Lage und Zukunft des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses : Eine Stellungnahme des Beirats des Wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses (WiN) der Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI e. V.)

Abstract

The Advisory Board for Junior Scientific Staff (WiN) of the German Informatics Society (GI) calls for and recommends measures to improve the situation of doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researchers in computer science and other technical sciences. Doctoral and postdoctoral scientists in the field of computer science are increasingly affected by the complex structural and financial problems of academia. The bottleneck on the way to a professorship leads to precarious employment conditions in academic careers. The difficulty in combining family and academic careers creates an additional disadvantage, especially for female scientists. A lack of quality assurance and reliable and transparent decision-making processes make it difficult to identify and deal with conflicts during the doctoral and postdoctoral period. Misguided incentives in the academic system impair the direct, intensive and regular supervision of early career researchers. Timely coping with the challenges outlined in this paper is of central importance for the future survival of university research institutions and for a successful continuation of the principle of best selection. In addition to measures already planned and implemented to empower early career researchers, this paper outlines concrete measures to improve supervision during the doctoral phase, and to structure and create further career paths in academia.