Transitioning to independence in medical research: A qualitative study using a systems theory perspective

Early career researchers' transition to independence in academia is critical. Funding bodies across the world have established early career schemes specifically for researchers who are looking to lead on their first independent project, transitioning from postdoctoral researchers to principal investigators. We interviewed 51 individuals who had received an early career fellowship or award from the Medical Research Council in the UK and conducted 18 focused groups with 95 fellows using a novel tool to facilitate the discussion. Using a systems theory approach, we show that in the process of becoming independent, early career researchers often fall between the cracks of a system that fails to treat them as independent, they are not clear about career pathways in research, and they receive conflicting information about their career progression. More than individual influences, such as motivation for research and gender, contextual factors, such as funding support, institutional commitment and wider political factors influence the career progression of individuals. Early career researchers do not always feel they have the level of institutional support they expected. These findings highlight structural challenges that early career researchers face when transitioning to independence and suggest there is still ground to be covered to meet the commitment universities and research institutions to support the career development of researchers. The challenges identified are not unique to the UK context and can inform funding policies across the word.