The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the careers of postdoctoral researchers. In light of the pandemic, all non-critical laboratory research at Yale University was suspended on March 20. In June 2020, Yale started a phased reopening of research activities on campus. The Yale Postdoctoral Association (YPA) conducted three surveys of the postdoctoral population between March and May 2020 to assess experiences throughout the shut down and re-opening of Yale University’s campus. The experiences documented in these surveys revealed concerns about safety, career pressure, visa retention, and accessibility of childcare. Based on the survey results, the YPA successfully advocated for a University-mandated shut down, better provision of information through a postdoc town hall, a Q&A session with the Office for International Students and Scholars for international postdocs, and increased accessibility to childcare for postdocs. We achieved this by serving on various committees related to Yale’s shut down and reopening processes, such as the Trainee Considerations Committee. One of the main outcomes of our efforts was improved and equal accessibility to childcare for postdoctoral researchers at Yale. Historically, postdoctoral associates and fellows have been treated as separate categories at Yale, with certain benefits unavailable for postdoctoral fellows. Through our advocacy, we have managed to gain equal access to Yale childcare benefits for postdoctoral fellows, a substantial improvement. Childcare benefits include 20 days of emergency back-up childcare and Crisis Care ($100 reimbursement per day for in-home care), available until the end of 2020. Furthermore, Yale organized university wide babysitting and tutoring exchange groups, while the YPA helped establish a more specific support group for trainee parents on Slack. Additional efforts will be dedicated to improving the affordability of childcare access for postdocs at Yale through subsidies and stipends.
