As in our previous newsletter, we explore our first longitudinal dataset to give insights on working conditions and changes of professional values in the last years. The data include the first four waves (2018–2021) of the CTC-18 cohort, which consists of people who applied for Early Postdoc.Mobility or Postdoc.Mobility in fall 201

Erzinger, A. B.

Kittelberger, S.

Lüthi, J.

Zimmermann, B.

English

Bern Open Repository and Information System (BORIS)

source: https://doi.org/10.48350/171932 | downloaded: 24.10.2022SNSF Career Tracker Cohorts (CTC) Newsletter 2022/2Status of the studyIn the spring surveys of the fifth year of the Career TrackerCohorts (CTC) study, we have successfully interviewed1572 participants over four cohorts (2018–2021), and weare currently preparing and documenting the data. Wetake this opportunity to thank all our – meanwhile long-term – study participants for their important contribution!As in our previous newsletter, we explore our first lon-gitudinal dataset to give insights on working conditionsand changes of professional values in the last years. Thedata include the first four waves (2018–2021) of the CTC-18 cohort, which consists of people who applied for EarlyPostdoc.Mobility or Postdoc.Mobility in fall 2018.Working conditions and career expectations three years after the initial SNSF applicationThe survey participants and their application historyIn fall 2018, 450 people had applied for either Early Post-doc.Mobility or Postdoc.Mobility. Since then, as manyas 38% have applied for an SNSF career funding schemeagain, a few even up to four times. The average numberof applications was 1.4. Between 2018 and 2021, 63% re-ceived a positive funding decision for at least one of theirapplications, 8% even for two. 238 people (53%) receiveda positive funding decision for the application in fall 2018,when they were surveyed for the first time.Three years later – in 2021 – 214 people participatedin the monitoring survey (60% of all applicants from2018). For 152 of the survey participants their grant hadended, 7 reported it was still running, and 26 had al-ready started their next grant. Finally, 39 reported thatthey were not doing academic research anymore or notat the time. This includes both former grantees and non-grantees. Note that the current status of the grant is onlyknown for applicants who participated in the surveys (formore details on the response rates of this cohort see theNewsletter 2022/1).Good conditions when working from homeWhile in spring 2020 a majority worked mainly fromhome, participants thereafter gradually returned to theiroffices and labs. Consequently, the share of work per-formed at home decreased, and most recently amountedto 45%. If people worked from home in fall 2021,they reported having sufficient resources and adequatework spaces. While they agree with the statement thatthey work very efficiently when working from home,they also agree that the boundaries between workingand private life become blurred. Finally, work be-ing left behind because of demands at home doesnot seem to be a big issue. There are no signifi-cant differences between male and female participants.Available resourcesare sufficientWork from homeis very efficientBoundaries between workingand private life blurredWorkspace at homeis physically adequateWork is left behinddue to demands at home-1 0 1-2Do notagree at all2FullyagreeMaleFemale(spikes denote 95% CI; N=197)Working from homewww.careertrackercohorts.ch 1/3 info@careertrackercohorts.chSelf-rating of motivation, productivity, and creativity, two years into the pandemicIn 2020, the participants’ productivity had been some-what reduced – according to their own assessment –compared to the time before the pandemic. Whenwe asked the participants again in fall 2021, they in-dicated a rather high work motivation, as well as arather high work productivity and creativity. There areno significant differences between grantees and peoplewho never received a grant, and no gender differences....work motivation...work productivity...work creativity-1 0 1-2Very low2Very highGranteesNon-Grantees(spikes denote 95% CI; N=235)Rating of...Sufficient exchange with networkProfessional in-person exchange is an integral part ofbuilding a successful academic career. Restrictions dueto Covid-19 clearly impeded this exchange. Neverthe-less, in 2021, the survey participants reported they hadsufficient exchange with their networks, both regard-ing their everyday work and projects, and for pursu-ing their careers, though they rated the latter as some-what less sufficent. Hence, the exchange seems tosuffice overall, despite working from home or otherconditions the pandemic may have brought about....everyday work and projects...pursuing one's career-1 0 1-2Do notagree at all2FullyagreeMaleFemale(spikes denote 95% CI; N=238)Sufficient exchange with professional network for...Enough financial and material supportNot only did the participants rate the exchange with theirnetwork as sufficient, they also indicated sufficient sup-port on other levels. They had enough financial support,for instance for further education and projects. Similarly,they received sufficient material support (e.g., equipmentand everyday things). By contrast, they felt less supportedemotionally, for example regarding stress managementand interactions. There are no significant gender differ-ences, and no differences between people who received agrant and those who did not....financial level...material level...emotional level-1 0 1-2Not at all2DefinitelyMaleFemale(spikes denote 95% CI; N=252)Sufficiently supported on the...Mixed career expectationsEven though the participants described their professionalsituation as satisfactory or even good in many respectsin fall 2021, worries about the future do emerge: Theyexpect some difficulties in finding an appropriate job orfunding in the future, and they are somewhat concernedabout their professional future. This is rather not surpris-ing, as a majority indicates that they are employed witha fixed-term contract. At the same time, grantees ratheragree that their career is currently advancing the way theywant it to advance, while people who did not receive agrant agree less (0.51 vs. 0.07, p=0.034). Moreover, non-grantees think about changing their career plans a bit morethan grantees. However, this difference is not significant.There are no significant differences concerning either ofthese statements between men and women.p = 0.034Expecting difficulties in finding jobWorried about professional futureCareer advancing as plannedThinking about changing career plans-1 0 1-2Do not agree at all2Fully agreeGranteesNon-Grantees(spikes denote 95% CI; N=253)Career expectationswww.careertrackercohorts.ch 2/3 info@careertrackercohorts.chAfter three years: few changes in work-related valuesAs described in more detail in our very first newslet-ter (see Newsletter 2019/1), the survey participants dis-play a high intrinsic work motivation. The importanceof work values are very stable over time. Since manyhave completed their grant in 2021 and may (have hadto) reorient themselves professionally, one would expectshifts in the importance of specific aspects. The resultsof the surveys conducted in fall 2021 show that contin-uing an academic career is now seen as less importantthan it was three years ago. At the same time, extrin-sic values, such as earning a high salary, have becomeslightly more important. In spite of the fact that between2018 and 2021 the share of parents among the participantsincreased from 19% to 33%, overall, the importance offamily-related values did not increase remarkably. Hence,the career orientation of the researchers remains veryhigh, even during changes in professional and family life.put own ideas into practicedevelop further in subject areado work corresponding to own viewsuse specialist qualificationscontinue academic careergood career prospectsgood equipment/infrastructurehigh salarywork with renowned colleaguesprestigious institutionsecure jobreconcile work and family lifereconcile work with other activitieswork part-timesame country as nowintrinsicextrinsicother-1 0 1-2Not important at all2Very important201820202021(spikes denote 95% CI; N=199)Work-related valuesCorrigendum Newsletter 2022/1There was a mistake in the last newsletter regarding thepercentages of people conducting research (second para-graph). A revised version of the newsletter is now availableonline: http://careertrackercohorts.ch/newsletter/2022/1.Up nextWe are looking forward to the fall surveys with partici-pants who applied for the Early Postdoc.Mobility or thePostdoc-Mobility scheme in 2018, 2019, or 2020. Thesurveys will start in October. Moreover, we will soon up-load new data and documentation on SwissUbase, whereall interested researchers can access the material.AboutThe Career Tracker Cohorts (CTC) project of the SwissNational Science Foundation (SNSF) is a longitudinalpanel study with four cohorts (CTC-18 – CTC-21). Itaims at tracking the career paths of young researchersapplying for SNSF career funding schemes at the post-doctoral level (Early Postdoc.Mobility, Postdoc.Mobility,Ambizione, Eccellenza, and PRIMA). The main goals ofthe CTC are to monitor the careers of these researchersand to evaluate the impact of the different career fundingschemes of the SNSF. The Career Tracker Cohorts studyis affiliated to the Interfaculty Centre for Educational Re-search (ICER) at the University of Bern.For more information see: http://careertrackercohorts.ch/How to cite this document:Lüthi, J., Zimmermann, B., Kittelberger S., Erzinger, A.B. (2022). SNSF Career Tracker Cohorts (CTC) Newsletter 2022/2. Bern: Interfaculty Centre forEducational Research and Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies, University of Bern. Available from http://doi.org/10.48350/171932www.careertrackercohorts.ch 3/3 info@careertrackercohorts.ch

SNSF Career Tracker Cohorts (CTC) Newsletter 2022/2

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SNSF Career Tracker Cohorts (CTC) Newsletter 2022/2

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