Wednesday, June 16, 2010

End Of Postdoctoral Stress


Every graduate student knows that behind any faculty position lies many years as a postdoctoral fellow. The big problem here is getting those postdoctoral positions, which itself is a bottleneck, unfortunately weeding out the unlucky many. This has formed the basis of my anxiety for the last few years since I handed in my PhD. I had a postdoctoral position, but only for a year. The constant worry of where that next job was coming from was hugely stressful. I spent a year as a fisheries scientific observer until I got my next position, and this was for one more year.

Last night I found out that I had finally been awarded a huge grant, which would provide my salary and research costs for the next three years. Obviously the amount of relief I am feeling is huge. I can finally plan my future for the next three years and actually feel settled. A lot of my work will be looking at the above fish. Can you guess what it is?

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5 comments:

  1. Lutefisk! (actually, i have no idea, but congratulations!)

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  2. Mud skipper? Plays in the mud, can breathe air.

    Sweetwater Tom

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  3. Hmmm interesting. I guess the fact they were on the mud suggested they were mudskippers. But in fact they are the highly invasive Round Goby.

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  4. Congratulations and hello stranger. Sheree suggested I look you up when I was back in NZ a few months ago.
    Can't work out how to send you an email but if you want to email me or find me on facebook my email address is kiwirevo@yahoo.co.uk.

    Sandra X

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