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[mdak503]

Hi:
I have a doctorate in the behavioral sciences and work full-time in the field - but am interested in working at university doing graduate research, but not teaching.  I have established a research specialty with peer-reviewed publications, but have no experience pursuing grants (yet).  I would ideally like to serve as a research mentor/research group leader assisting students with masters theses, dissertations, etc.  Do such positions exist?  I have tried to find them online, but haven't had any luck yet.
Thanks for your help!!

[mozman]

The science equivalent of an adjunct is a post-doc.  DO they do post-docs in your field?  I would guess not, or you wouldn't be asking this.

If you want to be a research mentor/adviser, but not be TT, you are looking for a soft-money research position, where you need to support yourself 100% on grants.  Why you would WISH for this is beyond me.

[johnr]

Do you want to keep your current job and affiliate with a university, or are you asking about actually changing jobs?

[normative_]

Mozman's right. It's a postdoc. Assuming you see none now, these positions only exist if you create them. To do that you have to:

- collaborate with someone who will get the credit for winning funding for a post-doc
- secure enough cash through the grant to pay your salary plus at least 50% of that (various incidentals the university has to pay to employ you) for as long as you intend to be there (1-3 years). (Perhaps conditions vary and other forumites will list different thresholds).

[locutus]

It sounds like what you want is a postdoc. That's essentially a temporary research position. Though you won't be mentoring graduate students, at least not officially. The options available for this might depend on exactly what field you are in. Care to be more specific?

Is this just the short term (~5 years) plan? Or is this type of job what you want permanently?