Economic Woes Hit the Academic Job Circuit : Transcription and Translation

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Alex Palazzo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at The University of Toronto.

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Economic Woes Hit the Academic Job Circuit

Category: Lab Life
Posted on: November 5, 2008 5:05 PM, by Alex Palazzo

From confidential sources I have heard of at least two academic institutions, one in the Boston area and one on the West Coast, that have canceled their new faculty searches due to the current financial crisis. How widespread is the problem? We'll have to wait and see.

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Comments

Why am I not surprised?

Posted by: steppen wolf | November 5, 2008 6:40 PM

The new faculty lines awarded to our college were substantially fewer than years past. I know that the economic crisis was the cause.

Posted by: ScienceWoman | November 5, 2008 10:39 PM

What departments?

Posted by: Acme Scientist | November 6, 2008 7:58 AM

Sorry, I can't give you exact names & places.

One institution droped a search in at least one biomedical science department, as for the other place, I'm not sure, but it sounds like several departments may have been told to stop their searches.

Posted by: Alex Palazzo | November 6, 2008 10:27 AM

Next time someone asks me how come I'm on my 5th year of postdoc I'm gonna punch him in the mouth.

Posted by: mikka | November 6, 2008 7:27 PM

Any idea how much it would affect graduate school intake?

Posted by: MadGenius | November 7, 2008 12:09 AM

It's inevitable. The endowments of most schools and foundations are likely to decline substantially, more so than in 2001 even.

Posted by: bystander | November 8, 2008 8:36 AM

Every faculty search at my institution has been postponed as part of an overall hiring freeze.

Posted by: juniorprof | November 8, 2008 11:56 AM

There are Wiki sites that discuss the schools that have openings and which have closed (along with which places are interviewing as we speak).
For Chemistry (including biochemistry):
http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/ChemistryPositions

For biomedical sciences (genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, developmental, cell biology, and biochemistry in bio departments):
http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Cell_Biology/Molecular_Biology/Developmental_Biology_/_Genetics_/_Microbiology_-_2008/2009

Posted by: ponderingfool | November 17, 2008 3:00 PM