Lockdown mainly impacts female scientists with young children
The first lockdown of the corona crisis had a significant impact on researchers. Female scientists with young children were especially in trouble, a new report says.
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It seems longer ago, but the corona crisis started in March last year. Suddenly all doors closed and education had to be online. Working from home was not always easy, as was apparent from stories, warnings and fire letters.
But scientists wanted to know more about it. What did the corona crisis do to researchers on all steps of the career ladder?
Around September 1, 2020, all 34 thousand scientists from Dutch universities were sent a questionnaire to map the impact of the lockdown. More than 17 percent (5.920 researchers) completed it.
young and woman
The research is by the Young Academy and the National Network of Female Professors, which does say something about the suspicions of these researchers: women and younger scientists will be particularly affected.
And that's true, according to the report. Many scientists with young children struggled to do enough research at home, and this was even more true for women.
Scientists with young children struggled to do enough research at home, and that was even more true for women
The difference between men and women is not that great, but the women are younger and more often have a temporary contract. The impact on their career could therefore be greater, the rapporteurs consider.
So there are more differences. Foreign researchers, for example, were more stressed about the progress of their research than their Dutch colleagues. And of the PhD students, postdocs and tenure trackers (all on a temporary contract), more than half expected delays in their own research.
Be careful that the careers of specific groups of researchers are not hampered by problems in the corona crisis
Acknowledge and Appreciate
The conclusion: be careful that the careers of specific groups of researchers are not hampered by problems in the corona crisis. So don't just look at their research output, but also at the circumstances in which it was created. This is in line with the trend of 'recognizing and valuing' in science, in which assessments of scientists should become less 'numerical'.
The researchers will discuss it on Friday during an online meeting of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It is the second in a series of four meetings on the impact of Covid-19 on science.
Curious about what measures apply in higher education? look at our frequently asked questions and answers about the corona crisis.
