Posted: May 21, 2012 9:59 am
And good luck to you Acetone, plenty of people make it work.
What I mean is that a career in research is not what it used to be. It's harder than ever to get funding, even in clinical research fields. If you're looking to get into grad school, make sure it's one with a large, active and very successful research program. Success breeds success, and nowhere more so than in research where the publication record, senior researchers' reputations, and political connections play a big role in securing future funding.
I note that you're interested in getting into infectious diseases; make sure to develop an interest in diseases where there are unmet needs in either vaccines or therapies. Avoid (for example) research in fields where there are already good therapies or vaccines in place, as pharma and vaccine companies see diminishing returns on investment where there are existing therapies (even if the funding is coming from government or NGOs, commercialisation funding will often have to come from industry). When looking at disease states, consider how 'hot' the disease is - I imagine every virology and infectious diseases department in the world is trying to get funding for HIV research.
Beyond your grad years, finding fellowships (including serial fellowships if no tenured spots are available) is the next step, and have to be fitted in with other life priorities like partners, partner's careers, and children. And when you find a tenure track position, universities (in the southern hemisphere at least) are more wary about locking in tenure. A friend's partner, for example, has a lecturer's position at a Queensland university, and has a probation period of FIVE years where they're dictating terms on her workload and benefits.
Yes you can make it work, and plenty of people do. But do your homework, ask lots of questions about the departments and researchers you're looking to work with, and don't take anyone's word for it that the money will be there when it's needed. Ask about funding sources, if they're secured, when they run out and so on. (My wife and I relocated to Toronto on a promise from a supervisor who walked into the lab one day and said 'sorry guys, you're on your own'). Find out who else is enrolled in a PhD program at your target departments and talk to them - find out how long they've taken, how they're funding themselves, and what issues (if any) they've had with supervision and funding. (For example, at the same Toronto department, the two PhD candidates before us had both taken seven years to complete their programs as they'd had to go out a work part-time from early in their programs).
So be smart about departments, supervisors and funding sources. Ask lots of questions, and don't take anyone's word for it, ask around and get alternative views.
What I mean is that a career in research is not what it used to be. It's harder than ever to get funding, even in clinical research fields. If you're looking to get into grad school, make sure it's one with a large, active and very successful research program. Success breeds success, and nowhere more so than in research where the publication record, senior researchers' reputations, and political connections play a big role in securing future funding.
I note that you're interested in getting into infectious diseases; make sure to develop an interest in diseases where there are unmet needs in either vaccines or therapies. Avoid (for example) research in fields where there are already good therapies or vaccines in place, as pharma and vaccine companies see diminishing returns on investment where there are existing therapies (even if the funding is coming from government or NGOs, commercialisation funding will often have to come from industry). When looking at disease states, consider how 'hot' the disease is - I imagine every virology and infectious diseases department in the world is trying to get funding for HIV research.
Beyond your grad years, finding fellowships (including serial fellowships if no tenured spots are available) is the next step, and have to be fitted in with other life priorities like partners, partner's careers, and children. And when you find a tenure track position, universities (in the southern hemisphere at least) are more wary about locking in tenure. A friend's partner, for example, has a lecturer's position at a Queensland university, and has a probation period of FIVE years where they're dictating terms on her workload and benefits.
Yes you can make it work, and plenty of people do. But do your homework, ask lots of questions about the departments and researchers you're looking to work with, and don't take anyone's word for it that the money will be there when it's needed. Ask about funding sources, if they're secured, when they run out and so on. (My wife and I relocated to Toronto on a promise from a supervisor who walked into the lab one day and said 'sorry guys, you're on your own'). Find out who else is enrolled in a PhD program at your target departments and talk to them - find out how long they've taken, how they're funding themselves, and what issues (if any) they've had with supervision and funding. (For example, at the same Toronto department, the two PhD candidates before us had both taken seven years to complete their programs as they'd had to go out a work part-time from early in their programs).
So be smart about departments, supervisors and funding sources. Ask lots of questions, and don't take anyone's word for it, ask around and get alternative views.