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Insights from a survey-based analysis of the academic job market

View ORCID ProfileJason D. Fernandes, View ORCID ProfileSarvenaz Sarabipour, View ORCID ProfileChristopher T. Smith, View ORCID ProfileNatalie M. Niemi, View ORCID ProfileNafisa M. Jadavji, View ORCID ProfileAriangela J. Kozik, View ORCID ProfileAlex S. Holehouse, View ORCID ProfileVikas Pejaver, View ORCID ProfileOrsolya Symmons, View ORCID ProfileAlexandre W. Bisson Filho, View ORCID ProfileAmanda Haage
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/796466
Jason D. Fernandes
1Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States
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Sarvenaz Sarabipour
2Institute for Computational Medicine & Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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Christopher T. Smith
3Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, North Carolina State University Graduate School, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
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Natalie M. Niemi
4Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, United States; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
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Nafisa M. Jadavji
5Department of Biomedical Sciences, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, United States
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Ariangela J. Kozik
6Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Alex S. Holehouse
7Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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Vikas Pejaver
8Department of Biomedical Informatics & Medical Education & The eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
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Orsolya Symmons
9Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; current address: Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
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Alexandre W. Bisson Filho
10Department of Biology, Rosenstiel Basic Medical Science Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
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Amanda Haage
11Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
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  • ORCID record for Amanda Haage
  • For correspondence: amanda.haage@und.edu
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Abstract

Applying for a faculty position is a critical phase of many postdoctoral careers, but most postdoctoral researchers in STEM fields enter the academic job market with little knowledge of the process and expectations. A lack of data has made it difficult for applicants to assess their qualifications relative to the general applicant pool and for institutions to develop effective hiring policies. We analyzed responses to a survey of faculty job applicants between May 2018 and May 2019. We establish various background scholarly metrics for a typical faculty applicant and present an analysis of the interplay between those metrics and hiring outcomes. Traditional benchmarks of a positive research track record above a certain threshold of qualifications were unable to completely differentiate applicants with and without offers. Our findings suggest that there is no single clear path to a faculty job offer and that metrics such as career transition awards and publications in high impact factor journals were neither necessary nor sufficient for landing a faculty position. The applicants perceived the process as unnecessarily stressful, time-consuming, and largely lacking in feedback, irrespective of a successful outcome. Our findings emphasize the need to improve the transparency of the faculty job application process. In addition, we hope these and future data will help empower trainees to enter the academic job market with clearer expectations and improved confidence.

Footnotes

  • This version of the manuscript was revised to reflect feedback received from multiple public sources. We specifically expanded an "interplay between metrics" results section. We also added additional text and analysis to demonstrate the lack of alignment between applicants and search committees. The specific policy recommendations previously included, that we feel are supported by this work will be further expanded upon in a separate work.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted December 02, 2019.
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Insights from a survey-based analysis of the academic job market
Jason D. Fernandes, Sarvenaz Sarabipour, Christopher T. Smith, Natalie M. Niemi, Nafisa M. Jadavji, Ariangela J. Kozik, Alex S. Holehouse, Vikas Pejaver, Orsolya Symmons, Alexandre W. Bisson Filho, Amanda Haage
bioRxiv 796466; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/796466
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Insights from a survey-based analysis of the academic job market
Jason D. Fernandes, Sarvenaz Sarabipour, Christopher T. Smith, Natalie M. Niemi, Nafisa M. Jadavji, Ariangela J. Kozik, Alex S. Holehouse, Vikas Pejaver, Orsolya Symmons, Alexandre W. Bisson Filho, Amanda Haage
bioRxiv 796466; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/796466

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