Recently published reports from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have mapped the working conditions of researchers, and the findings are far from encouraging.
– I never had a fixed goal of staying in academia. My PhD was simply my job at the time, says a Danish former researcher, who has asked to remain anonymous.
Reflecting on her years at the univeristy in Denmark, she notes, however, that the further she progressed in her doctoral studies, the more apparent the shortcomings of the system became.
– […] how hard it is to get a permanent position, the extra hours it takes, a publication system on the brink of collapse, and the constant chase for external funding, which shapes what researchers get done and by whom. Above all, it takes a toll on people, causing stress and sick leave, yet very little can be done because the system and culture are such a big monster worldwide. I really enjoyed the work itself – research, teaching, writing – but I couldn’t see myself thriving in that system in the long run.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a mid-career Swedish scholar describes to us a similar strain:
– Finding and keeping a job takes a mental toll. There’s the constant worry about finances, especially if you have kids, and the fear of becoming “irrelevant” and unable to continue your academic career if you’re laid off or have to move into an industry job. There are too many PhD students for academia right now, and we need to do a better job of telling them that any job they find is worthwhile.
A third-year PhD candidate in Norway is uncertain about what the future holds as she reflects on working conditions in academia:
– The large number of PhD candidates at universities, combined with the scarcity of positions at the next career stages (postdoctoral and tenure-track posts), leaves me worried and uncertain about my future in academia, if I have one at all. We are expected to deliver high-quality research, teach, manage our projects, and be active academic citizens, with no assurance that we will be able to stay afloat once we finish our doctorates. At the same time, the PhD in its current form does little to prepare us for work outside academia, even though we are told the skills we gain are “transferable”. I think most of us are stuck in a kind of “hope void”: We try not to think too much about the future, and simply take a leap of faith that some door will magically open for us when we graduate.
The large number of PhD candidates at universities, combined with the scarcity of positions at the next career stages (postdoctoral and tenure-track posts), leaves me worried and uncertain about my future in academia, if I have one at all.
Our interlocutors are not isolated in their concerns. Recently published reports on scientists’ working conditions by the Young Academies of Norway, Danish Think Thank DEA, as well as a report on doctoral students by the Swedish Union of Civil Servants (ST) and the Swedish National Union of Students (SFS), clearly demonstrate these and many other troubling issues in academia.
All three reports show that Scandinavian researchers value their work but face job insecurity, long working hours, mental strain, often harrasment, little support from employers, and a lack of structured career guidance. With temporary employment still widespread and the road to a permanent position getting longer, many are forced to leave academia. Fewer researchers would also recommend a research career to others.
Sara Hellstrand, co-author of the Swedish report, comments:
– The fact that 64% of [Swedish] doctoral students hesitate to continue in academia because of insecure employment conditions clearly shows that the road to a permanent position is too long and uncertain. Both politicians and employers must work to reduce insecure employment. It is a good thing when people with a PhD move into other parts of the labour market, but it should not be because conditions in academia are substandard. If society is to continue producing knowledge, universities need to be attractive places to work.
In an op-ed in Altinget.se, Hellstrand and her colleagues urge the Swedish government to take action to better the working conditions of the country’s researchers.
Do Scandinavian politicians have a plan on how to improve academics’ job situation, and make research careers more attractive? Pointing to the reports, we put the question to the ministries responsible for higher education and research in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
In an email, the communications unit at the Danish Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Digital Affairs said that Minister Christina Egelund “does not have the opportunity to comment” on the report.
State Secretary Ida Maria Pinnerød of the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research gave to us the following statement (translated into English by NordMedia Network):
– […] We must ensure that doctoral education prepares young researchers for the working life that awaits them, both inside and outside academia. Uncertain career paths can make research careers less attractive, and that is something we want to avoid. Fortunately, the institutions report strong numbers of applicants for recruitment positions.
In Norway, we have good arrangements for doctoral research fellows and early-career researchers compared with other countries. In the Norwegian model, doctoral fellows and postdocs are employees and receive a regular salary. This makes Norway attractive, including for international researchers.
In Norway, we have good arrangements for doctoral research fellows and early-career researchers compared with other countries. In the Norwegian model, doctoral fellows and postdocs are employees and receive a regular salary. This makes Norway attractive, including for international researchers.
In addition, more than half of all doctoral positions are funded through direct block grants from the state. This gives the institutions considerable freedom to prioritise their own strategic initiatives. Just 25 years ago, nearly three out of four doctoral positions were funded by external sources”.
Pinnerød also stressed that the ministry has already introduced several measures to improve working conditions for researchers in Norway:
– […] We have tightened the use of temporary positions and postdoctoral positions, developed a framework for career guidance, and made it mandatory for institutions to provide career plans and career guidance for doctoral research fellows and postdocs. I expect the institutions to follow up on this and to help make career development for young researchers more targeted”.
At the time of publication, the Swedish Ministry had not responded to requests for statement. Should that change, the article will be updated.
The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research also provided the following background information:
Almost 1,000 researchers under the age of 45 responded to the survey. Of these, 56 per cent are on temporary contracts, a far higher share than among young researchers as a whole.
Norway ranks among the top countries internationally in public spending on R&D and education. In 2026, the block grant to universities and university colleges amounts to NOK 48.3 billion. In addition, NOK 51.3 billion is being spent on research and development, a real increase of 1.8 per cent from 2025.
Norway’s research and higher education system has grown steadily for several decades. Over the past thirty years, R&D personnel as a share of total employment has doubled.
As a temporary measure during the pandemic, universities and university colleges received additional funding from 2020 for 250 recruitment positions and 4,000 study places. Funding available through Research Council of Norway calls was also increased. This temporary funding largely went to staff in recruitment positions as well as research and teaching positions.
According to the ministry, it was always clear that these were temporary pandemic measures. Funding for study places and recruitment positions would be phased out as conditions returned to normal. This explains the 1.5 per cent decline in the block grant to universities and university colleges in the period 2022–2026. In 2026, funding is roughly back at pre-pandemic levels, with real growth of 0.4 per cent from 2019 to 2026.