Speaker
Description
Since taking his oath of office on 20 January 2025, President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign to reshape parts of the United States scientific infrastructure. The dismantling of research-funding agencies, the dismissal of thousands of federal employees, and the termination of contracts and grants highlight the vulnerability of scientific systems to shifting political priorities, as previously witnessed in Europe after the 2008 financial crisis. Although the European research landscape has recovered (Slack, 2026), the prospect of future backlashes and persistent challenges continues to loom over the continent. Among the most vulnerable groups within scientific systems are Early Career Researchers (ECRs), who face challenges during a critical stage of their academic careers. Recent research shows that their experiences are shaped by national context, with studies across Western Europe revealing country-specific issues in job security, institutional support, and career confidence. Disciplinary context also plays a role, with evidence of challenges including limited mentorship, funding constraints, administrative burdens, and job insecurity. Despite growing recognition of these conditions, comparative cross-national analyses remain limited, while the social sciences remain under researched. To address this gap, the present investigation reflects on the experiences of social science ECRs navigating academic careers across Western European countries.
| Presenting author | Joan Enguer |
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