This post was written by Dr. Harry Williams and Dr. Regina Becker, coordinators of the Working Group “WG1 PostDoc Survey”.

Shortly after having published the report into the 2^nd Leibniz PostDoc Survey, we are happy to announce the launch of the 3^rd Leibniz PostDoc Survey!

What is the 3^rd Leibniz PostDoc Survey about?

Leibniz PostDocs are a rather heterogeneous group of individuals, fulfilling a variety of different tasks. They are researchers, mentors, and sometimes supervisors. They might teach, be involved in outreach activities, lead labs or coordinate research projects, support the day-to-day administration and strategic development of research groups, departments, and institutes by contributing towards committees and boards. Nevertheless, they often share common interests, needs and challenges.

The bi-annual Leibniz PostDoc Survey allows us to gain deeper insights into these challenges and needs. Importantly, the rich data we glean from the Leibniz PostDoc Survey allows us to strategically push for improvement of working conditions, career planning, or transparency in hiring processes all the while raising awareness for challenges inherent to international postdocs as well as for issues of mental and physical health in academia.

Many of the topics we cover in the 3^rd survey are similar to the ones which we asked about in the first two rounds. This might seem redundant but is actually really important. We want to map Leibniz PostDocs’ experiences, needs and challenges at a certain point in time, but we also want to observe changes over time, especially in areas in which we try to push for change. Thus, the question becomes how are Leibniz PostDocs faring in the key issues we highlighted in the last report (see our blogpost)? How are PostDocs evaluating their working conditions now? Can we observe some improvement regarding information transparency, i.e. are implications of the WissZeitVG (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz) better communicated and are decisions taken at the point of recruitment more transparent and less opaque? Are PostDocs increasingly benefitting from official career guidelines?

However, we also take this third round as an opportunity to gain deeper insight into two aspects in particular. The first one being physical health and disabilities – a topic which might have huge implications on PostDocs’ daily lives but also their future career paths and which is often neglected. The second topic aims at better understanding what PostDocs’ workplaces are shaped like and how certain conditions affect PostDocs, for example, whether noisy or restless office or lab environment impacts their work.

Who can participate in the survey?
All employees at Leibniz Institutes who have obtained a PhD (or at least submitted their doctoral thesis) and are not (yet) full professors are eligible to participate. We are interested in grasping the diversity of Leibniz PostDocs. So, even if you are not a “classical postdoc”, i.e. an early career researcher who aims at a career in academia, we are interested in your experiences and opinions.

How can I participate in the survey?
The invitation to participate in the survey was sent via the Leibniz PostDoc Network mailing list. Additionally, representatives at Leibniz Institutes have been asked to distribute the invite via their mailing list. If you are a Leibniz PostDoc and have not yet received an email, feel free to contact us, so we can provide you with the survey link.
Please feel free to forward the information about the survey to other Leibniz PostDocs! The more participate, the better the PostDoc Network can represent your needs.

Who is responsible for the Leibniz PostDoc survey?
The Leibniz PostDoc survey is designed and implemented by the Working Group (WG) 1 “Survey” of the Leibniz Postdoc Network. The group consists of PostDocs from diverse Leibniz Institutes working together towards the goal of collecting and analysing data on Leibniz PostDocs. New members are always welcome!
Responsibility for the development and administration of the 3^rd Leibniz PostdDoc survey falls to the current coordinators Harry M. Williams (BNITM) and Regina Becker (LIfBi), as well as working group members Mine Altinli (BNITM) and Daniela Fiedler (formerly IPN).

What do I do if I have questions about the survey?
If you have any questions concerning the survey, please reach out to the working group co-leaders, Dr. Regina Becker () or Dr. Harry Williams ().
If you are interested in receiving further information about the Leibniz PostDoc Network, please sign up for our mailing list (https://www.listserv.dfn.de/sympa/info/leibnizpds)!