” (Female postdoc, DISI).

As regards publications, however, there were differences between male and female postdocs. Most of the women stated during the interviews that they did not have a great deal of autonomy in managing publications. They reported issues in creating a profile for themselves distinct from the scientific interests of their supervisor, a problem which hampered career development. It seems, however, that the scenario was different for the male postdocs interviewed, who had more autonomy in choosing their lines of research:

“The only thing that I can’t really handle are the publications, which are primarily with a PhD student. Sometimes we can manage them. But other times, when our boss butts in, there are differences of opinion. The autonomy diminishes a little, and we have to agree to do what he says [...]. Most of my latest publications are on this topic and it is not one that drives me crazy, you know” (Female postdoc, DISI).

“We used to write a lot together, and this helped me get myself known ... lately he’s had other interests, so if I can manage things on my own, he’s pleased. He doesn’t push like he used to, he pushes more in other directions. But that’s fine by me: he doesn’t push, and I do what I want. I publish on things that interest me and he publishes more on his things” (Male postdoc, DISI).

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Assistant professors

The assistant professors, both men and women, said that one of the most important elements for career advancement was linked to objective and measurable criteria concerning publications:

“In our sector, what counts is the number of publications in international scientific journals; this is a major parameter [...]. My supervisor said, ‘I don’t have sponsors, so if I can justify your ability with numbers I’ll make every effort, but if we don’t reach those numbers, you can forget your position. Numbers are irrefutable” (Male assistant professor, DISI).

Thus it appears that the criteria for career advancement are linked to the amount of publications, especially if of international scope. The majority of interviewees also

stressed that obtaining recognition in the scientific community – which is intrinsically

bound up with scientific production – had enabled them to qualify for the post of

associate professor.

Second, also the assistant professors interviewed, of both sexes, cited the ability to attract funds from outside the university. A distinctive feature of the DISI is that it does not rely for funding solely on national, European and/or international projects; it also receives commissions from companies:

“If we want to grow and also have a certain type of profile, what we must do is obtain funding so that we can do research which gets us recognition from the rest of the scientific community [...]. One of our financing sources consists of companies or firms from outside. At a time of crisis like the present, being able to attract funding is crucial. It creates new opportunities to pursue your interests” (Male assistant professor, DISI).

Comparison between postdocs and assistant professorsin STEM

The interviews with assistant professors and postdocs registered a shared narrative on aspects valued in the organizations for which they worked. Two elements were most frequently cited as favouring career development: fundraising and publishing. More specifically, whilst for the postdocs fundraising was of primary importance, because it guaranteed future work with which to build their scientific profiles, for assistant professors of both sexes the key to professional development was publishing.

4.4.2. Summary for SSH

Postdocs

The postdocs interviewed at the DSRS emphasised various elements contributing to development of the professional career, and there were no differences between what the women and men stated. The three factors cited in interviews were (i) having one’s work known and appreciated within the department, (ii) the quality of scientific production, and (iii) the ability to attract funds:

“It’s essential to fit in and be recognized within a group ... this increases or decreases your chances of getting a position [...]. Besides a set of objective criteria, evaluation is always made by the Department Council, which is made up of people with their own schemes, their likes and dislikes” (Female postdoc, DSRS).

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“For promotions you should have a constant and quantitatively significant international production, very focused and strategic, and preferably in peer-reviewed journals. Then it is clear that the ability to win major projects makes the difference; but I believe that above all it’s the ability to publish well, internationally, in journals considered core that makes the difference” (Male postdoc, DSRS).

“It’s the ability of research groups to bring money to Trento for research that makes the difference. Considered important is not innovation as such, but the fact that an institution external to the department and to the university has decided to recognize research carried out at Trento as quality research” (Female postdoc, DSRS).

Internationalization was considered essential in regard not only to publications but also the scientific profile and project experience. However, there were partly different opinions among the postdocs on fundraising. Whilst on the one hand there was widespread concern over the lack of resources, on the other, there were interviewees who maintained that European projects are opportunities to open up research internationally, and those who believed that this mechanism was excessively invasive of the department’s scientific autonomy.

Assistant professors

Turning to the assistant professors at the DSRS, both women and men, as already recorded at the DISI, considered scientific productivity to be vital for their career development. However, as widely evidenced both in Italy and internationally, the ‘publish or perish’ dynamic causes difficulties for those with care responsibilities, and especially female researchers with children.

“I feel a bit more pressure from the point of view of publications. But my path has been interrupted by events related to my family. So it’s obvious that compared with others I’m a bit more disadvantaged” (Female assistant professor, DSRS).

“Extremely important is the international dimension of peer-reviewed publications in journals of a certain level, possibly with a significant impact factor, or with a certain degree of recognition in the peer group, colleagues who work in the area” (Male assistant professor, DSRS).

Also the ability to attract external funds to the university was considered a ‘springboard’ to stabilization. Especially the male assistant professors emphasised the increasingly important role played by the ability of researchers to raise funds. But in this case, too, there were more or less critical opinions on the importance of the capacity to attract external funds:

“We are in a transitional period [between two epochs] where previously there was this production chain with loyalties, and there was the designated heir who would become a professor. Now there’s this neoliberal method whereby you build a career, not because you’re loyal to someone, or because they need someone and you have the right qualifications, but because you win contracts and bring in money” (Male assistant professor, DSRS).

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Comparison between postdocs and assistant professorsin SSH

Among the DSRS interviewees, both women and men had the same opinions on the steps necessary for career development. However, there were some differences between the two groups.

The postdocs primarily cited the importance of having one’s work known and appreciated within the department. The assistant professors, however, and especially the men, pointed out that the university was undergoing major structural changes which had weakened the logic of cooptation in selection and recruitment processes.

All the interviewees instead agreed that publications were extremely important,

especially ones of international scope. Publishing activity, however, was likely – if

evaluated in purely quantitative terms – to penalize particularly women with care

responsibilities.

4.4.3 Comparative conclusion

Analysis of the interviews conducted at the DISI and DSRS showed general agreement on the areas in which to invest to develop an academic career.

A first element concerned publications, especially at international level. In particular, the

assistant professors at the DISI saw objective and measurable criteria – such as the

number of publications, the personal H-index, and the impact factor of the journals – as

guarantees of a future academic career. At the DSRS criticisms were made of the ‘publish or perish’ mechanism. Also emphasised was the potential gender discrimination related to care responsibilities that this system is likely to reproduce and fuel.

Finally, attention turned to the growing importance assumed by fundraising activities. This is because current cuts in research eliminate not only prospects for future work but also for participation in European and international research partnerships.