Postdoctoral Researchers' Mental Health

Postdoctoral researchers drive innovation but often face challenges that slow their career progress and affect their well-being. This project reviews publications on postdocs' mental health and well-being to shed light on these issues. It looks at key problems like financial instability, job insecurity, and mental health struggles and assesses how well current support systems work. For example, low salaries, temporary contracts, and high living costs cause financial stress for about 70% of postdocs. The insights gained are intended to guide improvements in working conditions across various research settings. To help address these challenges, the project will offer a series of podcasts, workshops, and recorded personal experiments—all available on this webpage. These resources aim to provide practical advice and strategies to build a more stable and rewarding future for postdoctoral researchers.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Postdoctoral researchers often face significant challenges, such as financial instability, job insecurity, and stress, that affect their mental well-being and career satisfaction. This workshop provides a clear understanding of the postdoc journey and equips researchers with strategies for managing stress and anxiety. It offers guidance on career planning, resume building, and networking to secure more stable roles and introduces mental health practices, including stress management, counselling, and mindfulness exercises tailored for postdocs. It is practical and insightful. The workshop is designed exclusively for postdoctoral researchers and addresses their unique challenges and needs.

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Supervisors

This workshop was designed for supervisors and offered insight into the postdoctoral journey and strategies for managing stress and anxiety. It covers approaches to improving job security through career planning, resume development, and networking. The session highlights key mental health practices, including stress management techniques, counselling resources, and mindfulness. Overall, this training equips supervisors with the tools to support postdocs better, fostering an environment that promotes well-being, career growth, and satisfaction.

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Research Office

This workshop explored the postdoc journey and offered strategies to manage stress and anxiety. It provided practical tips on career planning, resume building, and networking to enhance job security while clarifying available support and career paths. Additionally, the sessions covered essential mental health practices, including stress management, counselling options, and mindfulness. This training supports research office staff, administrators, and department personnel, helping them create a more supportive environment for postdoctoral researchers.

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A Transition Stage

Postdoctoral careers enter a critical transition stage where effective mentorship, enhanced mobility, and targeted skill development are essential. Researchers navigate shifting career paths as they transition from academia to industry, addressing challenges, expanding opportunities, and building resilient, globally competitive professional profiles.

Regarding the transition states of careers in the education system, the postdocs are significant for the academic and research environment of any country globally, such as the UK. Despite playing significant roles, postdocs often face significant challenges, including job insecurity, limited opportunities for career advancement, and the pressures of international mobility. This section delves into the various aspects of postdoc career development, which emphasizes the indispensable role of mentorship in supporting postdocs, the impact of mobility, skill development, gender and nationality factors, and the transition from academia to industry. Mentorship is necessary for postdocs as it offers guidance in navigating challenges and exploring various career paths, leadership opportunities, and publication processes.

Dr Jake Brooks

In this movie, Dr Jake Brooks shares his experiences and offers practical suggestions to fellow postdoctoral researchers on enhancing their mental health and overall well-being. He will share his experience forming a postdoc forum at the School of Engineering to support other research fellows and benefits.

Please watch to his presentation below:

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Prof Joanna Collingwood

In this movie, Prof. Joanna Collingwood shares her personal experiences and insights on supporting the mental health and well-being of postdoctoral researchers. She discusses the importance of balancing remit responsibilities with flexibility, cultivating a supportive workplace community, and fostering professional development. Prof. Collingwood emphasizes how these elements contribute to growing a robust research remit at the local level, ultimately creating a more resilient and innovative academic environment.

Please watch to his presentation below:

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Sarah Wilson

In this movie, Sarah Wilson shares her personal experiences, and research results on "Breaking Bad Barriers," which examines the obstacles to pursuing research and the efforts to enhance research activities at WMG. She offers practical suggestions for postdoctoral researchers to improve their mental health, overall well-being, and research culture, ultimately supporting a more innovative community locally, nationally, and internationally.

Please watch to her presentation below:

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