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[zloki]

I have a bit of an issue.  I have a research topic I'm very invested in pursuing, but am having a lot of trouble finding a landing spot where I can actually pursue it (it's a niche in Intelligent Tutoring Systems).  I'm currently half-way through my first post-doc where I've been able to work on related work, and have been trying to apply to Assistant Professor and competitive Research Scientists positions but it's looking less than likely that I'll find a match this year.  If those don't pan out, there aren't a lot of post-docs listed in advanced learning technologies and I'm not 100% confident that I'll find a good match before the fall.

So there's a potential Sophie's choice: take a postdoc doing something other than my desired research topic for "training" (e.g. doing somebody else's work) or taking some other job (or no job) and using the extra time to do my research and publish.  To be quite honest, a part time programming job would probably pay similarly to a full-time academic post-doc.  In that situation, I'd be able to produce as much or more research than I would as an Assistant Prof.  I've also got the two-body problem with my wife, so that would mean we wouldn't have to live apart for the next year while she logs a post-doc.

The issue being, when I apply for Assistant Prof jobs next year, would they ding me for not holding a post-doc?  Moreover, would other institutions ding me if I didn't have a relevant current position on my CV?  (e.g. NSF, journal review panels, etc.)  There's also the functional issue of journal access, but my wife should have reasonable access next year.

Anyone out there have experience in continuing their research outside of academia for a year?

[totoro]

Usually, you won't be able to apply for a grant if you are not at an approved institution or will move to one to take up the grant. Apart from that it is OK if you are producing research, especially if you can explain it as a 2 body problem. You might try to get a research affiliation status with your wife's institution.

[juillet]

I remember a postdoc here who had a somewhat similar dilemma petitioning for a 0% research scientist position at a different school within the university that was aligned with her interests.  Apparently it was a research affiliation only; she was planning on funding her salary with a grant, but would use the title/affiliation for library access and other research support as well as for publishing and presenting at conferences.  Maybe either your current institution or your wife's institution would have some position like that?