Job Responsibilities
1)Carry out parts of research projects: mostly statistical
analyses: 13 hours/week
2) Write scientific publications and presentations of research:
10 hours/week
3) Supervise graduate students: 4 hours/week
4) attend meetings of working parties within Institute: 3
hours/week
5) Plan future research and write grant proposals: 5 hours/week
6) Attend seminars: 2 hours/week
7) review manuscripts for publication in scientific journals
(i.e. act as a referee): 1 hour/week
7) Attend and present at Scientific meetings: 3 weeks/year
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Job Requirements
A career in science inevitably involves getting a PhD degree, do
a Post-doc and hope to get a permanent job somehwere on the way.
I did my MSc in Animal Science and subsequently obtained a PhD in
Animal Genetics. Both of these were obtaine at Wageningen
university in the Netherlands. The education there is great: they
stimulate undergrdauates to go abroad for practical experience
and phD students get lots of international exposure through
active participation in international conferences.
It is essential to keep up with developments in the files through
courses, conferences, workshops and seminars.
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Uppers
You can develop your own field of research, carve out your niche within the
research community.
The international meetings and workshops are a real high as they are very good
for both the social and professional contacts.
You can collaborate with some of the leaders within the field and you are very
much in charge of of your own development.
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Downers
A large amount of time and effort is involved with the paperwork
surrounding the grant proposals and project reports.
Also, whether you can develop your ideas into actual research
depends on the decision of the grant agencies as most of our work
is funded through competetive research grants. So a long process
from idea until full grant proposal may lead to nothing.
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Lifestyle
There are plenty of post-doc opportunities around so choose one
that: 1) let's you do research in a high-quality group (with good
potential for high-impact scientific results) and/or 2) A group
that offers good oportunities for further career developments.
There are many post-doc postiitons BUT very few permanent ones.
Therefore make sure that you get noticed: You often could fit in
additonal research beside your own project so gran something else
by the horns!
If you decide a full time research career is not for you than
you'd better off working for a company (where you can still be in
R&D).
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Compensation
In UK academics the salaries are not great but allow you to live
a comfortable life. Post-docs start at ??21,000 per year with
superannuation. Mid level posts vary from ??25,000 up to ??35,000.
The only bonuses are in the form of merit awards, but the award
system varies greatly with the incentive of the line mananger for
awarding them and guidelines are not clear.
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Advice to Jobseekers
There are plenty of post-doc opportunities around so choose one
that: 1) let's you do research in a high-quality group (with good
potential for high-impact scientific results) and/or 2) A group
that offers good oportunities for further career developments.
There are many post-doc postiitons BUT very few permanent ones.
Therefore make sure that you get noticed: You often could fit in
additonal research beside your own project so gran something else
by the horns!
If you decide a full time research career is not for you than
you'd better off working for a company (where you can still be in
R&D).
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