PhD and postdoc training outcomes at EMBL: changing career paths for life scientists in Europe

The life sciences are training growing numbers of PhDs and postdocs, who increasingly engage in collaborative research. The impact of these changes on the careers of researchers is, however, unclear. Here, we report an analysis of the training outcomes for 2284 researchers who completed a PhD or postdoc at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) between 1997 and 2020. This is the first such study published from a European institute and first time-resolved analysis globally. The most common career outcomes were in academic research, service and teaching (1263 alumni, 55%), including 636 principal investigators (PIs). A broad spectrum of other career paths was also represented, including in industry research (332, 15%) and science-related professions (349, 15%). Our analysis indicates that, although there is increased competition for PI roles, life scientists continue to enter and excel in careers that drive research and innovation.