03 January 2010
By Sarah Davies
First of all, a very happy new year to everyone. I hope that we all managed to get at least some time off ready for 2010!
For me – as, I’m sure, for many other researchers – the new year holds a lot of uncertainty. I’ve just finished a two and a half year period in one department, and am about to start a three month visiting fellowship somewhere new; while I’m hoping to get back to the former through a project proposal currently being assessed, it’s by no means certain that this will come through. It is, of course, dangerous to rely on one possibility, so I’m also applying for other relevant positions.
It’s the practical ethics of this that I’ve been reflecting on recently. At this stage – when there are so many unknowns – it feels like a balancing act between the research I would really like to do, but which isn’t certain to be funded, and other possibilities. How to negotiate this?
For example, I was recently interviewed for and offered a research job at another institution again. They wanted an immediate response; I don’t hear about my proposal until later this month. I would rather, of course, work on a research project which I’ve put together and ‘own’ – but, at the same time, I need a job.
There are a number of options in these kinds of situations – including saying yes to everything you’re offered, then dropping out if something better comes through; saying no and holding out on that one – uncertain – perfect bit of research; or saying yes and working on a ‘first come first served’ basis. Or, of course, trying to negotiate a longer decision period so that you can wait until you know all your options. It feels like a minefield: you constantly run the risk of missing out on what is best for your career or letting (potential) employers down.
In this case, the decision was made for me: the timings for the new job clashed with the fellowship I’m already committed to. This was, perhaps, fortunate for my moral sensibilities: I would have been tempted towards, but felt bad about, accepting the job as a ‘back-up’, dropping out if my project was funded. But I’m interested in what others’ experiences of these balancing acts are. How have you managed to juggle your possibilities when it comes to finding a new contract?
Simon Smith04 January 2010 at 06:38 PM
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Happy New Year, Sarah. I'm in a similar situation, waiting on a grant proposal decision for a personal project which I've set my heart on, while my current contract runs out and I ought to be looking for other possibilities. I don't have an easy answer to your ethical dilemma, but I've decided to wait until the funding decision before making any job applications, essentially because I don't want to have a deal with a situaation in which I would have to choose. Of course, it isn't satisfactory that so many researchers must be placed in this position repeatedly during their careers.
Mashhuda Glencross08 January 2010 at 10:21 AM
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Hi Sarah, In the past I have waited to hear about funding decisions but I completely understand your dilemma, I too was agonising over the same decisions just before Christmas. My concern is that increased funding squeezes will most likely make it way too risky to wait for funding decisions. Is it possible to negotiate extra time for your decision? Sometimes this is possible but I guess it only works if the times-scales are broadly similar. The uncertainly we all face is largely due to casualisation of our jobs. While in many cases it can be good to move around, I believe that our employers should still provide us with the opportunity for stable career paths through continuity between contracts.