Common concerns: Delay and setbacks

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Understand the ways that historical events can interfere with productivity
Learn to recognize common types of delays and setbacks in making progress toward your degree

“After several years of graduate school and countless research projects, none of my research has produced positive results. I am starting to wonder if I will ever publish a decent study.”

“Graduating is beginning to feel more and more like an insurmountable task. Now that I am married and have children, the amount of time I have to devote to my degree is dwindling.”

“Some days it seems like I spend as much time struggling with old lab equipment as I do actually running my own experiments.”

“My lab closed due to the pandemic, and now I have to delay my dissertation for another year. I already felt behind as a woman in STEM; this just makes it that much harder.”

“As a Black woman, it’s impossible to focus on academics while my community is being affected by racial injustice.”

“Science is 99 percent failure, and that’s an optimistic view.” –Robert Lefkowitz, Nobel Laureate, 2012

Research productivity is critical for advancement in science and engineering graduate programs. Of course, productivity at minimum means running successful experiments, completing projects, and finishing your dissertation. Depending on your circumstances, you also may be involved, individually or with others, in activities such as:

making presentations at professional conferences
publishing articles
developing software
submitting copyright or patent applications
reviewing articles
writing grant proposals

Why does it matter? Studies have found that students who are more productive in science and mathematics programs are 3.9 times more likely to complete their doctorates than students who do not produce as much research (Towers, 2008). Additionally, studies found that students in engineering programs were 2.7 times as likely to complete their doctorates when their research productivity levels were high (Nettles & Millett, 2006).

You are not imagining it. The differences in productivity between women and men are real. Gender bias and systemic sexism account for many of the differences. Studies have estimated that:

Women have to be three times more productive than men in order to be awarded a conference presentation (Wenneras & Wold, 1997).
Male students in STEM doctoral programs publish more than women, with a particularly large gender differential in engineering and natural/biological science programs (Lubienski et al., 2017).
Women log more research hours than men but get published less. In fact, men in one study were 15% more likely to be credited as authors on publications (Feldon et al., 2015).
Overall, women make up approximately 27% of published authors in STEM. While this number has steadily increased, gender disparities in productivity remain (Huang et al., 2020).

At this point you may be thinking, “Great, more bad news.” You are right, the hurdles seem to be higher for women in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics in many ways. However, various forms of support are available to help you overcome these barriers and positively influence your experience as a graduate student. After reading through this module, you can progress to additional modules in the CareerWISE Academic Resilience Coach for more information on overcoming setbacks and finding support.

Four out of 10 women in doctoral programs report concerns with their academic and professional accomplishments (Moyer et al., 1999). While all graduate students may face troubling delays and setbacks as they progress through the doctoral program, specific issues may affect women more. Can you identify with one more of these experiences? If so, you are certainly not alone.

Marriage, Children, And Dual Careers

As a woman, you may feel internal or external pressure to have children before your “biological clock runs out.” The ideal time for childbearing often overlaps with graduate school and early career development. This dilemma is particularly challenging for women pursuing a position and tenure in academia. The conflict between these two timelines can create delays and setbacks for both family formation and career development.
If you are younger than 40 or have children under the age of 6, chances are you will publish significantly less than at other points in your career/life (Suitor et al., 2001). Research shows that certain lifestyle choices are correlated with productivity level among women in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
You likely carry more of the household labor than your partner, especially if you have young children. Disproportional gender-role expectations at home leave women with less time to devote to their professional activities. As a doctoral student, you already balance numerous roles, such as student, researcher, and teaching assistant. As a result, you may find the additional role of being a parent particularly challenging.
Women scientists experience reduced career mobility more often than male scientists due to dual-career relationships (Shauman & Xie, 1996).
Being a parent may require you to take a leave of absence that puts you behind your non-parenting peers. This leave time may reduce your academic and career-development opportunities.
If you are combining graduate school and motherhood, you may have fewer opportunities to socialize with peers due to a lack of childcare and other resources. This can worsen isolation, which already is a common experience for women in STEM doctoral programs. See Climate.

See the Balance module for more on these topics.

Advising, Mentoring, and Collaboration

Students with helpful mentors and role models in their graduate programs produce more articles in peer-reviewed journals (Shollen et al., 2007). Conversely, conflicts or disagreements with advisors impede collaboration and productivity. See Advisor Issues for more.
Disagreements with research collaborators may also serve as a setback that delays productivity and progression in your doctoral program. Idea discrepancies, unclear expectations of the division of responsibility, and personality clashes can all damage working relationships, thereby stalling research (Rosenblatt, 2017).
Women may have smaller academic and professional networks by nature of being in a male-dominated environment; similarly, individuals with marginalized identities in terms of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and disability may also have this experience. The lower access to instrumental networks and decreased collaboration impede research productivity (Gaughan et al., 2019).
Women tend to have fewer distinct co-authors than men, though this can be attributed to the lower publication rates described above. They also tend to have fewer repeating co-authors (Zeng et al., 2016).

Structural Impediments To Productivity

A common source of anxiety among graduate students in the sciences and engineering is the limit in resources available to them. Equipment problems, space, and time are all hindrances to productive research in the lab.

One graduate student describes her experience:

“Part of my thesis involves computer simulation and similar problems. Sometimes the program doesn’t perform the way you want it to, and there’s nobody to help you… I just accepted that this part of my thesis is not going to be the best because I don’t have the best tools to work with.”

Women in STEM doctoral programs may be more likely than men to take on laboratory “housekeeping” tasks, such as organizing lab supplies or managing lab personnel. The unequal balance between research and service tasks can impede women’s overall productivity (Miller & Roska, 2020).

Insufficient funding of labs is another problem. As one research participant states:

“In my research lab, there is a lack of funding and we need to do experiments to get funding. We do animal research, there is lots of paperwork, we don’t know the rules, we are not trained properly, we are not given steps to proceed.”

Financial Barriers

The psychological stress that stems from financial difficulties may create delays and setbacks in degree progression.

In a report by the Council of Graduate Schools, 55% of doctoral students reported feeling stressed about finances. Some 36% of doctoral students worried about meeting monthly expenses (Denecke et al., 2016).

While many PhD students do not take out loans for graduate study due to funding opportunities, others rely on loans for financial support. Some research indicates that students with racial/ethnic minority identities may be more likely to acquire student loan debt, further increasing financial stress (Denecke et al., 2016).

Undergraduate debt may also serve as a financial barrier that impedes doctoral education. Individuals with high levels of student loan debt may be less likely to pursue post-secondary education in STEM (Malcolm & Dowd, 2012). For those who do enter doctoral programs, high student loan payments may be a significant financial stressor.

These financial stressors may require graduate students to obtain additional jobs; this can create delays and setbacks, allowing less time for academic responsibilities necessary for career development. Because women already take on more household responsibilities, this role strain may be particularly challenging.

Women with families and caretaking responsibilities face additional financial stressors in that child and dependent care is costly.

Financial stress can have mental and emotional consequences for graduate students, leading to anxiety and overall worsened psychological well-being. It can also put strain on interpersonal relationships, particularly romantic or other relationships where finances are shared (Short et al., 2019).

In total, women in STEM doctoral programs encounter numerous personal and academic stressors that can create delays and setbacks in degree progression. Beyond these typical barriers, the unprecedented historical events of 2020 and 2021 dramatically affected the experiences of graduate students. The sections below describe what some are calling “the dual pandemics of 2020” (COVID-19, racism, and the intersections of both) and how they have altered and impeded productivity.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Women in STEM often experience isolation and a lack of belonging in their doctoral programs, largely because there are few women and the environment can be chilly. (see Climate module). Public health requirements for social distancing due to COVID-19 have exacerbated this isolation, giving women limited access to their academic network, including mentors, advisors, and colleagues. (Pfund, 2021).
Not only are women in STEM subjected to increased academic isolation due to social distancing requirements, they may be increasingly isolated from their personal support systems. Lack of access to friends and family, supportive colleagues, or campus organizations for students with marginalized identities may leave women in STEM feeling alone.
In part due to this lack of collaboration, women’s academic productivity has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. From March to December 2020, women in STEM, compared to men, published fewer papers and received fewer citations of their work. Lower levels of productivity can have cumulative negative consequences for career progression (NASEM, 2021)
Logistical obstacles, such as lab closures or lack of access to data or necessary equipment have caused many doctoral students to delay their dissertations or other research projects, thereby leading to delayed degree completion for many (Levine, Nasir, Rios-Aguilar, Gildersleeve, Rosich, Bang, Bell, & Holsapple, 2021; Suart, Suart, Graham, & Truant, 2020)
Doctoral students in the sciences may also be limited by an inability to do fieldwork due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (NASEM, 2021). Setbacks in degree completion can be particularly challenging for international students, who may have to complete their degree before the expiration of a visa or permit.
In addition to visa-related stress, international students have encountered unique psychological challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. International travel bans have cut off many students from their families. International students may also encounter increased worry about family members living in countries with high rates of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging for many female graduate students in STEM to maintain boundaries between their personal and professional lives. Graduate student mothers, along with faculty mothers, have been profoundly affected during this time. Because women are socialized to serve as primary caregivers, they may be expected to bear the burden of increased childcare and household responsibilities due to the pandemic. When doctoral students are doing remote work while children are attending school online in the same household, distractions are likely to increase, and multitasking becomes a necessity. These obstacles ultimately impede productivity and leave women with little time and energy for academic and career development (NASEM, 2021).
Compounding challenges for mothers, childcare may have been increasingly inaccessible during the COVID-19 pandemic due to fears of viral spread.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in a significant economic crisis. Many graduate students have encountered financial difficulties due to losing funding, assistantships, or jobs. A number of graduate students have encountered challenges related to housing and food insecurity (NASEM, 2021; Toronto Science Policy Network, 2020)
Many PhD students rely on fellowships that typically span one to four years; delays in degree progression due to COVID-19 may cause such students to have to pay extra tuition and fees.
The numerous obstacles have resulted in a significant portion of graduate students extending the time needed for degree completion. In one study, one in four graduate students expected that they would need additional time to complete their degree, with the majority extending their degree timeline from 6 months to a year (Toronto Science Policy Network, 2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the already troubling decline in mental health among graduate students (Evans et al., 2018), and has constituted a serious setback for women in STEM (NASEM, 2021). The psychological impact is reflected in symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic distress (NASEM, 2021). See Mental Health and Well-Being for more information.

Racial Injustice

The racial trauma that was highlighted in recent years compounds pre-existing inequalities in academia. Women of color in STEM are more likely than ever to be triggered as they encounter microaggressions, bias, and isolation within STEM doctoral programs. The accumulation of stressors may create further delays and setbacks for degree completion. See module on Challenges Faced by Women of Color.

Racial trauma is a common outcome when Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) and others are exposed to events of danger due to the experience of racial discrimination. Whether through direct experiences or vicarious traumatization from seeing the deaths of Black Americans on social media or on the news, many people of color have experienced race-based stress (Comas-Díaz, et al., 2019). “

In 2020, Black people were 28% of those killed by police. despite making up only 13% of the US population (mappingpoliceviolence.org). High profile cases of police brutality drew increased attention to the systemic racism that has been embedded in the political, social, and economic structures of the United States since the country’s foundation.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought additional race-based stress for Asian American students. Anti-Asian hate crimes in 16 large cities in the US increased by almost 150% in 2020. These attacks have been linked to dangerous rhetoric blaming China for the COVID-19 pandemic and scapegoating Asian Americans (Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, 2020).

Racial trauma can have a detrimental effect on mental health, culminating in depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The psychological effects of racial trauma can impede academic functioning. For many, the significant dangers to various communities have interfered with graduate students’ ability to focus on schoolwork, disrupted relationships, and interrupted progress on projects.

Keep in mind, completing a graduate degree is a marathon race, not a sprint. And the race is worth it:

The National Opinion Research Center sampled over 1,500 full-time faculty members at four- and two-year institutions and found that 90% of the faculty surveyed were satisfied with their career choices and would probably make the same decisions again (National Opinion Research Center, 1990).
Interviews with women who finished their degrees often reveal a key moment of success or achievement that kept them going (Fisher & Margolis, 2003).

If you relate to any of the barriers mentioned in this section, including unsuccessful research, delayed progress through your program of study, financial and structural impediments, and/or traumatizing social conditions, there is plenty of evidence that you can push through to have a successful career as a woman in STEM.

Some research shows that early career setbacks may actually strengthen future outcomes in STEM (Wang et al., 2019). Those who experience delays, yet keep going, have the tenacity and determination to learn from their challenges and succeed in their fields. Please also remember that you can influence these factors with academic resilience.

Self-test

Josephine entered her program with the goal of finishing in the minimum amount of time. Since then, however, she has experienced various delays, for reasons both good and bad. Now, a global pandemic has prevented her from accessing lab equipment, which means she won’t be able to complete additional experiments this semester. She now worries that she may not ever finish her program.

Which of the following options would be helpful for Josephine?

A. Josephine could practice self-compassion and positive self-talk. She could remind herself that, despite her delays, she has accomplished a great deal already and is capable of persisting past these challenges.
B. Josephine could consult with her advisor about completing her dissertation by using the data she already collected.
C. Josephine could meet with her mentors to brainstorm options and decide on the best course of action given the circumstances.
D. All of the above.

D is the correct answer,

Encouraging oneself (answer A) is important and helpful, and using positive self-talk always helps with coping. Josephine should be careful not to increase her efforts so much that she places herself at risk for balance issues and even more frustration. Answers B and C are strategies that Josephine can employ to reframe her situation and find feasible solutions.”

The road to a PhD may be filled with potholes, but dealing with these is what academic resilience is all about. You can start by recasting each road bump as a problem to be solved. Then, work your way through the CareerWISE Problem Solving Method to reach your goals.

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Stubbornness and Tenacity

Highlights the obstacles faced when trying to have research reviewed by the advisor and emphasizes the steps necessary to make adequate progress in the program

Undergrad Science vs. Real Life Science (Part 2)

The importance of learning from your effort, regardless of the outcome

Reflecting on “Why” and “How”

The importance of giving yourself credit and remembering why you are doing what you’re doing

To Post-Doc or Not to Post-Doc

When it’s time to graduate and when it’s important to start learning on the job

How Do You Know When You’re Ready?

The importance of learning from failed experiments

Proactive Approach and Adapting Environments

How to adapt experimental methods to match a lifestyle

Thwarting Thoughts of Quitting

The importance of goal setting and using others’ experiences to make strong choices about your own path