No.2 March 2000
first page

CONTENTS

Method

The Contract Research Experience

Opportunities for progression and training

Perceived advantages and disadvantages

Career orientations

The next steps

Contact details

SHEFC project home page

SHEFC
IER home page

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRESSION AND TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

Although the autonomy of academic research compared to research in the private sector was cited by many as a key factor in both attracting them into the profession and keeping them there, some researchers commented that there may have been too much latitude allowed to them by supervisors, feeling that they were somewhat lacking in direction and had not progressed as far as they might in career terms because of minimal curbs on their intellectual curiosity.

I can pursue exactly what I want to pursue…in some respects that’s been my downfall. I’ve gone off at too many tangents and tried to do too many speculative things. It’s only now that I know what I would write a fellowship on and I’m ineligible for most of them.- Female Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Biology Department, aged early 30s

There was felt to be scope for greater levels of support in terms of careers advice and guidance. This was particularly the case amongst those researchers who felt that they had taken a misdirected career step or who had reached a stage in their career where they were beginning to lose their momentum in terms of career progression or research focus. Several of these commented on the need for greater input from the department or university in terms of personal feedback, regular peer review, or career mentoring. It was also felt that more information should be made available regarding opportunities for research funding, and constraints such as age limits.

In academic research, nobody tells you what you’re good or bad at, or gives you careers advice. We did get appraisals in my old job and they were very useful, but you get nothing here- it’s very ivory tower. My boss would say you shouldn’t be an older researcher, there’s a limit to your shelf life. But no one’s ever said to me ‘cut your losses and move on’.- Female Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Biology, aged late 30s
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