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akiwil
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« on: October 02, 2005, 01:11:03 AM » |
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Does anyone know exactly what these positions are?
Are they only for recent Ph.D.s? Do they come with any teaching duties or is it just pure research (I'm in Humanities). Are they more or less equivalent to a lecturer position? And, finally, are they permanent or 1-2 contract positions?
Thanks in advance.
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science expat
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« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2005, 03:07:12 AM » |
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Assuming that you're talking about an old University then a Reseach Fellow is a research only position at a level above that of a post-doc, hence generally not suitable for a new Ph.D. They can be either permanent or fixed term; if the latter the job ad should say so clearly. Salary is equivalent to Lecturer B - see the thread "UK Faculty System" below for more info/links about UK salaries.
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akiwil
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« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2005, 03:22:19 AM » |
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Thanks for this help. It's at U of Aberdeen but the ad doesn't give much to go on. What you describe sounds like a sweet deal though...
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science AE
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« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2005, 04:13:28 AM » |
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If it's permanent; it's really sweet! And there is room for progression, Research Fellows can be promoted to Senior Research Fellows which is the equivalent of the Senior Lecturer scale.
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Lucy
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« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2005, 02:59:20 AM » |
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Applicants for a Research Fellow position are expected to have a PhD. Sometimes post-doctoral experience is required, but this would usually be stated in the ad; similarly, you might occasionally see an ad for a Research Fellow that will ask for a 'PhD, or PhD near completion'. If these jobs are on a permanent contract then it's a very good deal. Usually, they are fixed term posts, because they are tied to particular research grants, although a small number of universities now have procedures by which these can become permanent in some circumstances. Most likely, the Research Fellow is expected to conduct a particular piece of research under the guidance of a supervisor (the Principal Investigator of the grant). The further particulars of the job will usually give you more information about the research that is planned, which will help you to decide whether you have the skills that they are looking for.
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libra
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« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2005, 09:25:11 AM » |
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From reading these responses, research fellowships in the humanities appear to be a bit different from those in the sciences. I have never heard of any of these positions lasting for more than two years and all of the ones I've seen advertized have been for new PhDs. Fellowships differ according to institution, but there is a focus on allowing you to just do your own research. There is occasionally teaching but not so much that you will be overloaded.
I also wonder if there is some overlap in terms. What Lucy describes sounds like a research assistantship to me, which is what I have at the moment, and which is dependent on a funding award and directed by a big name prof. I have a specific project to work on (ie, not my own research).
I have seen the ad for the Aberdeen fellowship and I will be applying as well. Good luck, akiwil.
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science expat
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« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2005, 09:43:30 AM » |
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Are you in the UK, libra? At my institution we have research assistantships which don't require a Ph.D., research associates which do (basically post-docs), and research fellows which are higher ranked. So, for example, a research associate can apply for promotion to research fellow based on high achievement.
It wouldn't surprise me if it varies from place to place - as Lucy says, read the ad carefully. I would also inquire if I had questions.
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akiwil
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« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2005, 10:48:50 AM » |
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I wish you luck too, libra! It seems like a really exciting venture. But I'm guessing Aberdeen is even colder than Belgium...
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sidey
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« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2005, 01:06:28 PM » |
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you really do not move to the Granite City for the weather - maybe for the whiskey, but not for the weather...
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libra
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« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2005, 11:52:54 PM » |
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Yep, I'm in the UK and I'm a humanities PhD. I think I meant to mention that in my original post. I know people with MSc's who have had research assistantships in the sciences, but this doesn't seem to exist in the humanities. But then, I think we just have a much smaller selection of job options than you lucky scientists. And certainly a lot less funding options!
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libra
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« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2005, 11:59:18 PM » |
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Are you in Belgium then? Aberdeen will be a big change! For me, I don't think I'll mind the weather if they're really as left wing on education as they seem to be.
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akiwil
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« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2005, 02:46:26 AM » |
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In case anyone's interested, in Belgium - at least in Flanders - there are governmental grants for faculty to hire doctoral or post-doc researchers which is what I currently have. They're 4-year positions and are typically never advertised. It's more a matter of connecting with a faculty member or two, writing a proposal together and hoping it gets accepted (pretty competitive these days, and most money goes to scientific projects, natch).
I was very lucky to have three excellent names sign onto my proposal who are happy to just let me do whatever I want research-wise. I think they're simply glad I'm being productive as it reflects well on their cv's too.
It was all very serendipitous because I just happened to stumble into Belgium by chance, following a partner's job (which then vanished as soon as I got the post-doc)...
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scottish by adoption
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« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2005, 06:36:48 AM » |
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The weather in Aberdeen is not so bad: does not rain as much as in the western part of Scotland, and it's not as cold as one could imagine, warmer in winter than Chicago, for example, or even Boston; and in the summer it's a lot more pleasant than either of these cities. There some really nice residential areas, and the Aberdeenshire is breathtakingly beautiful. On the minus side, it's expensive, and the traffic is rather intense; it's not a great city for biking, for example.
The university is great. Lots of money, very light teaching load (the staff are increasing, but the students are not). The president has done a great job in attracting funds: and I believe that they are going to go up a lot in their ratings with the next RAE. They have completely restructured the university, it's run very efficiently and with little bureaucracy. They have selected some areas in which to concentrate their efforts to bring in very good people, and so far they have been successful; it's great, if you are in one of these areas.
Good luck to akiwil and libra.
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Lucy
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« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2005, 06:52:09 AM » |
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Libra is right to say that Research Assistantships also tend to be short term contracts to work on specific research projects. RA jobs tend to be for a graduate, not someone with a PhD. I'm in the process of appointing a Research Fellow atm (not in Aberdeen, I hasten to add) and we are looking for someone with a PhD.
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akiwil
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« Reply #14 on: October 05, 2005, 07:05:54 AM » |
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Thanks for these clarifications. I have a PhD and 3 years post-doc experience. I was wondering whether the post-doc would put me out of the running for a Research Fellowship, not really knowing what such things are. But from what I gather here, it sounds like it won't. (Will still be a long shot though, but worth shooting...)
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