Science Careers has an interesting piece that discusses a number of issues near and dear to the hearts of postdoctoral scholars and other trainees.
…[Postdoc Ludmila] Tyler’s brave and poignant description of the low pay, insecurity, chancy benefits, difficulty securing maternity leave, and general discouragement that many postdocs endure was effective. “I have colleagues who say, ‘Why don’t I quit science and work at Home Depot? I hear they’re a pretty good employer,’ ” she told the congressional representatives. “And the sad thing is, they’re only half joking.” The members of Congress seemed surprised and, according to Miller, “deeply concerned” and “disappointed” by this and other testimony — which indicates how effectively the viewpoints of the research universities and today’s established scientists have dominated the discussion and how little attention tomorrow’s scientists’ concerns have received.
Benderly, BL. (2010, June 4). Taken for granted: making a federal case of young scientists’ concerns. Science Careers. doi: 10.1126/science.caredit.a1000057
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