Academic working conditions

Comments on a Comment published a few weeks ago in Nature Human Behaviour: Quality research needs good working conditions.

There is "a lack of permanent positions with dedicated research funding, leading to an overreliance on project-based funding with short-term research positions." Unless one lands a tenured position, the longest term of reliable employment one is likely to encounter is during the PhD studies (3+ years). Postdocs depend on periodic renewal of short-term 1 or 2-year contracts and face the prospect of probably needing to move to a different city or country if they need to take up a new position. It's hard.

The relation between turnover and research quality is nuanced. Yes, in certain circumstances pressure can foster creativity and productivity, but the threat of non-renewal is not the only form of pressure that can be applied. Internal project deadlines ("if we don't have a promising result by x, let's try a different line of research"). Performance bonuses. Conference submission deadlines. There are many possibilities.

On the flip side, there are many examples of stagnant research institutions dominated by faculty members nearing retirement with no incentives to undertake quality new research. The problem with research is that it isn't always successful. It is hard for an outsider to distinguish hard but unfruitful work from slacking off.

Unfortunately the terms of employment contracts are typically controlled by upper university management. Thus, even those tenured faculty who would prefer to have a more stable team composition have little power to effect change.