This post was written by Dr. Daniela Fiedler and Dr. Thomas Lösch, coordinators of the Working Group “WG1 PostDoc Survey”.

Participants of the Leibniz PostDoc Network and followers of our Blog or on Twitter might be aware that the working group “WG1 PostDoc Survey” is busy double-jobbing:

Firstly, we are close to finalizing the “Report of the first Leibniz PostDoc Survey”, which we hope will be published towards the end of this year. Stay tuned for this!

And secondly, we were preparing to launch the second Leibniz PostDoc Survey, which is NOW (!) open for participation. We urge current (and incoming) Leibniz PostDocs at all Leibniz Institutes to participate in the survey. Every response counts!

By now, all Leibniz PostDocs should have received an email invitation via the mailing list of the Leibniz PostDoc Network or coordinators at the respective Leibniz Institutes – remember to check your spam folders!

Wait, you did not get an email? Please sign up for our Leibniz PostDoc Network mailing list and reach out to Dr. Daniela Fiedler or Dr. Thomas Lösch for the survey link.

What is the second Leibniz PostDoc Survey about?

Postdocs are an integral part of the scientific staff and received more attention in the Leibniz Association through the establishment of the Leibniz PostDoc Network in 2017 and the first Leibniz PostDoc Survey in 2020. Data from the survey provides the Leibniz PostDoc Network with an evidence basis to develop their strategic actions. Currently, results from the first survey are used to advocate the needs of Leibniz PostDocs at various meetings of the Leibniz Association. The report – which summarizes the results – will likely be published towards the end of this year.

Results of the first survey show that although Leibniz PostDocs are a diverse group of individuals, they still share common needs and problems. Understanding their diversity is critical for supporting them. In particular, three topics emerged where the working group “WG1 PostDoc Survey” recommends to take action: Career perspectives, discrimination, and support for international Leibniz PostDocs. Overall, the results of our first survey provide a more detailed picture of Leibniz PostDocs and their experiences, interests, and needs.

The second survey aims at providing an update: Things might have changed since the first survey in 2020. New Leibniz PostDocs may have joined the Leibniz Association, others might have left, and for many, their professional situation might be different than two years ago. Additionally, the situation for academia as a whole changed during the last two years. So, we also included new topics in the survey, targeting aspects like working remotely or mental health. With all these questions, we hope to provide evidence on topics that currently matter for Leibniz PostDocs.

Who can participate?

The survey is open for all individuals in the Leibniz Association who have completed their PhD or submitted their doctoral thesis and have not yet gained a permanent position as a professor (also called Leibniz PostDocs). Leibniz PostDocs are invited via email distributed through the Leibniz PostDoc Network mailing list. Additionally, representatives in each Leibniz Institute are asked to distribute the survey invitation internally via their respective postdoc mailing lists. If you have not yet received an email, please contact Dr. Daniela Fiedler or Dr. Thomas Lösch for the survey link.

The Working Group “WG1 PostDoc Survey”

The group consists of passionate Leibniz PostDocs from diverse Leibniz Institutes working together to achieve a shared goal: Collect and provide data on Leibniz PostDocs to get an idea about who Leibniz PostDocs are and how they are doing at their Leibniz Institutes. Current members, who are also responsible for the second Leibniz PostDoc Survey, are the two coordinators, Dr. Daniela Fiedler (IPN) and Dr. Thomas Lösch (DIPF), as well as the team members Dr. Regina Becker (LIfBi), Dr. Sabrina Sobieraj (IfADo), and Dr. Harry Williams (BNITM).

edited 2022-01-13