The GYA’s Time Poverty in Science incubator‘s mission is to create an essential platform for GYA members and their colleagues to shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked issue of time poverty within the scientific community. It’s a space dedicated to sharing insights, experiences, and the struggles associated with the relentless pressure of time in academia, which may be positive, negative, or most frequently, nuanced and complicated.
Time Poverty in Science aims to not only raise awareness about the reality of time constraints faced by academics but also to act as an advocate for change, promoting a broader understanding and acknowledgment of time poverty as a significant aspect of the modern working environment. Time is a finite resource that plays a critical role in influencing the well-being and productivity of individuals across different socio-economic classes, and it’s high time its importance is realized and addressed in academic circles.
This incubator aligns seamlessly with the GYA’s overarching goal to give a voice to young scientists worldwide, connecting and mobilizing talent from all continents. It’s imperative to acknowledge that time poverty does not exclusively affect those who are traditionally considered financially impoverished. It also significantly impacts individuals who, despite possessing monetary resources, find themselves perennially strapped for time due to their professional commitments.
A significant focus of the incubator will be to elucidate the gendered dimension of time poverty, primarily how it disproportionately affects female academics. Women in academia often bear the brunt of domestic responsibilities and unpaid labor, in addition to their demanding professional roles. This dual burden not only exacerbates their time poverty but also creates an environment where they constantly have to navigate and negotiate their time and energy between the professional and the personal, often at the cost of their well-being and career progression.
Time poverty is a silent, pervasive issue that demands immediate attention and action, and through the Time Poverty in Science, we aim to initiate vital conversations about working conditions, productivity, gender equity, and much more in academia.
We invite and encourage our readers to actively participate in this initiative by contributing their own experiences and insights related to time poverty in science. Your stories, whether they underline the positive aspects, highlight the challenges, or simply reflect on the intricacies of managing time as academics, are invaluable to broadening and deepening the understanding of time poverty. Contributions, which can be around 500 words (though length is flexible), are pivotal to fostering a dialogue that can eventually lead to meaningful change in the academic landscape.
Please send your contributions to the Time Poverty in Science group co-leads for 2023/24. To ensure contributors feel secure and comfortable sharing their experiences, we also welcome anonymous submissions. Your voice matters, and through collective effort and understanding, we can work towards building a more equitable, supportive, and time-conscious academic environment for all.