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Abstract
Many speculated that the faculty job market would be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially for years. Our examination of faculty job postings from 2018 to 2021 found that while they decreased in 2020, the market recovered in 2021. We also surveyed how the pandemic affected the perceptions, behaviors, and outcomes of individuals on the faculty job market in 2019–20 and 2020–21. Approximately 10% of the faculty job offers made to 2019–20 survey respondents were reported as rescinded. Respondents also reported altering their application documents in response to the pandemic as well as delaying or even abandoning their faculty job search. Thus, while the faculty job market may have recovered, the effect of the pandemic on postdoctoral career choices may have future implications.
Desk reject from Science. Available at bioRxiv as a preprint!
Ariangela J. Kozik
Assistant Professor, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Dr. Kozik is interested in the connections between host, microbiome, and environment in adult asthma. She is engaged in science communication work to make science more accessible to the general public and support the next generation of biomedical investigators.
Ada Hagan
Science Communicator & Consultant
Dr. Hagan seeks to use her strong background in science communication and higher education to help make scientific concepts more easily understood and make the academy more inclusive to future scientists from all backgrounds.
Nafisa M. Jadavji
Assistant Professor
Dr. Jadavji has been involved in research with the Faculty Job Market Collaboration since 2018.
Chris Smith
Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Dr. Smith is a neuroscientist interested in better understanding the human brain and passionate about science communication.
Amanda Haage
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Haage is particularly interested in inclusive and evidence-based teaching practices at all levels, as well as bringing transparency to the faculty job search.