Breadcrumbs
- Home
- Research staff
- Research staff blog
- In defence of the fixed-term contract
In defence of the fixed-term contract
07 October 2009
By Web Admin
I have never met anyone who likes having fixed-term contracts, it is the worst thing about an academic research job. The three year cycle is the one thing that even your PhD doesn't prepare you for, especially if you being long-term relationships, have partners with permanent jobs, buy a house and settle down. It might sound like I am about to break into song, but no - however, I am going to sing the praises of the fixed-term contract. The best thing about it is gaining experience, moving around to different research venues can bring you into contact with new skills and techniques that you would not have at a single location. It opens avenues for long-term collaborations and a broad range of contacts, which can be a real plus when it comes to writing grants and fellowships (when you do want to settle). There is a finite window for changing fields, but if you finish your PhD and dislike this particular field having 1 or 2 opportunities to spend 3 years in different fields can give you enough time to see if you like the new specialisms, or realise that you have made a terrible mistake and go back to your work on something from your PhD?! Personally, I have benefited from changing fields I have worked in evolutionary biology, then diabetes and heart disease, followed by leukaemia and cancer, and now I am combining all three and heading towards parasitology (and a longer-term contract I confess). My advice, don't get depressed by the fixed-term contract, use the opportunities that it provides with patience. Enjoy it, while you wait on that elusive faculty post.
Richard Mead08 October 2009 at 10:13 AM
permalinkreport this comment
I have no problem with fixed term contracts and believe they offer equal if not greater security than permanent posts in the private sector, especially in these uncertain times. What I do take issue with is their excessive use for lower grade researchers. The risk associated with uncertain research funding is passed to those researchers on fixed term contracts. The use of fixed term contracts is inversely proportinal to grade. You dont get many Lecturers or Profs on fixed term contracts. I say put all predominantly research active staff on them, up to Professorial grades. The other issue is often more senior researchers dont value the 'profesional postdoc' who is happy to move from fixed term contract to fixed term contract. They see them as costly and cant understand why they havent got out of the game if they havent made lecturer or got a fellowship after 5 or 6 years . In fact, these are usually the people who make the whole thing tick. Give them a proper career path.
Nick DickensEdited: 12 October 2009 at 02:06 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Richard raises an interesting point, but I think that we have differing ideas of the role of a post-doc in the group. "Lower research" grades, in fact, happen to be in permanent contracts (research assistants, technicians, etc). The post-doc post is a career development role - many research institutions now do not call them post-docs but career development fellows or similar. Post-docs are, I think, expensive in terms of research in that they use a lot of consumables, cost money from the grants and don't (necessarily) bring in their own research money. Students get money, technicians/research assistants are essential and the PI/group leader is bringing in the money. I know that in practice this isn't always the case but think that it is generally true. A career post-doc is either a technician/ra or is running research, in which case they should be a PI. Fixed term contracts are common the private sector, and for similar reasons, and I still think are a good opportunity for early-stage researchers. N.B. I am actually the original poster, for technical reasons I haven't been able to take ownership of the post.
Matthew Salois08 October 2009 at 03:39 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Certainly, there are benefits and problems associated with fixed terms contracts. In my view, the extent to which the pros and cons prevail is largely dependent upon how you leverage each aspect of the fixed term contract. I have found the experience rewarding in at least one important aspect - the focus on career development. Just one year into my contract, my department chair and mentor have taken a vested interest in my career and helping me to make the most of the opportunities available to me. I am motivated to attend conferences and to spend time on my own research. Indeed, I have noticed that in many ways my position is better leveraged than a Lecturer, who often doesn't receive the attention to career development that I have. I have found that if I make the effort to seek out opportunities, then my department will be there to help me every step of the way.
Richard Mead08 October 2009 at 05:54 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Hi Nick thanks for responding. I think we all know what postdocs do, it doesnt really matter what you call them. There may be some technical staff on permanent contracts but I think most would agree there is a very clear line between permanent 'academic' staff and research staff on FTCs. I'm just saying lets level the playing field a bit! One other thing, when you say a postdoc is a career development role- do you mean to say that they are developing a career in academic research research outside academia, some other role, or any of those three options? By the way great idea for a blog
Richard Mead08 October 2009 at 05:54 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Just one other thing, these posts dont keep your line breaks in which makes them difficult to read
Richard Mead08 October 2009 at 05:58 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Sorry... I fogot to say that Matthew clearly has a great support structure in place and this is one of the hugely positive things we are seeing being pushed through into practice following on from the Roberts review and funding, the new Concordat and the work of Vitae I'm sure also. We need a lot more of it.
Nick Dickens09 October 2009 at 10:42 AM
permalinkreport this comment
Hi Richard - thanks again, in fact I agree with you that it isn't necessarily a fair system. I am not sure how the system could be altered to improve this - any thought? As far as career development role, I meant developing a career in academic research. Going on the lead research, in which I include lecturing as well because I don't think that they are mutually exclusive. I must confess that I am envious of Matt's support structure.
Richard Mead09 October 2009 at 08:07 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Nick. I think if we agree it is not an equitable system then something has to be done. The new legislation on the use of fixed term contracts will have some kind of impact and I notice there is an effort on the part of Vitae to see hown Universities are responding to this challenge. The other option is for Universities to proactively manage research funding and staff in a more joined up way. This probably goes against the grain a bit though- would be interesting to hear from Postdocs who have experience of different ways of managing research budgets.
Matthew Salois10 October 2009 at 02:02 PM
permalinkreport this comment
This discussion is very interesting. Richard, you make a great point - universities (academic departments in particular) need to take a much more proactive approach to managing research staff. I am still learning about the system here in the UK, but in the US there is a growing trend in university departments to support their staff with "research assistant professors." These positions have a focus on research (like the name implies), though occasionally take up teaching responsibilities. They tend to be paid slightly less than assistant professors (i.e., lecturers), but much more than post-docs. They are based on a permanent contract though are generally non-tenure track positions. Still, they have the benefit of being a great stepping stone to a tenure track position and more importantly have a good level job security.
Richard Mead12 October 2009 at 04:12 PM
permalinkreport this comment
Matthew-thats sounds very interesting. I know the National US Postdoc Association was very strong when I last looked at it a few years back and seemed to be leading the way. Conditions for postdocs in the US was even worse than over here in terms of security and salary when making the comparison backthen. Sounds like things have changed pretty fast.
Daniel Weekes27 October 2009 at 05:05 PM
permalinkreport this comment
There are a lot of really interesting points in here, I definitely think that it would be great to see some changes in the management of research funding so that research roles werent always linked to a single grant, true in some cases moving around on fixed term contracts broadens your horizons but conversely in some cases it can prevent you reallt getting embeded into a field,, As for as a post-docs as a career development fellowship thats all well and good if there are actually posts for you to 'develop' and move into but unfortunately in most cases there isn't.. damn, do i sound bitter?.. im not, honest
George Whale02 November 2009 at 01:27 PM
permalinkreport this comment
At least two serious problems with short-term contracts. 1. Not all researchers move effortlessly from one to another. They may have months or years of unemployment or unskilled work in between contracts. 2. In my field at least, contract posts are almost always low-grade posts. Any contract researcher with aspirations to become a principal investigator can forget it. They are more likely to spend their working life taking orders from people less qualified and/or less experienced. Unfortunately, we are largely at the mercy of the institutions, and for the most part they will not give us anything more than crumbs, unless they have to. I would like to see a situation in which contract researchers could design their own projects, seek suitable institutional partners and then apply for funding from the major funding bodies themselves. After all, we sometimes have good ideas too!