If I could I would change the way that research is funded. We work on research “grants” about specific projects. This means that contracts are quite short-term, and you always have to think about what your next job will be – which can be a bit stressful.
Similar to Catherines answer. Some of the positions in science are really great – the research is well funded and you could have a stable job for many years. Other positions aren’t so stable and may require moving around, starting different jobs to get the funding to do your research.
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As you get more senior and more experienced, the jobs tend to be more permanent but when you are first starting out many jobs are only for 2-3 years before its time to start looking for the next one. This would be something that could be improved if we had the chance to change things.
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