COVID-19: Challenges and Lessons Learned from Early Career Investigators

In March 2020, the United States experienced an unprecedented event that suddenly demanded that researchers cease all nonessential activities to mitigate the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV2. Within the research community, the impact of this cessation on early career investigators was significant, in part because the support systems (i.e., mentors and institutions) that early career investigators typically rely on were also significantly impacted. This article presents the stories of the impact of COVID-19 on early career investigators within the NIH Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health and Women's Reproductive Health Research K12 career development programs. We discuss the common challenges that we faced across our respective fields ranging from basic to clinical to epidemiological women's health research, including the impact it had on our career trajectories. In addition, we share lessons learned in an effort to strengthen our research workforce and increase our resiliency during this and future challenges.