Visions of the future
At a crossroads between dystopias and utopias, we took to Twitter to ask a tricky question...
03 January 2023
What do you hope being an ECR could look like in the future?
Better mental health because of not being asked to spread ourselves too thin as we desperately try to keep up with the competitive job market. Structural change is needed.
Hourly paid lecturer
More like a normal 9-5 job, where it is absolutely normal to take off evenings, weekends and holidays. Less unhealthy competition (which is often a race to the ground for everyone), but rather collaboration among and between ECRs and advanced researchers.
PhD student
A stable step on a career path, where it is not only the most privileged who are able to progress.
Postdoc
A dual model where we're considered both fully students and fully staff. We need access to student support & democracy but also to workplace negotiations & government measures for "workers".
PhD student
Stability and security is the key. Consistent funding that will last until the end of the PhD/project would alleviate so many forms of pressure and stress.
PhD student
PhDs will be proper employees on a living wage. ECRs will be given more space in their workloads to train, develop teaching materials, build research networks/projects etc. Less precarity. Less inequality. True meritocracy.
PhD student and lecturer
Properly emotionally supported, well paid work which reflects the world-leading research output expected of PhD students.
PhD student
