Postdocs should receive relocation benefits from the universities that hire them

2024/11/25 by Zakee L. Sabree, Kayla Cross, James W. Gentry +1 · 2 voices
Medicine · #Health and Medical Research Impacts #Science, Research, and Medicine

paper · pdf · doi:10.1128/aem.01483-24

openalex publication_date 2024/11/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15

Abstract

Postdocs are essential to microbial science and STEM academic workforces but are underpaid and receive little-to-no relocation benefits. PhDs foregoing postdoctoral training for lucrative industry and government jobs exit the academic pipeline, which imperils current scholarship and the future professoriate. Relocation to postdoc jobs is expensive, especially for recent graduates and international scholars, but academia rarely provides support. Solving this short-term liquidity pressure can increase productivity, job satisfaction, and the likelihood they remain in academia.

Discussions

• POSTDOC MATTERS THAT MATTER Sabree et al. discuss the financial stress that postdocs experience when relocating without institutional compensation for moving expenses and benefits of solving this sho [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]
• #AEMJournal Commentary: "Postdocs should receive relocation benefits from the universities that hire them." OSU researchers argue that relocation benefits positively impact recruitment & retention of [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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