by Paul Butler
There was a time, I believe, when you lot had to move nether 35 to stand upwards whatever guide chances whatsoever of beingness an early-career researcher (ECR). On the “expected” academic career path, that allowed you lot to pass upwards to five years doing your PhD, in addition to thus relish the next ix years every bit an ECR, amongst all sorts of career advantages, including reserved access to exceptional grants, cheapo rates at conferences in addition to other benefits that made upwards for beingness on the tragic salaries in addition to project safety typical of early-stage ECRs. This did non move unnoticed past times researchers who had made a bound afterward inwards life from another career into academia, in addition to past times researchers who had had their careers interrupted past times fourth dimension taken out to heighten families or because of illness. Some people started wondering whether at that topographic point needed to move an historic menstruum measure at all; run across the comments here for an stance of the kinds of discussions that were taking house dorsum inwards 2010 well-nigh ECR criteria in addition to how they were failing people amongst “unconventional” career trajectories [1].
The eventual final result has been that present historic menstruum limits are rarely seen in addition to the Definition of an ECR is based on fourth dimension since finishing a PhD, normally including allowances for career breaks. So, for example, the Great Britain Arts in addition to Humanities Research Council Definition of an ECR is "an private who is inside 8 years of the abide by of their PhD or equivalent professional person training, or an private who is inside 6 years of their outset academic appointment. These durations exclude whatever menstruum of career break, e.g. for theatre unit of measurement attention or wellness reasons."
So where create I tally into all this? I left a relatively lucrative but ultimately unfulfilling career every bit an information technology consultant inwards London at the historic menstruum of 47 to create a marking course of teaching inwards Ocean Science at Bangor University inwards North Wales. A modify of path in addition to a modify of environment. I had a neat involvement inwards how the public works, in addition to it seemed to me that the dynamic processes inwards the oceans interconnected physics, chemistry, biological scientific discipline in addition to the basis sciences inwards a unique in addition to intimate way. Being a fight of an environmentalist, I was also aware of climate modify every bit a potentially existential threat to complex human lodge in addition to biodiversity, in addition to every bit the focus of a vitriolic political debate.
One affair well-nigh starting belatedly is that your career seems to move over almost every bit before long every bit it starts. In some ways that is an payoff since I own got been able to own got a research-intensive career at an historic menstruum when many lifelong academics own got move disenchanted past times the stresses involved inwards climbing the career ladder. I’ve never needed to create likewise much teaching. I was never going to own got fourth dimension to move a Professor, thus I didn’t demand to curry favour amongst people farther upwards the hierarchy. I’ve never needed to worry well-nigh the REF (the Research Excellence Framework, a sadistic assessment of inquiry output used inwards the Great Britain to implement the “publish or perish” ideology). But I’m on a pension already, in addition to it withal seems similar at that topographic point is immense potential inwards pushing my inquiry plain forward. So I’m withal looking for funding, but I promise most of that (if I larn it) volition aid kick-start the careers of some of the vivid immature scientists who own got entered the plain since I started. Exciting times.
There was a time, I believe, when you lot had to move nether 35 to stand upwards whatever guide chances whatsoever of beingness an early-career researcher (ECR). On the “expected” academic career path, that allowed you lot to pass upwards to five years doing your PhD, in addition to thus relish the next ix years every bit an ECR, amongst all sorts of career advantages, including reserved access to exceptional grants, cheapo rates at conferences in addition to other benefits that made upwards for beingness on the tragic salaries in addition to project safety typical of early-stage ECRs. This did non move unnoticed past times researchers who had made a bound afterward inwards life from another career into academia, in addition to past times researchers who had had their careers interrupted past times fourth dimension taken out to heighten families or because of illness. Some people started wondering whether at that topographic point needed to move an historic menstruum measure at all; run across the comments here for an stance of the kinds of discussions that were taking house dorsum inwards 2010 well-nigh ECR criteria in addition to how they were failing people amongst “unconventional” career trajectories [1].
 |
| Me, Paul Butler, early-career researcher by definition. Photo past times Bernd Schöne |
So where create I tally into all this? I left a relatively lucrative but ultimately unfulfilling career every bit an information technology consultant inwards London at the historic menstruum of 47 to create a marking course of teaching inwards Ocean Science at Bangor University inwards North Wales. A modify of path in addition to a modify of environment. I had a neat involvement inwards how the public works, in addition to it seemed to me that the dynamic processes inwards the oceans interconnected physics, chemistry, biological scientific discipline in addition to the basis sciences inwards a unique in addition to intimate way. Being a fight of an environmentalist, I was also aware of climate modify every bit a potentially existential threat to complex human lodge in addition to biodiversity, in addition to every bit the focus of a vitriolic political debate.
At the terminate of that marking course, I was offered the guide chances to apply for a PhD. This seemed to involve taking a large handbag of shells that person had collected inwards the Irish Gaelic Sea in addition to using them to build a 1,000-year chronology. You tin forcefulness out read well-nigh “sclerochronology” elsewhere, but basically it involves studying the marine climate of the past times using annual growth increments inwards sea shells. It was a neat aid that Bangor University had its ain inquiry vessel, the RV Prince Madog, in addition to my PhD was enlivened past times stimulating cruises around the UK, at the terminate of which I had built upwards a collection of several G shells in addition to had published the outset shell-based 500-year chronology [2].
 |
| RV Prince Madog takes a breather inwards Scotland. Photo past times Paul Butler |
I had my minute of fame – or notoriety – when I was utilization of the squad that constitute a clam that turned out to be, at 507 years, the longest-lived non-colonial brute whose historic menstruum could move determined unambiguously [3]. If that had been a dead trounce everything would own got been fine but, every bit luck would own got it, the longest-lived brute turned out to own got been ane that was move when nosotros collected it. The media had a plain day. “World’s oldest creature is revealed to move 507-year-old shellfish called Ming – until scientists KILLED it past times opening it upwards to banking concern check its age” said the Mail Online, a disputation that is incorrect inwards thus many ways I don’t own got infinite to listing them [4]. A author inwards The Times openly called me in addition to my colleagues “idiots” [5]. Flak came non only from the media in addition to some of its readers, but also from my University, who straight off went into headless chicken vogue at the stance that their cash cows, sorry I hateful their hereafter students, powerfulness move pose off applying.
 |
| Left: Me shoveling shells on the cruise off the due north coast of Republic of Iceland during which nosotros constitute the world's longest-lived brute (which may fifty-fifty move inwards that pile). Pretty much all those shells are from Artica islandica, which is ubiquitous to Iceland. Photo credit: James Scourse. Right: Shells of Artica islandica, showing their clear concentric annual growth lines. Photo credit: Paul Butler. |
One affair well-nigh starting belatedly is that your career seems to move over almost every bit before long every bit it starts. In some ways that is an payoff since I own got been able to own got a research-intensive career at an historic menstruum when many lifelong academics own got move disenchanted past times the stresses involved inwards climbing the career ladder. I’ve never needed to create likewise much teaching. I was never going to own got fourth dimension to move a Professor, thus I didn’t demand to curry favour amongst people farther upwards the hierarchy. I’ve never needed to worry well-nigh the REF (the Research Excellence Framework, a sadistic assessment of inquiry output used inwards the Great Britain to implement the “publish or perish” ideology). But I’m on a pension already, in addition to it withal seems similar at that topographic point is immense potential inwards pushing my inquiry plain forward. So I’m withal looking for funding, but I promise most of that (if I larn it) volition aid kick-start the careers of some of the vivid immature scientists who own got entered the plain since I started. Exciting times.
Paul Butler, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Geography in addition to Environmental Sciences, College of Life in addition to Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter
If you lot own got questions or comments concerning Paul's post, delight larn out a comment below, or ship him an email. You tin forcefulness out also connect amongst him on Twitter.
_____________________________________________________
[1]Andy Humphrey. Age discrimination inwards funding bodies. Vitae 15th August 2010
[2] Butler, P.G., et al., 2009. Continuous marine radiocarbon reservoir calibration in addition to the 13C Suess number inwards the Irish Gaelic Sea: results from the outset multi-centennial shell- based marine principal chronology. Earth in addition to Planetary Science Letters 279 (3–4), 230–241.
[3] Butler, P.G., et al., 2013. Variability of marine climate on the North Icelandic Shelf inwards a 1357-year proxy archive based on growth increments inwards the bivalve Arctica islandica. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 373 (2013) 141–151.
[4] MailOnline 14th Nov 2013 Whatever you lot do, don’t read the comments. OK, you’ll read them, but recall non to come upwards away amongst the message that ordinary people inwards full general are ignorant – they aren’t - exclusively that a lot of people who accept the problem to comment own got a real blinkered approach in addition to similar to utilization word items well-nigh scientific discipline to reinforce their existing prejudices.
[5] Tanya Gold. Speakeasy: Eve couldn’t resist the apple. We’ve snatched Ming the clam. The Times 17th Nov 2013 Paywalled, give cheers goodness.
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Geography in addition to Environmental Sciences, College of Life in addition to Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter
If you lot own got questions or comments concerning Paul's post, delight larn out a comment below, or ship him an email. You tin forcefulness out also connect amongst him on Twitter.
_____________________________________________________
References:
[2] Butler, P.G., et al., 2009. Continuous marine radiocarbon reservoir calibration in addition to the 13C Suess number inwards the Irish Gaelic Sea: results from the outset multi-centennial shell- based marine principal chronology. Earth in addition to Planetary Science Letters 279 (3–4), 230–241.
[3] Butler, P.G., et al., 2013. Variability of marine climate on the North Icelandic Shelf inwards a 1357-year proxy archive based on growth increments inwards the bivalve Arctica islandica. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 373 (2013) 141–151.
[4] MailOnline 14th Nov 2013 Whatever you lot do, don’t read the comments. OK, you’ll read them, but recall non to come upwards away amongst the message that ordinary people inwards full general are ignorant – they aren’t - exclusively that a lot of people who accept the problem to comment own got a real blinkered approach in addition to similar to utilization word items well-nigh scientific discipline to reinforce their existing prejudices.
[5] Tanya Gold. Speakeasy: Eve couldn’t resist the apple. We’ve snatched Ming the clam. The Times 17th Nov 2013 Paywalled, give cheers goodness.