Participation in the ESRS Conferences: Challenges for Early Career Professionals

<b>Title:</b> <b>Participation in the ESRS Conferences: Challenges for Early Career Professionals</b>The European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) supported a project titled “Participation in the ESRS Conferences: Challenges for Early Career Professionals.” This project aimed to identify the barriers preventing early-career researchers and clinicians from submitting abstracts to and attending the ESRS Congress, particularly among those whose work had been accepted but were unable to participate. The overarching purpose was to inform evidence-based strategies to reduce structural and systemic barriers to conference participation for early-career professionals.<b>Research Objectives:</b>One of the main objectives of this project was to examine the feasibility and equity of participation in the ESRS Congress among early-career professionals. The research questions included:1. What barriers do early-career professionals experience when submitting abstracts to, or attending, the ESRS Congress?2. What are the primary and secondary barriers (e.g., financial, visa-related, institutional, or structural) that limit conference participation?3. Are particular sociodemographic groups, career stages, or institutional contexts disproportionately affected by these barriers?4. What alternative mechanisms (such as virtual participation, targeted funding schemes, or institutional support) could facilitate and promote conference attendance among affected groups?<b>Research Design and Method:</b>The study employed a mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey design to explore barriers to participation in the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) Congress among early-career researchers and clinicians. This approach allowed the research to quantify the prevalence and impact of different barriers while also gaining deeper insights into participants’ perspectives through qualitative analysis of open-ended responses. Data were collected using an online questionnaire administered via Qualtrics.Participants were recruited internationally through multiple ESRS communication channels, including LinkedIn, BlueSky, Sleep Science Friday, and the ESRS President’s newsletter, to reach a broad and diverse early-career community.Eligible participants were professionals (including postgraduate students, researchers, and clinicians). Quantitative items captured the prevalence of barriers to conference participation, whilst open-ended questions explored participants’ experiences, accessibility needs, and recommendations in greater depth.​ The sampling frame included individuals associated with ESRS congresses from 2020 onwards, encompassing both virtual and in-person meetings.The survey captured demographic and professional characteristics, conference engagement history, abstract submission and non-attendance, financial and visa-related barriers, institutional and supervisor support, accessibility and safety concerns, and the perceived impact of non-participation on career progression. Both closed-ended and open-ended items were used to allow for quantitative assessment of prevalence and qualitative exploration of individual experiences.<b>Data Analysis</b>Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics to examine the prevalence of key barriers (e.g., financial constraints, visa issues, institutional support) and to characterise patterns of conference participation. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore whether specific sociodemographic groups, career stages, or institutional contexts were disproportionately affected.Open-ended responses were analysed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and themes related to barriers, lived experiences of non-attendance, and suggested strategies for improving accessibility and equity in ESRS conference participation. This combined approach allowed both the scale of the problem and the depth of individual experiences to be captured.<b>Funding</b>This study was conducted under the auspices of the ESRS Early Career Network and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiative and received no dedicated funding.© the author