The Challenger Society for Marine Science defines early career researchers as those who are:
- within eight years of their highest degree (BSc, MSc, PhD award), or equivalent professional training;
OR - within six years of their first permanent/open-ended academic appointment (the first full or part time paid employment contract that lists research or teaching as the primary functions).
whichever is the shorter period since their highest degree or equivalent professional training.
These periods relate to full-time work and will be extended pro-rata to account for part-time working or any career breaks, for example due to:
- caring responsibilities
- health reasons
- reasons related to COVID-19 such as home schooling