Early career researchers represent a critical stage in the scientific workforce, during which individuals build core research competencies and link academic training to professional pathways. Latin America is home to a growing and increasingly active research community, yet early career researchers across the region continue to be underrepresented in the spaces that matter most for career advancement (international conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and research awards) relative to their peers elsewhere.1 In this Commentary, we examine the structural barriers faced by early career researchers in Latin America, identify enabling factors, and propose actionable recommendations.
Formal education across Latin America rarely provides structured pathways for developing or funding research, and research training is seldom treated as a core professional competency.2 Investment in research is also lower than in the Global North, constraining its sustainability, quality, and visibility.3,4 Many early career researchers train abroad, but on returning they often encounter weak infrastructure, scarce funding, and little institutional support to reintegrate. As a result, many rely on short-term international grants or remain abroad, feeding brain drain and fragmenting academic careers. This dynamic deepens inequalities in career progression and keeps regional output on the margins, still shaped by Global North agendas.5,6
For many researchers whose first language is not English, language proficiency is itself a structural barrier; reading, writing, and presenting findings takes longer, and that extra effort does not always translate into stronger science.7,8 This same barrier raises journal rejection rates and narrows access to graduate programs, courses, and conferences.9 Added to this are high translation, editing, and publication costs, along with funding calls conducted exclusively in English, further limiting opportunities and contributing to student attrition. Promoting and incentivising scientific publications in Spanish (and other native languages) is essential to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and the dissemination of knowledge in local and regional contexts. Universities could also establish agreements with journals to reduce publication costs and strengthen academic writing training.
Political decisions influence research careers, as policies determine what is researched, from which platforms, and how often.10 For example, reforms aimed at strengthening primary care can open up opportunities for translational research; however, political uncertainty makes it difficult to plan research agendas. Added to this is limited epidemiological data availability across the region (records are often patchy or non-existent, and variables are not standardised), restricting data comparability and research. Promoting protected research time (5–20% of the working day) and cross-disciplinary working groups that include early career researchers could help define a minimum set of standardised, locally adaptable variables that ensure data quality without relying on political decisions.11
Research progress also depends on the academic environment. The lack of infrastructure, established research groups, access to networks, and international visibility at universities outside capital cities is further exacerbated by institutional constraints that hinder scientific output, mirroring the region's broader structural inequalities. Despite these gaps, strengthening university research systems and promoting inter-institutional collaboration remain essential. The lack of structured mentoring networks also fragments research trajectories. Regional initiatives enabling early career researchers to collaborate, receive mentorship, and develop multicountry research projects are essential for academic development and more integrated regional research agendas.12
Academic collaboration is, therefore, essential. While barriers related to language, geography, and cultural differences can increasingly be overcome through technology and shared commitment, sustaining meaningful collaborative research opportunities remains critical. Partnerships bridging local realities with global perspectives let researchers co-develop solutions to challenges that cross national borders. By fostering locally grounded initiatives with global interactions, academia can play a pivotal role in generating knowledge and evidence that contribute to solving the pressing global problems of our time.
Contributors
Karen Bonilla-Aguilar contributed to conceptualisation, project administration, and writing. Juan Pablo Perez-Bedoya, Mariana Andrea Burgos, Paula Daniela Di Filippo, María Emilia Espejo-Freire, Viviana Ghiglino, Elizabeth Hoyos-Loya, Carolina Martinez-Barona, Julio Orellana-Beltrán, Manuel Posada-Tobón, Milagros M Quispe-Mendoza, Sofia Rebull, and Rodrigo Salcedo-Agüero contributed to conceptualisation and writing. David Beran, Paula Diaz, Janeth Tenorio-Mucha, Jacqueline Seiglie, and María Lazo-Porras contributed to supervision and writing review. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Declaration of interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements
This work received no specific funding.
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