Early career researchers (ECRs)

Definition: A label given to researchers who “range from senior doctoral students to postdoctoral workers who may have up to 10 years postdoctoral education; the latter group may therefore include early career or junior academics” (Eley et al., 2012, p. 3). What specifically (e.g. age, time since PhD inclusive or exclusive of career breaks and leave, title, funding awarded) constitutes an ECR can vary across funding bodies, academic organisations, and countries.

Related term: Early Career Investigator

References: Bazeley (2003), Eley et al. (2012), & Pownall et al (2021)

Drafted and Reviewed by: Micah Vandegrift, Thomas Rhys Evans, Sam Parsons, Olly Robertson, Suzanne L. K. Stewart, Flávio Azevedo

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