Situation at the moment (and the near future) for post-docs in Eire...?

Sin1981

Hi,
Just wondering if there's anyone out there in academia/industry who knows much about the current situation for post-docs? Have funds been hit badly by the recession? Are there still many jobs going, and if so, where are they advertised? I've been keeping an eye out over the past number of months on the Uni websites, UCD, TCD, RCSI, NUIG, UCC and I reckon between all of them there have been about 6 jobs advertised over the past 6 months? Are Irish labs bad at advertising their jobs...? It seems like UK jobs are better advertised...?

Also, on a related issue, how do you see the future of bio-sciences in Ireland over the next few years? is it going to get better funded, either in academia alone, or through collaboration with industry? At the moment, there are no pure R&D sites in this country. I currently work in industry in the West (I would like to get into something more research orientated, and less of the manufacturing), and I know that many of these companies may have a small R&D teams, but it's not actual research, it's more validation and that is at the end of the day not real research, not the kind you find in academia anyway. All in all, how is the bio-science sector going to go over the next 4/5 years?
So, if there's anyone who has any info, it would be great if you could share some
thanks.

Thargor

Wish I could help Sin but Im just subscribing to this thread because Im also interested in the answer, Im guessing its going to be that yes there has been cutbacks and no, its not expected to improve soon though

Sin1981

hi Thargor, yeah, I was thinking there wasn't going to be much good news, but maybe there are people out there with a bit more insight that me/you...

From my own point of view, I see first hand how industry can pass off certain parts of their work as R&D, when it really is nothing like research (but I suppose that depends on your definition of R&D). I worry that companies will get tax breaks/incentives for opening up R&D wings over the next few years when really the work they're doing is manufacturing with a twist and nothing more.:cool:
It's kinda annoying that to get the job you'd like, you have to leave your home country.
Anyhow, we'll see....

avalon68

Sin1981 wrote: »

Hi,
I reckon between all of them there have been about 6 jobs advertised over the past 6 months? Are Irish labs bad at advertising their jobs...? It seems like UK jobs are better advertised...?

I've been looking for a postdoc for a while now too and very few are advertised in Ireland. Almost everyone I know doing a postdoc got their current position by knowing somone in the lab.

leeroybrown

A few things:

1) Quite a few post-docs will end up going to recently qualified PhD students within groups, to researchers whose contracts are running out or to collaborators. It makes a lot of sense for the PIs if they already know suitable people.
2) There is significantly less research funding out there at the moment and quite a few funding grants will be approaching their end.
3) The Universities are effectively constrained by hiring freezes making it more difficult to hire someone new even if there is money available.

I'd suggest that your best avenue is to dig through your list of academic contacts from when you did your PhD and get in touch with people. Someone there might be able to point you in the direction of a group (possibly even a collaborator) somewhere in Ireland who you could get in touch with.