FLICKR, NEETALPAREKHWhen starting up a laboratory, early-career researchers usually hire a lab technician or a research assistant. These “permanent” employees—i.e. non-students—are a vital part of any lab. They are often in charge of training newcomers and are responsible for specialized research platforms. With their unique expertise and experience, they are also the memory of the lab.
Early-career researchers have to deal with a great deal of stress due to the responsibilities inherent to their jobs, such as writing grants, preparing courses, supervising their labs, and attending to teaching and administrative duties. On top of this, they need to churn out research results. Highly qualified employees (HQEs), such as experienced lab techs and research assistants, are vital to this process because they serve as a bridge between the principal investigator (PI) and the lab and enable the PI to concentrate on other tasks.
Problems for these employees arise when funding is lost or their bosses retire. This can be very stressful for HQEs, who are faced with an increasingly shaky job market. What’s worse, many Canadian universities do not consider such HQEs ...
