Women and young researchers at risk from second wave of restrictions, Coimbra Group chair says
New restrictions being imposed on research institutions across Europe in response to Covid-19 renew the risk of career damage for researchers, the chair of the Coimbra Group of universities has warned.
“Early career researchers, and especially women, who are generally those having to juggle with professional and caring responsibilities, will be heavily affected again,” Ludovic Thilly said in a 30 October statement.
He said the Coimbra Group is calling for policymakers to make a “significantly increased investment” in researchers at all career stages as many European countries seek to slow the rapid rise of Covid-19 with renewed lockdowns.
Governments of countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the UK have announced tightened restrictions for their nations in recent days, with Europe once again becoming the epicentre of the pandemic.
Campuses in France have been closed from 30 October to 1 December, with only some research continuing on-site. A month-long UK lockdown is set to come into force on 5 November, although the restrictions on universities there look set to be lighter than those being implemented across the English Channel.