Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Career Investigators in Rheumatology: Recommendations to Address Challenges to Early Research Careers.

Major identified stressors during the pandemic included increased caregiving responsibilities and difficulty obtaining data and funding for which respondents suggested increases and changes to funding programs as well as more mentoring and networking opportunities. Based on these, the Committee on Research proposes three priorities: (1) flexible funding mechanisms for ECIs and additional support for those impacted by caregiving; (2) virtual and in person programs for career development and networking; (3) curated content relevant to building a research career available on-demand. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.