Scientific research is essential for addressing the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body, assesses the science on climate change through its regular assessment reports. These reports reflect scientific consensus on the causes and impacts of and possible solutions to climate change.
The reports are not only scientific publications. They inform environmental policy at global, regional and country level relating to anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change and the state of the environment.
The reports also undergo rigorous peer review to ensure their scientific merit and credibility before they are finally published.
Researchers from high-income countries and established researchers dominate the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change process. But early career scientists and researchers (generally known as those who’ve completed a PhD within the last eight years) are important in research into how to prevent a climate catastrophe.
They help produce more balanced scientific reports because they bring new perspectives. This can counteract some of the biases that senior researchers have, which improves the quality of scientific publishing.
Including early career researchers in the peer review process also enhances critical skills and professional development for these researchers. It benefits science and is crucial for creating fair and inclusive climate discussions.
We are scientists and geographers who studied peer reviews made by early career researchers to global climate change reports between 2018 and 2021. We surveyed over 600 early career researchers from over 70 countries and found that early career researchers generated on average 2,400 comments per review.
Each Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report can receive between 78,000 and 140,000 peer review comments in total. So the contribution of early career researchers is negligible. Yet, about 36% of the early career researchers’ review comments improved the science and merit of the reports by highlighting inaccurate research, incorrect interpretations of data, and other mistakes.
This is why peer review is so important. Without the reviews, the scientific merit of the reports would be negatively affected. Without the scientific merit, governments would be unlikely to give credence to the reports.
We also found that including early career researchers in the peer review process enhances their review skills and provided opportunity for professional growth.
However, our survey also found that early career researchers from low- and lower-income countries were poorly represented in the peer review process. They made up less than 1% of the reviewers.
Early career researchers are the scientists of tomorrow. They are the ones who will develop new research. Despite ongoing efforts to include African researchers in global science, there is a lack of emerging researchers. This shows that we need to focus more resources and effort on addressing this problem.
The problems early career researchers face
Early career researchers are perceived by established researchers to lack the expertise required to do reviews.
They have less access to grants and opportunities, because they are not yet established in their careers and do not yet have a network.
Proper peer review is a skill that must be learned. It requires training or mentoring by a senior researcher.
Many early career researchers review without receiving recognition, assisting senior researchers.
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Early career researchers from developing countries also face additional systemic challenges. For instance, from 1990 to 2020, 78% of research funds for climate change studies in Africa were allocated to institutions in Europe and North America. This funding imbalance is coupled with limited representation in key climate policy discussions such as the UN’s COP summits.
This restricts the capacity of African researchers to conduct locally focused studies. In turn, this means they cannot effectively influence policies directly affecting their regions. The inclusivity and relevance of global climate responses becomes very limited because of this. African researchers can seek to move to developed countries, reflecting the “brain drain” of Africa’s educated workforce.
The support that Africa’s early career researchers need
The experiences of Africa’s early career researchers are shaped by distinct socioeconomic contexts and environmental challenges. These researchers can uncover region-specific climate impacts and adaptation strategies that may otherwise be overlooked. This is particularly important given that Africa is heavily burdened by climate change.
The scientific community should include African early career researchers in review processes to foster a more inclusive scientific community.
Structured training, targeted mentorship and collaborative and networking opportunities must be set up. An effective way to provide these opportunities would formally include Africa’s early career researchers in the peer review process of the regular climate change reports.
Networking should be set up more formally so that it meets the needs of early career researchers. This can include hosting regional workshops or online forums to foster interaction, collaboration, a sense of community, and shared purpose.
Mentorship and training programmes should be tailored for unique challenges and cultural differences.
When international research collaborations are set up, these must make arrangements for equitable access to resources. This is necessary for conducting high-quality research.
This article was co-authored by early career researcher R. Arun Prasath.
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