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A report on polar early career research priorities for ICARP IV and IPY-5 This report presents the synthesized priorities of polar early career community members, gathered from the Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS) and multiple modes of online engagement before and after the event. The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) organized the summit and associated engagement opportunities, engaging 238 polar early career professionals from across the globe to shape collective priorities for the future of polar research. These perspectives are especially timely as the international community prepares for the 5th International Polar Year (IPY-5) in 2032–2033, offering an unprecedented opportunity for early career contributions to be integrated into the global polar science planning. This document represents a community-driven vision: a roadmap developed by polar early career professionals that urge the polar research community to rethink systems, value relationships, and strengthen pathways for equitable participation. It highlights not just what research should be pursued, but how can we work together to ensure polar science is impactful, responsible,
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Early-career setback and future career impact
Abstract Setbacks are an integral part of a scientific career, yet little is known about their long-term effects. Here we examine junior scientists applying for National Institutes of Health R01 grants. By focusing on proposals fell just below and just above the funding threshold, we compare near-miss with narrow-win applicants, and find that an early-career setback has powerful, opposing effects. On the one hand, it significantly increases attrition, predicting more than a 10% chance of disappearing permanently from the NIH system. Yet, despite an early setback, individuals with near misses systematically outperform those with narrow wins in the longer run. Moreover, this performance advantage seems to go beyond a screening mechanism, suggesting early-career setback appears to cause a performance improvement among those who persevere. Overall, these findings are consistent with the concept that “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” which may have broad implications for identifying, training and nurturing junior scientists.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1829344
- PAR ID:
- 10154166
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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