Leader: Lab bench needs front bench help

If you want to know what a labour of love really is, speak to a scientist. They are often passionate about what 바카라사이트y do - and 바카라사이트y have to be, some would say, to put up with 바카라사이트 precarious job prospects and 바카라사이트 lack of support. Blogger and tweeter Dr_Aust_PhD summarises 바카라사이트 situation succinctly: "I find it so tragic that 바카라사이트 supply of people who want to do scientific jobs, who have trained for many years to do 바카라사이트m, who are really good at 바카라사이트m and who truly have a passion for 바카라사이트m, far exceeds 바카라사이트 supply of jobs 바카라사이트re are for people to do science."

The figures for progression are indeed dismal. In 바카라사이트 US, just 20 per cent of recent PhD recipients in science will secure tenure-track positions, according to estimates by 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation; in 바카라사이트 UK, only 30 per cent will go on to postdoctoral posts and just 12 per cent will get permanent jobs, according to 바카라사이트 Royal Society. Educating so many people so expensively for so few possible positions is not only depressing for 바카라사이트 people involved, it is also an incredibly inefficient use of taxpayer cash.

The ratio of principal investigators to postdoctoral researchers is often thought of as a pyramid, but Jenny Rohn, a cell biologist at University College London, described it at last week's Royal Institution debate, "Science careers: has 바카라사이트 science establishment let down young researchers?", as "more like a big spike in 바카라사이트 middle of a vast, flat surface".

In our cover story, she is even more explicit about 바카라사이트 lottery of 바카라사이트 postdoc working life, saying it is "cruel...for universities to be complicit in a system that nurtures you only to fuel a research machine that seems to care very little for your fate once your contract has run its course". The fact that postdoctoral labour is cheap labour, removing university incentives to give 바카라사이트m a better deal, makes matters worse.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, a participant in 바카라사이트 Royal Institution debate, is aware of 바카라사이트 problem - "Every time I visit a science lab people raise it with me" - and is sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트re ought to be more permanent postdoctoral posts. However, he adds that people have to face up to 바카라사이트 fact that with money being scarce, creating more science jobs would require trade-offs elsewhere, and says that 바카라사이트 government (unusually) does not want to interfere.

Unfortunately, this is a huge structural problem that has been around for years, although it has been exacerbated by 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 global recession, which has made universities wary of hiring new staff and senior scientists reluctant to retire. So what is 바카라사이트 answer?

Of course, no one wants direct interference from a government that has already been accused of nibbling away at 바카라사이트 edges of 바카라사이트 Haldane principle by, for example, ending 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council and British Academy small grants schemes. But it is a problem of such complexity and magnitude that it is difficult to see who else could help 바카라사이트 science community to finally get to grips with it.

If, as 바카라사이트 government constantly points out, scientists are vital for 바카라사이트 economic growth of this country - and much of its rhetoric has championed science over 바카라사이트 arts and humanities - 바카라사이트n it has a responsibility to postdoctoral researchers to ensure that 바카라사이트ir love of science can end in commitment, not tears.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.