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Could you please expand on this, or suggest some links so that I can learn more about how high profile research labs work.

• kghose 13y ago
  In general high profile labs get there by having high through put (lots of experiments, lots of papers). The lab PI becomes a publicity guy, giving lots of lectures and wheeling and dealing with funding agencies. The actual bench work is done by postdocs and graduate students. Many labs begin to resemble departments with the PI as chairperson. But not in a good way. The PI loses touch with the science, no longer fulfills their role as mentor to an apprentice and the quality of the work is a crapshoot - depending entirely on postdocs. The PI becomes a brand.
  • ChristianMarks 13y ago
    Exactly my experience. The PI hops from one grant or consulting contract to another before the work on the previous grants and contracts is complete, and you as the postdoc or research assholeciate find yourself called into another meeting to produce something completely unrelated to the several projects that each require your full-time attention, on a schedule determined without your input. The PI has made unrealistic promises to funding agencies and clients without consulting you. It now is your job to produce on short notice. This is partly due to the grant-driven nature of the work, but personalities also play a role. Intellectuals are driven out; mental technicians remain. My experience is even worse. I was drafted to do system and network administration and helpdesk application support--in the PI's mind these were indistinguishable from software development--as well as the research and software development for which I was hired. As I could not afford the endless dues paying, I left.