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It is time to revamp our approach to doctoral careers

Nature Human Behaviour volume 7, pages 828–829 (2023)Cite this article

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In the UK, we have had the same conversations about the same barriers to fulfilling doctoral-student experiences and careers for too long. Research funders, university research leaders and employers must rethink their approach to doctoral careers by using a supply-chain-style mechanism, adding value to the student experience before and after graduation.

Doctorate holders contribute substantially to the industrial performance and productivity of a country. Their potential to make an impact in the modern knowledge economy make them valuable assets in the job market. In the UK, most doctorate holders flock to industry1 after they graduate — opting against the precarious contracts and leaky pipeline from postdoctoral researcher to professor in academia, which many know to be inaccessible and problematic2. Many leave feeling underprepared and undervalued, and even question whether their doctorates were worth it3.

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Fig. 1: A model of supporting doctoral careers from ‘supply’ through to ‘demand’.

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  1. RAND Europe, Cambridge, UK

    Billy Bryan

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  1. Billy Bryan
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Correspondence to Billy Bryan.

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Competing interests

B.B. is currently serving as an Evaluation and Research Leader at RAND Europe; however, the views, opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations contained herein are the author’s alone and not those of RAND Europe or its research sponsors, clients or grantors. He is also a trustee at the University of Sussex Students’ Union, member of the UK Government’s Evaluation and Trial Advice Panel (ETAP) and an advisor at the Cardiovascular Research Trust.

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Bryan, B. It is time to revamp our approach to doctoral careers. Nat Hum Behav 7, 828–829 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01590-0

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