WHY DO (AGRICULTURAL) RESEARCHERS LEAVE (OR DO NOT LEAVE) A SCIENTIFIC CAREER?

Szabó, Anett Krisztina

Keywords: research career, Hungary, agriculture, leaving a career pathway JEL: J24 J28 J43

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53079/GAZDALKODAS.68.2.t.pp_168-185 The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge on researchers' career abandonment by answering the following questions: what are the segments where researchers are most likely to plan to leave their research careers? What are the factors that support or hinder career abandonment? Responses from 117 researchers were examined in a primary standardised questionnaire survey in winter 2022, revealing that those under 45, those in agricultural and biological sciences and women are most likely to be thinking about leaving their careers. The questionnaire survey confirms that personal financial difficulties are the main deterrent for researchers. In addition, the lack of research resources and an unfair system were also cited by representatives from the agricultural and biological sciences. In addition to these 3 pressing problems, a further 8 factors were highlighted by researchers as having a moderately strong impact on their intention to leave their careers. The factors that support career abandonment were used to determine both the line describing the career abandonment potential of the representatives of the agricultural and biological sciences and the respondents. In addition to the researchers, standardised in-depth interviews were conducted with 3-3 higher education institutions and research institutes with a focus on agricultural research, and a total of 7 managers' experiences and opinions were explored. The managers also identified financial reasons as the main reasons for leaving the profession, as well as the need to gain experience and the need for policy tasks as the main reasons. Managers also explained why they believe that, in addition to the many negative factors, researchers yet stay in the field. While it is clear to managers that the path for early career researchers is a very bumpy one, the opportunities for progress, the opportunities for grants, the internationalisation, the good institutional atmosphere and the regionality keep most researchers in the field.
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