Lack of integration of scientists in transitional career stages into disciplinary CoPs

The traditional conception of STEM workforce development employs a pipeline model where an individual enters their career path in a single place, moves through in a linear fashion, and enters the workforce after a prescribed set of experiences.  Not only does this model fail to capture the varied, innovative and creative experiences of many people who are entering the STEM workforce today, but the support of such a model has contributed to the exclusion of HEP individuals in STEM fields (Cannady et al, 2014).  Alternatively, a braided river model for STEM workforce development allows for varied pathways, and values diverse entry points, goals, experiences, and evolving individual trajectories (Batchelor et al, 2021).  However, such a model requires a robust support system that can uphold, sustain, embolden, and re-engage these scientists. Societies can provide a longitudinally stable framework for scientists as they navigate their career paths. In this way, societies have the potential to serve the powerful function of supporting scientists at varied and transitional career stages, when they are most vulnerable and likely to leave their disciplines.  

Transition Stages:

LED-BIO defines scientists at career transitions to include those: (a) working outside of STEM after obtaining a STEM undergraduate degree, professional training or experience, (b) with graduate degrees, working as adjunct, part-time or contingent faculty at a local university or college as they build their teaching credentials, look for more permanent employment, or remain in a location while a spouse or partner completes training, (c) returning to work after a parental or personal leave of absence, elder care or other personal demand, or a layoff triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, or other crisis, (d) scientists moving between industry, academia, government or entrepreneurial positions, and (e) scientists crossing disciplinary or bridging interdisciplinary boundaries. 

Discussion topic #1: Barriers. What systemic and structural barriers impede the success of scientists in transition and their access to society functions?

Scientists in these transitional roles are likely to be in vulnerable positions with fewer support structures, financial resources, active mentoring, robust networks or traditional cultural capital. These scientists are also disproportionately minoritized individuals, as evidenced by the uneven fraction of contingent or adjunct faculty who are both non-White and women (Monks, 2009, AAUP, 2014, Navarro, 2017). Maintaining connection and progress through academic transitions can be critical for retention of scientists from underrepresented groups, and persistence in their fields (Allen-Ramdial and Campbell, 2014; Segarra et al., 2020a).

In addition to the afore-mentioned challenges, exclusion of scientists at career transitions is also likely to be an unintended product of the current system of STEM disciplinary culture that was initially built from a dominant majority perspective, and with little or no consideration of an equity mindset (Segarra et al., 2020b).  Leibnitz, et al. 2022 identified 11 functions of STEM disciplinary and professional societies that include governance and leadership, membership, meetings, events and conferences, recognition, and employment in the society. Societies need to examine their society’s policies, practices, resource flows, reward systems, expectations and culture to consider how those functions might systematically disadvantage access of transitional scientists to the society and the benefits it affords.

The current socio-cultural system in STEM higher education and employment tracks scientists at discrete stages but not in between, and also places value on traditional linear career pathways. For example, an in-depth data analysis by ACCESS on travel award programming geared towards HEP revealed inadvertent exclusion of scientists in transition as a result of eligibility requirements for an academic title classification (e.g., graduate student, post-doc, faculty member) and affiliation (e.g., academic home institution; Segarra et al., 2020b). A similar trend is noticeable in membership levels used by ACCESS member societies, which often exclude scholars in transitional career stages. These individuals do not fit neatly into the traditional structure of membership fees, particularly if they lack a stable source of income or institutional affiliation. While scientists at career transitions stand to benefit immensely from maintaining connections to their societies and society resources, their likely loss of academic affiliation, social identity, or personal circumstances can serve to make connection to their disciplinary society more tenuous. Even networking events for early scientists can fail to benefit those in transition, including HEP trainees, if societies structure them in ways that convey a disproportionate benefit to those with greater access to material resources, and in turn the ability to attend conferences. Conversely, societies serve to gain by supporting these transitional scientists by retaining trained scientists in the society membership, the discipline, and in STEM; diversifying the society; and introducing new approaches, perspectives and activities into the activities of the society.

LED-BIO will leverage the work of Leibnitz, et al. 2022 to identify functions of STEM disciplinary and professional societies to promote conversation about potentially exclusionary policies, practices, resource flows, reward systems, expectations and culture. 

Discussion topic #2: Resources. What types of awareness, knowledge and skills do scientists in transition need to develop, as they seek to pursue a STEM career, and what is the evidence supporting these needs?

In addition to the literature speaking to the professional skills that scientists need to develop (Neiles & Mertz, 2020; Brown, 2016; Theodosiou, Choi & Freeman, 2020; Brandt, et al., 2021), several focus groups (convenience sampling) of graduate students, postdocs, and visiting assistant scientists from a range of STEM disciplines were convened during the writing of the LED-BIO proposal.  Disciplines of the participants included Geology, Mechanical Engineering, Cell & Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry & Technology, and Freshwater & Marine Sciences. The groups identified a number of challenges faced by scientists at career transitions, including: (a) uncertainty or lack of knowledge about career options, (b) lack of effective workplace self-advocacy skills, (c) insufficient recognition in academia, of how social identities are tied to privilege, power and positionality in the workplace, (d) imposter syndrome, (e) issues facing international scientists ranging from cultural differences to immigration status tied to work status, and (f) lack of welcoming spaces for HEP scientists to network with similarly identified peers. This range of challenges could easily apply to individuals at multiple points along the career pathway. The Think Tank and Town Hall will work to articulate transition stage-specific interventions and support that societies could undertake as well as more general awareness, knowledge and skills. 

Discussion topic #3: Interventions and Strategies. What are examples of societies and programming serving individuals at different transition stages, and what is the evidence to support the efficacy of this programming?

The LED-BIO focus groups convened during the writing of the proposal identified a range of possible solutions for the identified challenges, including: (a) workshops/writing groups, (b) focused efforts to infuse an equity mindset throughout aspects of member-facing society policies and initiatives (e.g., hiring, membership structure, award criteria), (c) mentoring opportunities, particularly with peers at different career stages, (d) creating affinity-based networking opportunities and discussion spaces; and (e) using plenary talks at conferences to normalize topics like mental health and alternative career paths within the discipline. 

Some STEM disciplinary and professional societies currently offer a variety of programming to support early career scientists, as detailed in Table 1 below.

Table 1: STEM society programming category and examples.

The LED-BIO project will identify best practices in supportive programming and evidence of efficacy as well as recommending other types of programming that could support scientists in transition.

Download LED-BIO_ CHALLENGE 02 pdf