Research on doctoral researchers and doctorate holders
Centre for Research & Development Monitoring - ECOOM
One of the activities of ECOOM UGent is to support the science policy of the Flemish government with regard to the people involved in research in Flanders.
ECOOM UGent investigates how doctoral programmes can be improved from an evidence-based perspective, so that PhD students are not only able to successfully complete a PhD but are also prepared for the career phase that follows. Subsequently, ECOOM UGent examines the career paths of researchers, both within and outside the academic context. The perceptions of employers about PhD holders are also studied.
Prominent research topics
The career phase of the PhD track: Every five years, a survey is held among young researchers at the five Flemish universities (Survey of Junior Researchers - SJR). In this survey, the doctoral process and various aspects of it such as well-being, (job) satisfaction and career aspirations are assessed.
Career paths after obtaining a PhD: Which career paths do doctorate holders follow after obtaining their PhD? Is their PhD an added value in their current job? Are they satisfied with their current job? The PhD Career Survey offers various insights into this (www.phdcareersflanders.com). One specific career path that offers a lot of potential is that of the entrepreneurial researcher. Therefore, special attention is given to this line of research.
ECOOM UGent also investigates the other side of the recruitment story, namely the employers. How do they perceive doctorate holders? Do non-academic employers have stereotypes about doctorate holders? Does a doctoral degree have an added value in the non-academic world? An answer to these questions will come from the Survey of Employers.
Academic careers in Flanders: On the basis of the Human Resources in Research Flanders (HRRF) database, several indicators of the academic trajectory are highlighted, such as the extent to which starting researchers obtain the PhD, the inflow of international researchers and the continuation of an academic career in Flanders.
Some of the ECOOM UGent research results
Hands-on material
The PhD track
- Success rates among doctoral researchers in Flanders who enrolled in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. (2020)
- Is the PhD funding period sufficiently long to successfully complete a PhD: the situation in Flanders (Belgium). (2020)
- Mental health during the PhD adventure: findings for Flanders 2013 and 2018. (2019)
- Why PhD students in Flanders consider quitting their PhD. (2019)
Careers after the PhD (fully or partly within the academic sector)
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You have a PhD! What’s next? The career paths of PhD holders. (2020)
- PhDs in transition: what is the value of a PhD outside academia? (2016)
- The skills mismatch: what doctoral candidates and employers consider important. (2011)
In the media
- Four years after the landmark study of PhD student mental health, what has changed?
- Depression tracker - How a study on the high rate of anxiety and depression in PhD students is helping to erase the stigma around mental health issues.