Power imbalance
and power abuse in academia

Text by Tijana Perovic and Julia Kolodiazhnaia

Editing by Olya Vvedenskaya and Julia Kolodiazhnaia

- How can power imbalance and power abuse look like?

- How does the work environment contribute to power abuse?

- How to deal wtih power abuse in academia?

The journey towards a Ph.D. degree is a rather complex one. While it can be incredibly fulfilling and transcendent, working towards a Ph.D. is also a long and tiresome journey. Doctoral students report a wide variety of experiences, from feeling burdened to empowered by it. One of the key deciding factors to influence your Ph.D. experience will be the relationship with your supervisor.

In many academic systems, your supervisor is not only your main scientific advisor but also your boss and the gatekeeper to future opportunities. This contributes to the disproportionate power distribution between a doctoral student and a supervisor (often a tenured professor, a principal investigator - P.I.). At the same time, this relationship tends to be less regulated than more conventional employer–employee setups. There are often no clear standards for supervision quality, workload expectations, or conflict resolution. This lack of formal structure can leave room for miscommunication, mismatched expectations, or - in more serious cases - power abuse.

Further below, we will explore how this power imbalance can manifest in academic life and some signs of a toxic work environment. We will also offer practical suggestions on how to assess a lab before joining and what steps to consider if you find yourself in a difficult situation.

1. How supervisors hold power - and how it can be abused

Because of the central role a supervisor plays in a doctoral project, their influence goes far beyond day-to-day research guidance. In most cases, your supervisor has direct or indirect control over:

• Your contract and employment conditions 

In many countries, the supervisor manages the grant that pays your salary, approves your readiness to defend the thesis, and decides whether your contract is extended, under what terms, and how your work is evaluated.

• Authorship and recognition

Supervisors often have the final say in who is listed as an author on publications and in what order - decisions that significantly affect your academic CV and career prospects.

• Participation in conferences, collaborations, courses, and summer schools

Attending events, contributing to joint projects, or being introduced to other researchers can play a major role in building your network and visibility - but often depends entirely on your supervisor’s approval and initiative.

• Recommendation letters and future opportunities

Whether you are applying for fellowships, postdocs, or jobs, your supervisor is likely to be your primary reference - which can make it difficult to speak up if problems arise.

• Residence status (for international researchers)

For international Ph.D. students, the right to remain in the country may depend on continued affiliation with the lab - making the stakes even higher if conflicts occur.

In healthy environments, this power is exercised with fairness, transparency, and mutual respect. But in some cases, the same influence can be misused. For example:

• Threatening to delay graduation or deny a recommendation letter unless personal demands are met.

• Taking credit for your work or denying your authorship on a publication you contributed to.

• Overloading you with tasks unrelated to your research, such as grant writing, teaching, administrative work or chores that only benefits the supervisor.

• Blocking access to conferences, collaborators, or resources as a form of punishment or control.

These behaviors can be difficult to name when you’re in the middle of them, especially if they’ve been normalized in your environment. But understanding what power abuse can look like is the first step toward recognizing it - and, eventually, addressing it.

2. The role of the work environment

Another crucial aspect tied to the quality of your Ph.D. experience that is greatly influenced by your supervisor is the psychological environment in the research group - the invisible foundation that allows for honest communication, trust, and learning within a team. A healthy lab environment is one where team members feel safe to express doubts, ask questions, and raise concerns - also known as psychological safety.

When supervisors react with aggressive and non-constructive criticism, defensiveness, or hostility - or show favoritism and inconsistent standards - this can make the environment tense, isolating, or even toxic. The consequences often go unreported, especially when people feel they have no one to turn to.

Here are some examples of behaviors that can undermine psychological safety in the relationship between a supervisor and a Ph.D. candidate:

• Avoiding serious conversations about boundaries and expectations, such as work structure, responsibilities, or mutual goals.

• Questioning the quality of your work at inappropriate moments, such as during evaluations, conference presentations, or thesis defenses - rather than in regular feedback sessions. Praise or criticism seems inconsistent, depending on the supervisor’s mood or who else is present.

• Repeatedly canceling meetings at the last minute without valid reasons, beyond occasional scheduling conflicts.

• Refusing to take responsibility or adapt based on feedback. Patterns of problematic behavior continue even after you raise concerns respectfully.

• Gaslighting, such as minimizing your concerns, shifting blame, or undermining your confidence in subtle but persistent ways - leading you to doubt your own perceptions or memory.

• Dismissing mental health issues, for example responding to a burnout diagnosis with “That never happened to me,” without offering empathy, understanding, or meaningful support.

• Failing to intervene in conflicts, such as offering shallow encouragement or humor instead of helping resolve a situation that is clearly affecting your well-being.

• Shutting down concerns about lab practices, whether related to mentorship, collaboration, or team culture - and making speaking up feel risky.

• Offering recognition only when you're leaving, instead of acknowledging your contributions throughout your time in the lab.

Psychologically unsafe environments can take a serious toll on your well-being. Even subtle power imbalances, if left unaddressed, may lead to chronic stress, isolation, and burnout.

3. What can be done

3a. Before you start: Gather information

It's far easier to avoid problematic dynamics than to resolve them once you're already in a vulnerable position. Before joining a research group, take time to talk to people:

• Ask current lab members: What’s the day-to-day dynamic like? Do people feel supported?

• Reach out to alumni: How was your experience with the supervisor? Would you choose this group again?

• Ask practical questions: How is authorship handled? What are typical work hours? Is there room to discuss expectations openly?

You’re not being difficult by asking. You’re gathering the information you need to protect your well-being and success.

3b. If you're already in a difficult situation

Dealing with a power imbalance once it becomes abusive is extremely difficult - and unfortunately, talking to the person directly often doesn’t help. 

If you find yourself in a harmful dynamic:

• Act when you are ready. While it is often recommended to act early, and it definitely makes an impact, we encourage you to first of all take care of yourself and report only when you feel that you are ready to do so. 

• Document interactions. Keep written records of key conversations, witnesses, decisions, and agreements made; document how interactions and conversations made you feel.

• Seek allies. Trusted colleagues, external mentors, or postdoc and Ph.D. union representatives can help you navigate and might offer you the needed support.

• Look for institutional support. Some universities have ombudspersons, confidential advisors, or HR partners for academic staff. Typically, they have protection policies installed.

• Consider your options realistically. In some cases, changing groups, supervisors, or even institutions may be the healthiest path forward.

To sum up, your relationship with your Ph.D. supervisor can profoundly shape your academic journey - for better or worse. Because of the structural power imbalance and lack of formal oversight, it’s important to stay informed, proactive, and attentive to early warning signs. A healthy lab environment is built on mutual respect, clarity, and psychological safety. While navigating difficult dynamics can be challenging, support is available - and you deserve to pursue your research in a space that values both your work and your well-being.

About Sci.STEPS

Sci.STEPS scientific mentoring program is designed to empower doctoral candidates in making informed decisions when it comes to selecting their next career step. Our program is tailored to provide guidance in such cases. Our experienced mentors will work closely with participants in a systematic long-term program or during short targeted consultations, helping them assess their options.