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Facts and Findings

Perspectives in science: On the question of good working conditions for doctoral students & postdocs

by Dr. Norbert Arnold

Interview with Prof. Dr. Björn Schumacher: What framework conditions do scientists need in early career phases?

Improving the prospects for scientists in early career phases is an important political task - with consequences not only for young scientists themselves, but for the science system as a whole. There are already many contributions to the discussion, especially from the perspective of young scientists, associations and the management levels of affected institutions. But how do reputable scientists who are actively involved in research assess the working conditions and prospects of doctoral students and postdocs?

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PhD students and postdocs take on important tasks in research, especially in the natural sciences. In this interview, Prof. Dr Björn Schumacher explains how good working conditions can help them gain a long-term foothold in research institutions and that the science system as a whole can only benefit from this.

Basic research is largely carried out at universities and non-university research institutions (AUE). It is therefore necessary to attract young scientists to academic research and offer them good prospects at universities and AUE.

Postdocs are key performers in research. They must demonstrate the ability to conduct research largely on their own. This phase determines whether they stay in academic research or move to research-based companies, for example. Good research takes time. That is why the postdoc phase should not be too short.

Academic research is highly competitive. Jobs at universities and AUE are scarce. In order to attract suitable candidates for academic research, clear selection criteria, transparency in the selection process and reliable target agreements are needed so that academic career paths can be planned to a certain extent.

The efficiency of the academic sector should be improved. The introduction of departmental structures instead of chairs, more scientific positions in the academic mid-level staff, greater differentiation of professorships and the mandatory introduction of tenure track after the first postdoc phase are part of this.

The entire interview "Perspectives in science - On the question of good working conditions for doctoral students and postdocs" can be read here as a PDF. The publication is only available in German.

The questions were asked by Dr Norbert Arnold, expert on science, technology and ethics in the Analysis and Consulting Department at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

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Expert interview with Professor Timo de Wolff on the prospects for postdocs

In a short interview, Prof. Timo des Wolff, spokesperson of the Junge Akademie (@Junge_Akademie), explains concrete measures that could lead to better prospects for academics in early career phases.

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Expert interview with Thomas Jarzombek MdB on young academics

In a short interview, Thomas Jarzombek MdB, spokesperson for education and research for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, outlines the basic conditions for good scientific work and for good motivation of researchers.

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