Il mestiere del fisico

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Vita da ricercatore: università o industria?

Caro Dr. Zuliani,

la disturbo per chiederle la gentilezza di un consiglio. Devo decidere se intraprendere una carriera come ricercatore accademico o industriale. Da quasi quattro anni sono dottorando mentre molti dei miei amici sono sposati, hanno comperato casa o hanno messo su famiglia. Io invece vivo ancora in campus universitari o appartamenti studenteschi. Mi piace la ricerca accademica e la libertà che offre, ma sono preoccupato che perseguire un PostDoc (e una cattedra da professore) possa influenzare la mia vita personale per molti anni ancora. Pensa che sarei ugualmente felice come ricercatore privato nell’industria, dove la ricerca è più applicata e meno libera?

La ringrazio anticipatamente,

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Happiness is …A person happiness primarly arises from within (William Blake)

• If your profession is a wrong-fit, then it will be a major drag in your life. • This is where normally happy people may become frustrated and

unhappy.

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Different kinds of research (1)Research topics

• Academic research is big papers (publish of perish) and ultraspecialized. industrial research is about products and has wider scope and impact across company and/or society.

• In academia, scientist can propose any hypothesis as long as they can convince funding agencies. Industry R&D is aligned with organisation strategy and does not require external funding. However, if new discoveries does not show promise for marketable products research projects are halted.

• Academic research tests functional outcomes of compelling stories. The experiments are made to study effects. Industrial research focus on mechanisms.

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Different kinds of research (2)Researcher skills

• Academia values competence, critical thinking and network. In industry interpersonal (conflict resolutions) and organisational (project management) skills are needed as well.

• Academia has a hierarchy structure which promotes independency. Industry has a matrix structure and research is conducted in collaboration with different teams and departments.

• Industrial researchers are asked to perform project management duties – ie define scope, project milestones, deadlines, alignment with team workload. Project management requirements in academia are lower – ie scope of the project can change at any time, deadlines are flexible, teamwork is generally carried out independently.

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A life in research

Student PhD PostDoc Tenure Professor

Rea

l ben

efit

Short run Long run

CHO

ICE

4 – 6 yrs3 – 5 yrs 3 – 5 yrs

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Academic career structure

• Academic career is a pyramidal selection process. It starts at the end of university and lasts until tenure (~12-15 yrs).

• Compared to private sector, in academia you have freedom, no obligations and no responsibilities if not toward yourself…

• …however, the cost/benefit of leaving academia at 38 yrs is obviously not in your favor.

Shor

t run

Long

run

Tenure

PostDoc

PhD/student

Professor

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Short run• Salary: academic salary is lower than

industrial researcher.• Working hours: academia works

longer but free hours, industry usually works a more structured 09:00-17:00.

• Freedom: as academic researcher you will be working on what you want, whilst private research focus on products that sell and it is not as free.

• Carrier progress: in academia mainly consists in # of international conferences to attend per year. No relevant pay rise. Industrial research offers more possibilities based on achievements and managing research teams/projects.

• Stability: academia offers little. You are forced to look for new employment and move to another country every 2-3 years for 10-12 years (phd, postdoc, tenure), all risks are on you. Companies instead prefer to keep their researchers since (re)hiring is expensive and inefficient. Companies may go out of business but finding another nearby is easier than university (Italy is an exception).

• Time for a choice: at the end of PhD. Companies in general value PhDs but do not like PostDocs.

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Long run• Salary: academia is good, at the level of industry manager.• Working hours: meetings, meetings, meetings. Both worlds.• Freedom: as professor you will have intellectual and personal freedom. As industrial

researcher you may raise to manage a part (or the entire) research program, but topics will still be market driven.

• Carrier: plenty of international conferences, workshop and exchange visits with colleagues around the world. Both worlds.

• Stability: superb in academia. No crisis will affect you. Unlike companies, universities do not go out of business (usually).

Two researcher profiles

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• Self-starter;• Confortable with

self-promotion to obtain grants;

• Works independently;

• Develops relevant research questions on his/her own;

• Publish (or perish);

• Drive him/herself toward common goal;

• Confortable with defining objectives in advance and manage;

• Works in a team;• Develops research

questions for marketable products;

• Publish (not perish);

Academic researcher Industrial researcher

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ConclusionsYour life, your choice: follow your passion …

… but think about what you are choosing.