Impact of the pandemic on the Canadian Postdoc Community 2020

To assess the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on Canadian postdocs, we surveyed the postdoc community in the early (April 1 – May 31, 2020; n=386 respondents) as well as an intermediate time during the pandemic when the nationwide return to the workplace was imminent (Sept 1 – Dec31, 2020; n=209 respondents). These surveys were conducted to deliver snapshots in time of postdocs’ personal and professional situations, in order to better inform and communicate with the institutions and stakeholders having the power and authority to mitigate these COVID19-associated impacts.

Our findings show that the pandemic has halted many research activities and dimmed career prospects as well as the mental health status for postdoctoral researchers. The COVID19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated pre-existing key issues that have negatively affected the Canadian postdoc community in pre-pandemic times: administrative ambiguity, which is directly linked to low compensation and benefits, as well as insufficient career development and mental health support.

With the release of this report, we aim to communicate our findings to reach agencies and institutions who are working on bringing the workforce back to the workplace and urge that a postdoc-focused recovery plan can make or break this vulnerable community. Postdocs are major drivers of innovation and discovery – we strongly recommend that funders, university faculty, and hiring managers take more than a moral approach to work together and retain this talent in Canada.