Author: jantjegoe

Survey 2021 results published!
20231031_ssoar-2023-delgado-osorio_et_al-Being_a_Doctoral_Researcher_in_S10_OB_color_development

The WG Survey recently made public the results of the “Being a Doctoral Researcher in the Leibniz Association: 2021 Leibniz PhD Network Survey Report”, conducted by X. Delgado-Osorio, M. Gierke, J. Jaen, J. Kansiime, D. Lonken, E. Pérez-Bosch Quesada, K. Ramachandran, T. Rizzi and P. Saxena.

This report presents the results of the 3rd Leibniz PhD Survey, developed and conducted by the Leibniz PhD Network in collaboration with members of the Helmholtz Juniors and the Max Planck PhDnet.

From September until December 2021, all doctoral researchers (DRs) working at Leibniz Institutes were invited to take part in the online, anonymised survey. 829 DRs working at 81 out of 97 institutes participated in this survey. This corresponds to approximately a third of all Leibniz DRs and 85 % of Leibniz institutes. Instead of a single institute, the survey reports on the overall situation of Leibniz DRs and whether this situation differs among the five Leibniz Sections. Key variables like gender, age, affiliation to Leibniz Sections, nationality, and types of payment are in line with other Leibniz data sources, not showing any implausible distortions.

The report includes the main findings and conclusions in an Executive Summary in addition to a chapter dedicated to the method followed to conduct the anonymous survey. The subsequent chapters of the report integrate the main topics defined during the survey design process: demographics, working conditions, satisfaction, supervision, integration, career development, family, power abuse, and mental health. In addition to the main topics, this survey especially addresses how and to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic affected the DRs. In particular, the surveys focused on the effects on the mental health of the DRs, their perception of how much the security measures impacted their projects, and the effectiveness of the institutional efforts to support them.

This report will spark interest among various reader groups, like current and prospective DRs, as it provides an overview of how it is to be a doctoral researcher in the Leibniz Association. Members of the Leibniz Association, specifically the Leibniz Head Office and the management and administration of all Leibniz Institutes are another important target group, giving them insight into areas for improvement. This report, as well as reports published by partner networks working in the Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz Association, are highly relevant for the broader political sphere concerned with science policies in Germany, where efforts are being made to make Germany a lucrative destination for scientists from around the globe. The Executive Summary identifies possible interventions and we hope some of these suggestions will be actualised.  

Download the survey here.

Text adapted by Armelle Ballian from the Preamble of the survey.

Current Challenges in Academia – The PhD student perspective

We want to discuss our current situation regarding the power structures and working conditions in academia with you to improve our situation as PhDs!

We would like to invite you to our “Current Challenges in Academia – The PhD student perspective” workshop on the 25th – 26th of November initiated by the working group prevention of power abuse and contract situations. The workshop will be held at Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum (Am Bergbaumuseum 28, 44791 Bochum)

On the 25th at 10:00 we would like to initiate the workshop with a panel discussion regarding the current power structure within academia, followed by a contact situation workshop with a focus on time tracking and a second workshop regarding the situation of stipends finishing at 18:00. Followed by a dinner (self-pay).

On the 26th we will hold a workshop focusing on power abuse in academia (starting at 10:00) and work on a position paper stating our ideas to improve the situation for doctoral researchers. The official program will end at 14:30 and an additional visit of the “Bergbau-Museum” is possible afterwards.

Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXi4v6CvznrzXnBc7FWRO1oOwS9gbIGbnq2BSK3DmOH9YKk/viewform?usp=sf_linkT

The registration will be open until 13.11.2023, but the earlier you register the better we can organize everything.

Further information and a timetable will be sent closer to the event. For any questions, please contact:

ppa.leibnizphd@outlook.com

Summary of the 5th Future Workshop in Mainz

On Saturday, April 1st, doctoral researchers of various Leibniz Institutes from across Germany gathered in Mainz for the Leibniz PhD Network’s 5th Future Workshop. The evening before the event an informal dinner was arranged, which allowed attendees to get to know each other and exchange about diverse topics including life as a doctoral researcher.

The hybrid event, with around 30 in-person attendees, kindly hosted by the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), started with a workshop by Kate Utzschneider on “Resilience: Concepts and Practical Dimensions”. The nearly two-hours’ workshop included brainstorming, group discussions and exercises on the meaning of resilience, stress, mental health, values, self-efficacy, and much more. It was much appreciated by all attendees that actively participated in the workshop.

The workshop was followed by a presentation by network spokesperson Eframir Franco-Díaz introducing the steering committee and the role of the Leibniz PhD Network as well as the different working groups and their members. After a short coffee break working groups Mental Health, Sustainability and Survey presented their current tasks, motivations, and recent outcomes, such as their latest reports and survey results. For example, the recently published sustainability position paper, as well as raising awareness on global on-going issues (mental health, power abuse in academia, etc.).

After a convivial lunch break, on-site and online participants were split into working groups and discussed about ongoing tasks, opportunities, future projects, and key issues.

At the end of the afternoon, each working group presented different ideas and results from their brainstorming sessions. It was a fruitful time which allowed all attendees to participate in the progress of individual working groups and form connections with each other.   

Finally, an informal dinner concluded this successful meeting in a familiar atmosphere.

To sum up, the Leibniz PhD Network’s 5th Future Workshop allowed exchange among fellow doctoral researchers, for each working group to gain new members, for current members to meet in real life and to learn about oneself. The Steering Committee also reassured that each member of the PhD Network can turn to the steering committee if any issue affects them and stressed on the solidarity of the doctoral researchers of the different Leibniz Association institutes and museums.

Author: Armelle Ballian (Senckenberg Biodiversität und Klima Forschungszentrum)

Photos: Eframir Franco-Díaz (Leibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik)

Avoiding a mental health crisis in academia (and beyond)

In the latest issue of the Leibniz Magazine, an article was published, in which a doctoral researcher, a resilience researcher and three managers were interviewed on the topic of mental health at the workplace. Among them Pankhuri Saxena, a former Spokesperson (2020/2021) of the Leibniz PhD Network.

The number of people missing work due to mental health issues is rising, a trend not only present in science and research. Due to the increasingly competitive nature of academia, early-career researchers increasingly suffer from uncertainty, pressure, and stress. The intense pressure and demands of a doctorate can take a toll on a person’s mental well-being, leading to symptoms of anxiety and depression. If you are interested in the interview have a read here.

In November 2021 the “Guide to Mental Health during the PhD” was passed by the Leibniz Association. It was collated by Sebastian Lentz (director of the Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde) in close collaboration with Leibniz institutes and the Leibniz PhD Network. The guide states three fields of action: raising awareness, prevention, and counselling, while it also provides recommendations of measures to be taken. You can find the guide here.

Yet, Jan Klenke (former Spokesperson 2020/2021) critically comments:

“There are still many PhDs on scholarships (i.e., without an official working contract and in voluntary statutory health insurance). This situation enhances the described (mental health) problems in this group. At the same time, this group isn’t on anyone’s budget plan and is usually not mentioned in target agreements. In many cases, the doctoral students are without proper guidance, even if they ask for more supervision.”

Mental health (during the PhD) remains an important topic, seemingly for the foreseeable future. Let us know your ideas and comments on the topic. What would you need to reduce mental stress during your PhD? Leave us a comment or get in touch on our social media platforms.